Game ball

• US 4,930,776 A
• Filed: 08/03/1989
• Issued: 06/05/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corky F. Newcomb
• Original Assignee: Nelson F. Newcomb
• Inventors: Newcomb, Nelson F., Newcomb, Nelson F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US07/389,228
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 273/58 R, 273/58 A, 273/58 B, 273/58 BA, 273/58 D, 273/58 G, 273/58 K, 273/DIG. 24, 273/DIG. 20, 273/65 EE, 273/65 EG, 273/65 EC, 273/65 ED, 446/219
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/76 with means enabling use in the dark, other than powered illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/06 with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/20 Weighted balls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/24 Luminescent, phosphorescent

Abstract

The present invention takes the WIFFLE® BALL baseball into the darkness and allows for the continued play, without need of any complicated or expensive lighting equipment or the like. The standard WIFFLE® BALL baseball design is retained, and instead of traditional white plastic, a translucent plastic material is employed in the construction of the ball. Inserted into the ball for night play is an activated chemiluminescent light stick, such as those manufactured by, or under license from, the American Cyanamid Company and sold under the trademark CYALUME®. The light stick used herein is an elongated flexible tubular member, joined at its ends with a connecting piece forming a circular light-ring. The light ring is readily inserted into the cavity of the translucent WIFFLE® BALL baseball and retained therein without the need of any special attachments or further modifications. Under field testing, the thus modified NITELITE WIFFLE® BALL baseball performed like a traditional white plastic WIFFLE® BALL baseball, and the light-ring provided ample visible light for about 4-6 hours.

Claims

1. A game ball useful for night play, said game ball comprising:

a hollow, lightweight, translucent plastic spherical shell,

said shell having a substantially imperforate portion,

said shell further having a plurality of closely spaced perforations extending therethrough and providing a perforated zone characterized by surface openings,

all said perforations and openings being grouped in one portion of said ball surface to cause the wind-resisting characteristics of the surface of said ball to vary unsymmetrically, whereby said ball when spinning in flight will follow a curved path,

said shell further having disposed therein a ring-shaped, chemiluminescent light stick which, when activated, enables said ball to be sufficiently visible for play at night.

2. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said shell has an imperforate portion covering at least one-quarter of its surface.

3. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said shell has an imperforate portion covering at least one-half of its surface.

4. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said shell has an imperforate portion covering at least three-fourths of its surface.

5. The game ball of claim 1, Wherein said shell has a substantially imperforate portion covering at least one-quarter of its surface, the remainder of the shell having a plurality of closely spaced staggered perforations extending therethrough and providing a perforated zone characterized by surface openings.

6. The game ball of claim 5 in which the openings are quadrilateral.

7. The game ball of claim 1, wherein said shell has an imperforate portion covering at least one-half of its surface, the remainder of the shell having three rows of closely spaced perforations extending therethrough and providing a perforated zone characterized by surface openings.

8. A game ball comprising a hollow, lightweight translucent plastic spherical shell, approximately 21/4 inches in diameter, said shell having an imperforate portion covering at least one-half of its surface on one side of the equator of said shell, the remainder of the shell having closely-spaced rows of closely-spaced quadrilateral perforations extending therethrough and providing a perforated zone characterized by surface openings, all said perforations and openings being grouped in one portion of the ball surface to cause the wind-resisting characteristics of the surface of the ball to vary unsymmetrically, whereby the ball when spinning in flight will follow a curved path, the row of apertures next adjacent the equator being approximately 3/16 of an inch from said equator, and each of said apertures being approximately 1/2 inch long and 1/4 inch wide;

said ball further including an activated chemiluminescent lightstick joined end to end into a ring shaped member.