Speed indicating ball
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A speed indicating ball comprising:
- a housing;
including a first portions and second portion;
a mechanical timer which is supported by the first portion of said housing and enclosed within said housing, and which may be started at a first time and stopped at a second time so as to provide a mechanical output corresponding to an elapsed time interval between said first time and said second time, said mechanical output comprising the rotation of a shaft which is coupled to said timer and to the second portion of the housing so that said first and second portions rotate relative to one another during said elapsed time interval;
a winder which is in mechanical communication with said timer and is operable by a user for placing the timer in a wound state;
an activator for starting operation of the timer when the timer is in the wound state and the ball is released by the user;
a stop mechanism for stopping operation of the timer when the ball is caught;
a display which is in mechanical communication with the timer and is operative to receive the output thereof and to display a speed signal which is inversely proportional to said elapsed time interval.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A speed indicating ball includes a timer, which is activated upon throwing of the ball, and deactivated upon catching of the ball, for measuring the ball'"'"'s time of flight. The timer is connected to a display which provides a direct read out which is inversely proportional to the time of flight of the ball, and which corresponds to the relative velocity of the ball.
126 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A speed indicating ball comprising:
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a housing;
including a first portions and second portion;a mechanical timer which is supported by the first portion of said housing and enclosed within said housing, and which may be started at a first time and stopped at a second time so as to provide a mechanical output corresponding to an elapsed time interval between said first time and said second time, said mechanical output comprising the rotation of a shaft which is coupled to said timer and to the second portion of the housing so that said first and second portions rotate relative to one another during said elapsed time interval; a winder which is in mechanical communication with said timer and is operable by a user for placing the timer in a wound state; an activator for starting operation of the timer when the timer is in the wound state and the ball is released by the user; a stop mechanism for stopping operation of the timer when the ball is caught; a display which is in mechanical communication with the timer and is operative to receive the output thereof and to display a speed signal which is inversely proportional to said elapsed time interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A speed indicating ball comprising:
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a housing; a timer which is supported by, and enclosed within, said housing, said timer being operable in a winding mode to store energy in a resilient member, and in a timing mode to release stored energy so as to rotate an output shaft thereby, the rotation of said output shaft corresponding to an elapsed time interval; a push button assembly in mechanical communication with the timer for operating the timer in the winding mode and storing energy in the resilient member as said push button assembly is urged into a first position, said push button assembly being further operable to disable operation of the timer in the timing mode when the push button assembly is maintained in said first position and to enable the entry of the timer into the timing mode when the push button assembly is released from the said first position; an inertially activated stop mechanism in mechanical communication with the timer for disabling operation of the timer in the timing mode when the ball experiences a decelerating force; a display in mechanical communication with the output shaft of the timer for sequentially displaying members of a series of indicia. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A speed indicating ball comprising:
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a housing including a first and a second housing portion, said housing portions cooperating to define an exterior surface configured to resemble a ball and to enclose an interior volume, said first housing portion including a pocket defined therein, said pocket being in communication with said interior volume, and said second housing portion including a support platform defined thereupon and in communication with said interior volume; a mechanical timer including a body portion having a spring retained therein and an input/output shaft projecting from said body portion and in mechanical communication with the spring, said input/output shaft being operative in an energy storage mode to deliver mechanical energy to said spring, and being further operative in an output mode to receive mechanical energy from said spring so as to be rotated thereby, the body portion of said timer being retained in the pocket of said first housing portion; a stop-arm which is mechanically coupled to the input/output shaft so as to rotate therewith, said stop arm being affixed to the support platform of the second housing portion so as to mechanically couple said housing portions together through said input/output shaft so that the housing portions rotate relative to one another as said input/output shaft rotates, said stop-arm further including a tab portion projecting therefrom, said tab portion disposed so as to strike a stop ridge which is associated with one of said first and second housing portions, said tab and stop ridge cooperating to restrict the extent to which said housing portions are free to rotate relative to one another; a display comprising a series of indicia supported on one of said first and second housing portions, and an indexer associated with the other of said first and second housing portions for sequentially designating members of said series of indicia as said housing portions rotate relative to one another.
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Specification