Flying ball

• US 6,056,616 A
• Filed: 02/05/1999
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Earl K. Bushman
• Original Assignee: Earl K. Bushman
• Inventors: Bushman, Earl K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FOSSUM, LAURA J
• Application Number:
  US09/245,478
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 446/34, 446/61, 446/66, 446/93, 446/94, 473/578, 473/569, 473/582-585, 473/595, 473/613, 473/614, 473/FOR 166, D21/436, D21/438, D21/714
• US Class Current: 446/61
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/00 Toy aircraft; Other flying toys toys with parachutes A63H33/20

Abstract

The flying ball of this invention is a solid foamed synthetic polymer composition ball having an opening therethrough in which is engaged a solid foamed fuselage so that the ball can be moved front and back on the fuselage. The ball carries wings, and the fuselage carries tail surfaces, both preferably of solid foamed polymer material.

Claims

1. A flying ball comprising:

a fuselage having a front end and a back end and having a substantially uniform cross section between its front end and its back end;

a ball having an opening therethrough, said fuselage extending through said opening and configured such that said ball embraces said fuselage and is movable forward and backward thereon between its front end and its back end;

wings mounted on said ball; and

a tail mounted on said fuselage adjacent its back end, said tail mounted on said fuselage adjacent its back end, said tail comprising at least a rudder surface and a pitch control surface.

2. The flying ball of claim 1 wherein said ball and said fuselage are made of solid foamed synthetic polymer composition material.

3. The flying ball of claim 1 wherein said ball had first and second wing slots therein and said wings comprises first and second separate wings respectively frictionally engaged in said first and second wing slots.

4. The flying ball of claim 3 wherein said ball and said fuselage are made of solid foamed synthetic polymer composition material.

5. The flying ball of claim 1 wherein said tail comprises first and second pitch control slots in said fuselage adjacent its back end and first and second pitch control surfaces respectively within said slots and a rudder slot in said fuselage adjacent its back end and a rudder positioned within said rudder slot.

6. The flying ball of claim 5 wherein said rudder slot extends through said fuselage from top to bottom and said rudder is a one-piece rudder extending out of said fuselage on both the top and bottom of said fuselage.

7. The flying ball of claim 6 wherein said ball and said fuselage are made of solid foamed synthetic polymer composition material.

8. The flying ball of claim 1 wherein a resilient cap is attached to the front end of said fuselage, said resilient cap having a space therein so that said rubber cap softens the blow when said flying ball strikes an object.

9. The flying ball of claim 4 wherein said fuselage is a cylindrical solid having an axis and there are surfaces within said ball upon which said wings engage, said surfaces being planar and being parallel to said axis.

10. The flying ball of claim 4 wherein said fuselage is a cylindrical solid having an axis and there are surfaces within said ball upon which said wings engage, said surfaces being planar with the planes of said surfaces intersecting said axis behind said ball so that said wings having a positive angle of attack with respect to said axis.

11. The flying ball of claim 7 wherein said ball and said fuselage are made of solid foamed synthetic polymer composition material.

12. The flying ball of claim 11 wherein said wings are adhesively attached to said surfaces and a cover is adhesively attached to said wings, said cover having a ball surface so that when in place it continues the surface of the ball to which said wings are attached.

13. A flying ball comprising:

an elongated fuselage having a front end and a back end, said fuselage being made of solid foamed synthetic polymer composition material, said fuselage having a substantially uniform cross section between its front end and its back end;

a ball having an opening therethrough, said fuselage extending through said opening and whereby said ball embraces said fuselage, said ball being made of solid foamed synthetic polymer composition material, said ball being slidable along the length of said fuselage;

first and second wings attached to said ball and at least first, second and third tail surfaces attached to said fuselage adjacent its back end so that when said ball is thrown, it is partially aerodynamically supported by said wings and its direction controlled by said tail surfaces.

14. The flying ball of claim 13 wherein said fuselage has a substantially cylindrical exterior surface and said ball has a substantially cylindrical interior surface in said opening therethrough so that said substantially cylindrical interior surface of said ball embraces said fuselage so that said ball can move on said fuselage.

15. The flying ball of claim 14 wherein said wings and said tail surfaces are made of foamed synthetic polymer composition material.

16. The flying ball of claim 14 wherein said ball has first and second slots therein and said first and second wings are engaged in said slots and retained therein without the use of adhesive.

17. The flying ball of claim 16 wherein there are slots in said fuselage adjacent its back end and at least some of said tail surfaces are engaged in said slots without the use of adhesive.

18. The flying ball of claim 17 wherein said wings and said tail surfaces are made of foamed synthetic polymer composition material.

19. The flying ball of claim 13 wherein said ball has a wing engagement surface thereon and said wings are adhesively attached to said wing engagement surfaces and there is a cap adhesively attached to said wings above said wing engagement surfaces, said cap being configured so that its external surface is a continuation of the surface of said ball.

20. The flying ball of claim 19 wherein said surfaces define planes on said ball and said opening through said ball defines a central axis of said ball, said planes intersecting said central axis behind said ball so that said wings have a positive angle of attack when said flying ball is thrown.