Practice baseball/softball with contrasting colors

• US 5,711,725 A
• Filed: 01/23/1997
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Timothy A. Bengtson
• Original Assignee: Timothy A. Bengtson
• Inventors: Bengtson, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark S.
• Application Number:
  US08/788,048
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 473/451, 473/459, 473/607, 473/598, 473/135
• US Class Current: 473/451
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/008 with means for improving visibility, e.g. special markings or colours illuminating or reflecting means A63B43/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0002 for baseball

Abstract

A two colored baseball or softball for practice. One half of the outer surface is a dark color and one half is light to make the ball more difficult to see than a standard ball. When used for practice, the ball requires players to concentrate intensely in order to hit or field it successfully because of the difficulty of seeing it clearly. During games when a light colored ball is used, it is much more visible and players are able to hit and field it better because they are used to practicing with the two colored practice ball.

Claims

1. A practice baseball/softball comprising:

a substantially spherical ball member having a substantially spherical surface; and

means on said surface for providing a relatively light color on approximately one half the area thereof and a relatively dark color on approximately one half the area thereof, wherein

said ball member has a core and a cover surrounding said core;

said cover includes first and second sections stitched together along a seam, each section occupying substantially one half of the area of said surface;

each said section has a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis and is symmetrical about each said axis;

said first section is colored said light color on one side of the longitudinal axis thereof and said dark color on the other side of the longitudinal axis thereof; and

said second section is colored said light color on one side of the transverse axis thereof and said dark color on the other side of the transverse axis thereof.

2. A baseball/softball as set forth in claim 1, wherein said dark color is black and said light color is white.

3. A practice baseball/softball for use in practicing batting and fielding, said baseball/softball comprising:

a ball member having a substantially spherical outer surface, approximately one half of the area of said surface being a relatively light color and approximately one half of the area of said surface being a relatively dark color, wherein

said ball member has a core and a cover surrounding said core;

said cover includes first and second sections stitched together along a seam, each section occupying substantially one half of the area of said surface;

each said section has a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis and is symmetrical about each said axis;

said first section is colored said light color on one side of the longitudinal axis thereof and said dark color on the other side of the longitudinal axis thereof; and

said second section is colored said light color on one side of the transverse axis thereof and said dark color on the other side of the transverse axis thereof.

4. A baseball/softball as set forth in claim 3, wherein said dark color is black and said light color is white.

5. A practice baseball/softball for use in practicing batting and fielding, comprising:

a ball member having a substantially spherical outer surface which is colored white on approximately one half its area and colored black on approximately one half its area, wherein

said ball member has a core and a cover surrounding said core;

said cover includes first and second sections stitched together along a seam, each section occupying substantially one half of the area of said surface;

each said section has a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis and is symmetrical about each said axis;

said first section is colored white on one side of the longitudinal axis thereof and black on the other side of the longitudinal axis thereof; and

said second section is colored white on one side of the transverse axis thereof and black on the other side of the transverse axis thereof.