Oh, patents! Lacoste ball-throwing device (2)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

To practice varying tennis strokes, without a professional trainer throwing strategically placed balls, Jean René Lacoste invented a ball-throwing device, which was commercially produced by the British Dunlop company. The device was designed to throw balls at selected intervals, speed, and trajectory. The preferred embodiment of the invention was semi-automatic with someone (even a child) cranking the spring-loaded ejection of tennis balls, previously fed into a tubular shoot. The YouTube video included below shows historical footage of Jean René Lacoste, demonstrating both the operation and use of his patented ball-throwing invention. 

The ball-throwing device was patented in a family of four patents, in France, the United States, Germany and the UK. The patents were all filed in 1927, and granted the following year, except the US patent, which was granted in 1930.

FR648809 - Lance-balles 

US1777976A  - Ball-throwing device 

GB291044A - An improved ball-throwing device

DE484221C - Vorrichtung zum Werfen von Baellen

The British abstract comprising a short description of the Figure 1 drawing is appended below, together with the patent Figure 1, showing a side view of the  Lacoste ball-throwing device. 

Projecting-apparatus.-A device for throwing tennis or like balls comprises a blade spring that is coiled round and projects from a continuously rotating shaft, is stressed by engagement with a stop and, upon release, strikes and projects a ball, that is supported at a distance from the top. A blade spring g is rotated in counterclockwise direction by a crank d, is flexed by contact with a stop h and, on slipping past the stop, strikes and projects the lowermost ball of a series of balls contained in a tubular supply shoot l. The stop h and shoot l are carried by a plate i pivoted to a stand a. The speed of delivery of the ball is varied by adjusting the position of the stop h, and the trajectory is varied by rotating the plate i relatively to the stand. [Abstract GB291044A]

Reference

Lacoste

https://www.lacoste.com/ 

Oh, patents! Koosh® balls

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Not easy to catch a ball when you are a tiny kid!

This observation inspired Stanford engineer Scott K. Stellinger, in the 1980s, to mastermind the Koosh® ball, an invention recited in a 10-member patent family, that includes US4756529 titled Generally spherical object with floppy filaments to promote sure capture.

• ES2006437 (A4) ― 1989-05-01 - Generally spherical object with floppy filaments to promote sure capture
• AU1763588 (A) ― 1988-12-15 - Soft throwing/catching device 
• JPS6417665 (A) ― 1989-01-20 - Play toy
• AT58844 (T) ― 1990-12-15 - Lern-spielgeraet
• CA1253531 (A) ― 1989-05-02 - Amusement device
• DE295114 (T1) ― 1989-06-01 - Generally spherical object with floppy filaments to promote sure capture
• EP0295114 (A2) ― 1988-12-14 - Teaching toy
• GR890200102 (U) ― 1990-05-11 - No title available
• GR890300036 (T1) ― 1989-05-25 - Teaching toy

The Koosh® ball resolves the problematic situation of difficult to catch bouncy balls by designing a ball that is both easy to grip and energy-absorbent, since it collapses upon impact. Accordingly, the Koosh® ball is made of floppy, elastomeric filaments, connected at the core like a pompom. The filaments also have gripping characteristics, thus clinging rather than slipping, out of the catcher’s hands.

The abstract of this patented invention is included below, together with figures 4 and 5 of the invention, depicting the ball “about to be caught" (fig. 4), and "caught" (fig. 5). An image of the marketed product is included above.

An amusement device which has a substantially spherical configuration, and which is formed from a large plurality of floppy, elastomeric fllaments that radiate in a dense, bushy manner from a central core region. The fllaments are sufficiently floppy to collapse on impact, thus to absorb enough energy to avoid any tendency to bounce. They are also sufficiently dense and floppy that they tend to quickly thread their way between the fingers of a user on contact with the hand. These features promote sure and quick capture of the device during the act of catching. [Abstract US4756529]

Reference
Hasbro
https://www.hasbro.com/en-us/

Oh, patents! New Year’s ball drop

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The countdown has started on some of the meridians to the right of Greenwich Mean Time! Not long 'till celebrations start ushering in the year 2014!

And perhaps that you will be in Times Square, in NYC, a little later to see the New Year’s ball drop! But before you bundle up and go, you might take a quick peek at the New Year’s Ball Drop patent!

The New Year’s ball drop patent, US2005138851, is an invention classified as a celebratory illuminating device. It is preceded by the disco light ball [US4389598], the synchronized confetti sprayer and descending illuminated ball [US 6260989] and the laser light show with holographic image projection [US5090789, although none of the prior art is specifically suited for the purposes of celebrating the New Year.  

There are many aspects to New Year's ball drop invention: the ball drop on a vertical post with an illuminated sign announcing the new year; the tracking mechanism to guide the movement of the ball; the configuration of the lamps required to light up the sign announcing the new year; the ball lights and the timing mechanism for the ball lights; the timing mechanism for the new year flashing lights once the ball has completed its descent, and its connection to real time in view of precisely synchronizing the descent  of the ball with the real time countdown for the new year.

The Abstract for the New Year's Ball drop patent US2005138851 summarizes the invention as follows:

The present invention 10 discloses a New Year's celebrating device having a vertically standing support pole 16 having tracks 18 thereon upon which a movable ball 12 is slidably mounted. The ball 12 also has lights 14 there on. A New Year display sign 20 having lights 22 thereon. In operation, at a predetermined time, the ball 12 begins its descent from atop the pole 16. When the ball 12 reaches its destination at the bottom of the pole 16, the New Year display lights 22 light up and the ball lights 14 flash.

Hurry now, as otherwise you will have to wait another 365 days to celebrate the New Year 's ball drop, synchronistically, in patent style! Happy 2014!

Oh, patents! Waboba® balls!

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann Wanna have some summer fun? Try a Waboba® ball and join the Wabobians worldwide! A Waboba® ball is a ball that can bounce on water. In fact, it even skips over water, just like a stone that you might throw at a special angle to make it ricochet over the surface of the water. Only this is a ball that bounces without ever sinking! It is manufactured with a polymer gel center that flattens when it hits the water, and bounces or skims across the surface the water. The inventor, Jan Von Heland, is from Sweden, and he was inspired while playing upside-down Frisbee with his son in the water! Below, the patent abstract and a drawing, and above the image of the marketed Waboba® ball! Have fun! :-)                                                            Abstract - WO2010071528  The present invention relates to a water bouncing ball (10) comprising a gel core (12) made of plastic material and an elastic porous plastic material(14) adjacent the gel core (12) and covering and centering the gel core in the middle of the ball (10). The ratio between the diameter (D) of the gel core and the thickness (T) of the elastic porous plastic material is in the range between 0.66 and 2.8. In this way a soft floating ball having good bouncing ability is provided.

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