U.S. patent number 3,679,212 [Application Number 05/147,777] was granted by the patent office on 1972-07-25 for chance readout educational ball.
Invention is credited to James A. Smith.
United States Patent |
3,679,212 |
Smith |
July 25, 1972 |
CHANCE READOUT EDUCATIONAL BALL
Abstract
A hollow substantially spherical ball having a plurality of
apertures therein and a plurality of movable members, generally in
the form of pellets, having indicia thereon and shaped to fit
partially into the apertures from the interior thereof but
incapable of passing out through the apertures whereby the indicia
may be observed externally of the ball. Magnetic means is
associated with each aperture and associated with a metal ring on
each pellet for retaining the pellets in the aperture during
rolling movement of the ball so that each aperture of the ball will
be provided with a pellet during rolling movement of the ball. The
ball is provided with a weighted and flattened bottom surface so
that it will come to rest in a predetermined position with indicia
being provided on the external surface of the ball for association
with the indicia revealed through the apertures for enabling
various games to be played and enabling various educational
processes to be practiced.
Inventors: |
Smith; James A. (Morgan City,
LA) |
Family
ID: |
22522866 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/147,777 |
Filed: |
May 28, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/144B;
473/594; 273/138.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
3/0415 (20130101); A63F 9/0415 (20130101); A63F
9/34 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
9/04 (20060101); A63F 3/04 (20060101); A63F
9/00 (20060101); A63b 039/00 (); A63f 005/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/138R,138A,58R,58B,58BA,58D,58E,58F,58G,58H,58K,1M,1R,144R
;46/64,65 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
|
|
|
|
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83,235 |
|
Nov 1895 |
|
DT |
|
899,630 |
|
Jun 1962 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Oechsle; Anton O.
Assistant Examiner: Kramer; Arnold W.
Claims
What is claimed as new is as follows:
1. An educational toy comprising a substantially spherical ball of
hollow construction provided with a plurality of apertures therein,
a plurality of normally freely movable members within the interior
of the ball dimensioned to be partially received in the apertures
but incapable of movement therethrough thereby enabling observation
of the movable members from exteriorly of the ball, means
releasably retaining the movable members within the apertures
regardless of the orientation of the ball, and indicia on the
movable members observable through the apertures when disposed in
the apertures to enable the indicia to be employed in playing the
game.
2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said spherical ball
is provided with a flattened bottom and a weight incorporated
therein so that the ball will roll into position with the flattened
bottom engaging a supported surface.
3. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said apertures are
divided into two sections by a dividing line peripherally of the
ball with the portion of the ball on one side of the dividing line
being distinguishably colored from the portion of the ball on the
opposite side of the dividing line.
4. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said apertures each
include a surrounding recess on the exterior thereof simulating
moon craters.
5. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means retaining
the movable members in the apertures including magnetic means
including a permanent magnet associated with each aperture and a
ferrous metal insert in each movable member.
6. The structure as defined in claim 5 wherein said aperture is
partially elliptical, each of said movable members is elliptical
for reception in the aperture, the ferrous insert in the movable
member being in the form of an annular ring at the belt line of the
elliptical member.
7. The structure as defined in claim 6 wherein each of the movable
members is provided with a movable interior weight capable of
moving eccentrically of the movable member to cause the movable
member to roll in an erratic path.
8. The structure as defined in claim 7 wherein the indicia on said
movable member is disposed on each end thereof for observation
through the apertures, the external surface of said ball having
indicia adjacent each aperture for association with the indicia
revealed through the aperture to enable educational processes to be
practiced.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to educational toys and
more particularly a spherical ball which may be provided with
decorative indicia to simulate the surface of the moon with a
plurality of apertures formed therein simulating moon craters,
together with internally disposed movable members which are freely
movable in relation to the interior surface of the ball but which
are retained in position by a magnetic construction to enable
indicia on the movable members to be observed from the exterior of
the ball.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various educational toys and games have been provided in which
indicia is associated with various structural devices, so that
educational processes are practiced by children using such devices.
Such devices sometimes have the problem of separate movable game
pieces or indicia carrying members, such as dice or the like, which
frequently become lost or misplaced and present a problem of
storage and handling. While such devices are workable, certain of
the devices are relatively inexpensive and sometimes do not
satisfactorily perform the desired function.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an educational toy
in the form of a hollow ball having a flattened portion on the
periphery thereof provided with a weight which will assure that the
ball comes to rest on the flattened portion after the ball has been
rolled along a supporting surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a ball type
educational toy in which the ball is provided with a plurality of
apertures therein with the apertures being divided into two
sections by a meandering division line with the portions of the
ball on opposite sides of the division line being distinguishably
colored with an equal number of apertures on each side of the
division line.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an educational
toy in accordance with the preceding objects in which the interior
of the ball is provided with a plurality of freely movable pieces
in the form of generally elliptical bodies or pellets of a size to
be partially received within each aperture but which will not pass
through the apertures, thus revealing any and all of the movable
body through the apertures for observation from the exterior
thereof with the movable body including indicia thereon to enable
such indicia to be observed externally of the ball.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a toy in
accordance with the preceding objects in which each aperture is
provided with an associated magnet and each movable body is
provided with a ferrous metallic ring insert so that the movable
bodies or pellets will be retained in position in the apertures to
enable the indicia revealed through the apertures to be employed in
various educational processes by combining it with indicia printed
on the exterior of the ball adjacent each of the apertures to
enable various educational manipulations to be performed, such as
practicing solutions of mathematical problems.
Still another important feature of the present invention is to
provide an educational toy in accordance with the preceding objects
in which each of the movable bodies or pellets is hollow and
provided with a freely movable weight therein so that the pellets
or bodies will roll in an erratic manner along the inner surface of
the ball as the ball is rolled along a surface thereby facilitating
entry of one end of each of the pellets into an aperture.
Still another important feature of this invention is the provision
of an educational toy which is relatively inexpensive to
manufacture, highly entertaining and yet effective for developing
skills in various educational processes.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become
subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and
operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part
hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the ball type educational toy of the
present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the bottom portion of the
ball, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the weight and flattened
bottom, as well as the details of the upper portion of the ball
illustrating one of the apertures therein.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the movable bodies or
pellets employed interiorly of the ball.
FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a
plane passing along section line 5--5 on FIG. 4 illustrating the
specific structural details of the movable body or pellet.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now specifically to the drawings, the ball type
educational toy of the present invention is generally designated by
the numeral 10 and is in the form of a hollow spherical ball 12
having a flattened peripheral portion 14 forming a bottom thereof
which will engage a surface in order to maintain the ball in
predetermined relationship to a supporting surface. The ball is
preferably constructed of plastic material of any desired thickness
and of any suitable type of plastic material. To provide
self-righting of the ball on the flat bottom 14, a ring type weight
16 is connected thereto or embedded therein adjacent the flattened
bottom 14 as illustrated in FIG. 3. Thus, as the ball rolls along a
supporting surface, it will normally come to rest with the
flattened bottom 14 supporting the ball in the manner illustrated
in FIG. 2.
The ball 12 is provided with a plurality of apertures 18 extending
therethrough with the outer end of each aperture 18 being
surrounded by a concave recess 20 which are shaped to simulate moon
craters. The aperture itself is of partial elliptical configuration
as illustrated in FIG. 3 and the inner end of the aperture is
provided with an outwardly flared portion 22 which forms a guide
for the inner end of the opening 18 with the outer end of the
opening 18 being of less diameter than the inner end of the opening
18.
Embedded in the periphery of each aperture 18 is an annular or ring
type magnet 24 which is in the form of a permanent magnet 24 which
is flush with the inner peripheral surface of the aperture 18. As
illustrated in FIG. 1, the apertures are divided into two areas by
a dividing line 26 so that an equal number of apertures 18 are on
each side thereof and the area of the ball on one side of the
dividing line 26 is distinguishably colored as compared with the
area on the other side of the dividing line thereby enabling the
surface of the ball to be divided into two separate playing areas
each having the same number of apertures 18 therein.
Disposed within the interior of the ball 12 is a plurality of
freely moving bodies or pellets generally designated by the numeral
28 each of which are in the form of an elliptical body 30 of a size
to be partially received in the aperture 18 but of a size which
will not pass outwardly through the apertures 18. Peripherally at
the belt of the elliptical body 30 is a ferrous metal ring 32 which
will align with and be engaged by the permanent ring magnet 24 thus
securing the body 30 with the aperture 18 with a portion of the end
thereof projecting above the bottom of the recess 20 as illustrated
by dotted line in FIG. 3 so that indicia 34 on either end of the
body 30 may be observed externally of the ball 12. The indicia 34
is associated with indicia 36 on the external surface of the ball
to provide problems such as mathematical problems which may be
solved by the players to enable an interesting game or games to be
played with the ball and at the same time enable educational
processes to be practiced. Also, each of the bodies 30 is provided
with an elongated hollow interior 38 receiving a small movable
weight 40 which may be in the form of spherical ball bearing or the
like which movement causes erratic rolling of the movable pellets
28 as the ball is rolled along a surface thereby assuring that the
end of one of the pellets is received in each of the holes 18.
The ball may be constructed of any suitable color and the exterior
surface thereof provided with indicia simulating the surface of the
moon with the indicia 36 being printed thereon enabling the various
games and educational processes to be practiced. For example,
mathematical indicia enables various mathematical problems to be
practiced, such as multiplication tables, or the like. Various
competitive games may be played between two players, one of which
is assigned to one area of the ball and the other being assigned
the other colored area of the ball thereby introducing a
competitive challenge to children employing the device. The device
may be constructed of plastic material and formed as two
semi-spheres joined together in any suitable manner with it being
pointed out that the number of apertures as well as the size and
shape thereof being variable with the movable bodies internally of
the ball also being variable as to shape, size and configuration
with the indicia being easily distinguishable by using colors that
are readily observable which enables the device to be relatively
inexpensive to manufacture but yet effective for its particular
purposes.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles
of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes
will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation
shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and
equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the
invention.
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