U.S. patent number 3,873,009 [Application Number 05/385,541] was granted by the patent office on 1975-03-25 for ball holder.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Willis G. Maltby. Invention is credited to Noel G. Goudreau.
United States Patent |
3,873,009 |
Goudreau |
March 25, 1975 |
Ball holder
Abstract
A ball holder particularly adapted for holding a ball on the
person of a player consists of two main parts, a base and a
retaining ring. The base includes a clip for mounting the base on
the clothing of the player, and has interlocking members for
connecting adjacent ball holders to each other. The base has a
connector tongue formed integral with one end, which is fixed to a
ring connector tongue of the retaining ring. The retaining ring is
resilient and has a flat annular body, which is particularly
adapted for engaging and holding a ball positioned in the base.
Inventors: |
Goudreau; Noel G. (Bradley,
IL) |
Assignee: |
Maltby; Willis G. (Bourbonnais,
IL)
|
Family
ID: |
23521837 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/385,541 |
Filed: |
August 3, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/247;
224/919 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
47/001 (20130101); Y10S 224/919 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
47/00 (20060101); A63b 061/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;224/5D,5A,5C,26R,26B,26D,26G,26J ;273/32D ;24/81CC,81A,83 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
|
|
|
|
|
326,425 |
|
Mar 1930 |
|
GB |
|
751,596 |
|
Jan 1967 |
|
CA |
|
Primary Examiner: Spar; Robert J.
Assistant Examiner: Weaver; Ross
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Zummer; Anthony S.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A ball holder adapted for readily removably holding a ball on
the person of a player comprising, a base having a cavity defining
a portion of a sphere less than a hemisphere, said sphere having a
diameter approximately the diameter of the ball, a clip connected
to the base for securing the ball holder to an article of clothing
worn by the player, and a retaining ring resiliently connected to
the base, said retaining ring having an annular portion spaced away
from the base and adapted for engagement with the ball positioned
in the cavity of the base with the ball protruding through the
center of the annular portion.
2. A ball holder adapted for readily removably holding a ball on
the person of a player as defined in claim 1 wherein the clip
includes a pair of cantilever fingers, each of said fingers mounted
adjacent to one edge of the base and extending outwardly from one
another from the respective points of attachment to the base.
3. A ball holder adapted for readily removably holding a ball on
the person of a player as defined in claim 2 wherein the base has
an opening aligned with each of the fingers, each of said openings
having its form being identical to a projection of the outline of
the respective clip finger on the base.
4. A ball holder adapted for readily removably holding a ball on
the person of a player as defined in claim 1, including a pair of
interlock members mounted on the edge of the base, each of said
interlock members mounted on opposite sides of the base, each of
said interlock members being adapted for connection to a mateable
interlock member on an adjacent ball holder to secure releasably
the ball holders together.
5. A ball holder adapted for readily removably holding a ball on
the person of a player as defined in claim 1 wherein the base
includes a recess opening in its edge opposite to that portion of
the edge to which the ring is connected, said recess opening being
adapted to facilitate alignment of the ball for insertion into the
holder.
6. A ball holder adapted for readily removably holding a ball on
the person of a player as defined in claim 1 wherein the ring has
the surface of the interior of its annulus curved in order to
engage securely the ball protruding through the annulus.
7. A ball holder adapted for readily removably holding a ball on
the person of a player as defined in claim 1, including a base
connector tongue formed integral with one edge of the base, said
base connector tongue having a recess, and a ring connector tongue
formed integral with one edge of the retaining ring, said ring
connector tongue having a protrusion mateable with the recess in
the base connector tongue for joining of the two tongues.
8. A ball holder adapted for readily removably holding a ball on
the person of a player as defined in claim 1 wherein the base
includes a recess opening in its edge opposite to that portion of
the edge to which the ring is connected, said recess being adapted
to align the ball for insertion of the ball into the holder, and
including a pair of interlock members mounted on the edge of the
base, each of said interlock members mounted on opposite sides of
the base and being equidistantly positioned from the recess opening
and that portion of the edge to which the ring is connected, each
of said interlock members being adapted for connection to a
mateable interlock member on an adjacent ball holder to secure
releasably the ball holders together.
9. A ball holder adapted for readily removably holding a ball on
the person of a player as defined in claim 1, including a base
connector tongue formed integral with one edge of the base, said
base connector tongue having a recess, and a ring connector tongue
formed integral with one edge of the retaining ring, said ring
connector tongue having a protrusion mating with the recess in the
base connector tongue and being welded to said base connector
tongue, and said base including a recess opening in its edge
opposite to the base connector tongue.
10. A ball holder adapted for readily removably holding a ball on
the person of a player as defined in claim 1, including a base
connector tongue formed integral with one edge of the base, said
base connector tongue having a recess, a ring connector tongue
formed integral with one edge of the retaining ring, said ring
connector tongue having a protrusion mating with the recess in the
base connector tongue and being sonically welded thereto, said base
including a recess opening in its edge opposite to the base
connector tongue, said clip including a pair of cantilever fingers,
each of said fingers having one end mounted adjacent to the base
connector tongue, said fingers extending outward from one another
from the respective points of attachment to the base, each of said
fingers having a friction surface on its surface adjacent to the
base, an aperture aligned with each of said fingers, each of said
apertures having its form being identical to a projection of the
outline of the respective clip finger on the base, said base having
a base friction surface on its exterior surface between the
apertures, and a pair of interlock members mounted on the edge of
the base, each of said interlock members mounted on opposite sides
equidistantly spaced from the base connector tongue and the recess
opening, each of said interlock members being adapted for
connection to a mateable interlock member on an adjacent ball
holder to secure releasably the ball holders together.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In many games where a ball is used, it is necessary for a player to
use a second or third ball, as the case may be, should the first
ball go out of play for any reason. Typical of the games in which
the players utilize several balls is lawn tennis. In lawn tennis,
the person who has the service serves a ball. If it does not land
in the proper court, he then has an opportunity to serve another
ball. Customarily, he does not wait for the first ball to be
returned; but, rather, in order to keep the momentum of the game
going, he serves a second ball. Typically, tennis players will have
three balls on a court.
The balls which tennis players have on the court are usually held
by the player who has the service. Ordinarily, the player who has
the service will hold two balls in one hand on the first serve. If
the serve is good, he then must play the remainder of the point
with a ball in one hand. Many players find this to be
uncomfortable, so they will place a ball in a pocket rather than
hold it. Again, this is uncomfortable for the player; and it slows
down the play because the player must extract the ball from his
pocket for the second serve. Various ball holders are known for
holding balls; but none is lightweight and easy to use on a tennis
court.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a ball holder which is
particularly adapted for holding a tennis ball. The ball holder is
made of two molded plastic parts, a base and a retaining ring,
which are joined together. The base has a cavity defining a portion
of a sphere less than a hemisphere. A pair of fingers is mounted on
the base to provide a clip for securing the base to a player's
clothing. The base also has interconnecting outwardly extending
members mounted diametrically opposed to each other on the edge
thereof for connecting adjacent bases.
The retaining ring includes a resilient flat retaining ring, with a
tongue formed thereon for connection to the base. A ball is
inserted in the ball holder by pushing the ball against the
resilient force of the retaining ring to displace the ring
sufficiently to insert the ball between the base and the ring; and
the retaining ring then urges the ball in toward the base. The ball
extends through the aperture in the annulus, so that the ball is
held securely in the ball holder but may be removed with relative
ease.
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a
ball holder which readily receives a ball and securely holds the
ball, but which allows ready removal of the ball.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a ball
holder which is lightweight.
It is a further object of the herein-disclosed invention to provide
a ball holder which may be easily and securely mounted on the
clothing of a player.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a ball
holder which may be economically manufactured.
Other objects and uses of the herein-disclosed invention will
become readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a perusal
of the following specification in light of the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a ball holder embodying the
present invention, shown mounted on an article of clothing and
shown with a tennis ball held therein;
FIG. 2 is a top view of the tennis ball holder of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of three ball holders identical
to the ball holders of FIGS. 1 and 2, mounted on a belt and shown
interconnected;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a side elevation of an exploded
view of the tennis ball holder of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken on Line
5--5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on Line 6--6 of FIG.
4;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a retaining ring, which constitutes a
portion of the ball holder;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of an
interlocking member, which is formed integral with the base;
FIG. 9 is a top view of the base, but with portions broken away in
order to show better the construction of the base; and
FIG. 10 is a rear view of the base of the ball holder of FIG. 1,
but with a finger of the clip broken away in order to show better
the construction of the base.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, and especially to FIG. 1, a tennis
ball holder generally indicated by numeral 12 is shown therein
mounted on a belt 14, with a tennis ball 16 held in the holder 12.
The ball holder 12 generally consists of two main portions, an
injection-molded plastic base 18 and an injection-molded plastic
retaining ring 20. In this instance, the plastic for each of the
parts is an acetal resin; and, specifically, Delrin 500,
manufactured by E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.
The base 20, as was mentioned above, is an injection-molded part.
The base has a cavity defining a portion of a sphere less than a
hemisphere, for reasons which will become apparent hereinafter. The
base has a body 22, which generally has a substantially uniform
thickness. A connector tongue 24 is formed integral with one edge
of the body 22. The connector tongue 24 includes a recess 26 for
connection to the retaining ring 20.
The base 18 has a clip 28 formed integral with the exterior surface
of the body adjacent to tongue 24. The clip 28 includes a pair of
cantilever clip fingers 30 and 32. The clip fingers have posts 34
and 36 formed integral therewith and formed integral with body 22.
As may be seen in FIGS. 3 and 10, the posts 34 and 36 are
positioned adjacent to the tongue 24. The fingers 30 and 32 extend
outwardly and away from each other in a general V shape, so that a
portion of the base body extends between a portion of the fingers
30 and 32. A portion 37 of the outside surface of the base body is
knurled to provide a friction surface. Interior surfaces 38 and 39
of fingers 30 and 32, respectively, are also knurled to provide
friction surfaces for the fingers.
The body 22 has a pair of apertures 40 and 41 adjacent to the
fingers 30 and 32, respectively. The outline of each of the
apertures 40 and 41 is a projection of the outline of the
respective fingers 30 and 32 on the body 22. The formation of the
apertures allows for easy manufacture of the base 12 and provides a
recess for clothing to enter into body 22 to improve the holding of
the clip.
The body 22 has a recess opening 42 in the edge opposite the edge
on which is formed the tongue 24. The recess opening 42 provides a
convenient guide for a player to position properly a ball for
pushing the ball against the retaining ring 20 for easy entry of
the ball into the holder.
The body 22 also has a pair of interlocking members 44 and 46
formed integral therewith. The members 44 and 46 are diametrically
opposed to each other, and are equidistantly spaced from the tongue
24 and the recess opening 42. The interlocking member 44 is a flat
ear formed integral with the edge of the body 22. The flat ear has
an aperture 48 formed therein. The interlocking member 46 includes
a base ear 50 formed integral with the body 22 and a stud 52 formed
integral with the ear 50. The stud 52 includes a shank 54, with a
head 56 formed integral with the shank. The head 56 has a diameter
slightly greater than the diameter of the aperture 48, so that the
stud 52 may be locked into an ear 48. In order to connect adjacent
ball holders, the stud 52 is forced into the aperture 48, so that
the ball holders are interconnected and held together.
The retaining ring 20 includes a flat resilient annulus 58 and a
ring connector tongue 60 formed integral with one edge of the
annulus 58. The tongue 60 includes a mounting protrusion 62, which
mates with the recess 26 of tongue 24. As may be seen in FIGS. 1
and 4, the tongue 60 is offset from the plane of the flat annulus
58. The annulus 58 has a rounded or curved inner surface 64 for
engagement with a ball.
The retaining ring 20 is secured to the base 18 by positioning the
mounting protrusion 62 in the recess 26 and sonically welding the
two tongues together.
A plurality of ball holders 12 may be mounted on an article of
clothing by slipping the article of clothing between the fingers 30
and 32 and the body 22. A belt 14 is shown in this instance.
However, it may be appreciated that the ball holder may be slipped
over the top of a pair of tennis shorts or a tennis skirt. The V
position of the fingers and the knurled surfaces 38 and 39 of the
fingers, in cooperation with the knurled portion 37 and the
apertures 40 and 41 behind the fingers, serves to hold securely the
wearing apparel in engagement with the ball holder, so that the
ball holder does not slip off. Ball holders are interconnected by
forcing the stud 52 into the aperture 48 of the adjacent ball
holder, as described hereinabove.
When the ball holder is used, the player simply takes a tennis ball
16, aligns it on the recess opening 42, and pushes it upward so as
to displace the retaining ring 20. The tennis ball fits into the
cavity in the base 18 since the cavity has approximately the same
curvature as the exterior of a tennis ball. Once the tennis all is
in position, the tennis ball protrudes through the opening of the
annulus 58, so that the tennis ball is securely held in the base by
the retaining ring. The ball holder is light-weight, so that the
player experiences no discomfort in carrying about one or more
tennis ball holders. In order to remove the tennis ball 16 from the
holder, the player merely inserts his thumb into the opening in the
retaining ring and pushes the ball downward to disengage the ball
from the retaining ring and thereby allow removal of the ball from
the base and free the ball from the holder.
Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been
shown and described in detail above, it is readily apparent that
those skilled in the art may make various modifications and changes
in the subject invention without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention. It is to be expressly understood
that the instant invention is limited only by the appended
claims.
* * * * *