Claims:
What I claim as new is
1. A ball rolling, throwing and catching toy, comprising in combination, a hollow generally straight cylindrical handle having a closed end and an open end, the interior of said handle providing an elongated ball receiver, an elongated ball track connected to an extending outwardly from the open end of said handle in substantial ball rolling alignment with said receiver, and a ball movable in and out of said receiver and rollingly engageable with said track, the diameter of said ball being such as to fit freely but snugly into said receiver, said receiver being of sufficient length to constitute an effective air cushion means for said ball whereby movement of the ball into the elongated receiver may be perceptibly cushioned by air reaction against the closed end of said handle.
2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the closed end of said handle is formed with an aperture for escape and ingress of air to produce a whistling sound as the ball moves in and out of said receiver.
3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said handle is formed from light-transmitting material, said ball being substantially opaque, and a source of light provided in the closed end of the handle, said source of light being capable of illuminating only that portion of the handle between the light source and said ball.
4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said ball track comprises a pair of transversely spaced parallel rails.
5. The device as defined in claim 4 wherein said track rails are deformable between straight and curved positions while retaining their parallel relationship.
6. The device as defined in claim 5 together with means for deforming said track rails, said deforming means comprising a block slidable along said track and provided with a pair of transversely spaced parallel bores receiving the respective track rails therein.
7. The device as defined in claim 6 wherein said block comprises a pair of complemental half-sections hingedly connected together for opening and closing movement, said half-sections having opposing faces formed with registering grooves which constitute said rail receiving bores when the half-sections of the block are closed.
Description:
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in the general class of ball and runway toys, and in particular the invention concerns itself with a toy of this type which may be used in rolling, throwing and catching a ball.
As such, the invention has as its principal object to provide a highly entertaining and amusing device which embodies a hollow cylindrical handle having a wire ball track connected thereto, the handle forming a receiver for a ball which may be caused to move in and out of the handle receiver and rolled along the track. An important feature of the invention resides in that the wire track is deformable to provide straight and/or variously curved track portions by which the rolling ball may be thrown from the track and subsequently caught in the receiver, thus calling upon the player for an exercise of skill, dexterity and coordination. Also, even when the player does not wish to throw and catch the ball, the selectively deformable track facilitates various different ball rolling movements and the toy thus possesses a much more diverse utility than if the track were of a rigidly fixed configuration.
Another important feature of the invention resides in the provision of a hand manipulated tool whereby the ball track may be easily and effectively deformed or straightened, as desired.
Still another important feature of the invention resides in an embodiment thereof wherein the handle is formed from light-transmitting material and is equipped with a source of light so arranged that a variable length of the handle which is not blocked by the ball is illuminated, this variable light effect further enhancing the entertaining value of the toy.
The device of the invention is simple in construction, durable, and lends itself to convenient and economical manufacture.
With the foregoing more important object and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the toy of the invention with the ball track in its straight position;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 4-4 in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the track deforming tool in its open position;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the deforming tool in its closed position and applied to the wire rods of the track;
FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are side elevational views on a reduced scale, showing some of the many possible shapes of the deformable track; and
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, of a modified embodiment of the invention which includes a flashlight.
Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, and more particularly to FIGS. 1--4, the invention comprises a ball rolling, throwing and catching toy designated generally by the numeral 12. The same consists of a hollow cylindrical handle 13 which may conveniently be made of molded plastic material, and which has a closed end 14 and an open end 15. The interior of the handle forms a receiver for a ball 16 which may be rolled in and out of the handle as hereinafter described along a ball track 17. To facilitate entry of the ball into the receiver in the handle, the open end 15 of the handle is preferably bevelled as shown. Moreover, the closed end 14 of the handle is preferably semispherical to match the curvature of the ball, the diameter of the latter being such that it fits freely but snugly into the handle. As a result, when the ball rolls into the handle, the air trapped between the ball and the closed semispherical end 14 of the handle becomes somewhat compressed and serves to cushion the incoming ball against hard impact on the closed handle end. In this manner the toy is virtually silent in operation and distracting noises are avoided.
The ball track 17 consists of a pair of transversely spaced, parallel wire rods 18 which have their outer ends integrally joined by a bight portion 19 while their inner ends are securely embedded in the wall thickness of the open end portion 15 of the handle 13, as will be apparent from FIGS. 3 and 4. The transverse spacing of the rods 18 is such as to support the ball 16 substantially in rolling alignment with the receiver in the handle 13, so that the ball may roll readily out of the handle onto the tract, or from the track into the handle.
The track 17 may be straight as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and, in a simple playing operation the ball may be merely rolled out of the handle to the end of the track and back into the handle again, it being noted that the track bight portion 19 ordinarily serves as a stop to prevent the ball from rolling off the outer end of the track, unless of course the device is purposely manipulated so as to throw the ball off the track, as for example, for bouncing the ball against a wall, in which event an effort may be made to catch the bounced ball either on the track or directly into the receiver in the handle.
An important feature of the invention resides in making the wire rods 18 of the track 17 deformable into various different track configurations. As such, the deformable track rods may be curved or straightened but, of course, are capable of retaining their form to which they have been set, until some other deformation is desired. In the context of this invention, the term deformation is used in reference to both curving and straightening of the rods.
Since the track 17 may be deformed to produce a virtually endless variety of track configurations, any effort to illustrate them all would be impractical. However, a few examples are shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, with FIG. 7 showing the track 17 undulated in a vertical plane and terminating with a reversely turned open loop portion 17a so that the ball 16 rolling outwardly along the track is thrown back on the track for rolling movement toward the handle 13. In FIG. 8 the intermediate portion of the track is deformed into a rollover loop 17b and the outer end of the track has an upwardly curved nose 17c from which the ball may conveniently roll off, as for example, for bouncing the ball against a wall. Obviously, the track may be curved in a vertical plane as in FIGS. 7 and 8, and/or in a horizontal plane as in FIG. 9, where the intermediate portion of the track is looped or coiled under itself. In any event, as already indicated, numerous track configurations are possible at the choice or ingenuity of the player, and such infinite track variations enable the toy to hold its appeal and the players's interest much longer than if the track has a rigidly fixed form.
It will be appreciated that while the track may be deformed as desired, it is essential for the track rods 18 to remain parallel and equally spaced, in order to assure proper rolling contact with the ball. While this condition could be satisfied with reasonable accuracy if the track rods were deformed by hand, the invention provides a deforming tool 20, by the use of which the track rods may be easily and accurately curved or straightened. The deforming tool 20, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, comprises a block consisting of a pair of complemental half-sections 21, 21 which are hingedly connected together at one side as at 22 for opening and closing movement. The opposing faces of the half-sections are provided with open-ended registrable grooves 23 which, when the block is closed, define a pair of spaced parallel bores through the block for slidable reception of the respective track rods 18, as shown in FIG. 6. Thus, after the block is opened, it may be applied to the track so that the track rods are received in the grooves, and upon closing of the block, it may be manually slid along the track and manipulated in so doing so as to curve or straighten the track as desired. Manifestly, the grooves or bores in the block will maintain the track rods parallel and properly spaced throughout the deforming operation, upon the completion of which the block is simply opened to permit its removal from the track.
The modified embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 10 is the same as already described, except that provision is made for a variable illumination of the handle 13a incident to the movement of the ball 16 in and out of the handle, whereby the entertaining value of the toy is correspondingly enhanced. In this embodiment the ball 16 is substantially opaque, but the handle 13a is formed from light-transmitting material, preferably translucent in character, such as colored plastic. The closed end of the handle is replaced by a flashlight 24 which is suitably secured to the handle and constitutes what may be regarded as a handle extension. The bulb or lamp of the flashlight 24 is indicated at 25 as shining into the hollow handle 13a toward the incoming ball 16, but since the ball is opaque, only that portion of the handle between the bulb 25 and the ball 16 will become illuminated, while the outer portion of the handle beyond the ball will be relatively dark. Thus, as the ball moves in and out of the handle, the illuminated length of the handle will vary accordingly, and a pleasing effect will be produced by the illusion of the ball movement controlling the extent of handle illumination.
Apart from the illuminating feature characteristic to the embodiment of FIG. 10, the invention may provide sound producing means, as for example, in the embodiments of FIGS. 1--4 and 7--9 where the closed end 14 of the handle 13 may be provided with an aperture 14' so that when the ball 16 rolls into the handle, the air in the closed end portion of the handle is compressed and escapes through the aperture 14' with a pronounced whistling sound. Similarly, when the ball rolls out of the handle, air will be sucked in through the aperture 14' thus again producing a sound effect.
Although the device of the invention is mainly intended to be hand held and manipulated, that is, by means of the handle 13 (or the handle extension 24 in the instance of the embodiment of FIG. 10), the device may also be attached to the user's shoe, trouser belt, or some other member of the user's apparel, for manipulation of the device by movement of the user's body. For this purpose the handle 13 may be provided at one side thereof with a resilient clip 26, as shown in FIG. 2, so that attachment of the device of an article of apparel may be effected.