June 25, 1935.
0
E_ J_ DOBBINS
INDIA RUBBER AND LIKE BALL
Filed April 19, 1955
2,006,230
Patented June 25, 1935
,7 2,006,230
UNITED . ‘STATES; , PATENT roF-FICE‘ i;
2,006,230
INBIA-RUBBER AND [LIKE BALL
Edward‘: John Dobbins, ‘London, England, as
signor'to' Googly Limited, London, England,
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va British company
Application April 19, 1933, Serial No. 666,815
. In Great Britain November 14, 1932
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4 Claims. (011273-58) ' "
This invention relates to bouncing ba1ls._ By separated by the quadrants A1,-A2. 1 These quad
the term “bouncing ball", as used in this speci? rants are attached together in this assembled
cation andithe claimais meanta ball that has position by rubber. solution. and the assembled
high’ resilience ‘and, at the sametime, is easily quadrants are then ‘placed in a mould and the '
deformable, so that it will bounce effectively rubber solution is vulcanized. A ball made in ~15
upon even .comparatively‘softsurfaces such as ‘ this way will rebound from the floor or'other hard
carpeted floors. The term doesnot include balls surface to different extents according‘ to» which
of materials such as steel and ivory or balls such
'as golf balls for, though these are resilient, they
'10 are not easily deformable and therefore will
bounce: effectively .only' on surfaces of the same
order of hardness.
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The object of the present invention is to pro
quadrant strikes the ?oor or other surface and
‘if the ball strikes thelfloor at or adjacent to a
line of junction between two quadrants the ball 10
will. rebound at anyunexpected angle?It will
of course be understood that two'assembled balls
will be formed from'the balls A, B. ‘Instead of
duce a. bouncing ball which will bounce from a :forming completeballs A, B, cutting themdnto
surface in a manner not normally to be ex
pected.
quadrants, and then reassembling the parts, the 15
parts may be moulded initially in the form of
The unexpected character of the rebound of quadrants.
a ball in accordance with the present invention
In the modi?cation shown in Figure 4 a disc or
is in part, at least, and may be wholly due to annulus C has attached to it, one on each side
20 its being so constructed that it is more easily thereof, two segments C1, C2, to complete the 20
deformed by impact in certain radial directions spherical shape of the ball. The disc or annulus
than in others. Preferably the centre of gravity C is preferably of harder rubber than the seg
of the ball coincides with its centre but this is ments although it may be of softer rubber and
not essential.
the segments may be of the same or different de
The object of the present invention is achieved grees of hardness or density. A ball of this kind 25
25
by constructing the ball in such a way that the can also be made by cutting up complete balls’
flattened area of impact with the ground will or by moulding the parts separately in the de
frequently include areas of different ease of def sired form and then assembling them and se
curing them together.
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ormation.
The accompanying diagrammatic drawing will
In the modification shown in Figure 5 the
illustrate several forms of ball and their method ball comprises a core D having segments D1, D2,
of construction according to the present inven D3, secured thereto.
,
tion.
‘ Figure 6 illustratesl'a ball comprising irregular
Figures 1, 2, and 3 are diametrical sectional ly shaped pieces of rubber‘ E embedded in softer
or harder rubber E1 during the moulding opera 35
manufacture of a ball in accordance with the tion. In this method of manufacture it is dim
35 views of three balls illustrating one method of
invention;
Figures 4, 5, and 6 each illustrate in eleva
tion a modi?ed construction of ball;
40
Figures 7 and 8 are two diametrical sectional
‘views of moulds and of the casts therein illus
trating a further method of manufacture;
cult to use sponge rubber but other kinds of rub
ber can be used and the two or more different
kinds of rubber must be kept separate and not
mixed in the mould.
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1 1
According to the method of manufacture illusé
trated in Figures 7 and 8, a ball or core F is made
Figures 9 and 10 are two views of a further ,in a mould F1 the said mould-having internal
form of ball;
projections F2 forming corresponding depressions
Figure 11 is a diagrammatic sectional view,
and Figure 12 is an elevation in plan with respect at suitable positions in the surface of the ball or
to Figure 11 showing a ball having hollows core F. The ball or core F is then placed in a
second mould H and the depressions F2 are ‘filled
therein.
.
Referring first to Figures 1, 2, and 3, a ball with’ a harder or softer rubber F3, and a com
pletely spherical shape is imparted to the‘ball.
50 A of fairly hard rubber and a ball B of softer
sponge rubber are each cut into quadrants by The parts F3 may be vulcanized in the mould H.
The modi?cation shown in Figures 9 and 10
vertical cuts m1, 121, and horizontal cuts a2, b2,
respectively. Two quadrants A1, A2, from the may be made by moulding a ball J with a hole J1
ball A are then assembled with two quadrants diametrically therethrough or the ball J may
55 B1, B’, from the ball B with the quadrants B1, B2, be formed complete and the hole J1 cut out
45
40 Y’
2
2,006,230
thereafter. The hole J1 is then ?lled with a
harder or softer rubber and moulded and may be
vulcanized.
Figures 11 and 12 illustrate a further modi?ca
tion in which a core K is formed with hollows K1,
K2, and the core is provided with an outer rubber
bounce effectively upon even comparatively soft
surfaces and comprising at least one part of
sponge rubber and at least one other part of hard
rubber which parts are in such positions that the
ball is more easily deformable by impact in cer
tain radial directions than in others while bounc
or canvas and rubber cover K3. The hollows K1. ingveffectively as [a result of “impact in‘ all radial
directions so that ‘it isr-capablolf 01'} rebounding at
material. The ball ‘will be more resilient or softer various unexpected angles and can’be' rapidly
10
10 adjacent to the hollows than at other parts and I bounced and caught by the hand.
will thus provide the varying degrees and angles ‘ - 2. A rubber ball as in the preceding claim in
K2, may contain suitable in?ating gas or other
of rebound.
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which one part is a disc or annulus of rubber and
Whilst various forms of balls and methods of there are two otherparts consistingvof segments
manufacture thereof have been described above " of rubber ofhardness'diiferent from that of‘ the
15 it will be understood that these are merely ex
disc and secured‘one to each side of the disc or 15
amples of numerous forms and methods which
annulus.
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I 3.‘ A spherical play ball, the body of which is
Any appropriate or artistic representation may divided into-‘a'plurality of portions made of a
be applied to the surface of the ball; for example, plurality of different materials, one of these ma
20 clearly distinguishable colours may be applied‘ terials being highly resilient relative to another, 20
can- be used.
.
to the zones or such ornamentation may be used
‘and said'portionsbe'ing arranged in‘ symmetrical
to. conceal the possiblevarieties of texture of relation" about the axes ‘of the sphere; but in non
which the ball may be composed.
spherical relation about'the center ofthe sphere,
. A ball made according to the invention is ca
whereby the vball is caused tobounce‘ eccentri
.‘
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pable of providing considerable amusement and ca1ly.'
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4. A solid spherical playball comprising two
exercise by reason of the extent and direction of
its rebound‘ being unknown and consequently sponge rubber-portions and-:a solid :r'ub‘be'riipor
necessitating co-ordination between the eyes and tion, the solid rubber portion being generally in
the muscles and rapid movement when catching the form of a disc located ‘betweenithe sponge
-30 the rebounding ball. '
What I claim as my invention and desire‘to
secure by Letters Patent of the United States is :‘—
1. A spherical bouncing ball having high resil
ience and being easily deformable so that it will
rubber portions, 'thus?dividingrth’e ‘sphere into 30
three‘ laminations, and causing the’ ball 'tobounce
eccentrically.
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‘EDWARD Join: DOBBINS.