Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present inventi.on, 11ke the device disclosed
in United States patent 2,665,915 issued January 12, 1954
to Juran relates to a ball having an unusual or unpredict-
able rolling action. As taught by Juran, it is not uncommon
to fit a hollow ball with an internal magnet so thak when
the ball is rolled along the.flat surface o~ a game board
fitted with magnetizable pieces, the rolling action of the
ball will be influenced by magnetic attraction. In the
Juran patent, Eor e~ample, it is suggested that the magnet
be contained within an inner ball which is rollable inside
an outer ball but a magnetic board is still required for the
patented game. The present invention differs principally
from all the known prior art in that one embodiment contem-
plates a plaything comprising an inner and outer ball havi.ng
magnetic elements on their contacting surfaces. These
elements are magnetically attracted to one another in a
haphazard manner as the outer ball is propelled across a
playing field having a conventional grass or other non-
magnetic surface and the resulting strange behaviour of the
ball is due entirely to the action of the internal magnetic
elements. In another embodiment of the same invention, some
of the magnetic element are eIectromagnets which are included
in a circuit capable of being controlled from a remote point
by radio signals. Thus, the operator of the sïgnalling
device can control to some extent at least the time and
place when the inner ball is magnetically held against
rotation within the outer ball.
In drawings which illus-trate pre:~erred embodiments
of the present invention,
Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a playthlnq
constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention,
Figure 2 is a similar view of another embodiment
thereof,
Figure 3 is also a cross sectional view of still
another embodiment thereof,
Figure 4 is a similar view of a still another
further embodiment,thereof,
Figure 5 ls a diagram showing a simplified form of
remote control means for providing a measure of control over
the rolling movement of the embodïments shown in Figures 4,
6 and 7,
Figure 6 is a front elevation, part broken awa~
and shown in section, of still another embodiment of the
invention, and
Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse section taken
on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.
Figure 1 of the drawings, illustrates a plaything
which is intended to be pushed or otherwise propelled over a
surface of a playing field by a team of players opposed by
another team. Such a plaything may be somè six feet or more
in diameter if i.t is primarily intended to be pushed, or may
be up to 2 feet in diameter when it is intended to be
propelled otherwise.
The plaything comprises a hollow body in the form
of a ball 14 which has a peripheral wall 15 preferably made
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of a flexible material such as plastic or rubber. A val~e
16 is fitted to the wall 15 so that the ball 14 can be
inflated with air or a suitable buoyant gas to a pressure
which will make the wall reasonable firm yet slightly
resilient. The wall 15 has an inner surface 18 and, suit-
able secured to this surface, are inserts 19 ~ormed of a
magnetic material such as iron. The spacing of the inserts
19 about the inner surface 18 is desirably as shown in
Figure 1 although additional spaced-apart inserts may be
used.
Enclosed within the ball 14 is another ball 24.
The relatively small and heavy inner ball ~enerally in-
dicated at 24 is inserted through an opening 26 formed in
the wall 15, the opening then being sealed by a plug 27.
The weighted ball 24 is intended to roll about the inner
surface 18 of the outer ball whenever the latter ball is
propelled over the playing field. However, this rolling
movement is not completely free or unrestricted since the
inner ball 24 has a peripheral surface 30 on which at least
two diametricially opposed permanent magnets 31 appear. As
indicated in Figure 1, preferably six such magnets 31 are
mounted within the inner ball and those magnets are equi-
distantly spaced apart to extend radially outwards from the
center of the ball. It will be appreciated that the magnets
25 31 could be on -the surface 18 and the inserts 19 could be
carried by the inner ball.
The small and hea~y ball 24, of course, lowers the
center of gravity of the larger ball 14 and makes it harder
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to roll than otherwise would be the case. When rollinq
motion i9 imparted to the ball 14, the small ball cont,in-
uously shifts its position and therefore the plaything does
not move in a manner of a normal or properly balanced ball.
S As the plaything 14 is moved back and forth over a playinq
field by two opposing teams, the rolling action of the
device will be found to be erratic and unpredictable which
should make the game more interesting. At times, a greater-
than-usual amount of effort is required to roll the pla,y-
thing forward and at other times the slowly rolling devicewill accelerate on its own with both such actions being
attributable to the rolling movements of the small and
heavily weighted inner ball. The small ball '24 rolls about
the inner surface 18,of the large ball 14 and occasionally a
magnet 31 will come into direct contact with a magnetic
insert 19 and may affix itself thereto. This will reduce
the momentum of the,rolling device and might cause it to
jump slightly or will cause it to adopt a loping movement or
otherwise act in a manner which will favour one team over
the other. Tf the momentum of the rolling plaything is
fairly high, the magnets 31 may pass over a number of the
inserts 19 with only a slight hesitation due to the magnetic
attraction but this will also influence the movement of the
device and make -it harder to propel or to judge as the
players try to intercept,the ball and deflact its course.
Referring now to the Figure 2 embodiment of the
present invention,~a plaything is shown as comprising an
outer ball 42 which preferably is formed of a suitable
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plastic mater.ial. rrhe ball 42 is shown constructed o~ two
sem:i-spherical halves ~oined -together in an appropria~e
manner. An inner surface 44 of the ball is provided with
integrally formed deflec-tors 46, there being one such
frusto-conical deflector on each of the ball halves. The
inwardly-projecting and diametrically-opposed deflectors 46
are fitted with inserts 4.7 of a suitable magnetic material.
A heavily weiyhted ball 50 is enclosed within the
outer ball 4~ and this inner ball is fitted with at least
two permanent magnets 51. If desired, other such magnets
(not shown) may be fitted into the ball 50 so that the ~ole
pieces of all magnets appear on peripheral surface 52 of the
inner ball.
When the ball 42 is rolled over the ground, the
lS inner ball 50 rolls about the surface 44 and occasionally
comes into contact with the deflectors 46. Thus, the number
of possible free paths of travel for the inner ball is
reduced by the presence of the deflectors. The ball 50 is
deflected from one side of the outer ball to the other and,
because of the considerable weight of the inner ball, the
rolling action of the plaything is irregular, jerky and
therefore difficult for a player to anticipate. At times,
the inner ball 50 will come into contact with one of the
deflectors in such a position that a magnet 5.1 engages an
insert 47 whereupon the inner ball momentarily is locked or
fixed to the outer ball and the movement of the outer ball
is interfered with even more than before. The magnetic
attraction between the two elements 51 and 47 is not great
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enough -to hold the i.nner ball permanently affixed ko the
deflec-tor and the inner ball eventually will be shaken loose
to con-tinue ricocheting and rolliny about the interior of
the outer ball as -the lat-ter ball is pushed or knocked one
S way or the other.
Figure 3 shows an embodiment of the invention
which comprises a hollow body or ball 60 having a tough,
flexible cover 61 and a relatively t:hick, sponge rubber
liner 62. A valve 64 is fitted to the liner and is acces-
sible through a cover opening 65 whereby the interior of theball can be filled with priessurized air or gas. The liner
62 has an inner surface 66 which is provided with diame-
trically opposing pockets 67. These pockets lead to mag-
netic inserts 68 suitably secured to the cover 61.
The ball 60 is fitted with a weighted ball 70,
this smaller ball being provided with permanent magnets 71.
At least two such magnets are carried on opposite sides of
the inner ball 70 and, should additional magnets be pro-
vided, they are suitably spaced abou-t peripheral surface 72
of the ball.
When the outer ball 60 is rolled along the ground
or other playing surface,-the inner ball 70 will travel
around the~surface 66 and on occasions will drop into a
pocket 67. The magnetic members 68 and 71 will sometimes
engage so that the inner.ball is held in the pocket for a
short time at least and this overbalances the plaything so
that it does not behave as expected.
Figure 4 illustrates still another embodiment of
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the present invention. Thls embodiment comprises an outer
bal]. 76 which has a peripheral wall 77 formed o~ a suitable
flexible material. The wall 77 has a valve 78 which allows
the ball to be inflated.as before. Inner surface 80 o~ the
wall 77 is fitted with appropriately spaced magnetic inserts
81 which preferably are ~lu.sh with that surface so as not to
interfere with the rolling motion oE an inner ball 84.
The inner ball 84, of course, normally is capable
of rolling ~reely around inner surface 80 of the outer
ball. This weighted ball 84 is hollowed out to provi~e a
central chamber 86. A hollow, spherical casing 87 is
mounted in the central chamber 86 and the contents of this
casinq, which will be described later, are protected from
shock by a layer 88 o~. a suitable cushioning material. The
inner ball 84 is provide~ with radial openings 90 each of
which house an antenna 91.extending outwardIy ~rom the
casing 87. These opening.s 90 are appropriately spaced
around the inner ball and each opening is ~itted with an
battery 93 and an electromagnet 94.
The Figure 5 diagram shows a small, portable radio
transmitter 96 which-has.an antenna 97. A control switch 98
preferably o~ the push-type button type, is provided on the
transmitter casing. Whe~n the switch is closed, a radio
signal represented at 99 in Figure 5 is sent out by the
transmitter and is picked up by a miniaturized receiver 105
which is shown only in the Figure 5 diagram.
The receiver 105 is housed within the hollow
casing 87 carried b~ the inner ball and the several antennas
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91 are appropriately connected lnto the circuitry of this
receiver although only one such antenna is shown in the
diaqram. The receiver circllit also includes a relay 107
having an armature 108 which swings between contacts 109 and
110. For sake of clarity, only two of the batteries 93 and
two electromagnets 9~ are shown in the Figure 5 diagram but
it will be understood all the remaining elec-tromagents and
batteries are similarly interconnected in series.
The ball 76 can be rolled relatively freely over a
playing surface as long as the electromagnets 94 are not
energized. At such time, the small ball 84 will roll about
the inner spherical surface 80 and will change the weight
distribution o~ the outer ball so as to make its movement
irregular as compared to a conventional soccer ball, for
example. A person operating the transmitter 96 watches the
movement of the ball closely and, at an appro~riate moment
such as when the ball is moving away from a player or
players, presses the control switch 98. A radio signal is
sent by the transmitter and is picked up by the receiver 105
carried by the inner ball. Of coursej the material used to
construct the wall 77 o~ the outer ball is one which will
allow the radio signals *o pass therethrough. An amplified
signal is fed to the relay~107 and the energized relay
closes the armature 108 to the contact 109 whereupon the
several batteries 93 energize all of the electromagnets 94.
The ball 84 is magnetically attracted to the inserts 81 so
as to decelerate the rolling movements of both the outer and
inner balls. EventualIy, the~inner ball will come to a stop
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when one oE the electromagnets a-ttaches its~lf to an insert.
The outer ball is -then overbalanced and will remain so until
the operator releases the control switch 98 -to de-energize
all the electromagnets 94.
Figures 6 and 7 show an elongated embodiment of
the present invention. This plaything comprises a hollow
cylinder generally indicated at 120. The cylinder has a
rubber cover 122 enclosing a metal liner 123. The cylinder
120 also has a center portion 125 which connects two iden-
10 tical end sections 126. A radio receiver 128 is mounted
within the center portion and this receiver is provided with
a suitable number of antennas 129. The ends sections 126
each have screened openings 132. One of the previously
described small balls 84 used in the Figure 4 embodiment is
enclosed in each of the end sections 126.
The cylindrical plaything is intended to be pushed
over the surface of a playing field by a team racing against
the clock, or by two opposing teams playing a game having
regulation periods and so on and, at times, the device i5
controlled to some degree by means of the radio transmittor
96. The balls 84 will roll freely and overbalance the
rotating cylinder 120 as long as the electromagnets 9~ are
de-energized but closing of the switch 98 will magnetically
attach some of the electromagnets 94 to the metal liner
within the end sections 126 and a different rolling action
of the cylindrical playth-ing-will result. The openings 132
allow the radio signals to penetrate to the interiors of the
end sections so as to be picked up by the antennas 129.
From the :forego:ing, it will be apparent there i.s
provided a number of playthings which can be used to play
no-t only organiæed games but which serve as an exercising
device for atheletes. A trainer standing on the sidelines
and using the portable radio has some measure o~ control
over the receiver-equipped plaything and can vary the
exercises as he sees fit by means of shouted orders.
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