GB2247176A

GB2247176A - Ball game

Info

Publication number: GB2247176A
Application number: GB9016618A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Juan Montilla
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-07-28
Filing date: 1990-07-28
Publication date: 1992-02-26
Also published as: GB9016618D0

Abstract

A ball game comprises two players located on opposite sides of an upright pole (2) hitting a tennis ball (12) about the pole in two opposite directions. The pole (2) carries a head (10) comprising a helical fin encircling a cylindrical hollow core. A pair of end stops are located adjacent opposite ends of the fin. A hoop (14) encircles the core (10) and is coupled to the tennis ball (12) by a rope or cable (16). Swinging the ball (12) about the cylindrical core drives the hoop up and down the head (10). <IMAGE>

Description

BALL GAME The present invention relates to a ball game.

A ball game called Swing Ball (Trade Mark) is known in which an upstanding pole is staked into the ground and bears at its upper end a helical coil supported at its opposite ends by the pole.

A length of string is secured at one end to a tennis ball and has a loop at its other end which engages the coil. Using a bat each, two players standing on opposite sides of the pole attempt to strike the ball in turn in opposite directions about the pole. When the ball is struck in one sense about the pole the loop travels down the helical coil and when struck in the opposite sense the loop travels up the helix. When one player fails to strike the ball for more times than his opponent, the ball will move progressively either up or down the helix until it reaches the end of the helix whereupon the opponent is declared the winner and vice versa.

The problem with this arrangement is that the string becomes easily entangled in the spiral and it is bothersome to untangle. Furthermore it is expensive to construct because of the number of parts used and the difficulty in manipulating the spiral coil to anchor it at opposite ends to the pole. Also the string is difficult to detach from the spiral coil for storage or transport purposes.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved ball game.

According to the present invention there is provided a ball game having a head arranged to be supported above the ground, the head comprising a generally cylindrical core, a helical fin extending about the core, and a pair of end stops on the core positioned one adjacent each of the opposite ends of the helical fin, and a hoop engaging the core and connected to a ball by an elongate flexible member, the hoop being arranged to be driven between adjacent turns of the helical fin along the longitudinal axis of the core in response to displacement of the ball about the longitudinal axis of the core.

A ball game embodying the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the ball game; Figure 2 is a front elevation to an enlarged scale of the head of the ball game of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a plan view of the detachable hoop for the ball game of Figure 1.

The ball game shown in Figure 1 comprises an upright pole 2 having a pointed lower end portion 4 to enable the pole to be driven into the ground 6.

An annular flange 8 at the top of the lower end portion 4 limits the extent to which the pole 2 can be driven into the ground.

The upper end of the pole 2 engages the hollow interior of a head 10 in a push fit manner.

The pole 2 may be of metal or wood and the head 10 of plastics.

The head 10 is engaged by a hoop 14 and a tennis ball 12 is connected by a length of string or cable 16 to the hoop 14.

The head 10 is shown more clearly in Figure 2. As shown the head comprises a one-piece plastics molding having an elongate central cylindrical core 20. The core 20 is hollow and is tapered at its upper end and closed by an upper stop 22 in the form of a disk. The lower end of the core 20 which is open to receive the pole 2, is encircled by a flange 24 which acts to strengthen the lower end against splitting when the pole 2 is inserted. tying above the flange 24 and spaced therefrom, is a lower stop 26 in the form of an annular flange.

Located between the two stops 22 and 26 and encircling the core 20 is a continuous helical fin 28. Advantageously the ratio of the pitch to the diameter of the helical fin is in the range of from 1/7 to 3/7 but is preferably 3/7. The fin 28 has preferably between 9 and 10 turns about the cylindrical core 20. The lower stop 26 are spaced by at least one pitch from the adjacent end of the fin 28 while the upper stop is spaced by less than one pitch from the adjacent end of the fin 28.

The core 20 is encircled by the hoop 14 which has an internal diameter slightly larger (10 to 15k) than the external diameter of the core 20 and an external diameter considerably smaller t50 to 70) than the external diameter of the helical fin 28.

The hoop 14, as more clearly shown in Figure 3, is of a one-piece plastics molding in the shape of a ring or tore having a constant circular cross-section. The hoop 14 has a break 30 in the shape of the greek letter omega on one side. Thus by displacing those portions of the hoop on opposite sides of the break in opposite directions and parallel to the plane of the break, the two portions can be disengaged from one another. This allows the hoop to be opened out and positioned around the central core 20. The two portions can then be locked together again by reversing the movement of the two end portions.

On the opposite side of the hoop to the break is a looped portion 32 which is engaged by the looped end of the cable 16.

The hoop 14 and head 10 are both made of polypropylene but they may be made of other plastics or even of metal, aluminium for example.

Claims

1. A ball game having a head arranged to be supported above the ground, the head comprising a generally cylindrical core, a helical fin extending about the core, and a pair of end stops on the core positioned one adjacent each of the opposite ends of the helical fin, and a hoop engaging the core and connected to a ball by an elongate flexible member, the hoop being arranged to be driven between adjacent turns of the helical fin along the longitudinal axis of the core in response to displacement of the ball about the longitudinal axis of the core.

2. A ball game according to Claim 1 wherein the cylindrical core, the end stops, and the helical fin comprise a one-piece moulding.

3. A ball game according to Claim 2 wherein said moulding is of plastics.

4. A ball game according to any preceding claim wherein said cylindrical core is hollow to receive a member for supporting said head above the ground.

5. A ball game according to Claim 4 wherein said head and said member comprise a push fit.

6. A ball game according to any preceding claim wherein said hoop has a pair of interlocking ends which enable the hoop to be temporarily opened up to allow it to encircle the central core.

7. A ball game according to any preceding claim wherein the internal diameter of the hoop is in the range of from 10 to 15k greater than the external diameter of the core.

8. A ball game according to any preceding claim wherein the external diameter of the hoop is in the range of from 50 to 70 smaller than the external diameter of the helical fin.

9. A ball game according to any preceding claim wherein the ratio of the pitch to diameter of the helical fin is in the range of from 1/7 to 3/7.

10. A ball game substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.