US2621334A - Combined ball and cap - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 16, 1952 l.. A. o'HARE COMBINED BALL AND CAP Filed July 19, 1950 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT VOFFICE `zgcszrsn COMBINED BALL ,AND CAP njyien onare,ir6n0ck'rines, Chir. Application-'July 19, 195o, semina-17u47 -6 Claims.-

This invention comprises inovel and useful-irri-Q provements in a combined ball and cap and more specifically 4pertains 'zto .a .hollow spherical body of `flexible rair impermeable material together with -a valve assembly .therein .and :selectively usable as an inflated spherical ballor a 'hemispherical .collapsed 'reap of the bea-nierior skull cap type.

The primary object Aof this :invention Lis `to provide an-'inflatable and 4defiatable I'sphericrfi'l article ycapable fof vuse selectively as an ina'ted ball -or collapsed v-to1-f-unctionas :a .beanie or lskull :Serve Ein ithe 'inflated position of the article las' reinforcing `rings therefor, and lfu'nction :inthe collapsed condition of :the article 'as ha't bands 'on the iinterior Tand exterior surfaces =of 'the That.

These,y together with various ancillary objects and Vfeatures of the -invention which will later become apparent as V'the following Ide'scrlp'tion proceeds, a're attained by `the'1: r`esent invention, a `'preferred embodiment of which fhas been illust-ratedjvby way of example =only, in theaaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure Jl is la sideelevational View vsho Sing a suitable :embodiment incorporating therein the principles of -this invention `and illustrated in its vvinilated Lposition for `functioning `as .a ball;

Figure' 2 `is a vertical sectional view through the article of Figure 1 but showing thessarnejin its 'collapsed .or -de'flated zposition :for function- Ymeras a -cap VFigure/.L3 `-is -a vertical sectional view through the article of `-Figure 1 yfshov'ving lthe' same in 'its position for use 'las -a lzball, ithe view `being taken 'substantially -upon 4-the =plane indicated by -ltlie sectionfline Y1-f3vofFigure 1';

Flgure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional View =through 'the valve l"assembly forming' ='a part `'of the invention and showing the valve in its closed position; and, i j f 1 V*Figure 5 is xaview siiriil'arito 'Figure #ibut show-''- l 2 ing the valve in its -open position, 7 the arrows indicating 'the Ydirection of air flow through the valve while the device is being deflated.

Referring now more ispecically .to the accom-` panying drawings, wherein Vlike numerals designate similar yparts throughout the various Views, it will be .seen that the invention com prises a spherical body I'B which -is hollow and maybe constructed of any :suitable rflexible ma-1 terial Aof an air impermeable nature such las rubber, plastic lor the like, :and of any desired-size. As will :be readily understood, the "body l `may consist of a single 'sheet or vof integral yconstruction; ror may be formed :of a number of pieces of material secured together'in any desired manner.

About what may be-termed the vequatorial region of the body villustrated in Figure 1, there is provided a pair ,of reinforced, Jthickenedzonesl indicated bythe numerals l2 and M, whichzones are spaced from each other. Preferably, lthese zones are-positioned equidistantly from the trueequator of `the'loody .as illustrated. These :zones may Vbe formed 'by integral thickened -portions of :the material of the body 1in; lbut preferably consist of separate strips or -bands of Vmaterial which are suitably .attached .as by vulcanizing or the like to :the exterior surface of the bodyf. In any event, these bands -I2 fand I4 constitute spaced `strengthening and reinforcing means which serve to strengthen the body `inits flated position as shown in Figures .1 and 3'; which-serve 'to produce a zone of relatively Iless rigidity .between .the bands :and `thus contribute to Aand facilitate the collapsing .of 'the llower hemisphere' into the upper hemisphere as :the body is .deflated into the position shownginiliigs ure i2. In vthis v`deflated position, :the :band-,112 will constitute .an `outer hatband, `-while :the fband `I4 will constitute an .inner 'hatband ,the bands thus serving'to strengthen the riin of :the fhat.

The device :further includes a valve assembly indicated .generally by 'the numeral i6 .and which islocated in one :of the `polar regions of -thebodm so that the same will be Vpositioned upon fthe exterior of the 'two fhemi'spherical members forming the hat or deflated body as showin in Figure 2. l

Attention is Y,new directed more spei'fically to klig'ures f4 and 5 `Ifor an explanation of a .fsatisfactory :construction of 'the valve :assembly f lz. As ,shown in these gures', fthe valve assembly comprises a-plateilfcr sheet cfany suitabltmalfte'ria'l fsuch klas that of :which V:time body vIt iis 4.constructed, this plate being-,of :any desired shape 3 such as the disk-like shape depicted and being vulcanized or otherwise rigidly and fixedly secured in an airtight manner to the exterior surface of the body I0. Upon that surface of the plate I8 which is adjacent the surface of the body I0, there is provided a recess 20 which constitutes a valve chamber, this recess having an aperture or opening 22 opening to the atmosphere. Upon that portion of the body l which underlies the recess 20, there is mounted a valve member in the form' of a disk or plate 24 of any suitable material, this plate not necessarily being of the same material as the members I0 or I8. The plate 24 is adapted to be received within the chamber 20 in the closed position of the valve assembly as shown in Figure 4 and'when so positioned serves to close and prevent the escape of air from the interior of the body l0 to the atmosphere through the opening 22. It will be especially noted that the valve member 24 is of a thickness which is substantially equal to that of the recess 20 so that the valve will be maintained in the recess and in the closed position by the pressure of air in the body l0.

The body l0 is provided With an opening 25 which is disposed beneath the plate I8, but out of registry with the chamber or recess 20 as Will be readily apparent from Figures 4 and 5. The opening '26 thus constitutes an outlet from the interior of the hollow body into the valve assembly; while the opening 22 constitutes an escape or exhaust from the valve assembly to the atmosphere, the Vlatter opening being directly controlled by the valve 24, while the rst opening is controlled by the position of the same relative to the under surface of the plate I8.4

From the foregoing, it is thought that the operation of the valve assembly will now be readily understood.l It is evident that when the device in the position shown in Figure 2, with the valve assembly being closed as shown in Figure 4, it is merely' necessary to apply a source of compressed air or other fluid to the opening 22 Whereupon'the pressure of the same will open the valve and inflate the interior of the body I6. Alternatively, the valve member 24 may be unseated'from the port 22 as by inserting a pencil point or the like through the opening 22, as shown in Figure 5, whereupon the relative vacuum existing within the collapsed body I0 will permit the iiow of air from the atmosphere thereinto.

11 "When it is desired to deflate the inflated body toconvert the same'to the cap shown in Figure 2, it is merely necessary to open the valve 24 by inserting a pencil orV similar member through the opening 22 as shown in Figure 5, and thrusting the valve 24 away from the opening 22 and from its seated engagement with the recess 20, against which it is mainained by the pressure of the air confined within the body l0. When the valve is thus open, air Will flow from the interior of the body as shown by the arrows in Figure and escape to the atmosphere, and during this escape, the lower hemisphere of the body may be pressed into the upper hemisphere until all of the air has been exhausted and the body is collapsed into the position shown in Figure 2.

-This collapsing action of the body will be facilitated by the above mentioned weakened zone produced between the stiffening members I2 and i4 above mentioned, thus producing a tendency of the body to fold upon the equator of the same and position the reinforcing bands l2 and i4 as shown in Figure 2. j,

The disk 24, in addition to the valving operation described hereinbefore, also functions to prevent puncturing of the member i0, when a sharp pointed member is inserted in the opening 22, as illustrated in Figure 5.

It will thus be apparent that there has been provided a simple and inexpensive construction selectively capable of use as a ball or as a cap,

and which possesses the appreciable Aadvantages of the above mentioned dual functions, simplicity of construction, inexpensiveness and ease of operation; the attractions of a novelty or advertising medium.

From' the foregoing, it is thought that the construction and operation of the device together with its many advantages will now be readily apparent and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to 2. A combined ball and cap comprising a hollow spherical body of flexible, air impermeable material, a valve assembly in a portion of said body and spaced lequatorial rein-forced thickcned zones on said body, said zones comprising inner and outer cap bands when one hemisphere of said body is pushed into the other, said valve assembly being-located atone of the poles of said body.

3. A combined ball and cap comprising a hollow spherical body of flexible, air impermeable material, a valve assembly in a portion of said body and spaced equatorial reinforced thickened zones on said body, said zones comprising inner and outer cap bands when one hemisphere of said body is pushed into the other, said zones comprising bands secured to the exterior surface of said body.

4. A combined ball and cap comprising a hollow spherical body of exible, air impermeable material, a valve assembly in a portion of said body and spaced equatorial yreinforced thickened zones on said body, said zones comprising inner and outer cap bands when one hemisphere of said body lis pushed into the other, said zones comprising bands secured to the-exterior surface of said body, and at equal distances from the equator thereof. l

5. A combined ball and cap comprising a hollow spherical body of flexible, air impermeable material, a valve assembly in a portion of said body and spaced `equatorial reinforced thick- `enedzones' on said body, said zones comprising `ixmer'and outer cap bands When one hemicured thereto and; movable Ainto and out ofujsaid recess for controlling said passage, said body having an opening beneath said plate and out registry with said recess.

6. A combined ball and cap comprising a hollow ball like body comprising a unitary sheet of iiexible, air impermeable and elastic material, a pair of annular equidistantly spaced reinforcing bands disposed about and secured upon a circumferential portion of said body, said reinforcing bands being adapted to comprise inner and outer cap bands when the body is -folded about the space between the ban-ds whereby one-half of the body is pushed into the other half to constitute a cap. and a Valve lassembly for selectively admitting, retaining and discharging a gas into the interior of said Y body.

LYLE A. OHARE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Webb Sept. 12, 1939

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