Apparatus for measuring the coefficient of restitution of a resilient body

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE COEFFICIENT OF RESTITUTION OF A GOLF BALL, COMPRISING TARGET MEANS HAVING A MASS OF APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO FIVE TIMES THE WEIGHT OF SAID GOLF BALL, PROPELLING MEANS FOR PROPELLING SAID GOLF BALL AGAINST SAID TARGET MEANS, AND MEANS FOR MEASURING THE TIME OF TRAVEL OF SAID GOLF BALL TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID TARGET MEANS THROUGH A PREDETERMINED TRAVEL DISTANCE, SAID TARGET MEANS BEING MOUNTED TO MOVE IN A DIRECTION IN LINE WITH THE LINE OF TRAVEL OF SAID GOLF BALL, AND HAVING A PLANE IMPACT SURFACE FACING SAID PROPELLING MEANS AND PERPENDICULAR TO SAID LINE OF TRAVEL, AN AIR CHAMBER WITHIN SAID TARGET MEANS AND IN RESTRICTED COMMUNICATION WITH THE AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CHAMBER FOR DECREASING ITS VOLUME UPON MOTION OF SAID IMPACT SURFACE IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID PROPELLING MEANS, AND CUTOFF MEANS FOR BLOCKING SAID RESTRICTED COMMUNICATION AFTER A PREDETERMINED EXTENT OF SAID MOTION, SAID TARGET MEANS BEING FREE-MOVING DURING TIME OF IMPACT OF SAID GOLF BALL, AND MOVING AGAINST AIR PRESSURE AFTER SAID GOLF BALL HAS REBOUNDED FROM SAID IMPACT SURFACE.