Ring-type ball throwing and catching toy

Claim 1

A BALL THROWING AND CATCHING TOY COMPRISING A RING HAVING A CONTINUOUS TRACK OF ARCUATE CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION OPENING UPWARDLY THROUGHOUT ITS EXTENT UPON WHICH A BALL MAY BE CAUGHT AND ROLLED THEREIN, HANDLE MEANS ON THE RING FOR ENABLING THE RING TO BE GRASPED FOR IMPARTING AN UNDULATING MOTION IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE TO THE RING FOR MOVING THE BALL AROUND THE TRACK, AND MEANS FOR DEVIATING THE BALL FROM ITS PATH OF MOVEMENT AND DISCHARGING IT FROM THE TRACK, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS COMPRISING A PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE RING AND TRACK HAVING ONE END THEREOF PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE REMAINING PORTION AT THE OUTER PERIPHERAL EDGE, THE OTHER END OF SAID PIVOTAL PORTION HAVING RELEASABLE LOCKING MEANS THEREON FOR SELECTIVELY LOCKING THE PIVOTAL PORTION IN CIRCUMFERENTIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE RING AND TRACK WHEN IN NON-DISCHARGING POSITION AND ENABLING THE PIVOTAL PORTION TO SWING OUTWARDLY INTO GENERALLY TANGENTIAL RELATION TO THE TRACK AT THE POINT OF PIVOTAL CONNECTION THEREWITH WHEN IN DISCHARGING POSITION.