Tethered ball apparatus including paddle and wear resistant tether connection to ball

Claim 1

Recreational apparatus utilizing a hand-held paddle for propelling a ball, said apparatus comprising, in combination: an elongated standard for disposition in a stationary, vertical position; a resilienT ball having an aperture therein, a stop disposed within the interior of the ball, a resilient grommet disposed within said aperture and having a relatively thin skirt portion underlying the ball wall about said aperture interiorly thereof, and an outwardly flared portion extending outwardly through said aperture, said grommet having a central passage therethrough, said cord being snugly received in said grommet passage and extending therethrough and having its end secured to said stop, whereby the interior of said ball is closed; a flexible, non-resilient cord connected at one end to said ball, said cord being of a length sufficient to maintain said ball out of contact with the ground; a spool piece located near the top of said standard and having a pair of axially spaced flanges with facing, outwardly divergent surfaces; and, a ring attached to the other end of said cord, said ring surrounding said spool piece between the outwardly divergent surfaces of said pair of axially spaced flanges, said ring being freely rotatable so that said ball and said cord are freely rotatable about said standard when said ball is struck.