US3989247A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Racket ball pick-up device
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1975-06-09
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Granted: 1976-11-02
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Expires: 1995-06-09
Abstract
Abstract In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a clamp-on plastic arcuate element of C-shaped cross-section is provided for snapping-onto an upper portion of a tennis racket head frame, and continuous with and fused to substantially opposite ends of the arcuate element is a correspondingly arcuate semi-rigid substantially flexible lever element biased normally to a predetermined position in an open state away from the upper-most part of the tennis racket and arcuate element at a predetermined distance substantially less than a diameter of a tennis ball such that when the arcuate element is mounted on the tennis racket head frame the tennis racket by a person holding the handle thereof may be used as a pick-up device for retrieving tennis balls without any need of bending over or flexing the back, the arcuate base member also defining a substantially C-shaped pair of flanges as a part of an upper-most part of the arcuate element opposite the pick-up lever for anchoring the lever in a recessed lock-down position when in a closed state not in use as a pick-up device.
Inventors
- 👤 Eli Zimmerman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 17:27
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63B; A63B47/00; A63B47/02; A63B49/00; A63B49/02; A63B49/035
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
A racket ball pick-up device comprising in combination: support means comprising a racket head and a handle extending therefrom, for supporting a spring-biased lever structure on said racket head, and a spring means comprising said lever structure mounted on the racket head in a position adjacent and in opposing relationship to said racket head, said spring means further comprising means for permitting selective closing and opening of said lever structure whereby when said lever structure is in said open position at least a central ball wedging portion thereof is spaced from said racket head a predetermined distance slightly less than the diameter of the ball to be picked up.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
109 words
A racket ball pick-up device comprising in combination: support means comprising a racket head and a handle extending therefrom, for supporting a spring-biased lever structure on said racket head, and a spring means comprising said lever structure mounted on the racket head in a position adjacent and in opposing relationship to said racket head, said spring means further comprising means for permitting selective closing and opening of said lever structure whereby when said lever structure is in said open position at least a central ball wedging portion thereof is spaced from said racket head a predetermined distance slightly less than the diameter of the ball to be picked up.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
A racket ball pick-up device of claim 1, in which said support means further comprises a base support means for detachably clamping onto said racket head, the spring means being mounted on the base support means and spring-biasing said lever structure into said open and closed positions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
72 words
A racket ball pick-up device of claim 2, in which the base support means includes a substantially arced element shaped along an elongated axis thereof to correspond substantially to an upper end of said racket head and in cross-section across and substantially transverse to the arced element and its elongated axis the arced element being substantially C-shaped and of a size suitable for clamping around an upper end of said racket head.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
A racket ball pick-up device of claim 3, in which the spring means further includes at least one slit at each of opposite end portions of the arced element for receiving the opposite ends of the pick-up lever.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
143 words
A racket ball pick-up device of claim 4, in which the lever structure includes an arc substantially corresponding to an arc along the elongated axis of said arced element and in which the lever structure at one end thereof is substantially of uniform shape as the main portions of the lever structure centrally thereof, said spring means further comprising wing flanges on an opposite end portion of said lever structure which when held against the outer surface of said arched element substantially centered the main portions of said lever structure at said predetermined distance, and a plurality of said slits being located such that said lever structure is positioned in said open state at said predetermined distance, said arced element being composed of substantially resilient material such that while within the slits the lever structure may be forced to a closed locking position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
79 words
A racket ball pick-up device of claim 3, in which the spring means further includes said lever structure fused fixedly at opposite ends thereof to said base support means arced element and the lever structure being mounted to extend to said predetermined distance in an open state and further being composed of a substantially resilient material such that it is flexible to and from a wedge ball-retaining position and a closed and locked state position against the arced element.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
A racket ball pick-up device of claim 6, in which the outer surface of said arced element defines a concave recess extending along its elongated axis located at a point opposite of and recessedly seatable of the lever structure.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
90 words
A racket ball pick-up device of claim 1, in which the lever structure includes an arc substantially corresponding to an arc along the elongated axis of said arced element, and in which the arced element includes as a part thereof spaced-apart arced flanges arced toward one-another and spaced at outer ends thereof a distance less than a width of said lever structure at a location opposite the spaced-apart arced flanges such that the arced element is forceable between the outer ends to be retainably locked between the spaced-apart arced flanges.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
A racket ball pick-up device of claim 1, in which said support means biases said lever structure toward a closed-state position at which the lever structure is pressed flushly against said racket head frame, and further including lever means for opening said lever structure to said predetermined open position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
74 words
A racket ball pick-up device of claim 9, said lever means further including a rotatable wedge element of arcuate eliptical shape and a rod fixedly mounting the rotatable wedge element, the rod being mounted rotatably with the rotatable wedge element positioned beneath the lever structure at a point adjacent its pivotal mounting on said tennis racket head such that rotation of said rotatable wedge wedges the lever structure into said open position and state.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-11-02 | 1980-05-03 | 1980-11-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-11-02 | 1984-05-03 | 1984-11-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-11-02 | 1988-05-03 | 1988-11-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |