US4210327A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Racket-mounted tennis ball retriever
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1978-05-15
•
Granted: 1980-07-01
•
Expires: 1998-05-15
Abstract
Abstract The butt of a tennis racket is made concave so as to have a recess into which the periphery of a tennis ball may seat when the butt is pressed against the ball, and within this recess, a section of fabric having countless tiny hooks is located so that, when the ball is seated within the recess, the hooks snag the curly pile periphery of the ball and thereby releasably attach the same to the tennis racket for retrieval purposes. One aspect of the invention involves the way in which improved retentive engagement is made between a hook fabric and its curly pile counterpart, such improvements residing in the way in which the two fabrics are slidingly rubbed against one another to increase their snagging interengagement, even though the two objects employing the fabrics are simply pressed together in a simple direct manner, such as when pressing the butt of a tennis racket against a tennis ball to retrieve the same.
Inventors
- 👤 Steven M. Schubert
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 07:34
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63B; A63B47/00; A63B47/02; A63B2209/00; A63B2209/10; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T24/00; Y10T24/27; Y10T24/2725
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
Means for the improved retention of a pair of objects, wherein interlocking hook and curly pile fabrics are utilized on the objects to effect said retention, said means comprising: a mounting for one of the fabrics that produces relative sliding movement between the fabrics so as to interlock the same when the objects are pressed together, said mounting including: a device associated with one of the objects and supporting said one fabric for rotation in response to said pressing together of the objects; and means for resisting rotation of the other object with said device during said pressing together of the objects whereby to achieve said relative sliding movement of the fabrics.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
112 words
Means for the improved retention of a pair of objects, wherein interlocking hook and curly pile fabrics are utilized on the objects to effect said retention, said means comprising: a mounting for one of the fabrics that produces relative sliding movement between the fabrics so as to interlock the same when the objects are pressed together, said mounting including: a device associated with one of the objects and supporting said one fabric for rotation in response to said pressing together of the objects; and means for resisting rotation of the other object with said device during said pressing together of the objects whereby to achieve said relative sliding movement of the fabrics.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
Means for the improved retention of a pair of objects as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device includes a pair of threadably interengaged parts, one of said pairs carrying said one fabric and being threadable into the other part upon the application of axial pressure to said one fabric from the other object.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
Means for the improved retention of a pair of objects as claimed in claim 2, wherein said one part is provided with means yieldably biasing the same toward said other object.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
Means for the improved retention of a pair of objects as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resisting means includes a component rotatable in a direction opposite to that of said one fabric during said pressing together of the objects, said component having a surface frictionally engageable with said other object during said rotation of the component.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
Means for the improved retention of a pair of objects as claimed in claim 4, wherein said component has a section of said one fabric thereon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
Means for the improved retention of a pair of objects as claimed in claim 4, wherein said resisting means further includes means threadably receiving said component to effect said rotation thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
Means for the improved retention of a pair of objects as claimed in claim 6, wherein said device includes a rotatable part circumscribed by said component, said part and said component being movable in unison axially along their common axis of rotation during said pressing together of the objects.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
Means for the improved retention of a pair of objects as claimed in claim 7, wherein said device further includes another part threadably receiving the first-mentioned part for effecting said rotation thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
Means for the improved retention of a pair of objects as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first-mentioned part and said component are provided with means yieldably biasing the same toward the other object.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
170 words
In combination with a tennis racket having a butt at one end thereof and a head on the opposite end thereof, a retriever for tennis balls having curly pile on their periphery, said retriever comprising: a section of hook fabric operable to snag said curly pile of the tennis ball when applied against the same; means mounting said section on said butt of the racket; and means providing a recess on said butt into which said periphery of the ball may seat while snagged by said section of hook fabric whereby the racket may be grasped by said head and said butt pressed against the ball to releasably attach the same to the racket for retrieval, said recess providing means including a part having a dished surface, said surface having said fabric section thereon, said part being rotatable upon the application of pressure thereto by pressing the ball against said surface, said retriever further comprising means for resisting rotation of the ball with said part during said application of pressure.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
170 words
In combination with a tennis racket having a butt at one end thereof and a head on the opposite end thereof, a retriever for tennis balls having curly pile on their periphery, said retriever comprising: a section of hook fabric operable to snag said curly pile of the tennis ball when applied against the same; means mounting said section on said butt of the racket; and means providing a recess on said butt into which said periphery of the ball may seat while snagged by said section of hook fabric whereby the racket may be grasped by said head and said butt pressed against the ball to releasably attach the same to the racket for retrieval, said recess providing means including a part having a dished surface, said surface having said fabric section thereon, said part being rotatable upon the application of pressure thereto by pressing the ball against said surface, said retriever further comprising means for resisting rotation of the ball with said part during said application of pressure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
In the combination as claimed in claim 10, wherein said part is provided with means threadably receiving the same for effecting said rotation of the part.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
In the combination as claimed in claim 11, wherein said part is provided with means yieldably biasing the same against said rotation.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
In the combination as claimed in claim 10, wherein said rotation resisting means includes a surface disposed for frictional engagement with the ball, said surface having hook fabric thereon.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
In the combination as claimed in claim 13, wherein said surface of the rotation resisting means has means threadably receiving the same to effect rotation thereof in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said part.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
In the combination as claimed in claim 14, wherein said surface of the rotation resisting means circumscribes said part in concentric relationship therewith.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US266598A
Cited
US1960110A
Cited
US2750222A
Cited
US2968509A
Cited
DE2254275A1
Cited
US3874666A
Cited
US4114881A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-07-01 | 1983-12-31 | 1984-07-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-07-01 | 1987-12-31 | 1988-07-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-07-01 | 1991-12-31 | 1992-07-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |