FR2712502A1 - Plate with teeth for picking up tennis balls - Google Patents

Abstract

The device is a thin metallic plate (1) which is preferably circular and can be hollow or solid. Pointed teeth (2) are fixed to the plate and are aligned along its circular generator (3). They hook into the fibres of a ball when the plate is rotated (R). The base (4) of each tooth is joined to the plate and each tooth has two curved parts. The outer part of the tooth is at an angle, of 0-45 deg., between it and the plate. The teeth can be aligned in the same direction or alternately in opposite directions.

Description

DEVICE FOR PICKING UP TENNIS BALLS
AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME
The invention relates to a device for collecting tennis balls, capable of being fixed on the frame or on the handle of a racket by means of a means provided with an adhesive surface or a device. quick coupler, of the type comprising a support provided with hooks, of plastic or metallic material, capable of temporarily hanging the fibers covering the tennis balls.

The invention also relates to the process allowing its manufacture.

 The known devices of the kind in question are essentially described in the following patents or patent applications - US-A-3874666 which uses a ribbon, provided with a plurality of metal hooks woven on a textile support and then cut, sold by the company VELCRO under the reference MID-TEMP; - DE-A-2533233 which uses a ribbon provided with a plurality of thorns capable of hanging the fibers of tennis balls; - FR-A-2594037 which uses a fabric provided with natural, artificial, synthetic or metallic hooks; - FR-A-9115958 which uses a ribbon, cut into oval pellets, provided with a plurality of metal hooks, of the MID-TEMP type from VELCRO.

All these devices, which can be mounted on the frame, on the handle and on the strings, have been tested by the depositor and the only one which has given interesting results is the MID-TEMP tape from VELCRO.

Unfortunately, its cost is very high (special manufacturing for American high technology) and the ribbon in question is very fragile (rapid destruction in normal use). In addition, its effectiveness decreases as the bullets wear out. Finally, the metal hooks, which are omnidirectional, tear off the fibers of tennis balls and their effectiveness decreases over time.

All the plastic tapes marketed by VELCRO and by 3M have been tested without success.

 It is with the aim of eliminating these various drawbacks that the applicant has designed and produced a product - inexpensive, obtained in large series by cutting (mechanical or chemical) and folding (mechanical) from an industrial sheet of metal. and a tool with a high production rate; - very effective because the hooks have been specially studied (shape, dimensions, number and position) for the application of tennis balls, which is not the case for existing products whose use has been transposed from one field of application to another with clearly insufficient results (in principle the bands are of two types, male and female, intended to mate to constitute a means of attachment); - whose attachment characteristics remain the same whether the bales are new or used; - whose initial attachment characteristics remain over time; - whose shape and dimensions of hooks, or teeth, no longer tear the fibers of tennis balls.

 The support carrying the metal hooks, according to the invention, is characterized in that it is in the form of a pellet, of small thickness, preferably circular, solid or hollow (washer type), associated with pointed teeth , of definite width and length, aligned along at least one circular generatrix of said pellet, the base of each tooth of which is integral with the pellet and the useful parts of said teeth of which are oriented longitudinally in the direction of said generatrix ; in that each tooth has a first bend capable of moving the useful part of the tooth outside the plane of the pellet and a second bend capable of defining, between the longitudinal axis of said useful part and the plane of said pellet , a well-defined angle of value; and in that the attachment of the bale fibers is effected by a rotational movement of the pellet.

 The characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention given by way of non-limiting example and shown in the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings - Figure 1 is a top view of the pellet provided with teeth; - Figure 2 is a view, in partial section, in profile, of the pellet and a tooth; - Figure 3 is a diagram of the position of the tooth relative to the circular generator of the pellet; - Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the teeth in opposition on the same generator; - Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the teeth belonging to two separate generatrices in opposition.

 The device shown in the figures comprises a disc (1), of small thickness (E), preferably circular and made of metal (it can also be made of plastic), solid or hollow (of the washer type), provided with pointed teeth (2 ), of width (P) and length (L) well determined, aligned along at least one circular generatrix (3) of said pellet, the useful parts (2) of said teeth are oriented longitudinally in the direction of said generator.

Each tooth is integral with the pellet (1) by its base (4) and comprises a first bend (5) able to move the useful part (2) of the tooth outside the plane of the pellet then a second bend ( 6) capable of defining, between the longitudinal axis (7) of said useful part (2) and the plane of said pellet, an angle (A) of clearly determined value.

The bale fibers are hooked by a rotational movement (R) of the pellet.

The thickness (E) of the pellet (which is also the thickness of the tooth when the pellet is metallic and when the teeth are obtained by cutting and bending) and the width (P) and the length (L) of the useful part (2) of each tooth, have values between - 0.1 and 2 millimeters for (E); - 0.1 and 0.5 millimeter for (P); - 0.5 and 5 millimeters for (L).

The useful part (2) of the tooth forms with the plane of the pellet (1), an angle (A) of value between 0 and 45 degrees.

The axis (7), of the useful part (2) of each tooth, forms with the tangent (8) to the generator (3) to which it is connected, an angle (B) whose value is between O and 30 degrees.

The teeth (2) belonging to the same generator (3) can be in the same direction (only one direction of rotation for picking up the bales) or in opposite directions, alternately (two possible directions of rotation for picking up the bales) .

The teeth belonging to two distinct generators (3) and (9) can be in the same direction on one (3) and in the opposite direction on the other (9).

The teeth can be formed along the inner edge (11) of a hollow pellet (1). They could also be made (by cutting) on the outer edge (12).

The pad (1) may include mechanical means (10) allowing its direct attachment to the racket or to an intermediate support capable of being attached to the racket.

Said means can be of the type with fixing lugs for embedding (for example by molding in the intermediate support), with instantaneous locking of the clip type or the like.

The teeth are evenly distributed along the length of the generator.

They can be straight or curved in correspondence with the generator on which they depend.

The pellets and the teeth can be produced according to a process which consists in a) cutting, by chemical or mechanical attack, simultaneously, the pellets and the teeth from a metal sheet (preferably stainless steel) of thickness (E ); b) mechanically bending said teeth.

The teeth can be drawn on the patch by including the elbow (6) so as to obtain the elbow (5) in a single folding operation.

The pellets and the teeth can also be produced, in a single operation, by injection molding of plastic material for example.

 Of course, the invention is not limited to the methods of design and manufacturing described for which other variants can be provided - in dimensions and angles; - in the materials used; - in the manufacturing stages; without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

 1- Device for collecting tennis balls, suitable for being fixed on the frame or on the handle of a racket by means of a means provided with an adhesive surface or with a quick-attach device, type comprising a support provided with hooks, of plastic or metallic material, capable of temporarily hanging the fibers covering the tennis balls; characterized in that the support carrying the hooks is in the form of a pellet (1), of small thickness (E), preferably circular, solid or hollow, associated with pointed teeth (2), of width (P ) and of length (L) well defined, aligned along at least one circular generatrix (3) of said pellet, the base (4) of each tooth of which is integral with the pellet (1) and the useful parts of which ( 2) said teeth are oriented longitudinally in the direction of said generator; in that each tooth has a first bend (5) able to move the useful part (2) of the tooth outside the plane of the pellet and a second bend (6) able to define, between the axis (7 ) of said useful part and the plane of said patch, an angle (A) of well-determined value; and in that the attachment of the bale fibers is effected by a rotational movement (R) of the pellet.  2- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the thickness (E) of the pellet and the width (P) and the length (L) of the useful part (2) of each tooth are between - 0.1 and 2 millimeters for (E); - 0.1 and 0.5 millimeter for (P); - 0.5 and 5 millimeters for (L).  3- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the useful part (2) of the tooth forms with the plane of the pellet (1), an angle (A) of value between 0 and 45 degrees.  4- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the axis (7) of the useful part (2) of the tooth, forms with the tangent (8) to the generator (3) to which it is connected, an angle (B) whose value is between O and 30 degrees.  5- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the teeth (2), belonging to the same generator (3) are alternately in opposite directions.  6- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the teeth (2), belonging to two separate generators (3) and (9), are in the same direction on one and in the opposite direction on the other .  7 - Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pad (1) comprises mechanical means (10) allowing its direct attachment to the racket or to an intermediate support capable of being fixed on the racket.  8- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the teeth (2) are located along the inner edge (11) of a hollow pellet (1).  9- A method for manufacturing the device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it consists of a) cutting, by chemical attack or mechanically, simultaneously, the pellets and the teeth from a sheet metallic thickness (E); b) mechanically bending said teeth.  10- A method for manufacturing the device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it consists in obtaining the pellet and the teeth in a single injection molding operation of a plastic material.