US1128099A - Foot-ball. - Google Patents

Description

H. BROMLEY.

FOOT BALL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1913.

1,12,@99, Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

rHE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTC-LITHO.. WASHINGTON D. C.

HAB-RY BROMLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOOT-BALL.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 19115.

Application filed November 29, 1913. 7 Serial No. 803,728.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, HARRY BROMLEY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 93 Gold street, city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Foot- Ball, of which the following is a specification.

In that form of the game of foot ball known as National football, where the rules of the game permit of drop kicking, place kicking, and dribbling or comparatively gently rolling the ball on the ground by using the hand or the foot, the conventional forms of oval and spherical shaped balls which are respectively used in Rugby and in Association or soccer, will not lend themselves for effective use in the aforesaid game. The presence of the comparatively sharp pointed ends on the Rugby football and the sharp curvature of the surface of this ball, prohibits dribbling or rolling, with any degree of precision in a required direction, while the spherical property of the Association football renders that object unfit for effective place kicking or drop kicking. An object in pointing the ends of the Rugby football is to permit the player, in making a drop kick, to kick the ball at a point which will cause the ball, while 01f the ground, to rotate in the direction of its course of flight; and an object in making the Association ball spherical is to permit the player to roll this ball with marked precision in a given direc tion on the ground.

Since National football is in part made up of rules which permit of drop kicking, place kicking and dribbling, or in other words, is in part made up of a combination of Rugby and Associated football, it is manifest that in order to obtain a skilful exposition of the game, a football possessing the characteristics of the Rugby football and the Association football, must be employed.

Therefore, I will state as the general object of my invention the production of a football which is suitable for drop kicking, for place kicking, or for dribbling. And to this end the invention resides in so forming a football that the longitudinal cross sectional contour of such ball will conform to the shape of an ellipse.

Other objects will appear and be better understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the ball forming the subject-matter of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the same. Fig. 3 illustrates diagrammatically the variation in cross sectional contour between the ball forming the subject-matter of the present invention and balls used for Rugby and Association football.

The components of my football are an outer casing 5 and a bladder (not shown) arranged in the casing and conforming in contour to the contour of the casing. The bladder is of rubber and is provided with the usual inflating nipple (not shown) and the casing 5 is provided with the usual mouth 6 through which access is had to the hereinbefore stated nipple and bladder, and which is adapted to be closed by a lacing 7 when the ball is ready for use.

The casing 5 is made up of a plurality of oblong sections ct and convex end inserts or fillets bb. The sections a, are arranged side to side and stitched or otherwise suitably fastened together, as indicated by 8. The end edges of the sections a are concaved and the several curved edges have corresponding radii, whereby circular openings are provided for the inserts b, the edges of which are stitched or otherwise suitably fastened to the end edges of the sections as indicated by 9 and the inserts arranged so that their surfaces extend continuously with those of the sections a; of the outer casing 5.

The sections a together with the inserts I) combine to make up a body which in lon gitudinal cross sectional contour, conforms to a perfect ellipse. In consequence of this the ball, by virtue of the relatively short length of its major axis and the relatively large area of surface it presents for contact with the ground, may be dribbled or rolled with comparatively the same accuracy as can a round ball without, in any marked degree, sacrificing those properties which are required of an oblong ball for punting, hand passing, drop kicking or place kicking the same.

What is claimed as new is:

A. football including an outer casing made up of a plurality of elongated sections, the lateral edges of which are connected one to the other and the end edges of which are concaved so as to provide circular openings in the ends of the casing, and convex inserts arranged in the said openings and secured to the sections and having their outer faces continuous with the outer faces of the section, the sections and inserts of the easing-being so proportioned and arranged that the casing when distended forms a true ellipse in longitudinal section.

HARRY BROMLEY. Witnesses:

MAURICE DAVIES, FRED S. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

' Washington, I). G.

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