US2784526A - Musical ball - Google Patents

Description

With 12, 1957 BQUNADERE v 2,784,526

MUSICAL BALL Filed June 27, 1955 I I a j 1 l United States Patent MUSICAL BALL Albert Bouuadere, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application June 27, 1955, Serial No. 518,305

1 Claim. (Cl. 46-175) The present invention pertains to a novel musical ball designed primarily for use by children.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a ball that furnishes sound or musical tones from an unseen source. Another object is to provide a ball that furnishes tones which are usually pleasing to the car. A further object is to provide a ball with sounding members in such a manner that any desirednumber or variety of tones may be incorporated.

Still another object is to derive the tones from a selected number of sleigh bells of a type readily available on the market, so that special sounding members need not be manufactured. A still further object is to mount the bells within a ball in a simple manner and yet maintain the bells out of contact with the ball so that their tonal quality is not dampened.

Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide a musical ball of the character described which is economical and simple in construction.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, partly broken away to show one of the internal bells;

Figure 2 is a cross section;

Figure 3 is a cross section at right angles; and

Figure 4 is a detail section on the line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

Each of the figures shows a hollow ball 1, but it will be understood that the bells are mounted during the process of manufacture and before the material is shaped to form the actual ball. The ball is of a relatively large size, ranging for example, from baseball size to basketball size and may consist of any of the materials used for toy balls, such as rubber, plastic and the like.

For the purpose of the subsequent description, it will be assumed that the material constituting the ball is still in sheet form so that access may be had to the surface that will become the inner surface of the ball.

A conventional sleigh bell 2 is formed with an ear 3 through which is passed a pin 4. The relative length of the pin is shown in Figure 3 and extends a substantial distance beyond both sides of the ear.

Around the exposed parts of the pin is folded a fairly rigid rubber strip 5 which is notched at 6 to accommodate the pin. Adjacent to the pin, the material 5 is doubled as indicated by the numeral 7 in Figures 2 and 4. The ends of the material are finally spread in opposite directions as indicated at 8 and attached to the member 1 by a suitable adhesive. The end portions 8 are substantially perpendicular to the portions 7 so that this portion is in a plane radial of the ball.

As previously indicated, a selected number of bells may be applied in the manner described and the tones of the bells may also be selected. Because of the rigidity of the material 5, especially when doubled at 7, the bells are maintained out of contact with the ball and are thus prevented from being dampened or distorted in sound. The device is intriguing especially for children inasmuch as the source of the sound is not apparent. Component parts are readily available and need not be specially fabricated, and for this reason it is apparent that the device is relatively inexpensive.

The bells swivel on their respective pins 4 so that they are freely sounded by movement in the hard bells therein.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction will be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A musical ball comprising a rubber bouncing ball, a bell therein, an ear formed on said bell, a pin passed through said ear and extending beyond both sides thereof, a rigid rubber strip folded around said pin and doubled adjacent thereto, a notch formed to the center of said strip to accommodate said ear, the outer end of said doubled portion being spread in opposite directions, and said end portions being cemented to the inner surface of said ball.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 160,146 Bevin Feb. 23, 1875 254,768 Haynes Mar. 7, 1882 1,258,651 Broderick Mar. 12, 1918 FOREIGN PATENTS 83,810 Germany Nov. 22, 1895 251,565 Great Britain May 6, 1926

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