Ball throwing and catching device

#The present invention relates generally to a ball game utilizing a ball-handling device held by hand of a player. More particularly, the invention relates to an amusement device which is adapted for hurling and catching a ball by relatively unskilled or skilled persons manipulating the device.

#Various types of devices for throwing and catching a ball have been described in patent literature. One of such devices is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,392,978 wherein a ball is launched upwardly on a curved trajectory into the air by the device having an arcuate channel, the device including the tossing opening at one end and the receiving oval inlet at the other end with a handle affixed to the rear side of the device. U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,129 discloses a ball-throwing device comprising a cylindrical main body portion in combination with a hollow handle portion having a fixedly secured core therein. The inside of the main body portion is provided with projecting ribs which are adapted to cooperate with a ball having concentric grooves. U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,074 describes a large bowl-shaped ball launcher having a concave surface and a handle to be held by a player. A ball having very little bounce is thrown upwardly in the air and caught on the down slope of the launcher. U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,184 discloses a hand-held catch ball device having a support, a ball-launching ramp having side rails, a bucket-like receptacle positioned at one end and a handle attached to the opposite end of the device. Other devices employed to hurl a ball against a wall by one player and catch it by the opponent in the game known as Jai-Alai are likewise known in the art. Such devices are of curved configuration and include a handle with a strap means connected to the handle for securing a hand of a player to the body of the device.

#The present invention is directed to an improved ball-handling device of the general type of devices discussed hereinabove but is considered to present novel and distinct features not heretofore known in the art.

#The invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device showing a ball placed in the interior thereof on its end wall;

#FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the device;

#Referring now to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding elements, the ball game device 10 of this invention is illustrated by three views in its upright position. The device 10 comprises an integral, upright, cylindrically shaped body member 12 having an open end 14, a straight side wall 15 and a circular end wall 16. The outer surface of the lower portion of side wall 15 constitutes a hand-holding area 18 for a player thereby obviating the necessity of having a separate handle affixed to the device as shown in the prior art. The end portion 20 of the lower end of side wall 15 is progressively tapered in the direction of end wall 16 to adapt the inner surface of end wall 16 to a diameter corresponding approximately to the diameter of a ball 30 utilized in conjunction with device 10, thereby preventing excessive lateral movement of the ball when placed on the bottom of device 10 in position to be projected therefrom. As illustrated, end wall 16 is flat and its diameter is adapted to be substantially equal to the diameter of ball 30.

#The inner surface 22 of device 10 is smooth and its cylindrical rear area defines a straight line passageway for the ball 30 when it is either hurled or received in device 10. Side wall 15 is provided with an elongated opening 24 in the front portion of body member 12 and comprises two downwardly extending symmetrical sloping edges 26 which have a partially arcuate configuration 28 merging into the upper edge of the hand-holding area 18. The opening 24 extends lengthwise of the body member 12 over the major portion thereof from the arcuate edge of the upper portion of side wall 15 to the upper edge of the hand-holding area 18 in the front of body member 12.

#The boundary of open end 14 is defined by a continuously arcuate edge of the upper portion of side wall 15, the circumferential length of which is equal to about one-half of the diameter of the cylindrical body member 12 in the hand-holding area 18, while the length of hand-holding area 18 between its lower edge adjacent the end wall 16 and its upper edge is slightly greater than the diameter of ball 30 to insure that the ball will be prevented from unintentional displacing or falling out from device 10 when held in upright or even tilted to almost horizontal position.