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US 5,314,368 AGranted
Flying ball apparatus
OwnerPeter S. C. Chenginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A toy or display suspends a ball in mid-air and moves the ball in a closed path without any visible means of support above a housing. The ball is moved radially toward, and alternately away from, a central housing axis, and may also be raised and lowered in elevation during its travel along the path.
Claims10
An action apparatus comprising:
- (a) a housing having an upright housing axis, a base and an annular track mounted on the base, said track having at least one rail of variable undulating height as considered in a circumferential direction around the track;
- (b) an element;
- (c) means in the housing for directing a flow of air to the element with sufficient force to support the element in mid-air above the housing;
- and
- (d) means for moving the air-supported element in a non-circular path relative to the housing axis.
2 more elements
An action apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a housing having an upright housing axis, a base and a screen mounted above the base, said screen having openings;
- (b) an element;
- (c) means in the housing for directing a flow of air through the openings to the element with sufficient force to support the element in mid-air above the housing;
- (d) said screen having an annular section along which the openings have different flow-through areas, the openings including wider screen areas through which a greater quantity of the air flow passes to support the element at a higher elevation relative to the screen as compared to narrower screen areas through which a lesser quantity of the air flow passes to support the element at a lower elevation relative to the screen;
- and
- (e) means for moving the air-supported element in a non-circular path relative to the housing axis.
3 more elements
An action apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a housing having an upright housing axis;
- (b) an element;
- (c) means in the housing for directing a flow of air to the element with sufficient force to support the element in mid-air above the housing;
- and
- (d) means for moving the air-supported element in a circumferentially-complete non-circular path relative to the housing axis, said moving means including means for continuously moving the air-supported element radially toward the housing axis and, alternately, radially away from the housing axis, in a repetitive manner, along the path.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.