US1655599A - Football - Google Patents

Description

"Jan. 10,1928. 1 1,655,599

I w. J. DOLAN, JR

FOOTBALL Filed June 21, 1923 WM /NVENT0R M W ATTORNE-XZ Ill) [ill

Patented Jan. 18,

WILLIAM J'. 'DOLAN, JR., 013 PEARL RIVEEQNEVI' YORK.

FOOTBALL.

Application filed June 21, 1923. Serial No. 646,869.

The invention relates to footballs and has for an object the provision of means whereby afoot ball may be tethered or held -aptive for practice kicking,

In the game of foot ball as at present developed, kicking the ball. plays a most unportant part, and in practice much time is spent in developing the skill of the ilayers in this feature of the game. A great deal of valuable time, however, wasted because of the necessity for retrieving the ball after it has been. kicked. In practicing drop kicking, for example, the player, who holds the ball in a suitable position before him, after dropping and kicking the ball, must either retrieve it himself, or the services of another person must he enlisted for that purpose. To avoid this waste of time on the part of the player or the employment of the services of extra people to retrieve the ball, the in vention contemplates the provision of ineai'is,

for tethering the ball, or holding it captive, so that the player may place it in any dc sired position with relation to his bo said tethering means to be of such a natli M the ball, after its flight has been arrested will be returned to position near the player.

The invention consists in the novel inl provements, combinations and features of construction herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawing is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same illustratingthe principles by which the i mention is carried ,into effect.

()f the drawing Fig. l a front View partly inprrspe tire, parts being broken away, and shows a. foot ball and. tether made in accordance with the invention, the tether being on Wed at one end to a bar between the u n'ighis of goal posts, and the ball. being shown in a.

position in which it would be held by the player for a drop kick, and'facing in the direction of its proposed flight;

Pig. 2 is a side view of the same with the ball. in position on the ground;

Fig. 3 is a front View of the ball, showing; certain parts thereof in open or spread. position.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same, as shown, com prising a foot ball 4 of of unusual construe tion. having an outer covering of four sections fastened together, there being added thereto means by which the ball may be engaged with a tether and held captive. While said means may be constructed in various ways, preferably they should be of such nature as'to distribute throughout the body of the ball the SllOCK caused by the tcthers arrest of the flight of the ball when kicked. y

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, therefore, said means co n'n prise a pair of flaps or. wings 6 extending from the body of the ball. Each wing an, integral part of a section of the cover and is a continuation thereof, being formed by and extending from the seam 7 where the section issewn to its adjoining section. Each wing, also, and as shown, is at the said seam 7 co-cxtensive in length, with the section of which it forms an integral part. Furthermore, each wing 6 is preferably made narrow at one end and graduallyv increased in width to the other end where it is formed. with an orifice 8 at a point where it approaches the The leather or fabric surroumlneg the orifice 1s reenforced by a metal eyeother wing.

throughout the body of the ball. Also,,def-

ormation of the ball is avoided, the usual outer surface of the ball preserved, and interference with handling, the ball is avoided.

Means are provided for teiiherimr the ball.

and while the ball may be tethered to any suitable standard or siiipport, as illustrated, the ball is shown as tethered to the cr ss bar 11 of a pair of goal posts 12. lfreiferziibly, also, the tether should be of an elastic nature so that when the ball is kicked, the sudden shock, above referred to, caused by the arrest of the flight of the ball by the tether maybe taken up in part by the stretching or giving of the tether, in this way undue wear of the ".all and tether being avoided. In the embodiment ofthe invention illustrated, therefore, the tether is shown as being made of a strap 13 having in one portion of its extent, preferably at one end, a spring 1& of suitable size and strength. The tether is also provided at one end with a clasp 16 which engages, as shown, the pierced ends of the creased.

Wings 6, and at the other end With a clasp 17 Which engages a hook 18 fastened to the cross bar 11.

It is to be noted that in the game of foot ball as now commonly played, there are several accepted methods of kicking, including printing, place kicking, and drop'kicking. In placement kicking the ball is usually held end up on the ground at a slight angle from the perpendicular, and in drop kicking this angle is somewhat in- To permit placement and drop kicking, therefore, the tether is made ot a length preferably exceeding the distance between'the cross bar lland the ground, and

may be made longer, as desired. 'This greater length of the tether, also, will permit tree dropping of the ball by the player so that in practicing drop kicking he must depend upon his oWn skill to place the ball in the proper position at an angle from the perpendicular. Furthermore, this greater length of the tether will provide suilicient slack to tlllOWtllQbElll to take a natural flight, when kicked for the purpose of ascertaining the accuracy of the kick. It will be seen, also, that by locating the orifices in the positions in the respective Wings, as described, the center of gravity of the ball need not be allected by the Weight of the slack of the tether. For example, When the ball is dropped for a drop kick, the tether Will not prevent the ball striking the ground in the position intended, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Also, the tether will not affect the proper use of the ball in the other styles of kicking.

It Will be seen that a foot ball and tether constructed in accordance With the invention, as described, Will carry outthe objects of. the invention, as set forth, and Will permit a player to become more quickly proficient in kickmg because of permitting concentrat-ion of practice, that is, performing a great-- lye increased number of kicks in a given interval of time. Other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Many changes may be made in the details of the invention without departing from the main principles thereof, and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

I claim:

l. The combination of a players foot ball, and an elastic tether attached at one end to said ball and at the other end to a point of anchorage, said tether being oil such length that said ball While held captive may be kicked by the player for practice purposes as it entirely free.

2'. The combination of a players toot ball and an elastic tether attached at one end to said ball and at the other end to a point of suspension above, said tether being of such length that said ball While held captive may be kicked by the player for practice purposes as it entirely free.

The combination of a players foot ball, and an elastic tether attached at one end to said ball and at the other end to a point of anchorage adjacent the kicking point, said tether being of such length that said ball While held captive may be kicked by a player forpractice purposes asit entirely free.

i. The combination oi a players football, and an elastic tether attached at one end to said ball and at the other end to a point of suspension above, said tether being of a greater length than the distance from said point of suspension to the kicking point so that said ball While held captive may be kicked by the player for practice purposes as it entirely free.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature hereto.

WILLIAM J. Dorian, JR.

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