|
PatentVote.com: Vote on your favourite invention!
|
|
 |
Title: Electric indicator system for ball games
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. In an electric out ball indicating system for tennis courts on which a tennis ball has a tendency to skid, an open circuit comprising (a) a power source, (b) an indicator, (c) non-conductive tapes exterior and parallel to the tennis court boundary lines each tape having at least two electric leads comprised of separated, exposed, conductive bands on its upper surface, (d) connecting means between said power source, indicator and conductive bands, wherein said electric leads are so spaced apart that an "out" tennis ball provided with current-conductive surface fibers will be capable of touching two of said electric leads to thereby close said open circuit and activate said indicator, said system further comprising (e) an open circuit comprising a power source and non-conductive tapes generally coinciding at least in part with the tennis court boundary lines, said tapes having at least two electric leads comprised of separated, exposed, conductive bands on their upper surfaces wherein one of said electric leads coincides with a portion of the tennis court boundary lines, said electric leads being so spaced apart that said tennis ball, flattened upon impact, will be capable of touching two of said electric leads, (f) electric means between said power source, indicator and conductive bands forming said open circuit of (e) to interrupt the flow of electric current to said indicator of (b) or to render said electric indicator inoperative, when said ball provided with current conductive surface fibers closes said open circuit of (e) by making contact between the electric leads on the upper surface of said tapes described in (e), whereby an "in-play" ball touching a tennis court boundary line will deactivate said indicator to thereby avoid an erroneous "out-ball" indication caused by skidding of said ball into contact with the electric leads of (c). 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the electric indicator is governed by an adjustable timing mechanism which turns off and resets the indicator after a predetermined period of time. 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the said electric means for rendering the electric indicator inoperative are governed by an adjustable timing device so as to reset said means after a predetermined period of time. 4. An improved electric out ball indicator system for tennis utilizing a court on which a tennis ball has a tendency to skid and comprising, for balls falling outside the boundary lines of the court, (a) a non-conductive playing area defined by court boundary lines, (b) an open electric circuit for detecting "out-balls" formed by parallel, spaced, electrically conductive strips connected to a power source, said strips being located exterior to said court lines, said strips being so spaced apart that said ball will bridge the distance therebetween, (c) an electric indicator capable of being activated when said open circuit of (b) is closed, and further comprising, for balls in-play, (d) an open electric circuit formed by parallel, spaced, electrically conductive strips connected to a power source, at least one of the strips forming said second circuit being located so as to coincide with a portion of the said court lines, said strips being so spaced apart that said ball will bridge the distance therebetween, and further comprising (e) a ball having an electrically conductive surface such that upon contact between an "out-ball" and the strips of the open circuit of (b), said open circuit of (b) is closed, and upon contact by a ball "in-play" with the strips of the open circuit of (d) said open circuit of (d) will be closed, and further comprising (f) electric means integrated into said open circuit of (d) capable of interrupting the flow of electric current to said indicator of (c), or to otherwise render said indicator inoperative, when said open circuit of (d) is closed by said "in-play" ball. 5. The system of claim 4 wherein one electrically conductive strip is common to both of said open circuits and wherein the spacing between two adjacent strips is about one-half to one inch. 6. The system of claim 4 wherein the electric indicator is governed by an adjustable timing mechanism which turns off and resets the indicator after a predetermined period of time. 7. An improved outball indicator system for ball and court games, comprising an open out-ball detecting circuit, an open in-ball detecting circuit, a common power source and an out-ball indicator capable of being activated when the open out-ball circuit is closed, said system being characterized by three electrically conductive strips forming said two open circuits, said three strips being parallel, spaced and insulated from each other, wherein a first strip coincides with the outer edge of the "playing area of the moment" and second and third strips are located exterior to said "playing area of the moment", and wherein said first strip and the second, nearest strip to the first strip, form the in-ball detecting circuit and the second and third strips form the out-ball detecting circuit, said system further comprising a ball having an electrically conductive surface such that a skidding ball flattened upon impact and first touching the first strip, and subsequently touching the second and third strips will first close the in-ball detecting circuit, and electric means integrated into the in-ball detecting circuit, capable, upon closing of said circuit, of interrupting the flow of electric current to the indicator or otherwise rendering said indicator inoperative. 8. An improved out-ball and in-ball detecting system for ball and court games comprising three parallel electrically conductive strips, spaced and insulated from each other, and having a common central strip exterior to the "playing area of the moment", spaced one-half to one inch from the other strips, such as to form an open in-ball detecting circuit with a strip coinciding with the outer edge of the "playing area of the moment", and an open out-ball detecting circuit with the other exterior strip, said system further comprising (a) a common power source for both circuits, (b) an electric out-ball indicator capable of being activated when the out-ball detecting circuit is closed, (c) a ball having an electrically conductive surface such that a skidding ball flattened upon impact with the court surface and first touching the strip coinciding with the outer edge of the "playing area of the moment" and subsequently touching the strips exterior to the "playing area of the moment" will close both of said open circuits, (d) electric means integrated into the circuit comprising the strip coinciding with the outer edge of the "playing area of the moment", capable, upon closing of said circuit, of interrupting the flow of electric current to the indicator or otherwise rendering said indicator inoperative. 9. An improved electric out-ball indicator system for use on tennis courts which consist of colored rectangles representing "playing areas of the moment", comprising, for balls falling outside the "playing area of the moment" (a) non-conductive, colored, rectangular playing areas having no visible boundary lines, (b) a non-conductive area exterior to the playing areas, (c) an open electric "out-ball" detecting circuit formed by parallel, spaced, electrically conductive strips connected to a power source, said strips being located exterior to and abutting the "playing area of the moment", said strips being of the same color as the surface abutting the "playing area of the moment", (d) an electric indicator capable of being activated when said open circuit of (c) is closed, and further comprising, for balls in play, (e) an open electric circuit for detecting "in-balls", formed by parallel, spaced, electrically conductive strips connected to a power source, at least one of the strips forming said second circuit being located so as to coincide with the outer edge of the colored rectangle being the "playing area of the moment" and being of the same color as the "playing area of the moment" and further comprising, (f) a ball having an electrically conductive surface such that upon contact between an "out-ball" and the strips of the open circuit of (c), said open circuit of (c) will be closed, and upon contact by a ball "in-play" with the strips of the open circuit of (e), said open circuit of (e) will be closed, and further comprising, (g) electric means integrated into said open circuit of (e) capable of interrupting the flow of electric current to said indicator of (d), or to otherwise render said indicator inoperative, when said open circuit of (e) is closed by said "in-play" ball, wherein the "out-ball" and "in-ball" detecting circuits together comprise three electrically conductive strips and wherein the conductive strip of the "out-ball" circuit located closest but exterior to the "playing area of the moment" is common to both said circuits. Other info: Inventors: Von Kohorn, Henry (Greenwich, CT, US) Application Number: 729996 Filing Date: 1976-10-06 Publication_date: 1978-05-30 Assignee: Schlager; John J. (Springfield, NJ) Primary Class(es): 473/467 340/323R Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Yusko, Donald J. Assistant Examiner: Attorney: |
|