Abstract:
A plastic ball having a generally spherical shape with a plurality of depressions located in only one hemisphere of the ball and lying along circumferences of the ball that pass through the center of the hemisphere, in which the depressions are equally spaced radially about the center of the hemisphere.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Provisional application 62/347,463 filed on Jun. 8, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    This disclosure relates to a ball for play. 
         [0003]    Some hollow plastic baseballs and softballs have openings that cause the ball to move through the air erratically. However, the openings cause weaknesses that make the ball crack or tear more easily than a ball without openings. Also, the openings decrease the distance the ball can travel after it is thrown or hit, as compared to a ball without openings. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The disclosure comprises a hollow plastic ball. The ball is adapted to be thrown and hit. One ball is about the size of a regulation baseball, which is approximately 2.86 inches in diameter. A second ball has a very similar design but is about the size of a softball, approximately 3.775 inches in diameter. The balls have two hemispheres. There are a plurality of depressions in one hemisphere, and no depressions in the second hemisphere. The depressions cause the ball to curve, sink, and move erratically like a knuckleball, and exhibit other movements when thrown that cannot be accomplished with a ball with a smooth outer surface. 
         [0005]    All examples and features mentioned below can be combined in any technically possible way. 
         [0006]    In one aspect, a ball includes a hollow, generally spherical, ball body with two hemispheres, at least one hemisphere having a center, and a plurality of depressions located in only one hemisphere of the ball. 
         [0007]    Embodiments may include one of the following features, or any combination thereof. The depressions may lie along circumferences of the ball that pass through the center of the hemisphere. The depressions may be equally spaced radially about the center of the hemisphere. The depressions may be elongated. The depressions may be longer in the direction of a circumference of the ball than they are along a width axis that is perpendicular to the circumference. 
         [0008]    Embodiments may include one of the following features, or any combination thereof. The depressions may have a variable depth. The variable depth may be along a circumference of the ball. The depressions may lie along circumferences of the ball that pass through the center of the hemisphere, and they may be deeper farther from the center than they are closer to the center. The ball may include eight depressions spaced equally radially about the center of one hemisphere. The depressions may have a length along circumferences of the ball, and the length may be approximately equal to one-eighth of the circumference of the ball. 
         [0009]    In another aspect, a ball includes a hollow, generally spherical, ball body with two hemispheres, at least one hemisphere having a center, and a plurality of elongated depressions located in only one hemisphere of the ball, wherein the depressions lie along circumferences of the ball that pass through the center of the hemisphere, and are equally spaced radially about the center of the hemisphere. 
         [0010]    Embodiments may include one of the above and/or below features, or any combination thereof. The depressions may be longer in the direction of a circumference of the ball than they are along a width axis that is perpendicular to the circumference. The depressions may have a variable depth. The variable depth may be along a circumference of the ball. The depressions may lie along circumferences of the ball that pass through the center of the hemisphere, and the depressions may be deeper farther from the center than they are closer to the center. The ball may comprise eight depressions. The eight depressions may be equally spaced radially about the center of one hemisphere. The depressions may have a length along circumferences of the ball, and the length may be approximately equal to one-eighth of the circumference of the ball. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a ball. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the ball of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the ball of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a cross-section taken along line  4 - 4 ,  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    The disclosure comprises a hollow plastic ball. The ball is adapted to be thrown and hit. One ball is about the size of a regulation baseball, which is approximately 2.86 inches in diameter. A second ball has a very similar design but is about the size of a softball, approximately 3.775 inches in diameter. The balls could be smaller or larger than this. The balls have two hemispheres. There are a plurality of depressions in one hemisphere, and no depressions in the second hemisphere. The depressions cause the ball to curve, sink, and move erratically like a knuckleball, and exhibit other movements when thrown that cannot be accomplished with a ball with a smooth outer surface. 
         [0016]    Two exemplary, non-limiting examples of the ball are described. The two balls are both hollow and made from plastic, and have essentially the same design, but different dimensions. The relative dimensions of the depressions of the two balls are preferably but not necessarily the same (relative to the overall size of the ball). 
         [0017]    Ball  8  includes a number (preferably, but not necessarily, eight) of identical elongated depressions (only depressions  13 ,  14 , and  16  are numbered) symmetrically arranged about the center of one hemisphere  50 . Preferably, but not necessarily, all of the depressions are in one hemisphere, and there are no depressions in the other hemisphere  60 . Hemispheres  50  and  60  are delineated by diameter  14 . The depressions preferably but not necessarily fall along circumferential planes (circumferences) that intersect the center of the hemisphere in which the depressions reside. For example, depressions  13  and  14   FIG. 2  are bilaterally symmetric about circumference  12  that passes through hemisphere  50  center  10 . In this non-limiting example, each of the depressions has a length along the circumference on which it lies of about 1 and 1/16 inch, which is about 1/8th of the approximate nine-inch circumference of the ball. This length is labeled “B” in  FIG. 2 . In this example, the depression begins at a distance “A” from hemisphere center  10  of about 11/16th inch. Each depression has a width “C” of about 1/4″, and a maximum depth of about 1/8″. As can be seen in the section ( FIG. 4 ), the depressions at their bottom have a relatively straight wall section  18  (which follows the spherical contour of the outer wall of the ball), and an upwardly-curved distal end wall section  20 . This contour gives the depressions a gradually increasing depth along their length, moving away from center  10 . Preferably, but not necessarily, the depressions are most shallow closest to the hemisphere center, and deepest very close to their distal ends, which are farthest from the hemisphere center. Also, preferably but not necessarily, the depressions are equally spaced radially about the center of the hemisphere. For example, as best shown in  FIG. 2 , the eight depressions are equally spaced radially about center  10 , with one depression every  45  degrees about the center. 
         [0018]    The inventive ball is preferably blow molded of a polyethylene plastic material. Because the ball is blow molded (and thus integral), the ball is relatively strong and is less likely to tear or crack than is a ball with openings in it, or one that is made of two hemispheres welded together. Also, because the ball has depressions rather than openings, it is less affected by the air as it travels, which increases the distance over which it can be thrown and hit. At the same time, however, the depressions, and the pattern of depressions, still provide the types of movement that can be accomplished in a ball with openings rather than depressions. 
         [0019]    As shown in the drawings, the depressions are preferably equally spaced radially about hemisphere center  10 . However, the depressions do not need to be equally spaced. The ball can comprise two or more depressions, preferably equally spaced radially about the hemisphere center. The number, size, location, arrangement, and shape of the depressions are not limitations of the disclosure, however. Rather, two or more depressions in one hemisphere of a hollow molded plastic ball will accomplish at least some aspects of the disclosure, and thus are considered to be within the scope of the invention. 
         [0020]    A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that additional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the inventive concepts described herein, and, accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.