Smoke emitting game ball

According to the invention, a smoke emission device such as a golf ball or a baseball game ball which emits attactive smoke while flying is provided for entertainment display. The smoke emission device includes a central core of a detonator material, a layer of a smoke emitting material and an outer shell having apertures for allowing the smoke to pass therethrough. A wire net between 100 and 10 mesh is interposed between the outer shell and the layer of the smoke emitting material to cover at least the apertures to thereby prevent hot molten mass of the combustion product from spilling out of the apertures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to a smoke emission device, and 
more particularly to an improvement in in the smoke emission devices which 
fly and emit attractive smoke upon application of impact force to exhibit 
entertainment display. The device of the invention is normally supplied in 
the form of a golf ball or a ball for baseball game. 
2. Prior Art 
Smoke emission devices, in the form of golf balls or balls for baseball 
game, were known, for example, by the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 
3,233,544 entitled with "Signalling Device". The device disclosed by the 
preceding Patent comprises a generally spherical central core of detonator 
material, a layer of smoke emitting fumigant pellets surrounding said core 
completely, and a thin outer confining shell surrounding said layer of 
said smoke emitting fumigant pellets. When the outer shell has a sharp 
blow imparted thereto, friction is created in the central core to ignite 
the detonator. Then, the smoke emitting fumigant pellets are ignited to 
produce smoke which is emitted through a plurality of apertures provided 
through the outer shell so that the ball flies while leaving attractive 
smoke tail. 
However, the known smoke emission ball has a tendency of spilling extremely 
high temperature droplets of molten mass resulting from combustion of the 
detonator material through the apertures on the outer shell to cause 
hazard. If the ball falls on or at the vicinity of a flammable material, 
such as dried grass, there is a risk that a fire is caused by the 
extremely hot molten mass which spills out of the apertures. 
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The principal object of this invention is to exclude the hazard caused by 
the prior art smoke emission device. 
More specifically, an object of this invention is to provide a smoke 
emission device including means for preventing the high temperature molten 
mass produced by combustion of the detonator from spilling out of the 
aperture provided through the outer shell to eliminate the risk of a fire. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a smoke emission device 
including means for cooling heat generated by the combustion of the 
detonator and smoke emitting fumigant materials relatively rapidly to 
improve safety. 
The present invention is directed to an improved smoke emission device 
including a central core of a detonator material, a layer of a smoke 
emitting material surrounding said detonator material to be ignited by 
said detonator material upon impact thereof to emit smoke, and an outer 
shell covering said layer of said smoke emitting material and having at 
least one aperture for allowing the smoke to pass therethrough, the 
improvement wherein a wire net is interposed between said layer of said 
smoke emitting material and said outer shell to extend at least below said 
aperture.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The present invention will now be described in detail by referring to a 
preferred embodiment shown in the drawing. 
A golf ball embodying the smoke emission device of the invention is 
generally denoted by reference numeral 10 in the FIGURE. The golf ball 10 
has an outer shell formed of two generally hemispherical segments 11 and 
12 which are coupled together by means of rabbet joints 13. The 
hemispherical segments 11 and 12 are made of a tough material, such as a 
synthetic rubber, to withstand intensive impact or blow and firmly united 
together to form sound integral shell by applying a suitable adhesive on 
the interfaces of the rabbeted portions 13. A plurality of apertures 14 
penetrate through the walls of the segments 11 and 12 to allow passage of 
smoke. The outer opening of each aperture 14 may be covered with a piece 
of thin paper 21 which is preferably coated to have an apperance 
resembling the outer skin of the rubber shell. 
A detonator material 15 is contained in a polyethylene pouch 16 and 
disposed centrally of the golf ball 10. The detonator material may be made 
of, for example, pellets which are formed by coating a solution of 
celluloid in amyl alcohol added with a mixture composed of 70 to 80 wt% of 
trilead tetraoxide and 20 to 30 wt% of ferrosilicon on fine stone powders 
followed by drying. A smoke emitting powder 17 contained in a separate 
polyethylene bag 18 surrounds the core 15 of detonator material. The 
composition of the smoke emitting powder 17 may be changed depending on 
the desired smoke color, the illustrative examples being as follows: 
(1) Red Smoke Emitting Powder Composition: 
Potassium Chlorate: 23 to 33 wt% 
Rice Granules: 3 to 7 wt% 
Starch: 9 to 15 wt% 
Pigment Red 1: 25 to 35 wt% 
Beige Violet 10: 20 to 30 wt% 
(2) Blue Smoke Emitting Powder Composition: 
Potassium Chlorate: 30 to 40 wt% 
Rice Granules: 3 to 7 wt% 
Strach: 4 to 10 wt% 
Pigment Blue 15: 32 to 42 wt% 
Vat Blue: 11 to 21 wt% 
According to the advantageous aspect of the invention, metal wire nets 19 
and 20 are disposed adjacent to the inner peripheries of the outer shell 
segments 11 and 12 to cover the apertures 14. The wire nets 19 and 20 
secure safe use of the smoke emission device as will be described 
hereinbelow. 
As the golf ball 10 is hit to be applied with an impact force, the 
detonator 15 is ignited to allow the smoke emitting material 17 to catch 
fire. The thin paper pieces 21 are ruptured by the combustion gas pressure 
so that the golf ball 10 flies while leaving attractive smoke tail, and 
then falls down to the earth. If the ball 10 having no wire net is fallen 
on or at the vicinity of a flammable material, there is a risk that a fire 
is caused by the extremely hot molten mass of combustion product of the 
detonator material 15 spilt out of the apertures 14. On the contrary, 
according to the present invention, the molten mass of combustion product 
is prevented from spilling by the wire nets 19 and 20 and securely 
confined in the outer shell of the ball. Furthermore, the wire nets 19 and 
20 absorb heat and facilitate conduction of heat so that the ball is 
cooled relatively rapidly. 
It is desirous that the mesh size of the wire nets ranges within 100 to 10 
meshes. If the wire net is finer than 100 meshes, passage of smoke through 
the nets is hindered to result in adherence of smoke particles which 
coagulate to form large drops to impair smoking effect. On the contrary, 
if the wire net is coarser than 10 meshes, there is the fear that the 
molten mass of combustion product leaks through the wire net grating. In 
order to ensure the cooling effect by the wire nets, it is desirous that 
the wire nets 19 and 20 extends to cover not less than two thirds of the 
overall internal surface area of the outer shell. The material of the wire 
nets is not particularly limited, provided that it withstands heat 
generated by the combustion. The nets may be made of iron or steel plated 
with zinc. 
Although the present invention had been described with reference to the 
preferred embodiment, it should be understood that various modifications 
and variations can be easily made by those skilled in the art without 
departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing 
disclosure should be interpreted as illustrative only and not to be 
interpreted in a limiting sense. The present invention is limited only by 
the scope of the following claims.