Patent ID: 8096850

Claim:
A hand-held noisemaker, comprising: a base, which base includes a disk-shaped bottom wall that is centered on, and disposed normal to, an axis A-A, said bottom wall having a lower surface and an upper surface; a cylindrical wall centered on, and aligned along, said axis, said wall being attached to, and extending away from, said bottom wall in a first, upward direction up to a circular, top margin of said wall a distance x from the upper surface of said bottom wall, and said cylindrical wall having inner diameter D 1 and outer diameter D 2 ; an annular flange aligned on, and normal to, said axis, said flange having a lower surface and an upper surface and being attached to said cylindrical wall at a distance y from said upper surface of said bottom wall and extending radially outward therefrom; a cylindrical rim that extends axially away from said flange in the first, upward direction a distance z, said rim having an internal diameter D 3 ; wherein x is greater than y, z is greater than or equal to x minus y, D 3 is greater than D 2 , D 2 is greater than D 1 , whereby said rim, cylindrical wall and flange combine to define an annular recess in the base; an upstanding boss centrally disposed within the base, said boss being attached to, and extending axially away from, the bottom wall in said first, upward direction, a top surface of said boss having a keyway cutout; a metal ringer ( 14 ), said ringer centered on said axis, said ringer including: a top wall having a circular periphery, said top wall having a central area that is dimensioned for mating engagement with a top surface of the boss, and a central opening within said central area; a cylindrical, ringer wall that extends from said periphery in a second, downward direction from said top wall toward the bottom wall of the base; wherein said ringer wall and said boss are dimensioned such that the ringer wall is received within the annular recess of the base without touching any portion of the base; a locking knob, said knob having an enlarged, head end and an opposite, pair of axially-directed, barbed shank ends that are inserted through the central opening of the ringer and into the keyway cutout of the boss, whereby the ringer is secured to the base and the base and ringer together define a substantially closed space; a spherical ball captured within said closed space between the base and the ringer, said ball being dimensioned and disposed to make repetitive impacts with the ringer whenever the noisemaker is being shaken; and means for attaching the noisemaker to a human hand with the base of the noisemaker engaging the palm of the hand.