Abstract: A weight adjustable, shock and vibration absorbing tennis racket comprising a generally oval shaped headframe with a handle attached thereto, and a striking surface therein formed by stringing the headframe with a string in the conventional manner. A pair of elongate recesses are formed along the inner periphery of the headframe at opposed positions thereon and aligned with the center of percussion of the headframe. A pair of projections are formed on respective opposed longitudinal sides of each recess. A vibration absorbing rib can be releasably secured to each recess, with the ends thereof snap fitting into respective projections of a corresponding recess. String holes for cross strings passing through a recess are arranged in two staggered rows with a pair of adjacent cross strings diverging to a respective pair of adjacent string holes disposed on opposing rows. Adjacent cross strings pass around and contact opposite sides of the corresponding rib when attached.

Abstract: There is provided a game board for playing a board game, and methods for playing the same. The board is divided into eight rows and eight columns which define sixty-four squares. These squares alternate in color to define thirty-two playing spaces. These spaces are assigned a value such that the sum of the valued spaces contained in the middle four rows of the board is greater than the sum of the valued spaces contained in the first two and last two rows of the board. Points are awarded during play for movement of playing pieces upon the valued spaces of the board, and for jumping the opponent's playing pieces. Points are tallied for each player to determine a winner.

Abstract: A damping assembly for a sports racket is disclosed as being applied between a grommet or grommet strip associated with the racket and the racket frame to which the grommet or grommet strip is attached. The damping assembly includes a layer surrounding the outer surface of the frame preferably to at least 25% of the circumference. The layer is applied to the frame by adhesive material which allows the damping material to restrict frame vibration by shear-damping which resists shear deformation across the thickness and not along the length. The damping layer may be formed from a composite plate consisting of a number of plies of different grain orientation to optimize the shear-damping characteristics.

Abstract: A composite racket frame includes a shaft constituted by a shell and a foamed core and having a portion of smallest cross-section substantially at an intermediate portion thereof relative to any other portion, the dimension of the cross-section of the portion being restricted only in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the string web. The shaft further having two stepped width-increasing portions respectively extending from the smallest portion toward the throat section and the end of the shaft. The grip member of the shaft extends at least partly over the smallest cross-section portion, and the stepped width-increasing portions are stepped both on the outside and on the inside of the shell of the shaft.

Abstract: A board game combines elements of chance, strategy, and mental ability to connect or bond a sequence of clues. A triangular game board is divided into three quadrilateral playing areas, each with a peripheral game path consisting of squares or spaces. Each player has three transit pieces, one for each of the three pathways. A category die is rolled to select a particular category or obtain a free roll. There is a set of clueset cards, with each card having on its front face a clueset for each of the categories, and, in addition, a challenge clue set. On the reverse are answers to the category clue sets. The game board folds compactly for storage.

Abstract: An apparatus is set forth to effect selective chilling of an extremity of an individual's appendage, such as the ankle and foot portion, wherein the apparatus includes a container with a cylindrical opening directed through an end wall thereof, with the opening including a clamping collar. The clamping collar includes an "L" shaped bag member mounted thereabout, with a clamp securing the bag member to the clamping collar, and the bag member including an opening aligned with the cylindrical opening. A support is positioned underlying the bag member, with the container defining a cavity about the bag member to accept a chilling medium such as fluid and ice mixture.

Abstract: An entertainment/educational game is provided which teaches players thereof about geography. The game includes a playing surface having a geographical area divided into subregions illustrated thereon, the geographical area and subregions having geographically significant shapes. A plurality of elongated, flexible members (e.g., colored strings) having fixed, equal lengths are provided as playing pieces, one for each player (or team). An object of the game is to accumulate points while attaching ones playing piece to the playing surface within subregions to achieve some predefined goal (e.g., extending one's playing piece across the geographical area or forming a loop with one's playing piece), while attaching one's playing piece to at least a minimum number of subregions. Players draw cards which include indicia corresponding to one of the subregions. Players attach a portion of their playing piece to the playing surface within a subregion if they can locate the subregion within a preset time period.

Abstract: A club head and hosel assembly providing adjustable loft angles wherein the adjustment ring is located within a housing in the hosel and a one-way ratchet engagement is used to adjust the loft angle by alternately rotating the club head in one direction and then the other with respect to the hosel.

Abstract: A hot or cold pack with a main body portion and four radially extending portions attached thereto and integral therewith. The radially extending portions may have a width greater at their periphery than at the joining to the main body portion. The hot or cold pack is particularly useful for application to a curved contour such as breast, knee, ankle, shoulder or other body area to relieve post operative or post trauma pain and inflammation.

Abstract: A shock absorbing racquet handle comprising a hollow grip with a butt plate secured on the rear end thereof, a roughly disk shaped elastic element secured within the front end of the grip, an elastic cover secured over the front end of the grip, a shaft extending through a central hole in the cover and elastic element with the rear end thereof in proximity to the rear end of the grip, and a positioning pin secured within the rear portion of the grip and extending through a lateral through hole formed near the rear end of the shaft with an elastic sheath disposed thereon. Wherein, a space is defined between the portion of the shaft to the rear of the elastic element and the inner wall of the grip, and the through hole of the shaft is concentric with the positioning pin passing therethrough with the diameter of the through hole being greater than the external diameter of the sheath on the positioning pin to define a space therebetween.

Abstract: An electronic game apparatus which includes a playing board having a playing surface and playing areas and is capable of identifying game pieces and their position on the playing surface. First and second sets of parallel transmission lines are located beneath the playing surface of the playing board. The second set of parallel transmission lines is orthogonal to the first set of transmission lines. The first and second sets of transmission lines form intersecting points which are positioned proximate to a playing area of the playing surface. A source of electromagnetic energy has a plurality of predetermined different frequencies within a predetermined frequency range. A plurality of game pieces, each containing a resonant circuit having a predetermined resonant frequency, correspond to a frequency within a predetermined frequency range. A selector sequentially supplies electromagnetic energy at a selected frequency within the predetermined frequency range to the first set of transmission lines.

Abstract: A new ball throwing machine for ejecting tennis balls comprising an adjustable ball throwing mechanism, a microcomputer controlling the throwing mechanism for programmed stroke sequences, and a remote control unit attached to the microcomputer and having a touch pad keyboard for direct assignment of impact points of the balls and for command selection and, for balls impacting on a center line of a tennis court, the throwing mechanism is controlled for determining a vertical angle and a launching speed of throwing out the balls on basis of linear interpolation between co-ordinates of two check points of the impact of balls, of a training level and a stroke type preselected on the keyboard, and the first check point is a meshing point of a net and the center line of the tennis court, the second check point is a meshing point of a baseline and the center line; for all other balls, also a horizontal angle of throwing out the balls is determined by a simple trigonometric relation, and a memory is provided in the m

Abstract: A maze puzzle has a plurality of separate discs mounted to be independently rotated about a common shaft, which discs each have a plurality of openings by means of which a ball can pass through the discs from the disc through which it entered to the exit opening at the other end of the puzzle. Some of the openings are radially inclined to transfer the ball radially as well as axially and the hole pattern is so designed that the ball must travel axially back and forth between the top and bottom of the puzzle before it can reach the exit opening.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a golf ball having dimples and a plurality of great circles unintersecting the dimples in which the specification of the dimples is set 1.02.ltoreq.VL/VF.ltoreq.1.20 where L is a zone ranging from each of the great circles to each of the circumferences corresponding to a central angle of less than approximately 10.degree.; F is a zone other than the L zone; the volume of each dimple arranged in the L zone is VL; and the volume of each dimple arranged in the F zone and having approximately the same diameter as that of said dimple arranged in the L zone is VF.

Abstract: A random number generator comprising a housing with a mixing chamber, an air chamber, and an air distribution plate disposed between the mixing chamber and the air chamber. A plurality of numbered balls are disposed within the mixing chamber. An upflow air means for providing an upflow air stream is disposed within the air chamber and is capable of mixing and propelling the balls upward within the mixing chamber. A plurality of ball collection columns are attached to the housing, preferably near the top of the housing. Each ball collection column comprises a vacuum-creating means for withdrawing at least one of the balls from the mixing chamber into the ball collection column and a retaining means for retaining the ball within the ball collection column; whereby a combination of numbered balls may be collected within the ball collection columns so as to provide a random list of numbers.

Abstract: For improvement in aerodynamic characteristics of a golf club head at swing, the transverse cross-section of the hosel is defined by a winged profile which includes at least one of a convex heel and concave toe sections. The sole face is defined by a convex sphere of a specified radius of curvature. The crown and sole faces are defined with vertical symmetry by respective convex spheres of similar radii of curvature. Current transition around the club head at swing is well prevented for higher head speed. Bias buoyancy at swing are minimized for a stabilized swing line.

Abstract: A practice golf putting cup is disclosed that eliminates the inclined ramps and ball trapping leaves found in the prior art by taking advantage of in-floor air ducts found in many homes. The invention consists of a cover for the air duct passage and has an opening in it blow which is attached a ball receiving cup that extends into the air duct. A ball retrieval basket with an attached flag pole is placed in the collecting cup and is used to retrieve putted balls. Aligning air holes in the receiving cup and retrieval basket permit the passage of air into or out of the air duct. By rotating the retrieval basket in the receiving cup, the amount of alignment of the air holes can be changed so as to control the amount of air flow.

Abstract: A game apparatus includes a circular game board having a movement path for game pieces along which a player moves playing pieces. The movement path is divided into separate spaces having specific indicia designations therein. The designations indicate rewards or penalties for a player whose playing piece lands in a space. The game apparatus also includes action cards disposed in stacks, each card indicating an activity to which a player is subjected. The game apparatus further includes a random number generating device, such as a die, a pair of dice, or the like to determine the movement of the playing pieces along the movement path.

Abstract: A system for analyzing the balance of a golfer during a golf swing and to determine weight shifts from one foot to the other and between the heel and toe of each foot during a golf swing. Basically the system comprises two foot pads capable of measuring weight on each pad and on the front and rear portions of each pad, a display for displaying weight information in digital and/or graphical form, a sound sensor for sensing the impact of a golf club against a golf ball and a microprocessor system for receiving information from the pads and generating the display. In use, a golfer positions the foot pads where his feet would be in his normal golf stance, arranges the display in front of the pads a safe distance away, positions the cable between footpads and display out of the way and places a normal golf ball on a tee or on the ground the appropriate distance from the footpads. The unit is turned on and parameters are set, the golfer stands on the footpads and then takes his normal swing at the golf ball.

Abstract: A lottery selection number game board includes a base board and a plurality of concentric arrays having a common center. A first inner array has twelve spaces, one for the month and the second array has thirty-one spaces, one for each month day. The third and fourth arrays respectively include equispaced spaces, with one including numbers for a large lottery game and the other numbers for a small lottery game. Rotating pointers are mounted on a common center, with one aligned with a month space and the second aligned with the day to identify the users birthdate. A third pointer is mounted for fee spin movement over the two lottery number arrays. The third pointer is manually spun by the player to complete the lottery number array and comes to rest within the number array to identify a number within the array for selecting a lottery number. Sequential spins are made to select a lottery number.