The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 26, 1988
Filed:
Nov. 03, 1986
Dan E Lowrance, Fort Worth, TX (US);
Donald L Douglas, Fort Worth, TX (US);
David W Merryfield, Mansfield, TX (US);
Special Projects Mfg., Inc., Fort Worth, TX (US);
Abstract
This invention is an apparatus for dispensing balls and a method of loading balls into the apparatus. The apparatus has a housing, a shaft, and a helical rib mounted on the shaft. Rods are mounted in the housing, between the rib and the housing, to keep the balls from rolling down the rib. As the shaft and the rib are rotated, the balls are pushed out the lower end of the housing. A cylindrical loading sleeve fits over the shaft, the rib, and the rods. The balls are loaded onto the rib through a longitudinal slot in the side of the sleeve. The sleeve is then placed on the housing, and the shaft, rib, rods, and balls are lowered into the housing.