Apparatus for marking spherical articles
United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,878,762 Goldsmith 1 1 Apr. 22, 1975 [541 APPARATUS FOR MARKING SPHERICAL 2.948.168 8/1960 Mc0rmick 144/2 H x ARTICLES 3.179.013 4/1965 Goldsmith 1. 90/20 3.618.464 11/1971 Michavu. Sr 1. 90/13 R [76) Inventor: Bernard Goldsmith. 4706 Kemp r 3.702.274 10/1973 Bnuchcrie 90/13 B St., ROCkVlllC. Md. 20853 3.827.191 8/1974 Crawford et ul H 90/13.) X  
 [22] Filed: June Primary E.\&#39;uminerAndrew R. .luhasz [21] Appl. No.: 476,506 Ass/stun! Examiner-W. R. Briggs Attorney Agent. or Firm-Dressler, Goldsmith. 52 us. c1 90/112; 33/21 B; 33/22; Clement Gmdm 90/133; 144/2 H; 144/145 A 151 Int. Cl. B23c 1/16 [57] ABSTRACT I [58] Field of Search 90/13 R. 13.2, 20. 13.3; Apparatus for markmg Spherical articles In which the 33 2 32 R 23 23 2 44 145 R marking means extends upwardly from beneath and :1 144/145 A,2 H concave transparent template having a design scribed therein is held above the article. The article is pro- 5 References cu vided with a follower so that when the article is r0- UNITED STATES PATENTS tated beneath the template. the follower will track and 460 :68 9/189! v H 33/, B the marking means will function on the bottom of the an OH on 1 .1 2.197.884 4 1940 Ackermun ct a1. 33/22 x amcle 2.507.982 5/1950 Kruuse 144/145 A X 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures &#34;smss 1 APPARATUS FOR MARKING SPHERICAL ARTICLES The present invention relates to marking apparatus for marking spherical articles. such as howling halls. with a design. typically the name of the owner. The marking means which is particularlv contemplated is a rotatable hit which scribes the desired design into the surface of the spherical article.  
  This invention thus has the same ohjective as my prior US. Pat. No, 3.l79.( l3 dated Aprv It). 1 65,  
  in my said prior patent. the rotatahle hit presses against the upper surface of the howling hall. as pietured in FIG. 1 of the patent. and there is little opportunit v to employ a template to guide the rotation of the hall so as to aid the application of the desired design.  
  in this invention. the spherical article is supported for rotary mo\ement in all directions l as taught in In prior patent or using simplified support means shown herein) and the support element is annular so that the marking means can he positioned hcneath the support to ettcnd upwardly through the annular opening to hear against the spherical article when the same is supported. A stationarv template support means extends aho\e the support element to hold a template slightl} ahoxe the upper surface of the spherical article. The template is concave and removahle and its concave undersurface has a design inscrihed therein In this w av. a follower carried hy the spherical article will track through the design forcing the rotation of the article to move the undersurfaee of the article against the marking means, This causes the undcrsurface to he marked with a copy of the design on the template.  
  As will he c\ident. the template can he made h one expert in serihing designs. and anyone can follow it, Also. If an error is made. it is made on an inexpensive template. and not in the expensive howling hall.  
  The invention will he more fully understood from the accompanying drawings in which:  
  FIG. 1 is a side elevation. partly in section showing an illustrative device constructed in accordance with the invention; and  
  FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. I.  
 &#39; Referring more particularly to the drawings. FlG. I shows the structure in operation serihing a design into the undcrsurface of a howling hall. The marking means 10 comprises an elevated work tahle ll which is supported by legs shown at 12 and 13. An annular hall race 14 is shown supported at the center of the tahle ll. the tahle ll having a hole l5 formed therein underlying the race l4 so that a drill press or router 16 which is carried beneath the tahle I] can push its cutting hit 17 upwardlv through the hole 15 and then through the annular opening in the race 14. The hit 17 is supported by a chuck l8 and the elevation is controlled hy the con ventional control mechanism. hcre indicated diagrammatically hy the control mechanism 20. The drill press or router 16 is secured hv screws 19 to the tahle 11 so as to he stahlv positioned beneath hole IS.  
  The howling hall 21 rests on the race 14 as pictured. and the hall is free. except for a template and a spider support therefor to he descrihed. so that the hall 2| can he rotated as desired h mere hand pressure applied to the hall.  
  A pair of template support arms 22 and 23 are secured to work tahle I] by screws 24 and a template 25 is secured thereto above the ball. as by screws 26. The template is concave as shown. and its undcrsurface has design 27 inscribed therein.  
  As can be seen. a follower 28 (a pin or peg which can he spring loaded) is secured to the surface of the hall 21 and this pin is guided into the design 27. The follower can he mounted in a hole in the hall or it can he taped to the hall. At this point. the drill press or router 16 is started and control 20 is advanced to start the serihing action. whereupon the hall 21 is hand rotated to move the follower 28 through the track of the dcsign. The template 25 is made of transparent plastic to aid this effort, When finished. the drill press or router is turned off. and the hit 17 is lowered.  
  The nature of the spider arms 22 and 23 of the template will he more easil seen from Fl(i. 2. and these can he changed to accommodate halls of different si7e The invention is defined in the claims which follow,  
 I claim:  
  1. Marking apparatus for a spherical article comprising. an annular support element for rotatahl support ing said spherical article for roitlt} mov ement about the center otthe spherical article in all directions. marking means extending upwardlv front hcneath said support element and extending through the annular opening thereof to hear agains said spherical article when said spherical article is supported hv said support element. stationarx template support means extending ahovc said support element for holding a template adjacent the upper surface of a spherical article supported h said support element. and a concave template rcmo\- ahlv carried hv said template support means. the concave undersurface of said template having a design inscrihed therein and a follower means carried h said spherical article to track through the design in the template when the spherical article is rotated to concurrentl v move the undersurface of the spherical article against said marking means to cause the same to mark the undersurface to the spherical article with a copy of the design on said template.  
  2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said template is transparent.  
  3. Apparatus as recited in claim I in which said marking means is a rotatable bit for scribing the desired design into the spherical article which is a bowling ball.