Tennis ball pick-up and storage device

Abstract

A device for picking up, storing and controllably releasing tennis balls includes a straight hollow tube of adjustable length extending between an upper end equipped with a closure feature, and a lower end having a flexible sphincter mechanism. The closure feature is slideably adjustable to positions which either seal the tube or permit removal of balls. The sphincter mechanism includes a circular array of protrusions interiorly directed toward the center axis of the tube.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed is:  
     
         1 ) A tennis ball pick-up device for picking up, storing and controllably dispensing tennis balls, comprising: 
 a) hollow tube means of adjustable length elongated upon a straight center axis between upper and lower ends and having an interior surface of circular cross-sectional configuration whose diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of a tennis ball,    b) flexible sphincter means attached to said lower end and having a circular array of protrusions directed toward said axis and terminating in apices disposed in a circular locus orthogonal to said axis and centered thereupon and whose diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of a tennis ball, and    c) closure means associated with said upper end and adjustable by sliding contact with said interior surface in axial and rotative directions to provide conditions of: 1) sealed storage of balls confined within said tube means, 2) controlled removability of one ball at a time, and 3) poured emergence of all stored balls.    
     
     
         2 ) The device of  claim 1  wherein said tube means is comprised of telescopically interactive top, middle and bottom hollow tubes, each having a circular cylindrical interior surface, said tubes permitting deployment between functional and storage states of said device.  
     
     
         3 ) The device of  claim 2  wherein the diameters of the interior surfaces of said top, middle and bottom tubes diminish stepwise respectively, whereby the diameter of the interior surface of said tube means is step-wise upwardly divergent.  
     
     
         4 ) The device of  claim 3  wherein the diameters of the interior surfaces of said top, middle and bottom tubes are 78 mm, 75 mm and 72 mm, respectively.  
     
     
         5 ) The device of  claim 2  further comprised of collars which interactively secure said tubes.  
     
     
         6 ) The device of  claim 2  wherein said tubes are of thin-walled construction having lengths between 10 and 20 inches.  
     
     
         7 ) The device of  claim 1  wherein said tube means is comprised of at least two hollow tubes that are threadably interconnected.  
     
     
         8 ) The device of  claim 1  wherein said sphincter means is a monolithic boot molded of a flexible material.  
     
     
         9 ) The device of  claim 8  wherein said flexible material has a Shore A hardness between 30 and 70.  
     
     
         10 ) The device of  claim 8  wherein said boot has a ring-like shape defined by annular interior and exterior cylindric panels which define there between a trough of U-shaped vertical sectional configuration configured to receive the lower end of said tube means.  
     
     
         11 ) The device of  claim 1  wherein said protrusions have a substantially pyramidal configuration.  
     
     
         12 ) The device of  claim 1  wherein said closure means is a cap-like structure bounded by an upper panel and a cylindrical side wall panel.  
     
     
         13 ) The device of  claim 12  wherein the side wall panel of said closure means has a ball-exiting portal and a recessed groove pattern.  
     
     
         14 ) The device of  claim 13  wherein the interior surface of said tube means is provided with a bearing tab adjacent said upper end, said bearing tab being configured to slideably track within the groove pattern of said closure means.