Juggling tool for training and enhanced performance

Abstract

A central cylindrical tube has one or more end funnels or cones for easy catching of juggled objects, such as balls. A pair of side openings in the central tube admit a finger of the user for stopping a ball or other juggled object in the central tube. Stopping and releasing the balls and throwing the balls in a timing determined by the user allows the user to learn to juggle in an easy and fun manner in a short period of time at the user's own pace. The juggling tool may be used as a skill toy for dexterity and eye-hand coordination training and also be used to add new tricks to the performances of experienced jugglers, enabling them to be more versatile in styles and ways of catching and releasing the juggled objects.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A juggling device for learning to juggle and for performing various juggling tricks with objects to be juggled, the device comprising: 
 a central tube having a central passageway therethrough sufficiently large to admit a juggled object therethrough and an opening at each of two opposing ends of the central tube communicating with the central passageway, the end openings each sufficiently large to admit the juggled object therethrough, and having at least one side opening sufficiently large to admit at least one finger of a user therethrough so that the juggled object may be retained therein by the finger of the user;    at least one catching element attached to the central tube on at least one end of the central tube, the catching element communicating with the end opening and the central passageway, the catching element having a catching passageway and a catching element opening at each end wherein a first catching element opening mates with the end opening of the central tube and communicates with the end opening and the central passageway of the central tube, and the first catching element opening is capable of admitting a juggled object therethrough, the catching element having a peripheral surface which expands in size from the first catching element opening out to a second catching element opening away from the central tube, the second catching element opening being sufficiently larger than the first catching element opening so that the second catching element opening provides an opening area sufficiently wider than the juggled object so that the juggled object is easily caught therein and channeled to the central tube wherein the juggling object is capable of being retained by a finger of the user inserted in the at least one side opening.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the central tube comprises a cylindrical tube and the at least one catching element comprises a cone.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the central tube has one cone attached at one end of the central tube and at least two cones attached at another end of the central tube, each of the cones communicating with one of the end openings of the central tube.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the central tube has a cone attached at each end of the central tube, each of the cones communicating with one of the end openings of the central tube.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the central tube has at least one additional opening communicating with the central passageway, the at least one additional opening being sufficiently large to admit the juggled object therethrough and further comprising at least one additional cone attached to the at least one additional opening.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the central tube has two additional openings on opposing sides of the central tube spaced from the at least one finger opening and at least one cone attached to each of the two additional openings.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  having a side opening on each of two opposing sides of the central tube each of the side openings being capable of admitting a finger of a user therein.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the central tube comprises a cylindrical tube and the at least one catching element comprises a spiral passageway having a conical outer end opening.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8  wherein the central tube has a spiral passageway having a conical outer end opening attached at each end of the central tube, each of the spiral passageways communicating with one of the end openings of the central tube.  
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the at least one side opening is configured in a shape taken from the list of shapes including an oval, a circle, a square, a rectangle, a diamond, a triangle, a pentagon.