Percussion noisemaker toy with bouncing hard objects

Abstract

A noisemaking toy with hard objects attached to terminal ends of a U-shaped handle. The hard objects can be steel ball bearings (e.g. ¾″ diameter), and the U-shaped handle can comprise a U-shaped piece of resilient spring steel wire. The legs of the handle can be pressed together by hand so that the hard objects can be contacted. The objects are shaped so that they make point contact. When the hard objects are pressed together by pressing on the legs of the handle, the objects bounce many times, producing an unusual sound. The sound is initially a rapid series of clicks, and, as energy is dissipated, the sound changes to a buzz and then a high-pitched squeak. The objects must have a hardness of at least 30, 40, or 50 Rockwell C. High hardness is preferred.

1 . A noisemaking toy, comprising: 
 a) a U-shaped handle, with first and second legs, and each leg having a terminal end;    b) two objects, with one object attached to each terminal end,    wherein at least a part of each of the legs is resilient;    wherein the U-shaped handle is bendable by hand to cause the objects to contact each other,    wherein the objects are shaped to contact each other at a point; and    wherein the objects have a hardness of at least 35 Rockwell C at the point of contact.    
   
   
       2 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 1  wherein the objects are steel spheres.  
   
   
       3 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 1  wherein the objects have hardness at the point of contact of at least 45 Rockwell C.  
   
   
       4 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 1  wherein the U-shaped handle comprises a continuous length of resilient wire.  
   
   
       5 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 1  wherein each of the legs is resilient in at least a part of an upper half closest to the objects.  
   
   
       6 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 1  wherein the U-shaped handle comprises a U-shaped spring steel wire, and wherein the objects are hardened steel spheres.  
   
   
       7 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 1  wherein the objects have a thickness in a direction of movement of at least 0.125 inches.  
   
   
       8 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 1  wherein each object has a hole, and the terminal ends are disposed in the holes.  
   
   
       9 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 1  further comprising finger grips located on the legs, and wherein the legs are resilient in at least a portion between the finger grips and objects.  
   
   
       10 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 1  wherein the objects have a yield strength of at least 100,000 psi.  
   
   
       11 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 1  further comprising a middle post and third object disposed on the middle post, wherein the third object makes point contact with each of the two objects, and wherein the third object has a hardness of at least 35 Rockwell C and a yield strength of at least 100,000 psi.  
   
   
       12 . A noisemaking toy, comprising: 
 a) a U-shaped handle, with first and second legs, and each leg having a terminal end;    b) two objects, with one object disposed on each terminal end; and    wherein the U-shaped handle is bendable by hand to cause the objects to contact each other,    wherein the legs are each resilient in at least a part of an upper half closest to the objects;    wherein the objects are shaped to contact each other at a point; and    wherein the objects have a hardness of at least 35 Rockwell C at the point of contact; and    
   
   
       13 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 12  wherein the objects are steel spheres.  
   
   
       14 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 12  wherein the objects have hardness at the point of contact of at least 45 Rockwell C.  
   
   
       15 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 12  wherein the U-shaped handle comprises a continuous length of resilient wire.  
   
   
       16 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 12  wherein the U-shaped handle comprises a U-shaped spring steel wire, and wherein the objects are hardened steel spheres.  
   
   
       17 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 12  wherein the objects have a thickness in the direction of movement of at least 0.125 inches.  
   
   
       18 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 12  wherein each object has a hole, and the terminal ends are disposed in the holes.  
   
   
       19 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 12  further comprising finger grips located on the legs, and wherein the legs are resilient in at least a portion between the finger grips and objects.  
   
   
       20 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 12  wherein the objects have a yield strength of at least 150,000 psi.  
   
   
       21 . A noisemaking toy, comprising: 
 a) a U-shaped handle, with first and second legs, and each leg having a terminal end;    b) two spheres, with one sphere attached to each terminal end,    c) finger grips located on the legs;    wherein the legs are bendable by squeezing together the finger grips to cause the spheres to contact each other at a point,    wherein the spheres have a hardness of at least 40 Rockwell C at the point of contact; and    wherein at least a portion of the legs between the finger grips and the spheres is resilient.    
   
   
       22 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 21  wherein the spheres have hardness at the point of contact of at least 50 Rockwell C.  
   
   
       23 . The noisemaking toy of  claim 21  wherein the spheres have a yield strength of at least 150,000 psi.