Ball dispenser

Abstract

A dispenser for golf balls, ping pong balls, and the like has a tubular neoprene (polychloroprene) body with an inside diameter marginally less than the diameter of the ball to be held. The length of the body may be approximately three times the diameter of the ball, so that up to three balls may be conveniently stored in the body. The body includes an open insertion end whose inside diameter is equal to that of the body and into which balls are advanced into the body, and a sphincter-like dispensing end with an inside diameter less than the diameter of the balls. Squeezing the body results in urging a ball against the dispensing end to urge the dispensing end open enough to permit the ball to pass.

1 . A device comprising:
 a stretchable unitary tubular body with an inside diameter marginally less than a diameter of a ball to be held, the body defining a longitudinal axis;   the body comprising an open insertion end defining an inside diameter equal to that of the body and into which balls are advanceable into the body, the insertion end having a center point on the longitudinal axis of the body, the body comprising a sphincter-like open dispensing end having a center point on the longitudinal axis and defining an opening with an inside diameter less than the diameter of the ball, whereby squeezing the body results in urging a ball against the dispensing end to urge the dispensing end open to permit a ball inside the body to pass out of the body.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the body is made of neoprene (polychloroprene). 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the body defines a length equal to three times the diameter of the ball, +ten percent so that up to three balls may be stored in the body. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , comprising:
 at least a first strip of elastic extending on a surface of the dispensing end to reinforce the dispensing end.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , comprising:
 at least a second strip of elastic extending on a surface of the dispensing end to reinforce the dispensing end.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the first strip of elastic is offset ninety degrees from the second strip. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the strips are attached to the dispensing end at respective ends of the strips. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the dispensing end is a continuous dome-shaped unitary piece of material. 
     
     
         9 . A method, comprising:
 pushing at least one ball into a stretchable tubular body through an insertion end of the body to stretch the body to accommodate the ball; and   squeezing the body to urge the ball against a dispensing end having an opening smaller than that of the ball to widen the opening and eject the ball from the tubular body.   
     
     
         10 . A device, comprising:
 a stretchable resilient tubular body made of a unitary piece of material;   the body defining a longitudinal axis, an insertion opening and an ejection opening opposite the insertion opening, at least the ejection opening having a diameter smaller than an object insertable into the body through the insertion opening, the ejection opening being smaller than the insertion opening such that the object is retained against the ejection opening until the body is squeezed to urge the object against the ejection opening to enlarge the ejection opening to permit passage of the object out of the ejection opening;   at least a first strip of elastic extending on a surface of the body around the ejection end to reinforce the ejection end, the first strip of elastic defining a semi-circle that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body.   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the object comprises at least one ball. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the ejection opening is defined by a dispensing end. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the body is made of polychloroprene. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the body defines a length equal to three times the diameter of the ball, +ten percent so that up to three balls may be stored in the body. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 10 , comprising:
 at least a second strip of elastic extending on a surface of the dispensing end body to reinforce the ejection dispensing end.   
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the first strip of elastic is offset ninety degrees from the second strip. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the strips are attached to the body respective ends of the strips. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the dispensing end is a continuous dome-shaped unitary piece of material.