When was bouncy balls invented

What process does the company follow to transform an ordinary ball into something extraordinary? And what can you do with a SuperBall that you can't do with, say, a tennis or squash ball? Those are the questions this article will answer. We'll cover the science of SuperBalls and little of their sociology, too. For example, how did such a simple toy become such a cultural phenomenon?

As evidence, consider this passage from an article published in a issue of Time magazine:. Part of the SuperBall's success can be traced back to Sputnik , the small satellite launched by the Soviet Union in Sputnik ignited the space race , but it also sparked fear among Americans who felt the Soviets were far ahead of U.

To close the gap, U. Up next, we'll examine how Stingley's accident led to one of the biggest fads in the history of American toys. A scientist working for a chemical company is sometimes reluctant to pursue his or her own research interests in a basement laboratory. That's because the employer enjoys the right of first refusal on any employee discovery, even one made by accident at home.

Norman Stingley, a chemical engineer working for Bettis Rubber Company, apparently had no reservations about running a few experiments in the off-hours. Working in his spare time in , Stingley took a gooey, rubberlike substance and compressed it under 3, pounds of pressure [source: Time Magazine]. The result was a dense, compact synthetic rubber with amazing elastic properties. The material had a tremendous bouncing potential, but it tended to crumble when struck too hard.

The engineer honored his employment contract by offering the invention to Bettis. The rubber company passed on the opportunity, citing concerns over the unstable quality of the compound.

Who would want a material, even one with an unbelievable bounce, if it fell apart after a few hours? Knerr and Melin had a reputation for taking wacky inventions and turning them into sensational toys. When Stingley arrived with his synthetic rubber, the Wham-O wild men had already earned millions of dollars with the Frisbee flying disc and the Hula Hoop. The chemical engineer from Bettis felt sure they would be able to take his big idea and make it even bigger.

Wham-O accepted the challenge and sent Stingley back to the lab to make the bouncy black material more durable. After several weeks of tweaking, testing and refining, he was able to improve the formula enough to satisfy Knerr and Melin. It called for just the right ingredients, as well as the right temperature and pressure.

It also required a certain shape -- a sphere of about 2 inches 5. Stingley called his new material Zectron and filed for a patent in August Zectron, of course, didn't mean anything, but it sounded scientific and cool -- the perfect word for the post- Sputnik era. Knerr and Melin used the name to full advantage. Sometimes if they bounce around too much, Super Balls can sometimes be destructive, Cassie. Your school or classroom might now allow Super Balls because the room is too small-- we wouldn't want anyone to get hurt!

Welcome to Wonderopolis, Cutie Girl!! Welcome to Wonderopolis, Funny Girl! We are glad you are here-- there's so much fun to be had! We bet you and your dad have a good time doing the same! Thanks for commenting today-- we can't wait to Wonder with you again!

Thanks for sharing this with us-- you ROCK! We agree, Candace! Thanks for stopping by today! We love how high bouncy balls can go-- but we Wonder if you can do some research of your own about any other types of bouncy objects!? Wonder Who Jumps the Highest? Hi there, Deandra! We are glad your Wonder Friends in Mrs. Bright's class are joining us at Wonderopolis!

We Wonder if you've ever seen a TV show or commercial in black and white like the video? WOW, what a super Wonder, Patrick! We hope you don't lose the ball while you test your theories! Make sure you share your results with us, please!

Hi there Shannon O! Pretty cool to Wonder about, isn't it, Wonder Friend Wow? Hi there, Gina, thanks for sharing your comment with us! We think there is a LOT of force that comes from something anything!

Witkowski's 4th grade class are here today! What a fun fact to learn, Alexis! Way to go, Jordan C! Karr's class are bouncing with Wonder today! We are glad that you shared what you've learned today-- inventions are very fun to Wonder about.

And even better, you learned about what they are made of! We can't wait to Wonder with you tomorrow-- thank you for sharing your guess! Great job, Desirae-- we love to exercise by playing sports, too! We Wonder if you checked out a past Wonder about football? Check out the great Wonders from those fabulous students in Mrs.

Phillips' class! We are so proud of you, Wonder Friends! Have a great "thinking" Tuesday! We love that our Wonder Friends in Mrs. Bouncy balls are very cool to learn about-- they are unpredictable-- who would have thought they could clear the height of a house! We can't wait to hear how your experiment goes, too! We hope to see you tomorrow for another great Wonder!

Bayko's class are here today! We think playing with a bouncy ball during recess sounds like a great idea! We are pretty impressed to learn about how high the ball can bounce! We hope you have a great day, Wonder Friends! We can't wait to see you tomorrow! We think it's cool to learn about the science behind the bouncy ball-- it has a lot of power when you add force and gravity to the mix!

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Stingley might have been fortunate to have his employer pass on his invention, but the world was fortunate to gain the benefit of his after hours tinkering… especially football fans. Strong proponent of individual liberty and free speech. My goal is to present information that expands our awareness of crucial issues and exposes the manufactured illusion of freedom that we are sold in America.

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