pinbuffer
I don't really feel that gimbal is a proper term due to the fact that a gimbal is part of a 2 or 3 axes system (gyroscope) that resists migration and a bowling ball only has 1 axis which migrates to a preferential spin axis.
copied from answers.com for reference:
gimbal
A gimbal is a mechanical device that allows the rotation of an object in multiple dimensions. It is typically made up of two or three pairs of pivots, mounted on axes at right angles. A three-axis gimbal may allow an object mounted on it to remain in a horizontal plane regardless of the motion of its support. Shipboard compasses, chronometers, stove and even drink holders are typically mounted on gimbals to keep them level to the horizon at all times.
Illustration of a simple two-axis gimbal.In aerospace navigation, a gimbal is a device using Euler angles to measure the rotation of an object in three dimensions and to control that rotation. Gimbals used in spacecraft have three sets of three gyroscopes in the inertial measurement unit (IMU), one for each axis (x, y, and z). These gyros provide a stable reference to the vehicle's position and attitude in all three dimensions.
Gimbal lock occurs when all three gyros hit the limits of their ability to move within the sensing mechanism—they hit hard stops and stop moving around.
In a normal situation, the gyros are aligned with the vehicle's local reference - +x being in the velocity vector, +z being in a radial vector pointing to the earth (for earth orbiting vehicles) and basically pointing downward (using the control panel for reference) in the Apollo CM, and +y being a right-handed complement to the +x vector. Aligning the platform (the IMU's) was done at launch (to give an initial position) and at various times during the mission when the vehicle's position is accurately known. During AS-XII, the movement of the vehicle exceeded the normal rates for movement in the respective axis, and was nearly hitting the stops in the IMU.
The "eight-ball" was used for gravity-oriented flight parameters only. It was basically the same as the "eight-ball" flown on airplanes - that is - a gyroscopic platform which aligned to the local gravity field.
Gimbal mechanisms are also used in some mirror mounts, for precision rotation of optical elements without translation.
In spacecraft propulsion, "gimbaled" refers to a pivoting or swiveling mount, often for a rocket engine. For example the space shuttle main engines are gimbaled -- they can point in different directions to control the vehicle flight path.
The world's largest gimbal was constructed to simulate the capsizing of the USS Oklahoma in the movie Pearl Harbor.
In saltwater fishing,it is also a device used for landing large fish. When fishing with a large rod, a gimbal transfers the weight of the rod from the arms and wrists of the angler to the hip or waist, effectively allowing the angler to concentrate on leveraging the rod instead.
Inside the gimbal there is usually a horizontal pin that the fishing rod locks into, allowing rotation of the rod in one plane only, up and down.
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