US3778062A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Structure by which two or more players alternately project an element, such as the ball, to cause it to fall into different openings on a display panel, thereby to initiate display effects on a viewing element coordinated therewith. The game is played so that the players strive to provide observable effects which align themselves according to a pre-established path. The first player to achieve the alignment is the winner. Other players by the success of their operations may be able to interrupt the sequence of display on the path achieved by the other player and thereby enter an effect on their own account of a display along a different path or to destroy the sequence already established by the first player. The operation is achieved normally by projecting a ball to follow through different openings of a main panel from each of which a display is initiated. Alternate balls projected by different players occur in such a way that different display effects necessarily are developed.

Description

nited States Patent [191 Sherwood 1 Dec. 11, 1973 GAME APPARATUS Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Theatrice Brown [75] Inventor: gepneth C. Sherwood, New York, Anomey Al-thur March [73] Assignee: Kae-Tee Development Corp., New [57] ABSTRACT York Structure by which two or more players alternately [22] Fil d; D 30, 1971 project an element, such as the ball, to cause it to fall into different openings on a display panel, thereby to [21] Appl' 213384 initiate display effects on a viewing element coordinated therewith. The game is played so that the play i ers strive to provide observable effects which align [2%] :LS. Cll 273/121 A, 273/1302 themselves according to a preestablished path The ri first player to achieve the alignment is the winner. 1 e 0 can 1 Otherplayers by the success of their operations may 273,119 121 122 123 124 be able to interrupt the sequence of display on the 125 A path achieved by the other player and thereby enter an effect on their own account of a display along a dif- [56] Reference Cit d ferent path or to destroy the sequence already estab- UNITED STATES PATENTS lished by the first player. The operation is achieved normally by projecting a ball to follow through glllmslde 273/121 A different openings of a main panel from each of ass et a1... 273/130 B 3,563,552 2/1971 K ff h 273/130 AB WhlCh a display 18 lnitiated. Alternate balls pro ected 3,044,778 7/1962 Beck et al 273/125 A by different players occur in such away that different display effects necessarily are developed.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures GAME APPARATUS This invention relates to game apparatus particularly adapted for use by two contesting players.

In one of the preferred forms, to which this description will be particularly directed as illustrating the operational principles, it may be regarded as being generally of the so-called tic-tac-toe game type. In such game apparatus it is known players alternate in producing indications in different areas so that where the game is played on paper it is one in which the players alternately place crosses and ciphers in compartments of a figure generally formed by two vertical lines crossing two horizontal lines. In this choice the players endeavor to obtain a row of three crosses or three ciphers prior to each other.

As the invention will here be discribed it will be set forth as embodying electro-mechanical structure wherein luminous designations of one or another color are caused to appear in compartments allocated to the paths along which consecutive luminous representations of like character are to be provided to achieve a winning status.

The invention, for convenience sake, will be illustrated as embodying a series of compartments so arranged that the three or more produced designations of like character appear in a straight line either vertically or transversely or diagonally of the viewing area. It is, of course, to be appreciated that the other and various designs may be elected and in some cases the chosen paths will be such a predetermined path that it may depart even to a considerable extent from a straight path if desired. The condition, which controls in contrast to the same played on paper by marking Xs and Os is that in this apparatus each player has an alternate chance to either negate the action of the previous player or to set up a condition on his own part leading to the production of luminous effects along some chosen continuous path.

As the invention will herein be described, it will be set out according to the more normal form of tic-tactoe gamebut will retain the novel feature whereby a subsequent play can negate a previous play of the opponent. To enjoy the same the players are able to project a ball toreach an elevated portion of a game panel from which region the control of the derived scoring" effects occur. This results when, by gravity, the projected ball is adapted to roll along the game panel and to enter into one or another of its several openings. Provision is made so that depending-upon which player projects the ball to roll along the panel surface toward the openings will depend which character of luminous or other indicative effect results. Observation of the luminous or other effects results from an observation or display means which is positioned and supported generally above the game panel at about 90 degrees relative to it so that in accordance with which opening the projected ball enters and depending upon which player projects the ball initially will determine the characteristic of the resulting luminous or other character designating effect that results. Herein, for

simplicity, the luminous effect will be assumed alelevated position of the game panel must, of necessity, fall into one or another of the several guide paths leading to one of the openings. Provision is made whereby a luminous effect on the display panel which corresponds in general positioning to the openings in the main panel will portray one or another color or one or another type of effect depending upon which player initiated the movement of the ball which instantaneously enters into the related opening.

In the preferred form of structure a sub-panel is positioned immediately below the main panel member.. This sub-panel is arranged to be shiftable laterally with respect to the main panel in accordance with which of the two players will project the ball that will ultimately fall into one or another of the main panel openings. Any shift of the relative position of the sub-panel with respect to the main panel moves the sub-panel laterally relative to theopenings in the main panel so that the projected ball as it falls through the main panel opening will fall to one side or the other and bring about a different effect in each case.

The display panel in its preferred form has a plurality of lights arranged in a plurality of compartments corresponding in number to those of the path along which like lighting effects must be produced for a player to win the game. Then, each source of illumination of the display panel is connected through appropriate circuitry such that the ball falling through the main'panel opening toward the sub-panel will close one or another of a pair of switches serving to control the color of the illumination brought into being on the display panel. If, v

for instance, a ball is projected so as to fall through one opening, that player who initiated the ball projection will register this effect in one of the compartments coordinated to the panel opening in one selected color. If the next player should happen to project a ball that entered the same opening in the main panel a switching means would change the contact. closure which initiated the first light color and produced light in a second color, but in the same compartment. If however, one player happens-to be able to project the control ball in such a fashion that it becomes possible to illuminate in a like coloralong the predetermined pathto the exclu' sion of any change in the produced color brought about by the ball projections of the second player, the first player obviously will win the game.

Following the ball projection, and its falling through one of the variouspanel openings, it reaches the subpanel by passing adjacent to a slidable switching means and comes to rest on the base panel from which it is returned for movement to the starting position. This brings the ball to a position for the second player to endeavor either to change the lighting effect in any particular compartment or to cause the ball to enter into a different opening in the main panel to tend to complete or partially complete like color illumination along a different selected one of possible predetermined paths.

With the foregoing brief explanation of the broad nature of the invention it is apparent that one of the main objects of this invention is that of providing a game apparatus particularly adapted for use by two players making alternate plays and endeavoring, by reasonof skill, to project a ball in such a fashion as to cause observable effects on a display panel which align themselves according to some preselected or predetermined pattern thereby to win the game.

Other objects of the invention are to provide game apparatus of a type where players making alternate plays can bring about the projection of luminous effects in viewing compartments of a display panel in accordance with which of a plurality of openings on a main panel happens to be those into which the projected ball is caused to rest for registry of the effect instantly achieved.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a game apparatus of generally the tic-tac-toe variety where the acts of one player may nullify the acts of the preceding player by reason of directing a ball to an opening in a panel member corresponding to that into which the pposing player had previously directed the ball, thereby to intcrrupt any possible sequence of registered effects which would bring about a plurality of such effects in a predetermined alignment and, of course, prevent the previous player from winning.

Other objects of the invention are, of course, those of providing an amusement apparatus which can be used by two players operating alternately who seek to exhibit a degree of skill such that they cause a projected ball to come to rest in different openings of a main panel member aligned with one another in a predetermined path.

Still other objects are those of providing a game apparatus which can be enjoyed by two players and which is electrically and mechanically controlled so that the skill of each player will immediately be observable not only to themselves but to other lookers-on.

Other objects will be those of providing an efficient, easily operated, generally foolproof and economical form of a pastime game which can be enjoyed not only by players but also by observers.

The invention has been illustrated in one of its preferred forms by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the main panel member to which a projected ball is adapted to be directed in order to achieve the desired final alignment and path continuity of a plurality of steps of ball projection;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing suitable electrical circuitry whereby display of different conditions resulting from the ball projection can be achieved;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the main panel member and the sub-panel member tilted with respect to the display panel and arranged for operation by the players in their control;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the lines 4--4 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows and shows illustratively the paths along which a projected ball may fall after entering one of the main panel openings and also shows the relative positioning of the display panel member in respect of the main panel;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing the structural arrangement by which a ball entering an opening in the main panel member is adapted to pass through one or another opening immediately below on a sub-panel moved in accordance with the identification of the player instantaneously projecting the operating ball; and

FIG. 6 is a front view of the display panel showing the panel compartmentalized in accordance with one form of arrangement with each compartment being shown, illustratively, as diagonally divided and arranged to be illuminated in light of one or another color.

Now making reference to the drawings, and first to FIG. 1 thereof, a main panel 11 is supported within a housing 13, such as the schematically represented transparent and plastic form illustrated (see FIG. 3). This housing covers the entire apparatus (except the display panel and supporting legs) and has a downwardly depending section 15 at the front and a similar section 17 at the rear. The entire arrangement is closed by a lower housing member or plate, also preferably of plastic, shown at 19 (see FIGS. 3 or 4). Similarly, the sides of the structure, as shown by FIG. 4, are downwardly depending sections 20 and 21 with the lower closure member fitting between all of the downwardly depending components. The main panel member 11 is supported within the housing member 13 and is arranged to have formed therein a plurality of openings 25, shown here for convenience and illustratively, as being positioned generally in the form of a square with three openings across and three down which places one of the openings in a location centered relative to the others.

There is arranged on one side of the main panel II a guiding wall 27 to provide between it and the downwardly depending outer section 21 of the housing a channel region 28 through which a ball, conventionally illustrated by the ball shown in dotted outline in FIG. 1, may be projected by means of a pusher 29. The pusher is held at the end of a rod 30 and is spring pressed forward by a spring member 32 rested against the pusher 29 and an inwardly turned edge 33 of the frame. A pull knob 35 is attached to the rod 30 where it projects through the frame region 33. By drawing back on the pull knob 35 the outer edge 36 of the pusher 29 can be brought back to a position substantially parallel to the sloping region 37 beneath the main panel section.

As will be later explained, a ball which has been projected by the pusher 29 after falling through one of the openings 25 is adapted to roll downwardly by gravitational effect assured by resting the rear edge of the panel above its forward edge by pairs of supporting legs 38 and 39, of which leg 38 the rear is longer than leg 39 at the front of the device. As the ball is projected by a release of the pull knob the exerted spring pressure on the pusher 29 causes it to move upwardly through the channel 28 and to be projected outwardly from its upper end section 42 toward its top surface 43.

Then, by virtue of the slope of the panel member as depicted by FIG. 3 the ball, if projected forcefully enough, is forced outwardly by the guide 44 and may or may not strike the bumper 45. In any event, regardless of the force with which the ball is projected, as long as it is projected with sufficient force to pass beyond a weak leaf spring member 47, it will enter into the general positioning space region conventionally shown at 48. From this space region 48 the ball gravitationally moves to enter one of the channel sections 49 through 51 which, respectively, lead to the openings vertically aligned with opening 25.

Where the ball is projected with one degree of force it will enter into one of the channels, such as 52, or one of two other channels arranged adjacent thereto to come to rest in an opening aligned vertically with the central opening series 53. A ball projected with lesser force will enter into one of the channels 54 through 56 finally to come to rest in one of the openings vertically aligned with the right-hand opening 25. In any event each projected ball passing upwardly through the channel 28 and beyond the spring member 47 when returning by reason of the vertical tilt of the panel must fall through one of the circular openings in the main panel and eventually control the illumination of various compartments such as 58, 59, 60, and so on of the display panel 61 which extends upwardly substantially from one end of the housing member.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, there is a handle member 63 extending outwardly from one side of the housing member and such handle member (see also FIG. 4) is adapted to be drawn outwardly from the housing or pushed back toward it. The handle member has a connection from it to a sub-panel 65 and a pull on the handle is sufficient to move the sub-panel and an associated undersection 66 thereof laterally out or in depending whether the handle 63 is pulled out from the frame or moved inwardly toward it. The sub-panel 65 has in it a pair of openings 66 and 67 for each of the openings 25 in the main panel member.

This sub-panel 65 is adapted to be shifted laterally relative to the main panel member each time the pull knob 63 is moved in or out. Thus, any ball projected through the channel 28 and passing through one of the openings 25 of the main panel 11 will pass through one ofthe openings 66 or 67 depending upon the lateral position of the sub-panel.

FIG. 5 shows an exploded view with the doubleheaded arrow representing the lateral shift of the subpanel 65. Approximately centered with respect to the space between the adjacent outer peripheries of the openings 66 and 67 there is a pivotal switch member 70 which pivots about a pin passing through the subpanel 65 and switch opening 71. The arrangement is such that when a lateral movement of sub-panel 65 occurs by movement of the knob 63 the switch also moves accordingly. With this arrangement if, for instance, a ball were to pass through the opening 66 above the switch arm the curvature of the switch element shown at 72, as illustrative, would cause a clockwise rotation of the switch element 70 about its pivot point71, whereas a ball passing through the opening 67 and striking the opposite side 73 of the switch 70 would cause a counterclockwise movement of the element aboutits pivot point. Each movement of the switch element carries with it a movement of two contacters 74 and 75 with the lower contactor 74 being adapted to slide laterally on the contact plate 76 and the upper contact 75 being adapted to turn to contact either the contacter 78 or the contacter 79 (see FIG. 2).

After the ball has passed beyond the switch-element 70 and beyond the curved sections 72 and 73 thereof it is adapted to pass through an enlarged opening 82 of the base 66 along either of the outer curved edges 83 and 84 which are made sufficiently wide to permit the ball to fall through to the base section 19 of the housing. The contactors 78 and 79 pass through the subbase 66 and extend from base 66 and cause all of these elements to move laterally with the sub-base. The position of the base is sloped sufficient to permit the ball to roll to fall into a cup-shaped member 87 which is attached at one end to a pivoting rod 88 having a flipper knob 89 which when the pull rod and projecting element 29 is withdrawn can position a ball for projection adjacent to the face 36 so that it can be moved through the channel 28. The ball will not normally pass through the opening 82 of the sub-panel unless the pull rod 90 is withdrawn by a pull on the handle member operating against the force of spring 92. This is sufficient to dislodge the ball from the switch element and to carry it to the cup member 87 for re-use.

The above explanation sets out how the ball is projected and directed to different sections of the panel member.

However, this does not of itself provide indications for the player or for other observers of the conditions of operation that have been achieved. Therefore at this point it is desirable to examine further FIG. 2. With the arrangement of the openings 25, as shown by FIG. 1, it can be seen that the main panel is divided, illustratively, into nine separate sections and correspondingly the display panel is divided into a similar number of sections. Display panel section 101 and its two illuminating sources 102 and 103 is coordinated with the opening in the upper left-hand corner of the group on the main panel member. Similarly, display section 104 is coordinated with the upper right-hand opening 25 on the main panel member and has display elements 105 and 106. The different display members indicate the position at which the sub-panel is located relative to the main panel so that if, for instance, the illuminating source 102 were activated the switch 70 would be turned clockwise about its pivot point 71 so that the contact 74 would contact the switch plate 76 and the left-hand contact 78 with energization of the illuminating source 102 then being along a circuit path from ground 112 through the source 113 (which may be either a battery or a source of direct or alternating current, as desired) and the switch plate 76, as well as the switch arm 74 contacting the contact element 78 and thence through a conductor 114 to the lamp 101 and returned to ground via conductor 115 and connection 116. On the other hand, if the ball had passed through the opening at the upper left-hand corner of the main panel and the other player were causing the projection of the ball through the channel 28, the position of the pull rod 63 would be such that a ball passing through opening 25 would have to pass through opening 67 and come against the curved side 73 of the switch 70 to cause it to turn counterclockwise 'about its pivot point 71. This would bring the upper contact member 75 against the contact 79 and then the path of current would be the same source 113, the plate 76, the conductor 78 and conductor 75 to contact 79 and thence through conductor 118 to lamp 103 and back to ground via conductor 119 and conductor 116.

The other connections, as shown by FIG. 2, operate similarly and need not be described in further detail.

From this it can be seen that if one player is operating the mechanism any ball falling into one of the openings of the main panel will fall through an opening, such as 66, whereas if the other player is operating the mechanism a ball falling through one of the openings in the main panel will fall through an opening such as 67. This then produces a situation where one or the other types of illuminating source 102 or 103 will be illuminated.

In the showing of FIG. 6, for instance, it has been depicted that all openings in which the compartment in the upper left-hand corners are of like character and all openings in the lower left-hand corner are of like but different character from the first. Consequently, it is apparent that if the sub-panel has been moved a ball entering an opening 25 of the main panel from which one of the upper left-hand sources of illumination in a compartment were connected but by reason of the subpanel shift a change in that position occurred, the other illumination source will become activated and the first will be de-activated.

This makes it doubly difficult for a player to be able to align a series of illuminating sources according to any continuous path and of course makes the game many times more difficult than would otherwise be the case. However it also can happen that the player activating the upper left-hand corner of any one compartment can also in his next turn manage to project the ball through the channel 28 in such fashion that it enters a different channel leading to a different lamp. For instance the first player might on the first ball cause that ball to enter channel 51 and activate the source controlled from the opening in the lower left-hand corner. This player might on the next turn to play be able to activate the source immediately there above through channel 49. Then, if the other player should not be able either to project a ball to enter into channels 49 or 51 (assuming these to have been the ones previously activated) to change the color the first player by a careful manipulation might be able to cause the ball to enter the channel 50in which event there would be illumination of the same portion of the compartment associated with the three openings aligned at the left of the main panel member.

It is apparent from what is stated above that provision must be made for clearing the entire apparatus after one game has been completed. This is achieved when the pull rod 90, activated by the handle 91 against the force of the spring 92. This causes a movement of the sub-panel relative to all switch connections as shown by FIG. 2 and clears all displays. Thus, this is sufficient to draw the contact point 76 which connects to the power source 113 away from any switch contact element thereby to break all control circuits, after which a new play" can be initiated. Similar effects to phase above mentioned, of course, can be achieved at any time. Further than this the game does not end with any great rapidity because of the great possibility of change in the condition of the display means.

From what is set forth above it will be apparent that wide variations of the structure above described can readily be made. Therefore, it is intended that this disclosure be broadly viewed and that the claims hereinafter appended be consequently construed in a broad light.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed 1. Game apparatus comprising a main panel member having a plurality of ballreceiving openings located thereon in substantially uniform positioning and arranged to simulate the compartments within which players alternately endeavor to make designations in a predetermined path,

a ball ejecting means adapted, when activated, to force a ball to move toward the panel section from which it is forced to move toward one of the ballreceiving openings,

means to direct each projected ball over the panel surface toward one of the ball-receiving openings,

a luminous display means positioned at a viewing angle relative to the panel member to provide an indication of which opening is reached by each projected ball,

means on the display means automatically operable to indicate which of two players of the game initiated the ball movement from the ejecting means to reach the contacted panel opening, and means to change the designation on the display means from one character to another for conditions where a ball projection to any particular opening and which projection is initiated by a player other than the one first directing a ball to the particular opening provides an indication on the display means that is different from that achieved by the original player, a win" being achieved when the same player initiates a projection of a sequence of balls to produce a plurality of indications which place them in a predetermined path including a plurality of openings. 2. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 comprising, in addition,

shifting means to change the luminous display from one character to another selectively for alternate ball projections. 3. The apparatus claimed in claim 2 comprising, in addition,

a sub-panel, means to shift the sub-panel and main panel relative to each other to effect a change in the position of the ball-receiving openings relative to the subpanel. 4. The apparatus claimed in claim 3 comprising, in addition,

means to establish an electrical circuit to the display means at each of the two positions establishable at each ball-receiving opening, and means to select between which of the two display means simulating each ball-receiving opening on the main panel is operative in accordance with the selected relative positions of each of the sub-panel and main panel. 5. The apparatus claimed in claim 4 comprising, in addition,

means for energizing the lamps of one character only for each relative change in position of the subpanel with respect to the main panel. 6. The apparatus claimed in claim 5 comprising, in addition,

an electrical circuit leading to each source of illumination on the display panel, switching means to determine which of the circuits leading to each source is instantaneously energized when a ball is directed to one ,of the ball-receiving openings, and means for connecting a source of energy to each circuit for determining the illumination of each part of the display means illuminated. 7. The apparatus claimed in claim 6 comprising, in addition,

means provided by the alternative circuit actuation 6 to change the illuminated display from one character to another at times when the instantly projected ball is directed into an opening into which a previously projected ball was directed provided the relative positions of the sub-panel and the main panel are different. 8. The apparatus claimed in claim 3 comprising, in addition,

means for lighting the lamps of one character only for each relative change in position of the sub-panel with respect to the main panel.

9. The apparatus claimed in claim 3 comprising, in

addition,

means for returning each ball directed to each opening to a common return position, and

means for transferring each returned ball from the common return position to a second position aligned with the projecting means so that, with operation of the ejecting means, the ball may be directed to the main panel to be deposited into one of the ball-receiving openings.

10. Game apparatus comprising a main panel member having a plurality of ballreceiving openings located thereon in substantially uniform positioning and arranged to simulate the compartments within which players of a tic-tac-toe game alternately make Xs and Os to endeavor first to locate a series of at least three designations in aligned sequence,

ball ejecting means adapted, when activated, to

force a ball to move toward the panel section from which it is forced to move toward one of the ballreceiving openings,

means to direct each projected ball over the panel surface toward one of the ball-receiving openings,

a display means positioned at an angle relative to a panel member to provide an indication of which opening is reached for each projected ball,

means on the display means automatically operable to indicate which of two players of the game initiated the ball movement from the ejecting means to reach the panel opening, and

means to change the designation on the display means from one character to another for conditions where a ball projection to any particular opening and which projection is initiated by a player other than the first directing a ball to the particular opening provides an indication on the display means that is different from the original player, a win" being achieved when the same player initiating the projection of the sequence of balls to produce a plurality of indications which align them in a straight line including a plurality of openings.

Claims (10)

1. Game apparatus comprising a main panel member having a plurality of ball-receiving openings located thereon in substantially uniform positioning and arranged to simulate the compartments within which players alternately endeavor to make designations in a predetermined path, a ball ejecting means adapted, when activated, to force a ball to move toward the panel section from which it is forced to move toward one of the ball-receiving openings, means to direct each projected ball over the panel surface toward one of the ball-receiving openings, a luminous display means positioned at a viewing angle relative to the panel member to provide an indication of which opening is reached by each projected ball, means on the display means automatically operable to indicate which of two players of the game initiated the ball movement from the ejecting means to reach the contacted panel opening, and means to change the designation on the display means from one character to another for conditions where a ball projection to any particular opening and which projection is initiated by a player other than the one first directing a ball to the particular opening provides an indication on the display means that is different from that achieved by the original player, a ''''win'''' being achieved when the same player initiates a projection of a sequence of balls to produce a plurality of indications which place them in a predetermined path including a plurality of openings.

2. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 comprising, in addition, shifting means to change the luminous display from one character to another selectively for alternate ball projections.

3. The apparatus claimed in claim 2 comprising, in addition, a sub-panel, means to shift the sub-panel and main panel relative to each other to effect a change in the position of the ball-receiving openings relative to the sub-panel.

4. The apparatus claimed in claim 3 comprising, in addition, means to establish an electrical circuit to the display means at each of the two positions establishable at each ball-receiving opening, and means to select between which of the two display means simulating each ball-receiving opening on the main panel is operative in accordance with the selected relative positions of each of the sub-panel and main panel.

5. The apparatus claimed in claim 4 comprising, in addition, means for energizing the lamps of one character only for each relative change in position of the sub-panel with respect to the main panel.

6. The apparatus claimed in claim 5 comprising, in addition, an electrical circuit leading to each source of illumination on the display panel, switching means to determine which of the circuits leading to each source is instantaneously energized when a ball is directed to one of the ball-receiving openings, and means for connecting a source of energy to each circuit for determining the illumination of each part of the display means illUminated.

7. The apparatus claimed in claim 6 comprising, in addition, means provided by the alternative circuit actuation to change the illuminated display from one character to another at times when the instantly projected ball is directed into an opening into which a previously projected ball was directed provided the relative positions of the sub-panel and the main panel are different.

8. The apparatus claimed in claim 3 comprising, in addition, means for lighting the lamps of one character only for each relative change in position of the sub-panel with respect to the main panel.

9. The apparatus claimed in claim 3 comprising, in addition, means for returning each ball directed to each opening to a common return position, and means for transferring each returned ball from the common return position to a second position aligned with the projecting means so that, with operation of the ejecting means, the ball may be directed to the main panel to be deposited into one of the ball-receiving openings.

10. Game apparatus comprising a main panel member having a plurality of ball-receiving openings located thereon in substantially uniform positioning and arranged to simulate the compartments within which players of a tic-tac-toe game alternately make X''s and O''s to endeavor first to locate a series of at least three designations in aligned sequence, a ball ejecting means adapted, when activated, to force a ball to move toward the panel section from which it is forced to move toward one of the ball-receiving openings, means to direct each projected ball over the panel surface toward one of the ball-receiving openings, a display means positioned at an angle relative to a panel member to provide an indication of which opening is reached for each projected ball, means on the display means automatically operable to indicate which of two players of the game initiated the ball movement from the ejecting means to reach the panel opening, and means to change the designation on the display means from one character to another for conditions where a ball projection to any particular opening and which projection is initiated by a player other than the first directing a ball to the particular opening provides an indication on the display means that is different from the original player, a ''''win'''' being achieved when the same player initiating the projection of the sequence of balls to produce a plurality of indications which align them in a straight line including a plurality of openings.

Images