CA2141625A1

CA2141625A1 - Game table

Info

Publication number: CA2141625A1
Application number: CA 2141625
Authority: CA
Inventors: Irving Fox
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-02-01
Filing date: 1995-02-01
Publication date: 1996-08-02

Abstract

A game table relating to a game where the object is to sink a ball or balls in holes includes a flat surface having several holes spaced around the periphery of the surface. Elastic material is connected to the periphery of the surface and projects upwardly from the surface so as to deflect a ball which makes contact with the elastic material. Two sets of obstacles on the surface impede the path of the ball. One set of obstacles includes pairs of pegs near each hole. An elastic band can be placed around a particular pair of pegs so as to both deflect a ball and prevent the ball from entering the hole. Alternatively, the elastic band can be removed from one or more holes so as to permit a ball to enter such holes.
Another set of obstacles is located closer to the centre of the surface and is preferably a number of pegs arranged in concentric circles having the middle of the surface as their centre.

Description

21~162~

This invention relates to a game table and more particularly to a game which may be played by one or more players which involves the players attempting to strike balls such that the balls fall into particular holes on the surface o the game table.

Various game tables which involve the striking of balls into holes are known. E'or example, the game of billiards has en~oyed worldwide popularity for a long time. The present invention falls into the category of game tables which are both portable and can be enj oyed by both children and adults .

One of the limitations of other game tables has been the difficulty in adapting the games so thae different numbers of players can participate at different times. The present inventio~
solves this problem and also strikes a balance between providing a game which is easy to learn and, at the same time, challenging enough to r^;ntF~;n the interest of participants.

The present inventio~ in one aspect provides a game table for use with a ball, having a flat surface, the surface having a plurality of holes; an elastic border PYtPn~lin~ upwardly from and around the periphery of the surface; a first group of obstacles 20 ad~ acent the holes; removable elastic material placed about the obstacles adjacent each hole ~30 as to ob~truct access to such hole;
and a second group of obstacles pro~ecting upwardly from the surface 80 as to impede the ~ v. of the ball across the surface. The obstacles are preferably situated 80 as to make it 21~1~2~
.

difficult or impo9sible for a player to strike the ball when positioned near the elastic border such that the ball moves directly across the Yurface and into the hole opposite the starting position of the ball, In a further aspect of the invention, the surface is polygonal with posts at each vertex for supporting the elastic border which extends around the periphery of the surface. The Hecond group of obstacles are arranged in concentric circles having the middle Q
the surface as their centre. Preferably, the surface is octagonàl The in~ention, as exemplified by a preferred embodiment, is described with reference to the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preerred embodiment of the game table of the invention; and Figure 2 is a top view of the game table shown in Figure 1 Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a game table 10 for use with a ball comprises a flat ~urface 12 having a plurality of holes 1~.
The surface is octagonal in shape, although a wide variety of other shapes, for example, a circle, would also be suitable. Posts 16 project upwardly from the surface at each vertex 18 Material 19 20 having at least some elasticity in the transverse directior. is connected to the posts such that the material pro~ ects upwardly from and extends around the periphery of the surface. As can best ~ 21~1625 be seen from Figure 2, the suriace has eight holes in all, adjacent each post 16.

There is a ~irst group of obstacles in the form of a pair of pegs 20 on opposite sides of each hole. Removable elastic bands 22 are placed around each pair of pegs such that the elastic bands obstruct access to the holes and deflect the path of the ball when it comes into contact with one of the elastic bands. Depending upon the number of players which are participating in the game, certain of the elastic bands can either be lef t in place or 10 removed, as P~l ;: i nf~(l below . The pegs act as obstacles and also hold in place the elastic bands which obstruct the holes.

Figures 1 and 2 show a second group of obstacles 24 arranged ~ =
in two concentric circles having the middle of the surf ace as their centre. Within each circle of obstacles, the obstacles are equally spaced apart and arranged such that the arrangement of obstacles will appear to be the same when viewed from any vertex.

Shown in Figure 1 is the ball 25 which is used to play the game. Marbles are preferred, but a variety o~ other objects would also be suitable provided that they are of an d~.LU~I iate size and 20 are capable of either rolling or sliding across the surface.

Also shown in Figure 1 is a stick 28 which i9 used by a player to strike the balls. Although the stick shown in Figure 1 is shaped like a miniature hockey stick, a variety of other objects in 21~162S
variou~ ~hape~ and ~ize~ would al~o be suitable.

Side panel~ 30 depend from the surface and support the game table on a ~upporting ~urface such a3 a table or floor. The ~ide -=
panels contain a number of openlng~ 32 which are large enough to allow a player to place his or her hand in the opening and retrieve the ball~ which have fallen through the above hole 14 in the surface. Not shown in the drawings i8 a bottom panel whic~ i~
parallel to the surface of the game table and i~ attached to the bottom edge~ of the ~ide panels. Also not 6hown are the levelling 10 leg~ which can be attached to the bottom surface of the bottom panel and adju~ted to level the game table.

The ~urface 12 may be made from a variety of material~ ~uch a~
wood or pla~tic. The 3urface may al~o be covered by a fabric such a~ felt. The advantage of covering the surface with felt i~ that felt provides enough friction ~o that the ball or ball~ will remain in place once they have been struck and have come to re~t, without unduly restricting the movement of the ball~ once they have been ~truck. Any combination of surface material and covering i~, however, suitable ~30 long a~ the combination permit~ the ball to 20 move acroE3~ the ~urface when it i~ ~truck and holds the ball in place once it has come to re~t.

The ela~tic border can be made of any suitable material. ~n ~ome embodiment~ of the invention, the border may be a bumper of the pool table type.

21~2~

Although the rules of play ean vary, it is ;nt~n~lr(1 that the game will generally proceed along the following lines: Each player will be assigned a number of balls of a partieular colour. Based on a roll of the diee, eaeh player chooses a starting hole 14 and places hiY or her ball3 in specified locations 34 in front of his or her starting hole. The goal of each player is to slnk his or her balls in a target hole 14 directly opposite his or her starting hole. For this reason, each player must remove the elastic band which is eovering his or her target hole . The L~ 1 n~Pr of the 10 elastie bands will remain in plaee. The game proceeds with eaeh player, in turn, attempting to strike a ball into his or her target hole. The player~s turn rrnt;n~ 80 long as he or she is suceessful in sinking one of his or her balls in his or her target hole. The player may strike his or her ball regardle~s of where it is loeated on the surface. If a player~s ball is obstrueted by the elastic border whieh exi~ends along the surfaee's periphery, the player may strike the ball by striking the border f irst . Once a player i8 unsuceessful in sinking one of hiEi or her balls, play continues in a eloekwise or countercloekwise direetion. As will be 20 obvious from the drawings, the obstaeles will often prevent a player from directly striking one of his or her balls into his or her target hole. In such circumstanees, the player will likely wish to use any eombination of the obstaeles, elastic border or elastic bands to strike the ball into or near his or her target hole .

2i~1~25 Although only a ~ingle embodiment of the pre~ent invention has been de~cribed and illusrated, the pre~ent invention i~ not limited to the ieature~ of this embodiment, but includes all variation~ and modif ication~ within the spirit and scope of the claim~3 .

Claims

1. A game table for use with a ball, comprising:
a flat surface having a plurality of holes spaced near the periphery of the surface and around the periphery of the surface;
a strip of material extending upwardly from the periphery of the surface and having at least some elasticity in a direction perpendicular to the line of attachment of the material to the surface;
means for obstructing selected holes; and means for impeding the movement of the ball across the surface.

2. The game table of claim 1, wherein the surface has an octagonal shape.

3. The game table of claim 1, wherein the means for obstructing selected holes is a pair of obstacles positioned on opposite sides of each hole.

4. The game table of claim 3, wherein the means for impeding the movement of the ball is a plurality of obstacles arranged in concentric circles having the middle of the surface as their centre.