US1005859A - Game apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

E. M. LYNN. GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24. 1911.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

EDWARD MAYO LYNN, OF JACKSON, MINNESOTA.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 24, 1911.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

Serial No. seems.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD MAYO LYNN, citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a an improved game apparatus designed to interest and amuse the player and which will interest adults as well as children, and which may be easily operated and inexpensively con structed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character formed in two or more parts which may be readily connected or assembled and which when separated occupies a relatively small space for convenience in shipping or storage.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is .a plan View of the improved game apparatus; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

. Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the samereference characters.

The improved apparatus comprises a base 10, preferably of light wood and of any required size and shape, but preferably about three feet in diameter and substantially circular in outline, as represented in Fig. 1.

Surrounding the base 10, except for a short distance on one side, is an elevated rim 11, and mounted upon the base 10 and against the rim 11 is an annular member 12 having a plurality of concentric channels 13 in its upper face, the channels opening at one end into the space before mentioned at.

one side in the margin 11, as represented at 1 1, and with their opposite ends opening into the circular space at the center of the base, as represented at 15. The channels 13 are preferably lined with cork or like material and are preferably formed semi-circular transversely, as represented in Fig. 2.

' Formed in the upper surface of the body 10 centrally thereof or within the annular member 12 are a plurality of pockets or recesses 16, the recesses preferably arranged in concentric order and spaced a certain distance apart. Detachably connected to the base 10 and the member 12 opposite the open space between the endsof'the margin 11 is an inclined runway 17 having the sides 18 elevated and conforming to and continuing the margin 11 of the base and converging at the outer portions, as shown at- 19. The upper surface of the runway 17 is inclined, as shown in Fig. 3, and merges at its bottom into the channels 14:. Supported upon the inclined runway at its upper end is a guide tube 25 having an inwardly directed opening 26, and located in the upper converging portion of the runway 17 and in advance of the guide tube are a pluralityof vertical pins 20 which are arranged in irregular order as shown. The runway extension 17 may be connected detachably to the body 10 and its member 12 in any suitable manner, but will preferably be coupled thereto by pins 21 in one member fitting in sockets or cavities in the other member, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. By this means the member 17 may be removed to reduce the size of the apparatus for convenience in shipping or storage.

A plurality of balls are employed in playing the improved game, and as many balls will be employed as there are channels 13, in the illustration 3, and being indicated respectively by the characters 22, 23 and 24.

The improved apparatus is designed to represent a racetrack having three separate tracks, indicated by the channels 13, but it will be obvious that a greater or lesser number of the tracks may be employed as required, and the balls are dropped one at a time into the feed tube 25 and pass thence through the opening 26 upon the runway 17.

Any required rules may be adopted for the playing of the game, but preferably the game will be treated as a race between fast horses and will be played substantially as followszlhe first player deposits aball in the guide tube 25 and the ball passes through the opening 26 and rolls down the inclined runway and among the pins 20 and is diverted thereby and caused to traverse a zig zag course and runs thence into one of the channels 13. By arranging the pins 26 in irregular positions it will be difiicult if not impossible for the player to cause the ball to enter any particular one of the and runs finally into the fiat central space among the recesses '16 and will generally land in one'ofthese recesses. The recesses are ceived in one of the recesses.

provided with different numbers or other designating data, and the particular recess in which the ball finally rests is considered in playing the game. After the first ball has finished its course'and arrived in the central arena, another ball is started on its course and enters one of the channels and thence enters the central arena and is re- The third ball is then started on its course with the same result.

It is obvious that a ball will travel over the course represented by the inner channel 13 in' quicker time than one traveling over the outer course, while the ball will travel over the intermediate course in a corresponding intermediate time, and the three courses or tracks are designated by numerals or other characters to denote time; as for instance the outer track will be marked 2.10, the intermediate track will be marked 1.55, and the inner track will be marked 1.40, to denote the conventional speeds of race horses, as a ball will travel over the inner course 13 in less time than over the outer and longer course, while the ball will travel over the intermediate course in less time than over the outer course, but will require more time to travel over the inner course.

The balls will preferably be distinctively marked, as for instance by different colors, as black, bay-and sorrel, corresponding to the usual colors of horses, so that they will be readily distinguishable.

The balls are started separately and the second ball will not be started until the first ball has completed its course and landed in one of the recesses 16. After the three balls have completed their courses the numbers of the recesses 16 in which they finally land are added together and divided by.

" three to ascertain the average and a record made of this amount. The next player then plays the three balls, and the average of the play ascertained in the same manner and so on for any number of players, and the person who produced the lowest average wins the game.

Any suitable rules may be adopted for playing the game. For instance if the recess in which the ball lands is an odd number that number is subtracted from the time record of the track which the ball took. If the ball lands upon. an even number in the arena that number is added to the record. If a ball jumps the track in which it is started, or if it rolls around the arena and back again into one of the tracks.

ginning a second heat. If the ball makes the course and drops into one of the holes in the arena and is knocked out of the hole by the next ball, this action is counted legal and the first ball must take another recess, andso with the third ball. first ball for instance is displaced by the second ball and rolls out into one of thetracks, the time of that ball will be left out of the average. If a ball is left within the arena after all three have made their courses, and not in a recess, the time of the track which it took will be left unchanged having nothing to add to or subtract from it. These rules are merely suggestive and -may be changed as the players may determine.

If the The improved game apparatus is simple in construction, can be inexpensively'manu- 'factured of any suitable material and any required size, but, as before stated, the body 12 with its tracks 13 will preferably be lined with cork, to cause the balls to be slightly retarded in their movements and thus add interest to the game.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new 1s -1.' A game apparatuscomprising a board having a plurality of concentric channels curving outwardly at their outer ends and communicating at their inner ends with an open central space, and an inclined runway communicating with the outer ends of thechannels.

2. A game apparatus comprising a board having a plurality of recesses centrally thereof and with a plurality of concentric channels curving outwardly at their outer ends and communicating at their inner ends with said central recessed portion, and an inclined runway communicating with the outer ends of the channels.

3. game apparatus comprising a board having a plurality of concentric channels curving outwardly at their outer ends and communicating at their inner ends with an open central space, an inclined runway communicating with the outer ends of the channels, and a plurality of stop pins at the upper end of the runway.

4. A game apparatus comprising a board having a plurality of concentric channels curving outwardly at their outer ends and communicating at their inner ends with an open central space, an inclined runway communicating with the outer ends of the chinnels, and a feed tube at the upper end of the runway.

5. A game apparatus comprising a, board having a plurality of concentric channels curving outwardly at their outer ends'and nels, a plurality of sto pins at the upper 10 I a feed tube in adend of the runway, an Vance ofthe pins.

In testimony whereof,' I .afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I EDWARD MAYO LYNN. [14. s.] Witnesses:

CHARLES MAUNDERS,

W. D. HUNTER.

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