US1064480A - Game apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

H. W. HELLIKER. GAMB APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. a, 1912.

ATUH/VEYS H. W. HELLIKBR.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 8, 1912.

1,064,480. Patented June 10, 1913.

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INVENTR j 4 By TTORNEVS :OLUMBIA PLANMRAPl-g C0.. WASHINUTGN. D. c.

H. W. HEL'LIKER.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, 1912.

LOASO. Patented June 1o, 1913.

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mon/vers COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPM C0..\vASmNGTON, n. c.

narran sfrafrns rarnxfr ernten HERBERT WILLIAM HELLIKER, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

GAME APPARATUS.

incenso.

Application led November 8, 1912.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, IIERBERT lV. I-IELLI- xnn, a subject of the King of Great Britain,

and a resident of Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

rI`his invention relates to game apparatus or devices for amusement and has particular reference to an apparatus, the operation or performance of which involves the exercise of skill as to one part thereof, and relates to a game of chance at ano-ther part thereof.

Among the objects of the invention is to produce an apparatus which will have peculiar attractiveness for that class of players who are given to the operation of gaming devices which involve more or less physical exercise and which are attractive also because of the elements of chance involved, all of which will be understood as this description progresses.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings accompanying this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section and face view of the target portion of the device on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view in detail; Fig. 4 is a view of the indicator portion of the device on a plane corresponding to that of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of a detail of one of the card holders; Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the same on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a detail showing the manner of mounting certain guide pulleys.

In carrying out this invention in a preferred embodiment, I provide a casing or framework 10 of any suitable size or construction, the same being adapted to support a series of targets 11 and other parts associated therewith. The targets 11 are each mounted upon a plunger 12 operating from the front of the casing through the front wall thereof and connected pivotally at its rear end with an arm 13 whose other end is mounted upon a horizontal support 14 shown in the form of a rod supported at Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 10,1913.

Serial No. 730,163.

its ends upon the side walls 15 of the casing. The targets 11 may be variously arranged but are shown as five in number and arranged in a horizontal row along the front of the casing and are adapted to be thrown at from a distance of, say, from thirty to fty feet, and struck by balls or the like from the hands of the players, there being provided at any convenient place, preferably adjacent the players position, an indicator 16 adapted to operate in accordance with t-he targets struck.

As a means for connecting the indicator with the several target plungers, I provide for each an arm 13 and a cable 17 attached at one end to said arm near the plunger and at the other end to a resilient member or spring 18, said connection being continued by a cable 19 whose opposite end is connected at 20 to an eye-bolt 2O extending through the front part of the casing near the bottom and one corner thereof. The cable 17 is guided over a pulley 21 so as to change its direction from the arm downwardly toward the bottom of the casing.

Each cable 19 likewise is directed over pulv leys 22 and 23, whereby7 all of the eye-bolt connections emerge from the front wall of the casing comparatively close together and in practically the same horizontal plane, as shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 7, a preferred manner of supporting the pulleys 21 comprises a substantially llat sheet metal plate 24 which extends horizontal practically the full length of the casing closely adjacent the top and secured in place by brackets 25 or the like. Said plate 24 is slitted and punched or struck up so as to form a pair of parallel ears 26 in which each of the pulleys 21 is journaled. The plate 24, furthermore, is slotted at 13 for the accommodation of the arms 13 as they oscillate around the axis of the shaft 14 when the targets 11 are struck. The end 20 of the aforesaid eye-bolt has connected to it a flexible member or cable 27 relating to the indicator 16, whereby a record of suitable nature is made upon each reciprocation of one of the targets.

So far as has now been described, all of the targets 11 and their connections operate independently of one another, but I provide a master target 11L connected to a plunger 12a and suitably supported upon a bracket 28 at the top of the casing. The rear end of the last mentioned plunger is pivotally connected to an arm 13a whose lower end is pivoted within the casing at 14tL upon a stationary support 29 near the lower rear corner of the casing. A spring 30 is suitably connected to the arm. 13a so as to normally hold the target 112l in the forward position shown in Fig. 1. Said arm 13, furthermore, is guided in slots 10l in the top of the casing and 13 in .the aforesaid `plate 24.

In Fig. 3 is shown an actuator 31 com prising a plate 32 having a series of five parallel slots 33 adjacent its upper edge through which the aforesaid eye-bolts 2O pass, as shown also in Figs. 1 and 2. Said actuator is pivoted at its lower edge at 34 to the casing bottom and has an upwardly extending bail having pivotal connection by means of a link 3G to the afo-resaid arm 13a. rlhe purpose of the master target is to produce simultaneous' operation of all of the eye-bolts 20 and ltheir connections with the indicator as the result of a single impact with the master target. This result is effected b y virtue of the engagement between the actuator and the several eye-bolt connections 20 of the eye-bolts. It will, of course, be understood, however, that when the master target and actuator are not disturbed, an operation of one or more of the other targets will not disturb the remaining targets 11, the eye-bolts 2O considered individually operating freely rearwardly through the actuator.

rlhe indicator herein illustrated and which I prefer to employ in connection with vthe aforesaid target connection comprises a casing of any suitable size or configuration including preferably a serios of rollers 37, shown as live in number, one for each target 11. Said rollers 87 are shown as arranged in a row and preferably in axial alinement in the upper portion of the indicator casing. Said rollers are designed to carry indicating means of suitable character which are readable through corresponding windows 16 adjacent the front part of said casing. Each of said rollers is provided with operating mechanism from. one of the aforesaid target connections. Referring particularly to Fig. 1, such operating mechanism comprises a gear wheel ,88 having chain connection 39 with a corresponding sprocket wheel 40 journaled upon a shaft 41 extending parallel to the indicator shaft 42. A. ratchet wheel 43 is associated with said sprocket wheel 40 and is adapted vto be intermittently rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows on Fig. 1 `by means of a lever 44 journaled also upon said shaft 41, the connection between the lever and the ratchet wheel being through a springpressed pawl 45. Said lever 44 is held in normal position against a suitable stop 46 by means of a spring 47. The aforesaid `direction circumferentially.

suitably protected fro-m interference from ,u

unauthorized parties. It will be understood, therefore, that when any of the eye-' bolts 2O are operated, drawing the cables 27 rearwardly, the levers 44 will cause the ratchet wheels to rotate through an arc of a circle in the direction indicated in Fig. 1 with a correspo-nding operation and rotation `of the chains 39 and rollers 37. 'The levers 44, however, will immediately .be restored to normal position by .the springs 47.

Each roller 37 is constructed substantially as follows: The body of the roller may be made of wood or other suit-able material of substantially cylindrical form and provided on its surface with a series of longitudinal parallel grooves 37. Into each groove is fixed a holder 49 adapted to hold a car-d 50 or other means to be brought into view through the windows 16. The holder 49 comprises astationary member 49 and a member 49 hinged or pivoted thereto. The member 49 preferably comprises a sheet metal strip bent upon itself betweenwhich parts the card 50 is adapted to be slip Jed and held by friction or the additional e ect of one `or more pins 51. ln practice l prefer to .provide each roller with vfifty-two grooves 37 and .provide acco-rdingly a full pack .of .playing cards for the respective holders 49, the faces of the cards all being placed in one At the end of the roller and coperating with the ends of the stationary members 49 of the holders are clamps or `bands 52 serving to positively secure ,the card holders to the roller, the cards, however, being subject to change or renewal whenever necessary. Each roller, furthermore, is preferably mounted for `free rotation upon spindles 58 by means lof antifriction rollers 54 carried in cups 55 seated in the ends of the roller Aand secured in place by means of disks or plates 56 which serve also to prevent longitudinal displacement of the card holders by overlapping the ends of the stationary members 49, as shown in Fig. 5. l/Vhile each card carried by its clamp member 49 is pivoted for free movement with respect kto the stationary member 49, I prefer `to use a spring or other cushion 57 whose tendency is to lift the card as it rises at the rear of the roller and which also serves to give thecard a snap or impulse forwardly Aand downwardly around its vpivot when the roller upon rotation causes :such card to pass an abutment 58 at the topofithe indicator casing, whereby the card neXt adjacent to said abutment and held thereby will be the one presented to view.

Vith the foregoing description of the mechanism, the game may be played substantially as follows, although it is to be understood that the means or directions for playing, as well as the specific construction of the apparatus, may be varied to considerable extent without departing from the spirit of the invention hereinafter claimed. Upon striking the master target and reciprocating its plunger 12a, the actuator 35 will cause rotation of all o-f the rollers 37 through the connections 27. Such rotation of the rollers will cause five cards to be presented to view, and if, as indicated for instance in Fig. Ll, three of them should be aces, the player may undertake to complete the suit by striking one or the other of the targets 11 corresponding to the two odd cards before him. If, then, he is skilful enough to strike the proper targets he will stand a chance, by operating the rollers connected thereto, to complete his suit. In short, the operator will be free to throw at any of the targets at any time, using his best judgment as to the proper targets to aim at. In some instances the operator may desire to rotate all of the rollers 37 preliminary to throwing at any of the targets, for the purpose of presenting all new cards to view. Any suitable means may therefore be provided, such as shown at 59, whereby the operator may positively cause the actuator 35 to operate.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The herein described game apparatus comprising a series of similarly mounted targets, an indicator having individual indicating means and connections therefrom to the aforesaid targets respectively, a master target, and connections between said master target and the indicator mechanisms whereby all of the indicatormechanisms may be operated simultaneously from the master target.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination of an indicator comprising a series of indicator mechanisms, a series of targets, connections between the indicator mechanisms and the several targets respectively whereby the operation of any target will affect its indicator mechanism, and means for actuating all of the indicator mechanisms simultaneously independent-ly of the aforesaid targets.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of a series of plungers, a series of indicator mechanisms, means connecting the plungers and said mechanisms respectively in pairs whereby the operationof any of said plungers will correspondingly affect their indicator mechanisms independently of the remaining plungers and their indicator mechanisms, and means operating independently of said plungers for operating all of said indicator mechanisms simultaneously.

4. In a game apparatus, the combination of a series of plungers, a series of indicator mechanisms, means connecting the indicator mechanisms to the plungers each to each, said connecting means including eye-bolts, an actuator throughl which said eye-bolts may be individually operated, and means to actuate the actuator to cause simultaneous actuation of all of the eye-bolts and the indicator mechanisms affected thereby.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT WILLIAM IIELLIKER.

Witnesses:

J. F. STREET, MARGARETHA S. GILLIAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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