US1107776A

US1107776A - Game apparatus.

Info

Publication number: US1107776A
Application number: US80073513A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alfred J Gadbois; Frank W Gadbois
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1913-11-13
Filing date: 1913-11-13
Publication date: 1914-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 1931-08-18

Description

A. J. & F. W. GADBOIS.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.13,1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED J. GADBOIS, OF DULUTH, AND FRANK \V. GADBOIS. OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

latented Aug. 18, 1914.

Application filed November 13. 1913. Serial No. 800,735.

Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to produce a game apparatus which may be played indoors similar to baseball. the game however being played by two opponents by thouse of dummy players instead of actual players and representing substantially all phases of the game as played out of doors. In connection with the dummy players and when playing. a game board is employed having outlined thereon a diamond with which the players are adapted to cooperate.

()ur improved game simulates the act-ual playing of baseball soclosely that it is y possible to create conditions in the game so close to actual playing, as to make the game highly interesting.

()ur invention permits the use. ofdummy hrvers to imitate the actual plays in base ball and the. two opponents are enabled to display skill in throwing the ball and in causing any one of the dummy players which happens to be at the bat to strike at the ball and bat it into various parts of the field.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this speci cation. Figure 1 is a plan of our invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section of a detail illustrating the construction of one of the dummy players and of the striking devices: Fig. 3 is another elevation partly in section of a detail showing the cmistruction of the striking de' vice: Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a detail showing the construction of the pitching device: Fig. 5 is a section taken on. the line X -X of Fig. 1. and Fig. 6 is an elevation of the plunger.

In connection with the game. a game board A is employed of rectangular or other suitable shape having inscribed upon its face a base ball diamond B. indicating the position 2 ot'thc first base. the position 3 of the second base. the position I of the third base and the position 5 of the home base and battcrs plate. said positions being indicated by suitable markings upon the face of the board upon which the dummy players such asC are adapted to be positioned by the opponents during the game. This board has a rim (3 around its edge which serves to assist in confining the ball when struck by the batter within the field. In connection with the board there is a pitching device I) for throwing the ball 7 over the batters plate and also a batting device E which is adapted to hold one of the dummy players C which is at the bat and to cause said player to strike at the .ball with the bat which it carries. said pitching and striking devices being adapted tobe operated one by one opponent. and the other by the other opponent. There are provided nine dummy players composing a team for I use by each opponent. each team being numbered one to nine and uniformed in different distinguishing colors. These dummy players are all similar in construction and are adapted to be placed upon the board at the various positions in accordance with the standard rules in vogue for playing regular base ball.

As the dummy players are all alike in construction. it will sufiice to describe one in detail. Each player consists of a long body 8 of cylindrical or bther suitable shape made of wood or other suitable material having in its lower end a vert-ical hole or recess 9 to receive the upper end of a swiveled pin or shaft 10 projecting upwardly through the board A and positioned at one side of the batters plate 5 where the batter usually stands. The upper end of the shaft 10 has a transverse pin 11 and the body .8 is slotted at. 12 in its lower end to fit down over the pin.

said pin being adapted to engage the body to cause it to turn with the shaft. The upper end of the body 8 has a transverse opening 13. which is adapted to receive the small end of a bat 14 and hold the bat. extending lat;- .4

erally from the body. By this means the bat may be easily and quickly inserted in-the opening 13 and detachably secured tothe body by a binding connection. Thebat fl is thus adapted to swing in a horizontal plane over the plate o when in thea etaof striking a ball which is thrown by the pitching device. i

The shaft 10 is adapted to turn substantiall a quarter of a revolution for the purpose of swinging the bat to strike the ball. The shaft is journaled in the game board by means of the bearing 15 and the bracket 16. The lower end of said shaft being pro- \ided with the collar 17 and are adapted to hold the sha vertically on said bracket. The shaft is provided with a laterally extending arm 19, the outer end of which is formed with a handle 20, which may be engaged to turn the shaft and reset it in readiness for causing the player at the bat to be held in readiness to strike a ball. A trigger 21 is pivotally mounted upon the support 22 which is carriedlby the game board, said trigger being adapted to engage the arm 19 to hold it in set position. The trigger has a catch arm 23 which may be engaged by hand to withdraw the trigger from engagement with the arm 19 and release the striking device. A spring of any suitable construction 24 is attached by its ends to the arm 19 and toy an anchoring pin 25 depending from the game board, said spring being adapted to supply force which F pin 18, which turns the shaft 10 to cause the bat to be swung by the player. A stop 26 of suitable construction is mounted upon the game board in the path of the arm 19 and is so positioned as to limit the turning movement of the shaft 10 and the stroke of the bat.

-The person who operates the batter reaches under the game board and turns the arm 19 into engagement with the trigger 21, it being assumed that the player at the bat has been placed over the upper end of the shaft in the position indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 and that the bat 14 has been inserted in the opening 13. l/Vhen it is desired to cause the batter to strike at a ball, the trigger 21 is pulled down by hand out of engagement with the arm 19, whereupon the shaft 10 is turned substantially a quarter of a revolution by the spring 24 and the player swings the bat 14 in the path of the ball.

The pitching device which is positioned so as to throw the ball over the batters plate is in the form of a tube 30 extending longitudinally at an incline with its forward end slanting up through an opening 31 in the game board in line to shoot a ball over the batters plate. This tube is secured in place by an abutment 32 depending from the lower surface of the game board, and through which a plunger 33 passes and is adapted to reciprocate in the tube. This plunger is adapted to be propelled forwardly by a pair of springs 34 of suitable construction and material, said springs being anchored to the abutment 32 and attached to the back end of the plunger by the pins 35. The back end of the plunger is formed with a head 36 by which the plunger may be pulled back into shooting position where it is held b a catch 37 engaging a shoulder 38 formed by a recess in the side of the plunger (see Fig. 6). The catch 37 is in the form of an arm pivoted at 39 on the abutment 32 and having its free end lbent at right angles to its body portion. A

side having a man at the bat.

spring of any suitable, constrl'lctiou and material 40 is secured to the free end of the catch 37 and to the game board. The tendency of the spring 40 is to raise the catch 37 out of engagement with the shoulder 38 and release the plunger. A trigger arm 41 in the form of a shaft is journaled in the bearings 42 on the lower surface of the game board, and is bent at one end at right angles to the body portion thereof to form an engaging member 43 for the offset end of the catch 37 to hold said catch set in engagement with the plunger. The offset end of the trigger arm 41 is formed with a handle piece 44 by which said arm can be turned with the portion 43 out of holding engagement with the catch 37 whereupon the. spring 40 is adapted to raise the catch and release the plunger. The shape of the engaging member 43 is such as to hold the catch in engaging position until released by turning the handle 44 as described. In use the ball 7 is placed in the ,upper end of the tube and it rolls down against the plunger which has previously been'set in shooting position. The handle 44 is turned when desired to release the catch 37 and the .plunger whereupon the ball is thrown by the plunger over the batters plate.

The game board is provided with openings such as 45 below each of which there is a net 46 secured forming pockets into which the ball when struck by the batter is adapted from time to time to be caught. These pockets are suitably positioned as desired, and when the ball enters one of them is adapted to score out to the side on which the batter is playing.

In use the game is played in the manner of regulation base ball by two opponents, the one taking his place in position to manipulate the pitching device, and the other in position to manipulate the striking device. These positions are reciprocable as in the regular game of base ball when the pitcher throws a ball over the batters plate, the operator manipulating the batter releases the batting device causing the player holding the bat to strike at the ball.

If the ball is struck and is not caught in one of the pockets, it scores in favor of the side having a player at the bat as in regular baseball. If the ball happens to enter one of the pockets the result is unfavorable to the side at the bat. laid out with foul lines 47 and if the ball is struck by the batter and falls on the foul side of the lines 47 it counts a foul for the Behind the batter there is a box 48 constructed which is adapted to assist in catching the. ball behind the batter. The players are in turn placed respectively in the positions on the diamond as in regulation baseball, and each player takes its place and is fastened to the bat- 1 The game board is to the shaft 10 acccmplishes the result of playing the game like in regular out door base ball, Whereas in prior devices where a batting device is empl ved. the players are not changeably mounted thereon. nor are the players turn, that is the players being constructed so that g and the This feature 1 the small end adapt-- ed to hold a bat and to take their positions f in turn on the batting device and perform the functicn of batting. tant feature enables the \Vllltll resembles regular more interesting.

The nine players of each team are positioned on the board as in playing their numbers indicating the positions they are to as some as the game proceeds. The manner of scoring is exactly as in regular base hall and similar score cards may be used.

liach player does its own batting and the winning of the game depends on the indi vidual batting of each and every player.

In accordance with the patent statutes we have described the principles of operation of our invention together with the apparatus which we now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof but we desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above game to be played in a manner set forth within the scope of the following claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new an desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. Game apparatus adapted for playin base ball, comprising, in combination, a game board, a batting device mounted on This is an imporof the improvement, because it base ball and is said board having a revoluble shaft proieet ing ttl iil li theittiirmi and means for turning said shaft. a bat. and teams of players adapted for cooperation with said batting device and bat. each of said players consisting of a body having an opening in its lower end to receive the upper end of said shaft and an opening in its side to receive of said bat and hold said bat txtending laterally from said body, where by said players are adapted to take their pcsitivns in turn on said batting device and made to hohl said bat in turn to strike at a ball.

:1. (lame apparatus adapted for playing base ball, comprising, in combination, a

, game board, a batting device mounted upon 1 ing upwardly said board having a revoluble shaft extendthrongh said board, and means for turning said shaft, and a player body having an opening in its side to receive the small end cf a bat and detachably hold said bat projecting from the side of said lady, said shaft and the. lower end of said player body being separably coupled to detaehably support said player body on said shaft.

3. In a base ball game apparatus, a player body having an opening in its lower end adapted for the reception of a revoluble shaft, and an opening in its upper end adapted for the insertion of to hold said bat in laterally extending position.

ln testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED J. GADBOIS. FRANK \V. GADBOIS.

W itnesses S. L. \Vasonnx BERGER, 1 G. BRADBURY.

a base ball bat tit)