US1204944A - Game apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

H. W. COLLINS.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, I915.

Patented Now 14, 1916.

2 16' A wumtoz, Wmmzfi jzmwzzkam HERBERT w. COLLINS, 0E GRAND FORKS, BRITISH ooLUMBIAfoAnADA.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14:, 1916.

Application filed July 24, 1915. Serial No. 41,802.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT WV. COLLINs, citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Grand Forks, in the Province of British Columbia and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to game apparatus, and particularly to a game device. or apparatus which I have called Through the tubes, and which embodies a playing surface having tubes or tunnels for the travel of a ball or rolling object therethrough.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel construction and arrangement of tubes and obstacles, whereby games of an interesting character, with various scoring points for difi'erent courses of the ball, may be played.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel means for setting the ball or rolling object in motion and novel means for holding the board in a properly inclined position for the gravital travel of the ball.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the board with the cover removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the board showing the ball chute and the board prop arranged in operative positions. Fig. 3 is a view of the board in closed condition and with the cover or lid applied. Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of the board.

The board comprises a shallow tray-like receptacle 1, preferably of oblong rectangular form, comprising a base or bottom 2, side walls or flanges 3, end walls or flanges 1', and a flange cover or lid 5, said cover or lid being of conventional construction. Hinged to the forward end wall of the board is a strip 6, serving as a prop, which is adapted to be swung outward and downward to extend beneath the board and hold the said forward end of the board elevated, whereby the board may be supported in a forwardly and upwardly inclined position. This prop is adapted to be folded upward parallel with the forward end wall of the board and to be held in such position by the adjacent end wall of the cover 5, when the device is in closed condition or out of use.

Arranged at the forward corners of the board are curved deflectors 7, against which the ball or other rolling object 8 is adapted to strike and be deflected backward, for roll ing travel downwardly and rearwardly over the playing surface of the'board. Disposed at points equidistantly between the transverse center of the board and the front and rear ends thereof are tubes or tunnels 9, arranged in pairs, and through which the ball at times travels. The forward tubes or tunnels 9 are arranged on opposite sides of the center of the board and are inclined or diverge in a rearward direction, while the rear pair of tubes or tunnels are correspondingly arranged between the center and rear end of the board and converge in a rearward direction. At points upon the playing surface, or upon the said tubes or tunnels themselves, may be placed marks or figures indieating their playing values, or the number of points scored, such as five as indicated, when the ball rolls therethrough.

Arranged at the center of the board is a main tube or tunnel 10 of irregular form; this tube or tunnel 10 has a contracted and preferably flaring forward end or entrance 11, a relatively wider and flaring rear portion or entrance 12, subdivided into distinctive passages 13 and 14 by a V-shaped deflector 15 and passages 13 and 14 having certain scoring values as conductors for the ball, such as those indicated, fifteen points for the entrance 11, five points for the passage 13 and ten points for the passage 14. In addition the tube or tunnel 10 is provided with laterally extending wings 16 forming entrances which open into the body of thetunnel from the front portion of the board and are arranged at an oblique angle of inclination to the major axis or longitudinal center of the tunnel. These entrances 16 have certain playingvalues as ball conductors under certain conditions, as twenty points, for example.

Extending upwardly from the playing surface of the board within a tunnel at a point of junction of the entrance 11 with the body of the tunnel is an obstacle in the form of pins or pegs 17, which are centrally disposed and divide the entrance to form passages 18 and 19 adjacent to the respective side inlets 16. If desired the surface of the board may be completed by the provision of depressions or pockets 20 in the playing surface at points on line between the passages 13 and 14.- and the forward 60 acquired with interest and amusement to ends of the rear tubes or timnels 9, into which the ball traveling rearwardly from the tunnel is likely to seat. These recesses ma have like or different scorin values as, for example, one may have a scoring value of five points and the other of ten open at its top and forward end and pro vided at the latter-named point with a hinge member 23 suitably fastened to the playing surface of the board, so that the chute when not in use may be turned down parallel with the board and disposed in such position while placing the ball in position for a shot. The ball being placed and held in the pocket formed by the closed rear end of the chute, the latter is then elevated to form, an in clined conductor for the gravital travel of the ball forwardly along the playing surfaceof the board, it being understood that by raising the chute to a greater or less degree the ball may be shot or propelled with greater or less velocity. The ball in traveling forwardly up the inclined plane formed by the playing surface is liable to strike the adjacent forward tunnel 9 and to be deflected backwardly, or to strike the forward end wall 4: or one of the deflectors 7 and to be deflected backwardly, the ball thence rolling rearwardly and downwardly over the inclined playing surface. As it rolls it is liable to take in one of the indicated courses, 7 by whlch one or more plays may be made of use of the board will, it is thoughtbe readily understood from the foregoing description, and it will be evident that the board may be employed for playing an arbitrary game which may be called either Through the tubes, and simulate the travel of a vehicle through different courses of a system, or for playing a game or scoring points in accordance with any suitable style of play or understanding between the players." It will'also be evident that by its use great skill in handling the ball may be the players, and also with value in training the eyes and hands in controlling the ball in accordance with known physical laws.

I claim l. A game apparatus comprising a shallow tray-like receptacle of oblong rectangular form and providing a playing field with a surrounding marginal wall, a tunnel at the center of the playing field having a forward entrance, a rear entrance divided into separate passages, and inclined side entrances opening toward the forward end of the playing field, deflectors projecting up ward from the playing surface and separating the first-named entrance of the tunnel into passages adjacent to'the respective sideentrances, front and rear pairs of tunnels or tubes arranged upon the playing surface in divergent relation between the cen- .tral tunnel and o) )osite ends of the board and means upon the board for projecting a ball across the surface thereof.

2. A game apparatus comprising a shallow tray-like receptacle of oblong rectangular form and providing a playing held with a surrounding marginal wall, a tunnel at the center of the playing field having a forward entrance, a rear entrance divided into separate passages, and inclined side entrances opening toward the forward end of the playing field, front and rear pairs of tunnels or tubes arranged upon the playing surface in divergent relation between the central tunnel and opposite ends of the board, and means upon the board for projecting a ball across the surface thereof.

3. A game apparatus comprisingv a shallow tray-like receptacle of oblong rectangular form and providing a playing field with a surrounding marginal wall, deflectors at the forward corners of the playing field, a tunnel at the center of the playing field having a forward entrahce, a rear entrance divided into separate passages, and inclined side entrances opening toward the forward end of the playing field, deflectors projecting upward from the playing surface and separating the first-named entrance of the tunnel into passages adjacent to the respective side entrances, front and rear pairs of tunnels or tubes arranged upon the playing surface in divergent relation between the central tunnel and opposite ends of the board, and means upon the board for projecting a ball across the surface thereof.

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

HERBERT W. COLLINS. lVitnesses M. C. DAvIDsoN, JOHN BEECHEY.

.Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

Images