US1282342A - Game and toy apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

B. Nl. WHITEKER.

GAME AND TOY APPARATUS.`

APPLICATION FILED APR. x6, 19|?.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

. "m l (Q K r B. M. WHITEKER.

GAME AND TOYIAPPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APH. Is. I9I7.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

BOSQUE M. WHITEKER, F HASKELL, TEXAS. Y

GAME AND TOY APPARATUS'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Oct. 22, H87;

Application led April 16, 1917. Serial No. 162,236.

To all whom t may' concern.:

Beit known that I, BosQnn M. WHITEKER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Haskell, county of Haskell, State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Way of a Game and Toy Apparatus, of which the following is a full specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a game and toy apparatus of the class wherein balls or arrows and the like are thrown from a spaced distance at an object located and set up within the field of the throw forV the purpose of scoring according to the number of hits made or otherwise, and my invention has for its principal obj ect the production of a game and toy apparatus of this character of new and uniquey design and which may be adapt-A ed to several different forms of games, or which may beadapted for use as a toy, it being'understood that the essence of my invention resides in the apparatus itself, and not inthe adaptation of said apparatus to any particularA form of game or toy; and any' particular' game which Amay be referred tol in' the course of this specification' and wherein. my apparatus is employed' is so referred" to' solely for the purpose of illustration as aV particular example ofv my apparatus in actual use. Another object of my invention is' to construct such apparatus` in a practical and substantialY form, and best adapted to meet the requirements of actual use. Y Other'objectsand advantages will appear' inthe course of Y thisspecification.

In the drawings, Figure 1' is a perspective side view ofmy invention; Fig.A 2 is a detail of thjevpaddle wheel shaft, paddle wheels and release mechanism; Fig. 3 is a frontal elevation on the line' 3'3 in Fig. 1'; Fig. 4.

is a detaillof the paddle lwheel release mechaanism; Fig. 5 is' a detailv showingrthe method of mounting the paddles upon the shaft.

Similar numerals' refer to similarV parts throughout theV several views.-

Referring-,inore particularly to the' drawing, theworkin'gl elements of my'invention are housed` within a suitable supportingframe, represented as a 'whole by A, made up of a plurality of vertical pillars as show-n at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, and a plurality of suitable. horizontal cross rails as shown at 9, 9', 10,110 and 11.,V A portion of the' pillars as 1,2, 3, and 4 located at the back end of the court may be extended upward as shown m theY drawings and a roof 12 may be provided'for the purpose of shielding the apparatus from the weather. The working elements of my apparatus are mounted within this protectedend of' the frame A. Said working elements comprise a revolving' shaft 13 journaled at each end in the standards 14 and 15, which latter may be mounted upon the rails 9 and 10 as shown; mounted upon the shaft 13 are apluralityof polyhedral axle blocks as shown at 16 in Fig. 5, there being one such axle block for each of the paddlewheels, which paddle wheelsy will be hereinafter described'. One end of each of said axle blocks is extended to the side of its paddle wheel and is rounded at that end so as to form short hubs as shown at 17, 18d, 19 and 20. Into each of said hubs, 17, 18', 19 and 20 are cut a plurality of shallow notches as shown at 21, 22, 23 and 24 in Fig. 5, said notches being arranged in parallelism with the shaft 13. Upon fthe sides of' each axle block are mounted paddles as shown at 2 5,- 26, 27 and'28- in Fig-5. The method of mounting these paddles upon the axle block` is unique and depends upon the form and 4design of the paddle itself as shown indetail in Fig. 5,v wherein it will be noted that each paddle is formed with an outwardly facing transversely disposed cleat at one end` as shown at 29, 30, 31 and 32 in Fig. 5, and an inwardly facing transversely disposed cleat located toward the middle ofthe paddle as shown at 33, 34, 35 and 36 ini Fig. 5;` the said cleats being so shaped and located that each respective outwardly facingl end cleat on one paddle engages and locks into and with each inwardly yfacing transversely disposed medialcleat on the adjacent paddle,`

by which dove-tail arrangement each set of paddles is securely locked onto their respective axle blockwithout the use of nails, screws, or other permanent fastening, and are also as readily removed whendesired.

A plurality of such paddle wheels as shown, at 37, 38,39 and may bemounted upon the shaft 13.- Spring control latches-41, 42, 43 and 44 are provided to control the rotation of the paddle wheels 37, 38, 39, and 40` upon the shaft 13. These latch springs are of coil formation, the inner endl of each coil as shown at 45vin Fig. 5being attached to the shaft 13 adjacent to' its respective paddle wheel as shown at 37 in Fig; 4, andthe outer end of the coil 46 being bent at right angles in parallelism with the shaft 13, and so disposed over the hub 17 as to play frictionally into and out of the notches 21, 22, 23 and 24 as the paddle wheel revolves, as shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5. Each of the paddle wheels 37, 38, 39 and 40 is similarly provided with a like spring control latch; and attached to and extending from each spring control latch run release cords 47, 48, 49 and 50, same being extended over pulleys as shown at 51, 52, 53, and connecting with a main release cord 54, which runs forward to the front of the court, and may be secured to the rail 11 for the purpose of easy manipulation by the operator.

In the vpreferable construction of my apparatus, one paddle on each paddle wheel may be weighted, so that the free tendency ofthe paddle wheels unrestrained by the control latches, will be to turn the Vweighted paddles downward, thereby normally maintaining the said paddle wheels in the same relative position when the control latches are released. Back of my apparatus is adjusted any suitable apron catch 59 for the purpose of catching the objects thrown, as for instance the balls 60, 61, and 62 as shown, and in the case of balls, delecting same into the chute 63, and carrying them back to the operatorv at the front of the court. A shield 64 of height just suiiicient to cover the lower paddles of the paddle wheels, is located immediately in front of the paddle wheels for the purpose of stopping objects, as balls, arrows or the like, which may be thrown too low.

In operation it will be noted that as the paddle wheels 37, 38, 39 and 40 revolve upon Y the shaft 13, the Ycontrol latches 41, V42, 43 and 44 follow the peripheries of the hubs 17, 18, 19 and 20, the ends of said control latches dropping into the transverse notches formed on the hubs as the wheelsrevolve.

The.frictional action of said control latches is adjusted to such tension relative to the unbalanced paddles 55, 56, 57 and 58 as to overcome the normal downward tendency of said weighted paddles,and so as to sustain the paddle wheels at that point in the course of their revolution where the friction of the control latches falling into the hub notches is sufficient to overcome the momentum of the wheels. This principle is of service in carrying out certain forms of games as will be hereinafter explained. Similarly, when the paddle wheels cease revolving and come to rest, and it is desired to return said paddle wheels to their original relative position, all that is necessary is for the operator to pull upon the main release cord 54, whereby the control latches 41, 42, 43 and 44 are drawn away from the hubs 17, 18, 19-and 20, the stress of the main pull being transmitted through the connecting cords 47, 48, 49 and- 50, and the weighted paddles 55, 56, 57 and 58 gravitate to the bottom. Pads, as shown at 65 in Fig. 5, may bc provided for the paddles, whichv pads maybe permanently attached, or may be sleeved so as to be readily removed or changed.

It is obvious that l have here designed a unique game apparatus, adapted likewise for use as a' toy when made up in small size. It is likewise obvious that this apparatus as such may be adapted to a variety of forms of games, or to a variety of forms of toys. As a ball game, for eXample,rcertain of the paddles, selecting say one ea'ch of each paddle wheel, may carry the 4figure of a noted ball player as shown by the letters B C D and in Fig. 3, and that ball player may stand as representative of any certain ball team or league, and the game may consist in the operator having five balls to throw for the purpose of displacing any three of the iigures by striking those paddles with the balls, thereby causlng the wheels to revolve and displacing the figures voriginally shown with bare paddles, leaving only his selected ligure remaining in sight; or the game may consist in the operator knocking out any certain iigure in a certain number ofthrows by striking that figure with the ball, and causing the wheel to revolve, or in lieu of the figures the paddles may be numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4 on each wheel, and the game may consist in the operator, say infive throws, striking the wheels successively so that when the wheels come to a `restany certain set of numerals will show along the faces of the paddles. These illustrations are given merely as such, and it is'obviousV that a great variety of combinations and. forms of games may be played on this apparatus'. Likewise arrowsr or blunt javelins may be used as the percussive agency against the1 paddles; orv where used as a toy, marbles may be employed. Y

While Ihave herein described a certain specific forni and design for thev construction of the several .parts of my invention, and the assembling ofthe same as a working whole, it is understood that Imay vary from said construction in minor details, not

departing from the spirit of my invention, so as best to construct my apparatus `to meet practical and Vvarious requirements.

For instance, while the drawings,` show a four bladed paddle wheel, thenumber may be increased or diminished by forming the axle blocks with faces kto correspond tothe number required. Also while the paddles are described as having cleats located thereon, such cleats may constitutecpart of selves. p Y

WhatIclaim iS: .Y 1. A game and ltoy apparatus comprising a frame; ashaft 'set therein; rotatable,

the integral formation of the paddles them-V polyhedral axle blocks mounted endwise on the shaft; demountable paddles locked to the faces of the axle blocks.

2. A game and toy apparatus compris in a frame; a shaft set therein; rotatable, po yhedral axle blocks mounted endwise on the shaft; demountable paddles locked to the faces of the axle blocks; and releasa'ble means of control over the paddles.

3. A game and toy apparatus comprising a frame; a shaft set therein; rotatable, pohyhedral axle blocks mo-unted endwise on the shaft; unbalanced, demctmtable paddles locked to the faces of the axle blocks; and

' releasable means of control over the paddles.

4;. A game and toy apparatus, comprising a frame; a shaft set therein; rotatable polyhedral axle blocks mounted endWise on the shaft; unbalanced, interlocking, de-

i mountable paddle locked concentrically, outstandingly and transversely around the faces of the axle blocks; and releasable means of control over the paddles.

5. A game and toy apparatus, comprising a frame; a shaft set therein; polyhedral axle blocks, having extended hubs bearing longitudinal, peripheral grooves, rotatably mounted on the shaft; paddles adjusted end- Wise and transversely to the faces of the axle blocks, said paddles being so formed as to automatically interlock When placed in position; a spring latch attached to the shaft adjacent to each axle block, the outer free end thereof having frictional engagement with the hub grooves aforesaid; a release cord for each spring latch.

6. A game and toy apparatus comprising a frame; a shaft set therein; a plurality of paddle Wheels rotatably mounted on the shaft, each Wheel being composed of an axle block polyhedral on one end and bossed on the other end to form a hub bearing 1ongitudinal, peripheral grooves, a paddle for each side of the polyhedron, one paddle relatively heavier, and all formed and cleated so as to automatically interlock endWise around the polyhedron; a spring latch for each axle block, one end thereof attached to the shaft, the other frictionally engaging the hub grooves aforesaid; a release cord attached to each spring latch; a main release cord connecting with the several release cords and extending to the forward end of the frame; a shield located in front of and covering the lower rovs7 of paddles; a catch apron located at the back; a chute leading from the catch apron to the front of the court. f

BOSQUE M. VVHITEKER.

Witnesses:

J. E. LEFLAR, J. D. SMITH.

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

Washington, D. C.

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