US1326071A

US1326071A - Richard l

Info

Publication number: US1326071A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1936-12-23

Description

R. L. LLOYD.

GAME.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.25, 1919.

Patented Dec. 23

:RICHARD L. LLOYD, or MINNEAPoLIs, MINNESOTA.

GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

Application filed January 25, 1919. Serial No. 273,167.

To all lwhom z't'may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD L. LLOYD, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and lState .of Minnesota, have 4invented certain new and useful Improvements in Games; and I do hereby declare the ,following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus and more particularly to a game involving the use of targets or pieces to be struck, as for instance, a pin or set of pins of the bowling alley or ten pin type.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in amusement and game apparatus for the exercise of mental and physical skill on the part of the players or player to secure the desired results, and to provide ,an apparatus which will afford a clean and attractive source of amusement, and will at the same time serve to develop the mind, the eye, and the body in the playing f the game oruse of the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to improve games or amusement apparatus of the typeinvolving targets or pieces to be struck by a propelled object so that the pieces impinged by the object may bereadily detached and instantly removed from the field of vision, and of the played or propelled object; s`o as to eliminate obstruction of the field by the struck target or piece, and totherefore leave a clear view of the remaining piece or pieces, and itlis a further object in this connection to provide means acting individually on each piece or target in opposition to a force which acts to hold the piece or object in a given field.

It is further an object of the invention to provide means individual to each piece or target, whereby the same may be eectually, temporarily attached to a suitable supporting surface in a given field in a most simple,

j inexpensive, practicable and efiicient manner, and in this connection it is also an object of the invention'to provide a means for resetting each or all of the pins that may have been detached by a moving object or objects from the supporting surface in a facile and expeditious manner, and which setting up of the pins may be ,accomplished from a position or station remote from the iield in -which the targets or pieces arel usually vset up.

It is moreover an object of the invention to providein a game or amusement apparatus pneumatic or suction means whereby the target can be quickly attached to a supporting surface, and which pneumatic device in one form may be readily disconnected from its pin or target; to enable renewal or replacement and to provide further means adapted to be readily connected to the target or piece, by which the latter may be instantly withdrawn from the field when the target is detached from its support in the field, and which withdrawing means may be readily detached to enable the use of the target or pin without thedetaching means.

Among the objects of the invention, one purpose 1s to provide in a game employing one or .more pins or targets arranged in a field, along which theremay be propelled la ball or other striking object, a projecting device or striker designed to enable the exercise and development of skill by care and accuracy on the part of the player; so that the played member or ball canbe impinged by the striker after the ball may have been set at any selected position, and

4which striker involves a member designed to make a point contact with the ball, the striker lalso being capable of careful and refined adjustment lor gaging with respect to the ball to be played, and with respect to the pins to be struck by the ball.

I/Vith these and other objects as will be readily manifest to those versed in the art,.

the invention consists of the construction, the combination, and in details and arrangement of the parts, as will be more particularly described hereinafter, relative to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved apparatus as embodied in one form, and which comprises an elongated table or alley.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view through the game, the section being in a vertical plane.

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view partly in elevation, showing the mechanism of the setting-up device.

Fig. ,4 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus on line 1 -4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view of the suction cup, the pin, and the tension member disassembled.

Fig. 6ris an assembled view of the parts shown in Fig'. 5. p

It is to be understood that the principles of my invention may be incorporated in a very large variety of amusement or game apparatus, and while I have shown the same as in the embodiment of the tenpin type, it is not to be construed as limited thereto, because it is obvious that the ten pins or target members, or pieces that are to be played upon, may be set up on any suitable supporting surface in any appropriate field, and that the character 0f the surfage, the field, and the general organization of the appa.- ratus is therefore greatly variable.

For purposes of illustration therefore, the

apparatus is shown as involving-a set or any suitable number of targets, or pieces to be played upon, here indicated as ten pins 2; each of which is designed to be held by air pressure to a suitable supporting surface in a field, so that they can be played upon or aimed at by a suitable played projected piece, as for instance, a ball B, which in this case is capable of being rolled along an alley surface A.

To secure the holding of the pins or a pin 2 to its supporting surface by air pressure, I prefer to employ a suction cup 3 for each pin, which latter is shown as countersun-k or vbored at 4; to receive a stem portion 5 on the top of the suction cup 3; although this exact form of construction is not essential but provides a convenient means for detachably securing the cup to its pin, and also for securing in position an elastic or tension member 6 to the pin; this tension member acting in opposition to a suction cup 3, so as to instantly remove the pin from the field of play when it is detached from the supporting surface. To secure this operation the elastic member 6l is attached or attachable at one end to an overhead support or bridge D, which may be provided with a hook or series of hooks 7, one for each pin, and to receive the eye or loop 8 at the upper end of the tension member 6, whose opposite end has passed through a central bore 9 in the p'in 2, and is attached to the stem 5 of the cup 3. One purpose of this method of assembly is to enable the entire removal of the suction cup 3 'and the elastic member 6 from the pin for purpose of renewal or repair, and also to enable the pin to be set up lwithout the applied tension of member 6.

wardly against 'the surface of the alley and will be held thereonpby air pressure acting upon the suction cups 3, and these are designed to hold the pins in position with a force slightly greater than that exerted by the tension and withdrawing means, in the illustrated embodiment comprising the tension members 6.

One ofthe important features of the present invention resides in means, whereby any or all of the pins that may have been detached as one struck by the played ball B, may be quickly, accurately and simultaneously set-up, and a simple means for securing'this comprises a presser plate'P, which is of an area substantially co-eXtensive with the area of the bridge D, and has a series of perforations 10, designed to receive the necks of the pins 2 when the plate P is moved in parallel position toward the supporting surface upon which the pins or targets are to be set up; the pins being so formed or coperative with the plate F that after the pins have been forcibly at-` tached to the supporting surface, the plate P may be withdrawn leaving the pins erect and properly arranged. The tension members 6 obviously pass through the apertures 10 in the setting up plate P, irrespective of the position of the plate, as they extend in lines parallel to the movement of the plate. The plate may be reciprocated between its upper and lowermost positions by any suitable means, to secure the setting u of the detached pins, and as here shown t e plate Yhas a pair of stanchions 11, which are slidably guided in Ways l2, formed in suitable framework or box structure of the ltable or alley A, and the lower ends of the stanchions are provided with inwardly directed pins or rollers 13, designed to engage inclined camways 14 provided therefor in the box structure, and which comprise rigidly connected wings or side members connected to suitable actuating means comprising a pair of forwardly extending arms 15, or otherwise suitably constructed pulling means, and are guided in suitable ways 16, provided therefor in the boX structure or framework. `When thisstructure is used the bars 15 are transversely connected rigidly, and are provided with a' laterally extended handle 17 operating in a slot 18 provided therefor; the handle being conveniently disposed for access by the operator or player and preferably at a yposition adjacent to the players stand or station, so that by pulling the handle the cam members 14 arereciprocated,

and will react on the stanchions 11 and cause the downward movement of the plate P, so that the detached pins will be reset and then the handle 17 can be `pushed back, to cause the elevation of the plate P. l

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a very simple, practicable, inexpensive and easily operated game apparatus,

in which,v the pins or pieces to be struck are held to their supporting surface by pneu-` automatically returned to the players end of the alley or structure by providing oii the table or surface A run-ways 20, along which the ball can travel to the end of the same where it will pass 0E of the table or surface A, and from the valleys or run-ways 20 into a pocket 21, having a concave bottom 22, leading to a return chute or trough 23, declining toward the front end of the apparatus, where there is provided a stop 24, against which the ball or balls may rest until required.

The framework or structure may if desired, be pivoted adjacent to its center of gravity jon a base 25, on which is mounted a turnable table 26 on the bottom of the frame of the apparatus, to vpermit the latter to be swung ina horizontal plane from one player to another, if they are standing in a position in the form of an arc about the center ofthe pivot stand 25, thus enabling the convenient playing by the individual players, without requiring their movement toward or from that end of the table. i

A feature of my invention which is designed to encourage the exercise of skill and develop accuracy on the part of the player or players, consists in providing at the players end of the table or station thereof, a striker or ball propelling device whereby the ball B can be projected not only with variable force along the alley or table surface A, but also which enables the player to very carefully determine and choose. the precise path of movement, which he thinks will be most eective for the ball in making the plays for the purpose of knocking over a pin or pins 2 in the target field of theapparatus. To that end the improved striker comprises a carriage, represented as a box 30 of generally oblong form with its length parallel to the usual path of travelof the ball or axis of the alley, and is laterally shiftable along rails or rods 31, extending transversely across the frame structure; one

handle 32, projecting through .an aperture therefor in the side of the frame and by -which the carrier may be shifted laterally on its supporting rods 31, so as to suitably position a striker comprising a spherical bumper at the desired point, to impinge against the ball, which may be deposited in one or another of a series of very shallow concavities 34, forming seats at the players end of the alley, these being so disposed with relation to the rest position of the striker or bumper 33, that the ball -will be engaged by the striker before the latter finally comes to the stop or rest position. The striker or bumper is shown as secured on the upper end of an arm 35; in the lower portion having a knob 36 attached to a rod 37, passing through the adjacent end of the carriage 30, and being surrounded by a spring 38,

which reacts against a piston or shoulder 39 on the inner end of the rod 37. The spring normally tends to force the piston rod with the striker 33 toward the series of seats 34 for the ball, and preferably the length of the spring 38 controlling the action of the striker 33 is less than the length of the piston rod 37; so that there is lost play of the striker device outwardly with respect to the inert spring 38. This being for the purpose of allowing the striker to be pulled back to the dotted line position in Fig. 2 without reaction of the spring 38, and therefore allowing the positioning of the ball B in the path of the full stroke of the striker 33 since obviously the latter must move inwardly to a position at the end of its stroke to engage the ball.

It will be seen that with the form of construction of the striker or ball propelling device as just described, it will be possible for the operator or player to strike the ball B either on a dead center, that is, with the` aXis of the striker 33 alining. with a diameter of the ball, or the player can set the striker 33 so that its aXis will be shifted either to the right or to the left of the`dead center position to cause the ball to move obliquely with respect to the length of .the alley. It

'is obvious that by virtue of the capacity ot 34 as formingseats for the ball B, obviously any other suitable device or manner of teinporarily holding the ball against accidental moving until struck by the striker may be utilized.

` For the purpose of facilitatinoV shipping storing, and handling of the apparatus when:

made in the form illustrated, the frame or ta-` ble may be made up of a plurality of sections a-b--c, which may be securely clamped together endwise by any suitable fastening means, as for instance, by a turn-buckle 40, the ends of which are provided with eyes 4:1, detachably connectible to heads .42, suitably mounted on the outer sections a and c, so that these may be drawn snug against the intermediate section B.

What is claimed is:

l. ln a game or amusement apparatus, a eld, a series of independent objects each having a vacuum cup on a portion thereof whereby when the objects are pressed to a surface, they will bedetachably held in the field and means extending through said objects and engagingsaid vacuum cups for constantly exerting a detaching effort on the objects, and means for resetting such of the l objects as may become detached.

2. In a game, a target or piece to be played upon having a suctlon device on one end by which it may be attached vto a surface; a stem on said suction device, and an elastic member attached to said stem, Whereby it is withdrawn from the field whenY land an elastic member attached to 'said suction device, whereby it is withdrawn from the field when detached therefrom; the piece having a socket to detachably receive a stem on the suction device; the elastic member being attached to the stem of said suction device through `a bore in the piece.

4. In a game, a target or piece to be played upon having a suction device on one end by which it may be attached to a surfaceyand an elastic member attached to said piece, whereby it is withdrawn from the field when detached therefrom; the piece having a socket to detachably receive a stem on the suction device, and means for detachably connecting said members to a support.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature.

Bierman L. LLo'YD.

Mtl