US1432830A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

W. E. BLACKBURN.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED :uLY1o.191a,

1,432,830. Y Patented 001:.24,1922

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET lx 8 WEB Zack 57472, mm1/w17,

-W. E. BLACKBURN.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 10,1918.

Y Patenied 0017.24, 1922, Y 2 2 SHEETS-snm L; h U 17529- Patented @cti 24, 192.2.

WILMUTI-I E. IBLACKBURN,`

OF SUT/INIT, NEW JERSEY.

.GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed July 10,

To ZZ fui/om t may concern yBe it known that l, llTiLMU'rH lil. BLACK- BURN, a citizenot the United State-s, and resident of Summit, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and uselul Improvements in Game Apparatus, oit' which the following-is a specilication. v n

rThis invention relates to improvements in game apparatus, pertainingl more particularly to means for controlling the` activity ot apparatus yof this type.

Game apparatus ot various types is well known, including` apparatus in which there is more or less requirement of skill in operation. Fees are generally charged for the use ot the apparatus, and in some ot the types-those inwhich the playing elements are fixed or otherwise secured in position. it has been possible to provide for prepayment as a requisite for the use oit the apparatus. Where, however7 the apparatus includes playing elements which are entirely separate from the fixed elements, this prepayment becomes more or less difficult, and it is the general practice to employ an attendant tor the purpose of taking care olf the playing' elements and collect the tees. thus materially increasing the cost of operation through the cost of additional labor.

The present invention is designed to overcome this dilliculty and permit operation of this latter type ot apparatusfunderprepayment principles, and; at the: same time provide the apparatus in such form as to practically dispense with attendance. This is obtained generally by automatically collecting the balls or missiles ata point normally` inaccessible, the allotted number of' balls or missiles being rendered accessible by manipulation of a control device in the presence ot the tee tokengthe control device may be an element operative m the re-setting ot the game apparatus.

vention is hereinafter disclosed. said vinvention consists in thev improved construction andA combination 'ot' parts hereinafter tully described, illustrated inthe accompanying' drawings.and more particularly pointed 'out in theappended claims.,

191e. sei-iai No. 244,258.

In the accompanying drawings, in which 2 is a view, partly in sectionand partly in elevation, showing.mechanism for carrying out the principles of the invention; Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view olI parts shown in Figure 2; Figure il is a cross-sectional view taken on line fl-el ot Figure 3 Figure 5 is a detail perspective view ot a locking dog or pawl; Figure G is a detail perspective view showing a 'simple form ot actuating' device operative in connection with the control.

The game apparatus'illustrated is ot the general type disclosed in my companion application tiled August 2l, 1.9i?. Serial No, 187,327, in which t indicates a target carrying' a plurality ol goals or pockets L, the

target being located at the rear ot' a runway c over which the balls or missiles are moved, said runway havingitsrear end upturned--` curved or inclined-as at c', causing the travelling' ball or missile to be trajected upwardv from the runway into contact with ar baille Z located above the goals, the latter dellectinif the ball or missile in the direction olf the goals. The goals may have ditierent goal values, and are preferably arranged in such manner that each discharges a ball or missile in such manner as .to cause the latter to pass into a ball race e located at one side of the runway, the balls being,` collected in the race e.

.in a companion application l have disclosed an indicating mechanisl'n which may be utilized in connection with the apparatus, thc exposure opening' thereof being' shown at j in Figure l.: an indicator element g being` shown as exposing indications through ,the opening'. The mechanism is olE a type requiring' re-setting` in advance ot playing' a game. and this re-settinp` lever is utilized in vconnection with the present invention, although it will lnyunderstood that the present `invent-ion may he utilized without the iildicating mechanisu'i referred to. Aliu the dawing's .l have indicated the lever at lz, and the connection with the speci-tic indicatino' structure at t.

.in practicing' thc present invention with the game apparatus disclosed. l. preferably toreshorten the race c so that its outer end similar to support l1..

terminates a suitable distance from the pila` ing end of the runway, the race preferably extending` to av lower plane than the runway to permit the'tormatioii ot a pocket l() bene-ath the latter. y rllhis pocket may be of Suitable formation, the drawingl indieating it as having a curved wall l0*L which. leads 'from the end of the fixed race e to the opposite side ot the runway trame, thev outer end ot the pocket being shown as partially open-sufficient space being) provided to .permit ot the removal of balls or missiles therefrom when the latter have been permitted to enter the pocket and pass into juxtaposition to a retaining member 10" at the open end ot' the pocket.

Race e is shown as terminating at the entrance to the pocket, the race being continued in the `form oi a pivoted section or support il which normally 'lormsa continuation ot the race so that the balls or missiles lare free to travel on to such pivoted support 1n returning over the racc7 the latter being` preferably'sufficiently sloped to cause such movement ot the balls or missiles as is usual. lllhile support ll is shown as equal in length to the depth of the poclret`l it will be understood that this is not arbit "ary, since race e may extend beyond tlie wall l0 otl the pocket, in which case it is preferred that the bottom ot the race be inclined transversely As support 1l. is designed to deliver but a predetermined number of balls or missiles, it will be understood thatthis may be controlled byincreasinfr the i length of race e or placing a iilling block at the outer end of the support. where a less number ot balls or missiles are to be delivered, the drawings indicating a number which just illsthe length ot the support.

` As shown in Figure 4, support ll normally inclined downwardly from its hinge line on a cross-section oi the support, thus normally retaining` the balls or `missiles in position thereon.` the opposite edge ot the support being' connected to a link l2 carried by an arm 13 projecting trom lever It. the latter being pivoted as at la?. a stop lil be- 'ing provided to limit the travel ol: the lever in one direction. )is will be understood. the balls or missiles will remain in the position ot ligure et as longas lever 71, is not shifted. thus retaining the supply for playing` the game inaccessible. It', however; lever V'/i be moved toward the lett in Figure Q. the movement will raise the free edge ot the support and place the latter on an inclination above lthe horizontal, with the result that the balls or missiles contained thereon will roll ott the support and nass. into the pocket where they will pass to the open end ot the latter. As this upward movement o't thc support carries the latter above the plane ot the bottom ot' race e it will be understood tliatany balls or missiles which may have been held tures ot the present invention is to provide tor prepayment, and this is had by prevent.- ing the pivotal movement ot' lever 7i excepting when the tee token has been placed in the apparatus, this token controlling the ability to shilt the lever. rlhemechanism for providing this result is more particularly illus rated in Figures Q, and G;

-As shown in Figures 2 and 6. lever 7L is provided with a control device in the form oi a token seat lt normally loc-ated invertical alignment with a slot l5 in the. :traine ot the runway, this seat being formed as a part ot a-plate or member 1.6 carried by the lever. Said seat is so arranged that when theflever is in normal position the token'will remain seated thereom but when the lever is shifted the token will pass therefrom into a runway 1T which maybe carried by the lever and leading to a suitable accumulating receptacle, not shown.

'1S indicates a latching dog or pawl. shown as ot the gravity type and pivotally mounted'as at ltlt. This dog or pawl carries a iirojection 1S" which normally lies within a rccess '1(5u ot member Mirthe end ofthe do; r or pawl extending into a depression or recess ltb. Dog or pawl 1S is also formed with an opening 18" extending in alinement with the slot and through which the token passes en route to its seat. As shown. opening 1S is Yflared at p its lower end *toV provide a wall iSd.

As will be seen from Figure 2. when the token `is in position on `its seat. movci'nent of the lever toward the leltwill cause the edge ot the-token to contact with wall 18d. with the result that as the lever continues its movement, dog 18 will be raised suiliciently to carry the end of thevdog above the top ot depression 16", permitting the lever to continue its movementprojection 18h raising` the dog sutlicicntly to 'free the token :from any retaining eitect which may be provided by the dog. "o that the token is free to pass on into the runway'l. This movement ot the lever delivers the balls 0r missiles, as heretofore explained. Then the lever is freed, it may be returned to `normal position in any desired manner; as by a spring 7i?.

When.y however, attempt is madeto shi't't the lever in the absence of a token, the end ol dogl or pawl 1S will contact with a wall o't depression 1.61. thus `preventing further movement ot' the lever and consequently retaining support ll in position to prevent delivery ol the balls or missiles thereon.

Cgi

for the next player or game. As the movements of the lever are dependent on the presence of the fee token, prepayment must be had to permit the playing to take place. Obviously, the mechanism employed is of simple character, efficient in operation, durable in construction, and capable of manufacture at low cost. i

`While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the` invention and one form of game apparatus to which it may be applied, it will be readily understood that this is more or less illustrative, the invention not being specifically limited to the particular form or arrangement of the mechanism or the particular surroundings in which it may be employed, since the exigencies of use may require changesvor variations therein or such changes or modifications may be found desirable for other reasons. I therefore desire to be Yumlerstood that I reserve the right to make any and all such changes or modifications of the invention as may be found desirable or essential in so far as the` same may fall within the spirit or scope of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims, vwhen broadly construed.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new is v l. In apparatus of the character described and in combination, a shiftable support, a pivoted lever operative to position and shift the support, said lever being` normally inclined from the vertical and movable toward and from the vertical in the support shifting movements, said lever having' a seat for a token with the seat operative to support the token thereon when the lever is in its normal position and to permit movement of the token from the seat when 'the lever is moved to the vertical position, and means for normally maintaining said lever against movement to prevent support shifting action, said means including a latch element normally cooperating with the lever to lock the latter against such movement, said element beingl shiftable to release the lever in the presence of a token, said latch element being located in the path of travel of the token and slotted for the passage of the token and positioned to direct the token to such seat when the lever is in its held position.

2. In apparatus of the character described and in combination` a shiftable support, a pivoted lever operative to position and shift the support, said lever being' movable between vertical and inclined positions during the support shifting movements and havinga token seat, said seat having a. configuration to Iretain the token in position when the lever is in an inclined position and ineffective to provide such support when the lever is moved to the vert-ical position, latch device cooperative with the lever to normally maintain the lever locked, said device being relatively.' positioned to cause movement of the device from latching position during lever movement had in the presence of a token on said seat, said latch element being locatedin the path of travel of the token and slotted for the passage of the token and positioned to direct the token to such seat when the lever is in its held position.

i3. In appz-iratus of the character described and in combination, a shiftable support, a pivoted lever operative to position and shift the support, said lever havinga token seat, a. pivoted latch element normally cooperative with the lever to maintain the latter locked. said element` havingl a face opposing said seat and normally positioned in the path of travel of a token carried on said. seat to provide movement of the element to release the lever by suoli token movements, and a chute carried by and movable with the lever to receive the token vwhen the lever is moved to a predetermined position,

Signed' at New ,Yorin in the count)Y of New York and State of lNew York, this fifth day of July, A. l). 1918.

lVILMU' Il l. BLACKBURN.

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