US1614471A - Japanese peanut ping-pong game - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 18, 192,7. 1,614,471

A. T. HAYASHI JAPANESE PEANUT PING PONG GAME Filed August 18. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheetl E' .1. 6, A W S1 1,0 1 11 #fl-#- T--f 151%. I :u 18 O G C `O 14/@1655300000 ,A n i; v19 @f `106,@ m 8,

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Jan. 18,1927. 1,614,471

A. T. HAYASHI w JAPANESE PEANUT PING PONG GAME Filed August 18. 1926' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nde ZHaLqaJz z',

I' IRI/tenan' Patented Jaa. 18,1927.

4UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcl-z..

ANDREW 'l'.IHAYASHIQOF VENTNOB, NEW JERSEY.

JAPANESE YEAN'UT PING-PONG GAME.

l.Aplzolicaticn led August 18, 1926. Serial No. 129,907.

pong consists of a table that may ormay` not be inclined and is provided at its far end, or lower end, with a plurality ofholes in series behind one another and the object- -l of the game is to roll a ball down the table and have it drop in some of the rearmost holeswhich, of course, are protected by the ones in front of them, and after the ball has been rolled a number of times, designating l numbers for the holes in which the ball has settled, are added and a prize or favor given to the player, commensurate with the total score thus obtained.

.One of the objects of the present inven- 2" tion is to provide a board or table set at an incline `and also provided with a plurality of holes near its lower end, the holes bein in a diamond formation, that is, one hole, tien two, then three, up to five'and then in the inverse order. Two guideways extending from the line of greatest number of holes to the far end are provided, and under the holes there are placed a plurality of electrical spring contacts. There is also provided a foot board extending vertically from the rear end which is provided with a number of lights in the same formation as the holes at the rear end of the board, and these lights or lamps are individually operated by 485 an obj-ect settling in a hole in the board thus designating in which hole the object has dro ped.

till another object of the invention is to provide the board or game as above mentioned, and to further provide an object to drop in the holes that will not travel in any strai ht ,line or predetermined path, such as W en a spherical object' or ball is rolled down an incline.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the traveling object in the form of a huge peanut' in which is encased a heavy wei ghtwhich may be spherical in shape. As the casing forthis weight is in the shape of .50 a huge 'peanut' and the ends are irregular,

when the peanut is liberated at the upper' end of the board it willturn over end for.

end, but instead of rolling in a direct path, it will zigzag not only down the board,

.l but also partly across the same and never Il take the same course twice in succession.

i Still another object of the invention is to provide a table with a series of holes therein and also aseriesof lamps at its end,l which are electrically operated b'y the peanut dropping in any of the respective holes. Some of the holes will be designated by a red light while others have a blue light to designate them, which colored lights will have different values or counts when adding `up the total score.

Still another object of the invention is to provide 'a game wherein instead of using an ordinary ball, an irregular shaped object is used, preferably in the shape of a hugev peanut and havin irregular ends in which there is a weight w ich is free to move longi-l tudinally of the peanut and slightly later' ally so that skill does not enter'into the game, but mere luck or chance is the conf; trolling feature. t i

With these and other objects in view, the` invention consists in certain new and novel arrangements and combination of arts as will be hereinafter more fully descri d and pointed out in the claims.

Referring now more particularly to the drawin showing a preferred embodiment of my invention. v

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the board or table showing arrangement of the formation of holes and lamps.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the foot board and the lower part of the table being shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showin the wiring arrangement for the/holes an the lights.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section view showing the peanut within one of the holes and` operating a contact member to light a light.

-Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing the weight in dotted lines enclosed within the shell of the peanut. n

Fi 7 is a cross sectional view thereof showing the weight within the shell..

Fig. 8 is a-view showing how the object resembling a peanut is assembled, and

Y Fig. 9 shows a chart of how the points may be counted for the different lights by the rolling object.

Referring now more specifically to Figs.

the legs 1 and braces 2 and the top 3,and it is to be noted that the legs at the forward,

end ofthe table are longer than the rear legs so that the top will be inclined toward its rear or far end. At the near end of the top 3 there is shown a compartment'4 for holdin the movable objects which will be hereina ter designated as peanuts 5. iA short distance below this compartment there is a line 6 and printed on the table by this line are the words Start here. The edges of the top are limited by the side pieces 7, while near the rear end are the two guides 8, which are placed substantially in V formation so that when the peanut 5 is liberated at the top ofthe table, if it should pass the holes or openings 9 (shortly to be described), as far as the point 10, it will strike against the guide board 8 and drop into some one of the rearmost holes.

At the rear end of the table I provide a foot board 11, that is provided with -a plurality of lamp sockets 12 in which may be placed the lamp bulbs 13, and as may be seen in this Fig. 3 different colored bulbs may be interspersedbetween the ordinary white bulbs.

Referring for the moment to the holes 9 in the board, it will be seen that theyrun in series from one hole to five holes and then again in series to one hole, the outline of the holes being that of a diamond. In the same manner the sockets 12 are arranged on the foot' board 11, but in this instance, of course, the board is a vertical one and the diamond formation is in a vertical plane rather than nearly in a horizontal one.

Referring now for the moment to Fig. 4, I have shown in a diagrammatic way the manner ofsynchronizing the holesv with the lamps, that is, so that when the anut 5 drops, sa into the first hole 14 of the series of ho es 9, it will light the lowermost lamp 15 of the series of lamps 13.

The sockets 12, Fig. 4, it will be noticed, are connected by a common lead 16, that is,

` the lead is connected to one side of every one of the sockets and the line wire 17 is connected to one end of this lead and is also connected to a'socket or switch on the local current supply. v

`In the `same manner there is a metal strip 18 that extends beneath all of the holes and forms a common lead as may be seen in Fig. 4, while directly over this common lead there will be in each instance, a movable contact 19 which is in the form of a spring finger of brass which forms a good conductor so that when the peanut falls into the hole 14 the finger 1,9 will contact with the common lead or strip 18. The inner end of the finger 19 has the wire or lead 20 ex' tending therefrom and over to the other side of the lamp 15, therefore, a dropping of the peanut in, say the hole 14 closes the circuit as will be readily understood and the lamp 15 on the base board will light up. In the same manner al1 the lamps and lights are connected and operated.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the light wires and line wire as placed beneath a small substructure 21 of the top 3 and it will be understood that these wires might be under the sub-structure or above the sub-structure, this form of fastening means for the wires being shown to illustrate a' form of circuits only, the objectof course, being to have a common lead for the holes and a common lead for the lights and a separate spring finger electrically connected and placed beneath each of the individual holes so that when the peanut drops in any of the holes it will engage a spring finger contact, and light the light on the board that corresponds in position to the hole in the table.

Referring now to one of the most important parts of the invention and to Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, there is shown the peanut which comprises a shell divided longitudinally thus forming the upper half 22 and the lo wer half 23. Both halves are provided with a smooth edge 24 and one half of the Vshell about its edge is a little smaller in external diameter than the other so that one edge may fit within the other as clearly shown in Fig. 7. After the two halves are slightly telescoped or wedged together, a

heavy piece of about the edges 1n position.

Before these shells are assembled, however, a heavy steel ball 26`is placed within the shell, the ball being slightly less in diameter than the cross section of the peanut s( that it is free to move from end to end o the shell'and slightly laterally of the same.

The outer ends 27 of the peanut are purposely irregular in shape and outline so that when the peanut is liberated atA the starting line 6 it will by no means just turn over end for end and travel in a straight line, but on the other hand, due to its irregular shape, and the loosely contained ball, the peanut will turn end for end and wabble down the board, first in` one direction and then in the other and finally drop into one ofthe holes.

The outer contour of the peanut shell is full of depressions and lumps to simulate as closely in appearance the ordinary peanut shell, but, of course, on a large scale as the actual length of the peanut is nearly "four inches. i

The shells are made and formed of a very gummed paper 25- is banded to tightly hold the two parts heavy compressed paper which I have so far only been able to secure in Australia, al' though shells made of any stiff bre or paper that will retain the shape and willv stand.

therough and continuous usage to which they are put would'serve the pur ose.

yAs shown in Fig. 9`there is a c iart showing that if three peanuts are liberated at the upper end of the board and drop in to certain of the holes, which are designated by the blue light lighting'and the red light and the further blue light liirhtiiig, the count would be 10,000 points, and the highest prize given would go t o the player of the gaine. On the other hand, should the three white lights be lit after the peanuts have been liberated and settled in certain ot the holes only 100 points would be counted`for the player oi the game.

Of course, the lamps will stay lighted as long as the peanuts are in the holes and` weigh down the spring fingers or contacts, but as soon as the peanuts are removed the circuits will be broken and the lights, of course, go out. t

I ain aware that itis old topiovide a series of holes in a board andto havelights light up when an objectcomes to rest'in-one of the holes, and I am also aware that vit is old to have' small capsules with a Weight therein in a game and to tilt the board to try and make the capsule turn from end to end and make it go into another compartment as shown in the patent to Worden No. 617,549 of 1899, but it will be" appreciated in the present instance that the-table or board is stationary and-that there isa natural ineline to' it and the moving objectcan be in no way directed or controlled after it is once liberated or started down the table.

Furthermore, the object in this instance is of irregular shape, especially at its ends, and when liberated will not travel ina straight line from one end of the table to the holes such `,as in the ordinary ping pong game, but on the other hand it will turn over end for end in its travels, will `wabble first in one direction and then in another, far different from an ordinary spherical object that is rolled along a table either horizontal or at an'inclined plane. v

The game in actual use hasl proved a very popular one due to the fact that the structure and appearance of the movable object is novel and the lighting of the lights has a fascinating appeal.

Furthermore. one who has never played the gaine has just as much chance to win a y,big prize as one who has practiced or played the game many times.

Should, of course, the peanut not come to rest in any ofthe holes, the player is allowed to liberate another one.

Finally the peanut Will appear to come to rest in a certain hole only to tilt once more, due to the momentum and moving of the ball in the peanut, and come to rest at its oppiosite end in another one of the holes.

any slight changes might be made Without in any way departing from the spirit` produced in relative y same formatioif as,

the holes in the board and substantially at right angles to the openin s in the4 board, a plurality of electrica contacts res ectively situated beneath the said holes an electricall connected with said lights, and an irregu ar shaped object to be liberated at the head of the board, drop in one of said holes and operate one of said` elecl trical contacts to thereby light a corresponding light and reproduce the relative position of the irregular shaped object.

2. A game comprising a board slanting towards its rear end and provided with series.` of openings therein, a series of li hts repro- -duced in arrangement and position to the holes in said board, electrical spring contacts beneath each of the said holes and electrically connected respectivelyA with said lights, an irregular shaped object having a Weight therein, adapted to be liberated at the head of thel board and to descend by gravity down the board end over end and in a tortuous path to drop into one of said holes to thereby operate a spring contact and light a. correspondingl positioned li ht to portray the position o the irregular s aped object. i

l 3. A game comprising a hoard slanting t0- ward itsrear end and provided with a series ot' holes in definite relation to each other, a plurality of lights reproduced in the same definite `relation as the holes in the board and spring contacts located beneath each of the holes and electrically connected with the respective light, some of the lights being White and other of the lights being of distinguishing colors, a Weighted object with iio irregular shaped ends adapted to be liberated at the head of the board and descend in a zig zag path down the board and drop into one ofsaid holes, to`\ thereb operate one of the spring contacts and lig t a correspondiiigly positioned light to diagrammaticall show in which hole the object has droppe 4. An amusement game comprisin 'a board positioned at an incline and rovided with a. plurality of holes in arit metical progression at its ar end, a board havinv' a plurality of electric light sockets secure thereon and arranged in the same arithmetical progression, spring contacts beneath each .of the said holes and electrically connected with said sockets so that an operation'of one contact will c lose the circuit to a correspondingly positioned socket, diierent oolored electric bulbs within said sockets, a shell provided with a weight therein and the weight heavy enough to depress the spring contact when it drops int'o one of said holes to thereby vlight a designating and corresponding light on `the board and dlagrammatically portray the osition of* the shell.

5. A game of the apanese ping pong type comprising aboard positioned at an 1neline and provided with a series of openings therein, a foot board extending `upwardly on the board and having a plurality of sockets corresponding in arrangement to the arrangement off the holes in the board, electrical spring contacts beneath the said holes, electrical circuits extending respectively from the said contacts to said sockets, a movable object in the form of a huge peanut having a shiftable weight therein and said peanut adapted to pursue a tortuous pat-h down the board, drop into one of said openings and thereby cause a respectively positioned light to function onthe base board to simulate the actual respective position of the peanut in the socket.

6. In a game of the Japanese ping pong type a releasable object com rising two elongated parts of a shell simu ating in appearance a peanut of hu e dimensions, a ball within the shell andv t e shell parts secured toeach other throughout their length.

7 A movable ob]ect for a game comprising two semi-shells formed of material rela tively light in Weight, a weight positioned within the shell and the semi-shells fastened together throughout their longer dimension to therebyform a substantial unitary structure, and' said object when liberated on the inclined plane descending in a tortuous path end over end.

8. A device adapted to travel in a tortuous path'down an inclined plane comprising a shell formed of two halves and the two halves divided along their greatest dimension, a weight movable longitudinally and laterally'of the shell, and the parts of the shell secured to each other to form a substantial unitary structure. i

In testlmony whereof I atlix my signature.

ANDREW T. HAYASHI.

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