US1697995A - Toy - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 8, 1929.

A. E. MOORHEAD TOY Original Filed March 13. 1922 INVENTOR. W/T f I AliffiTL-YMWF/ifflfl 4- ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 8, 1122;?

teases ans i r ALBERT E. MGOEHEAD, OF OAKLAI'ED, CALIFGEIJLIA, AESIGNOR 0F ONE-FOURTH T0 ROBERT DA'LZEEL, OF 0.

LAND, CALIFQENIA.

TOY.

Application filed March 1a, 1922, semi-.1 is. 543,334.

This invention relates to amusement devices and especially to apparatus affording means for playing games.

The present invention is an improvement upon the general type of apparatus disclosed in my application Serial No. {528,721, filed January 12, 1922. In that appllcatlon I disclosed a barrier including a series of independent and spaced resilient tensioned elements whereby to recoil an object thrown against the barrier. I

An object of my present invention isrto provide an improved barrier consisting of means which will preventthe climbing of the thrown object, especially a ball, over or through the barrier. Particularly an object is to provide a barrier which will intercept the thrown or played object and will return the same opposite to the direction from which it came.

Another object is to provide a simple. 11161;. pensive and substantial toy wherewith there may be played a variety of games.

Another object is to provide a toy which can be assembled into extended front stop and back stop forming means and the elements of which can be compactly folded to be conveniently stored in'a box or receptacle of suitable dimensions.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be made manifest in the following description of the preferred form of the invention, which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment shown by the said drawings and description, as variations may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Figure l is a front elevation of the part of the toy which may be called the back stop.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. 1

Fig. 8 is a. plan view of the front stop located at the players station.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the front stop showing the escape apertures therein.

In its illustrated form the invention includes a pair of spaced supports 2 projecting up from one corner of each of which is a post or column 3 which is shown in Fig. 1 as having a brace 4, though this may be eliminated, if desired. To secure the desired stable. This may also be secured Renewed May 24, 1928 weight the base 2 of a support is provided with parts of suitable ornamentation, as at 5; this being for the purpose of obtaining sui'licientweight to render the supports by extending rearwardly a foot portion, as at 6, Fig. 2.

Means are provided for rigidly connecting and spacing the distance and this means includes preferably a top rail 7 which may be'in the form of a wooden or metal rod of requisite strength passing through apertures in the upper ends of the posts 3 and may be secured, as by a set of clamping means shown, as a screw 8.

A preferred form of recoil means consists of a flexible barrier which may consist of continuous sheet or a continuous strip of material, as for instance, a net 10. To secure the desired results I find that the corners of the net should be connected, to the posts3 by resilient means such as rubber bands or elastic cords 11. This results in tensionin the-top and the bottom stretches of the net to a. degree greater than the intermediate portion of the net from top to bottom so that when an object, as a ball is thrown against the net, it will impinge the net above the bottom tensioning means 11 and flex the net rearwardly, the concavity formed beneath the top.tensioned Stretch forming a valley from which the ball cannot roll over the'top of the net. If desired, the ends of the net intermediate the corners may be connected to the posts by resilient cords or other means 11, having less degree of tension than the top and bottom tensioning members 11, when the supports oranchors 2 are moved and held apart to tension the resilient supporting means. p

From this it will be seen that any spherical object rolled against the net will be caught and thrown back toward the playing station. i

To provide for the playing ofa different type game, such for instance as shuflle board, in which there is utilized a disc D of suitable height, diameter and material, additional means are employed for returning the disc. Then this disc is used in a. game played with the apparatus above described, it will be intercepted as it slides along the plane surface, upon which the barrier is erected, by a resilient and tensioned member as a cord 12 connected at its ends to the posts by strips supports apart a suitable,

engaged by the bottom of 12 of rubber or other suitable resilient material. To prevent the interference by the net with the game of shuiileboard, I provide a hook 13 which can be shifted, as for instance along the top spacing rod or bar toward the middle of the'same and i lower stretch of the net can be pulled upw: 'dly and the heel; 13 so that the not entirely clears the shuttle disc D.

A further feature of the invention involves a front stop or guard against which the recoiled objects may strike. This guard also may be utilized to provide for the playing of another type of game; as for instance the front stop or guard may comprise a set of connected wooden or other slats'15, the contiguous ends of which may be hinged at 16,

so that the slats can be folded upon one another so as to be convenientlypaclred in a suitable box or case. T he outline of the front stop may be of any desired form and is shown as including an intermediate or central piece from the ends of which extend connected oblique adjustable front and side wings. The slats 15 of the front stop nay be of suitable height to permit the provision of escape apertures 15 of 7 suitable number and if, during the playing of a game, the thrown object, whenrecoiled by the barrier 10, passes through one of the escape apertures 15, this maybe considered to count for suitable number of points in a game. If the ball, for instance, passes through the apertures 15 of the central portion of the front stop, this night count for five points, while if the ball passes through the side slats, this might count for ten points.

The apparatus provides an especially amusing device for young children who may take aposition at one side ofthe front stop and throw a ball or other object toward the barrier 10 and this, when recoiling, may inipinge anysuitable objects as pins P, set up between the front station and the back station. will be seen that the player is in a position to pick up the recoiled ball without getting up and going after the ball as is the case in ordinary games of ten-pins set up on a floor or other plane horizontal surface. It also provides for the setting up of the pins or objects P without leaving the playing'position. I

The front stop 15 is provided, at approximately the height of the centers of the balls, with rubber or other cushioning strips 17, which reduce the noise of impact and cause the balls to recoil from the front stop.

I claim 1. A. toy including portable, stableibases, a shee -like. barrier disposed in upright position between saidbases, and resilient elastic element-s connecting the bases to said barrier he upper and lower edges of the barrier and intermediate said upper and lower edges.

2. A toy including portable, stable bases, a sheet-like barrier held in tensioned upright condition by said bases, and means for holdthe base/sin various'spaced. positions said means including a rod a-djustably clamped in the bases.

V 3. A toy including portable, stable bases, a sheet-likebarrier held: in tensioni-id uprig it condition by said bases, means for holding the bases in various spaced positions; sz' means including a rod a-djust'abl-y clamped in the b; ses, and a devico engaging the rod and engageable with the upwardly pulled barrier, so as to provide clearance for an object in one of the games played. with the toy.

4. A toy including portable, stable bases, a sheet-like barrier held in tensioned upright condition by said bases, means for holding the bases in various spaced positions; said means including a rod adjustably clamped in the bases, a device engaging the rod and engageable. with the upwardly pulled barrier,

so as to provide clearance for an object in one of the games played with the toy, and means for recollmg the last mentioned ob1ect while the said barrier is lifted. I i

5. In a toy, a resilient barrier adapted to be set up on a plane surface to reboundan object travelling over the surface and a hinged front stop to engage an object rebounding from the barrier.

6, A toy by which a variety of games mayv be played, and including. a sheet-like, tensioned barrier for reooiling a rolling object, and a tensioned strip below thebarrier for recoiling a sliding object. I V

7. A toy including port-able anchors, a net disposed vertically between said anchors and tensioned elastic resilient means connecting the upper and lower corners of the net with said anchors. p

8. A toy including portable anchors, a net disposed between said anchors, tensioned resilient means connecting the corners of the net with said anchors'and a tensioned resilient line barrier arranged below said net.

In testimony whereof, 1 have; hereunto set my hand.

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