US1799241A

US1799241A - Baseball game

Info

Publication number: US1799241A
Application number: US297399A
Authority: US
Inventors: Maccollom John
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1928-08-04
Filing date: 1928-08-04
Publication date: 1931-04-07
Anticipated expiration: 1948-04-07

Description

' April 7, 1931. MaccQLLQM 1,799,241

BASEBALL GAME Filed Aug. 4 192 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 7, 1931 JOHN MACCOLLOM, E JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY BASEBALL GAME Application filedhAugust 4, 1928. Serial No. 297,399.

This invention relates to baseball games. It is a well-known fact in the toy trade, that the present baseball games depend for their playing upon some element of chance.

That is to say, upon the throwing of dice,

the spin of a top or some mechanical device wherein theskill of the player takes no part. Therefore, one object of this invention is to produce a device wherein the skillof the player will alone decide the results.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a device wherein the players may actually play the game instead of merelymoving counters around a board. j A further object of the invention is to produce a simple inexpensive device which may be used on a table, on the floor or on any flat surface.

be small and. compact so that it will occupy but a small space.

' A further object of the invention is to produce a device which may be made for use on 5 a small-table, or which may be made on a large'scal'e for use in theopen without having to change the construction except in size. The invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as herein illustrated, described and claimed,

In. the accompanying drawings forming part hereof is illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention, in which drawings similar reference 7 characters designate corresponding parts, and in which;

Figure '1 is a perspective view; and,

Figure 2 isa vertical section'taken approx imatelyjon line -2--2- of Figure 1, looking in AD the direction indicated by the arrows.

' Referring tothedrawings, 1 designates abase having end portions and a front wall 3: The base lmay' be made ofmetal, wood or any material which will readilylend itself tomanufacture. I j j f V Disposedin the'basel, near the rear part thereof, is a guide or runway 4, which for the purpose of the gameis considered to be the 1st base line. Beginning ata point adj acent the end of the lstbase line andin front of the same,*is a second depression-or guide ible material.

5, intended as a 2nd baseline. The third" guide 6 leads from a point adjacent the open end of the 2nd base line to the home base.

Disposed on the front edge 3 of the base 1, area plurality ofv projecting flanges 7, .preferably made of a single strip of bent metal. The flanges 7 are provided near the top with openings 8, through which is disposed a rod" 9. The rod 9 may be made of rigid or of flex- Disposed on the rod 9 and between each pair of flanges 7 is adoor or shutter 10 which is formedof a single piece of material bent upon itself so as to engage the rod 9. The doors 10 are made so that they may revolve freely about the rod 9.

The enclosures thus "made by the front wall 3 of the base 1, flanges 7 and the doors 10 are placed at various points along the frontedge 3 of the base 1, so as to be {adjacentthe open ends of the baselines 5, and 6 respectively. 7

Disposed in the base 1 is a socket 11, which carries a standard 12 which is free to rotate. The upper part 13 of the standard 12 may be made in the form of a baseball player 13 tocarry out the similitude of the game. However. the figure 13 may bemade simply as an'extension of the standard 12.

Disposed on the figure 13 and at right angles thereto, is an adjustable bat 14. Also disposed on the figure 13 and at apoint. above the bat 14 is a ballsupport 15. 1 The ball support 15 is at'right angles to the figure 13, and also at right angles to the bat '14. i

The ball support 15 is providedrwith a plurality of curved openings 16. The openings 16 are'curved so that when the game is played, as hereinafteudescribed,the ball will fall in a vertical line instead of being thrown off at a tangent, as would happen if the openings 16 were straight. A number of balls Bare provided in order to play the game.

The game is-played by two or more play- 1 ers. The usual rules of baseball are followed, or they may be modified by the players. 1 The game isplayed as follows j The figure 13' is placed in the position shownin Figure 1' and a hall is disposed in one of the openings 16. The player who is at bat strikes the bat 14 with his finger or hand, this causes the standard 12 to revolve in the socket 11 carrying with it the figure 13, the bat 14 and the ball support 15. If the bat 14 is hit a sharp blow, the ball su ort 15 will be pulled from under the ball B and the ball will fall. As the ball B falls into the path of movement of the bat 14, it will be struck by the bat l4 and driven out on to the playing field, which may be a table, floor or any fiat surface.

If the bat 14 is struck too hard, it will revolve too quickly and will pass under the ball B before the ball has fallen into the path of movement of the bat. This would be a strike, according to the rules of baseball. If the bat 14 is struck too lightly the ball B will fall past the path of movement of the bat 14 before it is struck; this also would be a strike.

By adjustment of the bat 14, the trajec- I tory of the ball B may be varied from a fly to a grounder. When the player who is at bat makes a hit, he immediately starts another ball B rolling from the position shown in Figure 1 along the base line 4 so that it will roll into the base enclosure formed by the flanges 7, the doors 10 and the front edge 3 of the base 1. At the same time, the player in the field retrieves the batted ball and rolls or. throws the same toward the base enclosure at the end of the base line 4.

If the ball rolled from the field reaches the base enclosure before the ball which is rolled down the base line 4, the ball from the field will strike the door 10 causing it to make a complete revolution and will enter the base enclosure. If the ball from the field is rolled quickly the door 10 will revolve quicklv and in coming back to normal position will prevent the ball from rebounding out of the enclosure.

If the ball from the field reaches and enters the enclosure the player is out. However, if the ball which is rolled along the base line 4 reaches the enclosure first, the presence of the ball in the, enclosure will prevent; the door 10 from revolving and thus prevent the ball from the field from entering the enclosure. In this case, the player is safe. If the player is safe a ball is placed in the closed end of the base line 5 in readiness to be rolled to the base enclosure at the open end of the base line 5. The play is repeated and as herebefore stated, the usual rules of baseball are followed.

In the excitement of the play the ball from the field will often be rolled with great force and will, strike at a point between theseveral base enclosures. As it hits the front edge 3 of the base 1 its rebound will be brokenby the rod 9. If the ball is rolled slowly, it may freely pass under the rod 9..

Itis a well known law of physics that when a spherical body strikes a vertical obstruction the rebound will cause it to jump in the air. Therefore, while the rod 9 is used to break the rebound of a ball it will not prevent a ball from entering the base enclosure when it strikes the door 10.

The front edge 3 of the base 1 may be inclined inwardly, as shown by the dotted lines, in order to prevent the rebound of a ball.

The base lines 4 and 5 are made wide enough so that the balls B may roll freely on their circumferences. However, since the base line 6 is shorter than either the base lines 4 or 5 it becomes necessary to reduce the speed of the ball B to compensate for this difference in length. Therefore, the width of the base line 6 is made less than the diameter of the ball B, so. that the ball does not rest at the bottom of the base line 6. This causes the ball B to revolve: at a point near its horizontal axis. The distance covered by one revolution is therefore, less than the distance covered by one revolution of a ball in either of the base lines 4 or 5. With the. reduced speed of the ball when traveling in the base lines 6, the difference in length between the base line 6 and the base lines 4 and 5 is equalized.

If it is desirable to reduce the speed of the balls so that the batter will not have an advantage, all of the balls B may be made larger than the base lines 4 and 5.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A baseball game comprising a base having a plurality of substantially parallel guides, enclosures disposed at. the ends of said guides and provided with revolving doors to permit the entrance of a ball, said doors being adapted to make a complete revolution. and prevent a ball from leaving the enclosures.

2. A baseball game comprising a base having a plurality of substantially parallel guides, enclosures disposed at the ends of said guides and provided with revolving doors to permit the entrance of a ball, said doors being adapted to make a complete revolution to prevent. a ball from. leaving the enclosures, and means disposed on the base to prevent the rebound of a ball.

3. A baseball game comprising a rectangular base having a plurality of longitudinal guides or runways, a rotatable standard disposed in the base and means carried by the standard to project a balloutwardly from the base comprising, a ball carrier and a bat at right angles to the standard and at right angles with relation to each other.

4. Abaseball game comprising a rectangular support having a series of substantially parallel trough-s therein, base enclosures (lisposed at the ends. of said troughs and pro: vided with revolving doors to permit the en:

trance of a ball and a rotatable standard disposed in the support and provided with a ball carrier and a bat disposed at right angles both with relation to the standard and to each other.

5. A baseball game comprising a base, a plurality of guides disposed in the base, enclosures at the ends of the guides and a rotat able standard disposed in the base having a bat and a ball support, said bat being adapted to be manually struck to pull the support from under a ball and to strike the ball in midair.

6. A baseball game comprising a base, a plurality of guides disposed in the base, enclosures at the ends of the guides and a rotatable bat standard disposed in the base, said standard comprising a vertical supporting member, a horizontal ball carrier extending from the supporting member and a horizontal bat extending from the supporting member, the bat being adapted to be struck so as to pull the ball support from under a ball and to strike the ball as it falls from the suport. p 7. In a baseball game a base having a plurality of runways, one of which is shorter than the others, said shorter runway being narrower than the others and of less width than the diameter of a ball adapted to roll therealong.

8. In a baseball game a base having a plurality of runways, one of which is shorter than the others, said shorter runway being narrower than the others and of less width than the diameter of a ball adapted to roll therealong so that a ball traveling in the shorter runway will roll at a less speed than one in a longer runway, thus compensating for the difference in length of the runways.

In testimony whereof he aflixes his signature.

JOHN MAGCOLLOM.