US1838398A - Football game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

`Dec, 29, 1931. J. A. HEIDBRINK FOOTBALL GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1930 In ven for ttorneys Patented-,Dem 29, l l

UNITED STATES PA'rliiN'i OFFICE JAY A. Hninianmx, or mNimAroLIs; mNNEsoTA FOOTBALL GAME APPARATUS Application mea January 2o, i930. nserial No. 421,923.

My invention relates'to footballgame apvided with representations of thecustomary paratus, and an object in general is to procross lines 6 placed at five yard intervals and vide a game which will 4simulate the game with endzones 8 and 10 at the ends of the of football as played by actual players of field. Adjacent the end zone 8, the board 1s college and professional football teams. The provided with two upward projections 12 55 particular object of 'thelinvention is to so and 14 while adjacent the end 'zone 10 the construct and lay out the apparatus that board is provided with two upward projecall plays which are likely to occur during a tions 16 and ,18. A straight line member 2G football game may be indicated on the apextends between the (projections 12 and 16g paratus. 'A further .object' is to provideA Vadjacent one of the si e lines of the playing e0 spinners in combination with a plurality of field while a straight line member 22 extends series of concentric segments 'on which rebetween the projections 14 and 18, these latsults of kicks, line plays, and passesA are inter projections being so located that the memdicated by the position in which the spinners ber 22 extends substantially midway between 1li-.come to rest after havin been spun. A fur' the two side lines for the full length of the a5 ther object is to provi e a board havingba field. The two straight line members just football field represented thereon in comreferred to may be produced by stretching bination with a distance marker to show and securin a cord around the four projec- Whetlier or not the side in possession of the tions. A distance marker is strung on the .j 2o ball 'has made a first down, the Imarker bestraight line member 20, this Imarker having` 70 q ing adapted to be moved in either direction a body portion 24 containing `holes through along the field according to the progress of which the member passes and having at play.y A further object -is'to provide a small its ends respectively, projections 26 'an 28 object simulating a football in combination which have points. spaced. from each other a 2: with means which permits the ball to be distance representing ten yardsso as to sim- 75 moved along the field but retains it in roper ulate the. measuring customarily performed place thereon until the nextplay ca ls for by linesmen. Strung on the straight line movement thereof in one direction or the member 22 and having frictional engagement other. Another object is to provide indithdrewith, there is an element shown as 30 eating devices on the board for keeping track an elon ated bead' which represents the footso of time, scores and downs, j i l ball an WlilCli maybe moved alOIg t0 desig- The, full objects and advantages of my nate the position of the ball accor ing to the invention will appear in connection with the different plays. v, .j detailed description thereof, andthe novel BBlOW theV field 4, there are foulp dials 32, features of my inventive idea will be par- 34, 36 and 38 at the centers of which pointers as ticularly'pointed out in the claims. n l 40, 42, 44 vand 46 respectively arie rotatably In the accompanying drawing which illusmounted. The dial 32 is divided into four trates a practical embodiment of m invenquarters to represent periods of play and each tion, the figure is a top plan view othe apquarter carries numbered graduations'reprei paratus. l senting minutes. The two dials 34 and 36 90 As shown in the drawing, I provide a carry-numbered graduations for indicating board or base member 2 which is rectangular the scores of the two opposing teams. The in shape and is made of any suitable rigid dial 38 is divided into quarters numbered 1, or semirigid material suchmas compo board 2, 3, and 4-for indicating downs. i which is not liable to warpor bucklefout of Theflower portion of the board carries 95 shape. A representation of a football playthree spinners 48, and 52. 'The spinner 48 ing field 4 is placed on the board in conis used to designate/resultsinconnection with venient position and as shown in thedrawkicks and is rotatably mounted atthe center ing, is printed or otherwise markedI on the of five circular series of concentric se ents upper portion of the board. This field is piodesignated in order .from the outside y the' 100 numerals 54, 56, 58, and 62. These five punts and kickoff, kick off, eld goal, and try for point following touchdown. For the purpose of readily distinguishing the live series from each other, they are preferably colored differently such as red, white, blue yellow and green as indicatedon the chart 64 placed below. The color of the concentric segments is not indicated thereon in the drawing since -to do so would obscure the numbers and letters placed thereon. It will be understood as a matter of course that the numbers represent yards. The significance of the letters will be understood from the key shown at the 4rlght. For instance, ,110-,1D means ball punted forty yards and downed; B-B-L means blocked ball lost at point of play; B-'9-L means blocked ball recovered withwnine yard loss. The oute portion of the indicating arm of the spinner 48 is sinuous in form to provlde for the emplacement of five points 66, 68, 70, 72 and 74 for indicating respectively the values on the series of concentric segments' 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62. It will be noted that the spinners 50 and 52 are made in the same manner.

The spinner 50 is used to designate results in connection with line plays and this spinner is rotatably mounted at the center of five circular series of concentric segments deslgnated in order from the outside by the numerals 76, 78, 80, 82, and 84. VThese five series of segments are provided with knumbers and letters to'give results for the following line plays: off tackle, thru center, end runs, criss cross, and fake kick. For thepurpose of readily distinguishing the five series from each other, they may be made of different colors such as red, white,blue, yellow and green as indicated in the chart 86 placed underneath. The numbers on the segments vrepresent yards. The significance of the letters will be understood from the key at the right. L--4 means loss of four yards. P in general means pen. Valty and in connection with this letter further indications may be given as follows to determine who is penalized, why, and for what distance. w-defense (off side) 5 ards; b-offense (offside) 5 yards; c-.o ense (illegal .use of hands and holding) 15 yards; (1l-defense (piling up and holding) ;.15 yards; e-defense (clipping) l5 yards; it being understood that any penalty that would advance the ball pver the goal line is for only one-half the distance to the goal line; f--offense (interference with interceptor of pass) 15 yards. The letter F is used to indicate fumble, ball recovered by offense. Any gain P1 Y or loss inconnection witha fumble is indicated as follows: G-F-4 means four yards gain, whileL-F-4 means four yards loss. F*- means fumbled ball recovered by defense at point of play.

The spinner 52 is used to designate results in connection with passes and this spinner is rotatably mounted at the center of live circular series of concentric segments desi ated in order beginning at the outside by t e numerals 88, 90, 92, 94 and 96. These tive series of segments are provided with numbers and ters will be readily understood from the key at the right as follows: X-incomplete, no gain; X-35 pass traveled thirty-live yards was incomplete but ruledcomplete because a defense player interfered with the receiver of the pass; (1 -35 pass traveled thirty-live yards and completed; C-3-19 pass traveled three yards and was completed and runfor nineteen yardsmore, all passes travelin over the end zone being counted incomplete; ,-30 pass traveled thirty-yards and was intercepted, it being understood that all intercepted passes .that travel over the goal line or that occur on the fourth down are counted as incomplete, because underthese circumstances a good defense player would knock or throw the ball to the ground so that it would go back to the point of play.

The manner of playin the football game wlll be readily understoo in connection with the foregoing description. The game may be played by two, three, or four persons. For three persons, two of them play against the third and alternate the play. If four persons are playing, two of them play on each side and play alternately. To start the game, a c oin is tossed'to determine the side who isl to` kick off. The kicker placesl the ball on his forty-five yard line and spins the kiclm spinner. The number on the blue circle over which it stops is the number of yards kicked and the ball is advanced that distance. If a lettei` D follows the number (example 27D) the ball 'was ,downed, and further play starts from there.' If there is no letter D on the indication, the side receiving the punt spins the kicks spinner and reads on the white circle, the distance the kick is returned. Further play then starts from here after the ten yard distance marker is moved up to the ball to mark the distance that must be gained in four or less plays tomake a first down. The player then chooses' and announces his He thenl spins the spinner associated with the play chosen and when it stops, reads the result on the circle colored the same as the square to the left of the play chosen. Should the` spinner stop on a line, it is spun again.

f according to the indication. The side making a touchdown spins the kicks spinner to see if extra point is made by kicking goal.

I claim:

1. Afootball game apparatus comprising a board having a football field represented thereon, a plurality of circular series of concentric segments carried by said board, indications on said segments for giving the results of the various plays which may be made in a game of football, a spinner hav,- ing an indicatingarm and rotatably mounted at the center of'said concentric segments, said indicating arm being sinuous in form, and projecting points -emplaced along said sinuous arm for registering respectively with the various segments of the different series.

2. A football game apparatus comprising a board having a football field represented thereon, a plurality of circular series of concentric segments carried by said' board, indications on said segments for giving the results of the various plays which may be made in a game of football, aspinner having an in-` dicating arm and rotatably mounted at the center of said concentric segments, said indicating arm being sinuous in form, projecting points emplaced along said sinuous arm for registering respectively with the various segments of the different series, and a chart adjacent said circular series for identifying i any particular one of said series according to the pla-y which is called for.

3. In a gaine apparatus, the combination of an indicating arm sinuous inform, projecting points emplaced along said sinuous arm,\and means for movably mounting said arm whereby a plurality of indications may be given by -each of said points.

In testimony whereof I hereunto a'ix my signature.

JAY A. HEIDBRINK.

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