US1911402A - Golf game - Google Patents

Description

y 1933- L. H. SCURLOCK 1,911,402

GOLF GAME Filed Feb. 18, 1931 7 v 2 .Ziiueiztor 7 lea/1J5 H Sou/p40 all UNITED STA LEWIS H. soimnocx, or oHIcAeo, ILLINOIS Fatentecl May 30, i933 TEVS,

, GOLF GAME Application filed February 18, 1931. Serial No. 516,569.

110 to roll up an incline and then down through any one of a plurality of trap doors, into a space below, and then caused to roll back onto the floor again, the different trap doors being numbered in such a manner, preferably, that the game can be played in one or serve also as semaphores or signals to indimore ways, said trap doors being normally in full view of the player, and being differently colored, or otherwise marked or characterized, whereby these trap doors cate the different holes of the simulated or imaginary golf course.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and com- ?3155 binations tending to increase the general efiiciency and the desirablity and the general attractiveness of a golf game of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends,

(1530 the invention consists inmatters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective of a so-called golf device embodying the principles of game the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of said device on line 22 in Fig. 1 of the drawing, 'or on line 22 in Fig. 3 of the drawing;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 33 11340 in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a rigid sheet metal structure having side walls 1, supplemental or inner side walls2 spaced from said outer side walls,

5-45 a back wall 3, short longitudinal partitions 4, an inclined wall 5 between the longitudinal walls or partitions 2, inclined bottom walls 6 in the spaces between the walls 1 and 2, and inclined bottom walls 7 and 7 550 below the space formed immediately below the short longitudinal partitions 4,'previously mentioned. At its rear edge, the wall 5 is rigidly connected by an upright wall 8 with the bottom wall 7, as shown.

Trap doors 9 are pivoted on horizontal rods 10, in the spaces formed between the partitions 2 and 4, the rods or pivots 10 being arranged in alignment transversely of the structure of the device as a Whole. In this way the fioorof each channel is substantially horizontal and in the plane of the upper end of the incline. The front ends of these trap doors 9 are longer than their rear ends, so that they tend to stay normally in substantially horizontal. position, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, but in such positionthey are in plain .viewof the person" playing the game.

The game device thus constructed can be used in different ways. The numbers 11 on the wall 5, immediately in front of the spaces between'the partitions 2'and 4, may be employed to indicate the numbers of an imaginary nine-hole course, in an obvious manner. The numbers 12 on the back wall 75 3, at the rear ends of the spaces between the partitions 2 and 4, may be assumed to indicate one thing or another, so that the game can be played in different ways.

When a ball is rolled up the incline 5, by a golf putter, or by anyother means, it will roll into one of the spaces or stalls be tween the partitions 2 and 4, and onto one of the trap doors 9, thereby operating the latter into a vertical position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing- In this position, the rear end of the trap door engages one of the stops 13, mounted onthe bottom wall 7, as shown. The ball then drops downinto the space below the trap doors, into one or the other of the two inclined bottom walls? and 7, and then rolls out into one of the return runways above the bottom walls 6 previously mentioned, whereby the ball is returned onto the floor, '95 either at the right or the left of the game structure. Thetrap doors remain in vertical position, when tilted in the manner shown, by gravity, and thus serve in their normal positions and in their operative :positions as semaphores or signals for the benefit of the person playing the game. The top surfaces of these trapdoors may be difierently colored, or characterized in different ways, in order to differentiate them from each other in appearance. For example, the middle semaphore can be white, the two semaphores .at each side thereof may be red, and the two semaphores at the opposite ends of the row may be yellow, thus sharply differentiating the trap doors from each other. As the trap doors or semaphores are merely held in vertical position by gravity, and are in full view in both positions, they are easily restored to normal position, and are more easily and directly accessible to the ball.

Thus, as shown, the parallel partitions 2 and 1 provide a plurality of parallel channels or alleys or spaces having entrances at their front ends, and having their rear ends closed by the back wall 3, whereby each channel or space is adapted to receive the ball at its front end, so that the ball may roll a distance longitudinally of this channel or space, and may then drop downward at the rear end of said space or channel. The body, forming the housing for the device or apparatus, may be of sheet metal or any other suitable material.

The invention is not limited, of course, to the exact details of construction shown and described. Preferably, however, the upper edge of the incline 5 forms asupport for the front ends of the trap doors 9, when the latter are in their normal positions. Also, it will be seen that the pivots 10 are preferably formed by a single integral rod that is supported in the walls 2 and 4, with the ends of said rod terminating in the outer sides of the walls 2, whereby a common pivotal support is provided for all of the trap doors or semaphores or signals.

As shown, the back wall 3 is preferably extended at its lower edge to form a foot 14 for supporting the entire housing or body structure in a forwardly inclined position on the floor.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a portable golf game apparatus to be used on a floor or carpet, means providing a housing having parallel partitions forming a plurality of parallel channels or spaces or alleys therein, with entrances at their front endsfor said channels or alleys to receive the golf balls, and exits for the balls at their rear ends, an inclined wall leading upwardly from the floor or carpet to the said entrances of said channels or spaces, with the floor of each channel extending rearwardly from the upper end of said incline, so that balls rolled along the floor 0r carpet will roll up said incline and enter said channels or alleys, and means indicating how each channel or alley or space counts in the score, each channel or alley or space being open overhead to expose to view the floor thereof.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, the said floor of each channel or space or alley comprising a tilting trap door forming a semaphore or signal, adapted to drop the ball downward at the .rear end of the space or channel, together with means for then re turning the ball from said apparatus toward the player.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, the said floor of each channel or space or alley comprising a tilting trap door forming a semaphore or signal, adapted to drop the ball downward at the rear end of the sp'ace or channel, together with means for then returning the ball from said apparatus toward the player, each trap door being adapted to remain by gravity in its tilted position,

thereby exposing the bottom of the trap door to view.-

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, the

floor of each channel or space or alley being substantially horizontal, being at an to said incline. 5. A structure as specified in claim 1, the fioor of each channel comprising a tilting trap door each trap door being longer at its front end than at its rear end, its front end normally resting on the adjacent edge of said incline, together with stops for limiting the tilting motion of said trap doors, the relative arrangement being such that each trap door is capable of tilting upwardly and a little past the center, whereby each trap door is adaptedto be held by gravity in its tilted position, as stated.

.6. A structure as specified in claim 1, the floor of each channel comprising a tilting trap door the upper edge of said incline forming a support for the front ends of the trap doors, when the latter are in normal position.

7. In a golf game apparatus, means'providing a housing having parallel partitions forming a plurality of parallel channels or spaces or alleys therein, with entrances at their front ends for said channels or alleys to receive the golf balls, an inclined wall leading upwardly to the said entrances of said channels or spaces, and means indicating how each channel or alley or space counts in the score, each channel or space or alley being open overhead to expose to view 1 the floor thereof, the said floor of each channel or space or alley comprising a tilting trap door forming a semaphore or signal, adapted to drop the ball downward, at the rear end of the space or channel, together with means for then returning the ball from angle said apparatus toward the player, each trap door being adapted to remain by gravity in its tilted position, thereby exposing the bottom of the trap door to view.

8. In a golf game apparatus, means providing a housing having parallel partitions forming a plurality of parallel channels or spaces or alleys therein, with entrances at their front ends for said channels or alleys to receive the golf balls, an inclined wall leading upwardly to the said entrances ofsaid channel or alley or space, and means indicating how each channel or alley or space counts in the score, each channel or space or alley being open overhead to expose to view the floor thereof, a tilting trap door for each channel, each trap door being longer at its front end than at its rear end, its front end normally resting on the adjacent edge of said incline, together with stops for limiting the tilting motion of said trap doors, the relative arrangement being such that each trap door is capable of tilting upwardly and a little past the vertical plane of said pivot, whereby each trap door is adapted to be held by gravity in its tilted position, as stated.

Specification signed this 13th day of February, 1931.

LEWIS H. SCURLOCK.

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