US1915452A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 27, 1933. SHEFFLER ET AL 1,915,452

GAME APPARATUS Filed Dec. 15, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 27, 1933. R. N, SHEFFLER ET AL GAME APPARATUS Filed Dec. 15, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M721) *2 {OM96 WWW.

June 27, 1933. R. N. Si- IEFFLER ET AL GAME APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 15. 1951 f M, M??

June 27, 1933. R. SHEFFLER ET AL 1,915,452

GAME APPARATUS Filed Dec. 15, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 27, 1933 "UNITED STATES rarest orrica RUSSEL N. SHEFFLER AND WILLIAM J. SI -IEFFLER, 0F LOS ANGELES', CALIFORNIA GAME APPARATUS Application filed December 15, 1931. Serial N0. 581,227.

This invention relates to game apparatus, and has particular reference to amechanical game apparatus simulating the game of hasket ball.

It is an object of this invention toprovide a game board enclosed within a suitable glass-front casing and having goals or baskets at the opposite ends of the casing, together with means whereby balls or other projectiles may be propelled froiirthe surface of the game board toward and into the said baskets, suitable means being provided for returning theballs from theb'askets onto the game board and into position for further play.

It is an object of this invention to provide a mechanical game apparatus including means whereby a player or players may project the balls or other pro ectiles nto the baskets at opposite ends of thecasing, and to provide a trough-like ball accumulating device for receiving the balls from the baskets and retaining them in a position remote from the game board, the passage of balls from the accumulating trough back to the surface of the game board being under the control of the player through the instrumentality of suitable check or coin controlled mechanisms.

It is an object of this invention to prov de a game apparatus simulating, on a miniature scale, the game of basket ball, and in which the balls pass from the baskets into an accumulating trough, then into a distributing trough and, finally, into a position on the game board surface to be again projected toward and into the baskets at opposite ends of the apparatus, the passage of the balls from the vaccumulating trough to the distributing trough preferably being under the control of check or coin controlled mechanism, and the passage of the balls from the distributing trough onto the game board being under the control of mechanism whereby the balls are individually and selectively moved from said distributing trough onto the game board where they rollinto a position to be engaged by the pro ecting mechanisni.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a game apparatus of the character described in which the game board includes a pair of depressed portions located at each side of the device, each of the depressed portions having a cup-shaped center portion over which the ball will lodge, and to associated with each of the cup-shaped center portions, a manually controlled and operated plunger, by means of which a ball, after coming to rest 011 the center portion, may be projected toward and/or into the basket at the opposite side of the apparatus, the game board surface being centrally divided and sloping downwardly from said line of division toward the several depressed portions at opposite sides of the game board surface. 7

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a game apparatus of the character described, in which the game may be played with a predetermined number of balls, say ten, and in which the relative length of the distributing trough with respect to the length of the accumulating trough is so proportioned that regardless of the number of balls retained in the several branches of the accumulating trough, an equal number of balls, say five, will be supplied to the several branches of the distributing trough when the balls are released from their position in the accumulating trough. It is a'still further object of this invention to provide a game apparatus of the character described, which is cheap and easy to manu facture, strong and durable, highly interest- 5 ing and amusing, and in which the success of the game and the total number of goals or baskets made, is dependent upon the element of chance and upon the skill and dexterity of the competing players. I

In the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustratiomwe have shown a preferred embodiment of the inventionz Figure l isa front elevation of a game apparatus made in accordance with our invention, I

Fig. 2. is a front elevation of the device, partly in section and illustrating certain features of construction,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the projecting mechanism, and theejecting' mecha-'.

nism for individually and selectively moving the balls from the distributing trough onto the game board surface,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a of the ejecting mecahnism, and

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of parts of themechanism for releasingthe balls from the distributing trough. I

1, Referring to the drawings, wherein like referencecharacters have been employed to illustrate-like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 designates a box-like casing of, wood or othersuitable material, having an open front side, a portion of which is preferably, covered with glass or other transparent material, below which is a base or panel board 11. The game board 12 is secured within'the casing and extends horiportion zontally between the inner side surfaces of the casing 10 in a plane coinciding with the top edge of the base or panel board 11. This game board has its front edge suitably attached to the rear side of thebase ,or, panel board ll and extends rearwardly toward the back ofthebasinglO, the rearedge of this game board being attached tothe front edge of a distributingtrough13, which trough is secured by suitable fastening means (not shown) to the inner surface of the back of 40 the casing 10; Attached totheinnersurface of the back of the casing 10 by any suitable fastening means, (not shown) is an accumulating trough 14, the ends of which are shaped to cooperate with the back and side portions of the casing 10 to provide ball-receiving receptacles 15, immediately above which are positionech in parallel, spaced relation, the semi-annular loops or baskets 16.

The accumulating trough 14 comprises two relatively long branches 17 and 18. which extend downwardly from the receptacles 15 and meet at the center of the back wall of the casing 10. The bottom surface of each of the trough members 17 and 18 is cut out as at 19, so that, under the proper operating conditions, balls rolling down the trough members 17 and 18 may drop through the said openings 19, one at a time, and into the underlying distributing trough 13. The passage of the balls from the accumulation trough 14 is selectively controlled by a. V- shaped member 20 which, whenin its lowermost position such as shown in full lines in Figs; 2. 3 and 4, constitutesa barrier and prevents the balls from falling through the i openings 19 at the inner ends of the trough ber 20 from the barrier (full-line) position to the non-barrier (dotted line) position shown in the accompanying drawings.

Upward movement of the barrier member 20 may be effected and controlled by any suitable mechanism, coin or check controlled or otherwise, but in the preferred embodiment of thisinvention, the said member is provided with a depending link 24 having an inturned terminal portion 25, which engages beneath an arm 26 of an L-shaped lever pivotally mounted between spaced 'lu'gs carried by the inner surface of the distributing trough 13. The opposite end 27 of the pivoted lever is engaged by the upstanding arm 28 of a reciprocating slide 29' which extends through the front panel 11 of the casing and is provided with a coin or check controlled member 30. of any desired or preferred construction, it being obvious that as the slide 29 is moved toward the back of the casing 10, the upstanding arm 28. will engage the arm 27 of the pivoted lever, this movement causing the arm 26 to lift the link 2-1 to raise the barrier 20, thus permitting the balls to roll out of the'openings 19. and into the distributing trough 13. As soon as all the balls have passed from the accumulating trough l into the distributing trough 13, the slide 29 is moved forwardly by the coin or check controlled member 30, whereupon the V- shaped member 20 moves downwardly into its barrier position, which prevents further passage of balls from the accumulating trough launtil the coin or check controlled mechanism 30 andits associated parts, are

again actuated.

The distributing trough 13 comprises two branches 31 and 32 which incline downwardly from a point immediately beneath the center or meeting point ofthe trough members 17 and 18, the length 'of the branches 31 and 32 being somewhat less than the length ofth'e overlying trough members 17 and 18 respectively. Or, to state this relationship in another way, the branches 31 and 32 are oflsuch a length or extent that each of them may contain one-half of the total number of balls used in the game, whereas the branches 17 and 18 are of greater length and may each contain more than half of the total number of balls used in the game. The lower end of the front wall of each trough 31 and '32 is cutaway as atv 33 to form an outlet through which. the individual balls may be selectively ejected from the trough members and onto the playing field or game board surface 12. The ejector mechanism for individually moving the balls from the branches 31 and 32 of the distributing trough 13, oomprises a plate-like member 34, pivot'ally mounted between spaced parallel lug members 35 extending beneath the bottom surface of the trough 13, and having an upwardly extending arm 36 which projects through an opening 37 cut through the bottom of each trough member 31 and 32 in back of the outlet opening 33. An operating link 38 is pivot-ally connected to the plate-like member 34 and extends through the panel board 11 and terminates in a knob 39, it being obvious that as the link 38 is moved outwardly, such movement will rock the plateiike member 34 in a clockwise direction about its pivotal mounting and will cause the arm 36 to move downwardly through the opening 37 and out of the way of the lowermost ball in the trough, which ball will then roll down into the extreme end of the trough and immediately over the hole 37 and the arm 36. Inward movement of the link 38 will cause the member 34 to move in a counterclockwise direction about its pivotal mounting and thus the arm 36 will be moved through the opening 37 and will lift the lowermost ball from the trough and will eject the same through the opening 33 and onto the playing field or game board 12, the presence of the arm 36 now preventing the next ball in the trough from rolling into the extreme end of the trough over the hole 37. In order that the arms 36 will always be in the uppermost position when the barrier member 20 is raised and the balls are rolling into the branches 31 and 32, after the release or upward movement of the barrier 20, a bar member 40 is provided, which is riveted or otherwise attached to the arm 28 and thus moves inwardly as the slide 29 moves inwardly. The ends of thisbar 4O engage beneath the bottom edge of the plate 34 and hence the ejector arm 36 is moved toits uppermost position simultaneous y with the upward movement of the barrier member 20.

The playing field or game board surface of the device comprises a pair of depressed portions 41 and 42 located at each side of the surface, each of the depressed portions having a cup-shaped center portion 43 over which the balls will lodge. That portion of the surface between the pairs of depressed portions 41 and 42 slopes upwardly as at 44 and meets in a centrally-positioned dividing ridge 45.

Each of the cup-shaped depressed portions 43 is provided with a plunger 46 which passes through a suitable opening in the rim portion of the cup-shaped depression and is restricted to limited sliding movements within said opening by means of enlarged head portions on each end of said plunger. The two plungers associated with the depressed portions 41" and 42' at the left side'- of the device are inclined and directed toward the goal or basket at the right hand side of the device, whereas those plungers associated with the depressed portions 41 and 42 at the right side of the f device, are inclined'and directed toward the goal or basket at the left hand side of the device, the arrangement being such that if the proper impetus is imparted to the'plunger,

the ball resting thereabove will be projected toward and into the goal or basket at the opposite end of the game apparatus. Associated with each of the plungers 46 is an actuating lever or hammer 47, provided with an enlarged contact portion 48 at itsinner end and invention, we will now describe the operatic-n of the same. Assuming that the game is to be played with a total of ten balls, five of which are to be used by each of the two competing players, a check or coin, say a five cent coin, is inserted in the check or coin controiled device 30 and this device 30 moved inwardly, which moves the slide 29 toward the rear of the cabinet. During this movement of the slide 29, the upstanding arm 28 will engage the arm 27 of the pivoted lever, causing the arm 26 to lift the link 24 to raise the barrier 20, thus permitting the balls to roll out of the openings 19 and into the dis tributing trough 13; Simultaneously with the rearward movement of the slide 29 and the arm 28, the bar 40 carried by the arm 28 moves rearwardly, the end portions of this bar contacting with the lower edge of the member 34 and,'hence, the ejector arm 36 is moved to its uppermost position simultane ously with the upward movement of the barrier member 20'. Regardless of the number of balls contained in each of the branches 17 and 18 of the accumulating trough, said balls will roll down the said branches and through the openings 19 and will be distributed in equal numbers in the branches 31 and 32 of the distributing trough 13, it being noted that the said branches 31 and 32 are of a length sufhcient to accommodate therein a predetermined number of balls, say onehalf of the total number of balls with which the game is being. played. Let it be assumed, for the purpose of illustration, that the branch 17 contains seven balls and that the branch 18 contains three balls, the said balls, upon the upward movement of the barrier 20, will roll from the branches 17 and 1.8 and into the branches 31 and 32, respectively, of

balls from the branch 17 will fill.up the branch 31 with five of the seven balls and the three balls from branch 18 will partially fill the branch 32, the sixth and seventh balls falling from the branchl? contacting with the fifth ball inthe branch 3]. and rolling into the branch 32, thus assuring a proper and equal distribution of balls to the branches 31 and 32 of the distributing trough, it being noted that during this distribution, the ejector head 36 is in its uppermost position which prevents theballs from rolling out of the discharge end of the branches 31 and 32.

As soon as the balls are properly distributed as above described, one of the players pulls outwardly on the knob 39, which moves the rod 38 outwardly, thus moving the member 34 in a clockwise direction about its pivotal mounting to move the arm 36 into the opening 37 to a position shown in full lines in Fig. 5, thus permitting the lowermost ball to roll downwardly and to occupy a position at the extremelower end of the branch and directlyover the opening 37. Inward movement of the rod 38 reverses the direction of movement of the member 34 and causes the arm to move to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, thus pushing the overlying ball through the opening 33 onto the playing field or game board surface. The said ball will roll over one of the adjacent cup-shaped depressions 43in position to be 7 projected toward the baskets or loops 16 at the opposite side of the game apparatus. The player then pushes downwardly upon the handle portion 49 which moves the lever 47 upwardly to cause the hammer portion 48 to deliver a sharp, quick blow to the lower end of the plunger 46. Assuming that the, proper impetus has been imparted .to the plunger, the ball will be projected into one of the loops or baskets 16 and into the underlying receptacle 15, from which it will roll into the asso ball rolls over one of the cup-shaped depressions 43 on that side of the apparatus from which it was previously projected, then. the player-has another chance to try for a goal with the same ball, but if it rolls over one of the cup-shaped depressions 43 on the opposite side of the apparatus, then the competing player secures the advantage of an additional ball. i If the first player, makes a goal or basket then the competing player actuates the ejector mechanism to move a ball from his side of the distributing trough onto the adjacent portion of the playing field or game board, from cumulation trough to the distributing trough being under the control of the check or coin device and its assoc ated mechanism. If desired, the casing 10 may be provided with a plurality of balls or buttons strung on a rod or wire to assistin keeping a score of the goals, baskets or plays made by the individ ual players.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention hereinshown and described is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same and that various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims. Having thus described our invention, we claim: Y

1. A game apparatus comprising a horizontally disposed game board, goals disposed above the board at opposite sides thereof, means for projecting balls from the game board into the goals, downwardly-inchned accumulating troughs extending from each of the goals and meeting at a point above the center of said game board for receiving balls from the goals, a discharge opening for the balls being provided at the meeting portion of said troughs, a barrier for the said discharge opening which when in one position prevents the passage of balls through the opening and i when in another position permits the balls to pass through the openin g and from the accunrulating'troughs, and means to actuate the said movable barrier to permit the passage of balls from the accumulating troughs onto the game board for further play.

, I 2. A gameapparatus comprising a horizontally disposed game board, goals disposed above the board at opposite sides thereof,

means for projecting balls from the game board into the goals, downwardly-inclined accumulating troughs extending from each goal and meeting at apoint above the center of said game board for receiving balls from the goals, a discharge opening for theballs being provided in the bottom of each trough at the meeting portions of said troughs, a vertically movable barrier for the bottom discharge opening which when in its lowermost position prevents the passage of balls through the opening and, when in its uppermost position permits the balls to pass through the opening and from the accumulating trough, andmeans'for moving the barrier to its uppermost position to permit the passage of balls from the accumulating troughs onto the game board. for further play.

3. A game apparatus comprising a hori- 5 Zontally disposed game board, goals disposed above the board at opposite sides thereof means for projecting balls from the game board into the goals, a receptacle below each of said goals into which the balls pass, a 19 downwardly inclined accumulating trough extending from each of said receptacles, and meeting at a point above the center of said game board, a discharge opening for theballs being provided at the meeting portions of said troughs, a barrier for said discharge opening for retaining said balls in said troughs, and means to move the barrier to permit the passage of balls through the discharge opening from the accumulating trough onto the game board for further play.

4. A game apparatus comprising a horizontally disposed game board, goals disposer above the board at opposite sides thereof, means for projecting balls from the game board into the goals, downwardly inclined accumulating troughs extending from each of said goals and meeting at a point above the center ofsaid game board for receiving the balls from the goals, a discharge opening for the balls being provided through the bottom of each trough at the meeting portions of said troughs, a vertically-movable barrier posed within the opening discharge which barrier when in its lowermost position pre vents the passage of balls through the opening and when in its uppermost position permits the balls to pass through the opening from the accumulating troughs, an operating rod for the barrier, and a connection between the operating rod and said barrier whereby movement of the operating rod elevates the barrier to permit the balls to passthrough the opening from the accumulating troughs onto the game board for further play. .i

5. A game apparatus comprising a horizontally disposed game board, goals disposed above the board at opposite sides thereof, means for projecting balls from the game board into the goals, downwardly-inclined accumulating troughs extending from each of said goals and meeting at a point above the center of said game board for receiving balls from the goals, a discharge opening for the balls being provided through the bottom of each trough at the meeting portions of said troughs, a vertically movable barrier disposed within the opening which barrier when in its lowermost position prevents the passage of balls through the opening from the trough and when in its uppermost position permits the balls to pass through the opening from the accumulating troughs, a vertically-disposed link attached to said barrier, a horizontally-extending operating rod terminating adjacent the lower end of said link, and a pivoted lever located between the lower end of said link and the adjacent end of said operating rod whereby movement of said rod will elevate said linlrto lift the barrier to permit the balls to pass through the opening from the accumulating troughs onto the game board surface for further play.

6. A game apparatus comprising a game board, goals disposed above the board, means for projecting balls from the game board into the goals, an accumulating trough for receiving the balls from the goals, a distributing trough below said accumulating trough,

ieans for controlling the passage of balls from said accumulating trough into said distributing trough, and means associated with said distributing trough for individually andselectively moving the balls from said distributing trough onto the game board surface for further play.

7. A game apparatus comprising a game board, goals disposed above the board, means for projeting balls from the game board into the goals, an accumulating trough for receiving the balls from the goals, a distributing trough below said accumulating trough, a barrier at the discharge end of the accumulating trough, a barrier at the discharge end of the distributing trough, and means for moving the accumulating trough barrier to permit the passage of balls into the distributing trough and simultaneously moving the distributing trough barrier to prevent the passage of balls from the distributing trough onto the game board.

8. A game apparatus comprising a game board, goals disposed above the board, means for projecting balls from the game board into the goals, an accumulating trough for receiving the balls from the goals, a distributing trough below said accumulating trough,

barrier at the discharge end of the accumulating trough, a barrier at the discharge end of the distributing trough, means for moving the accumulation trough barrier to permit the passage of balls into the distributing trough and simultaneously moving the distributing trough barrier to prevent the passage of balls from the distributing trough, and means for moving the distributing trough barrier to permit the passage of balls from said trough onto the game board for further play.

9. A game apparatuscomprising a game board, goals disposed above the board, means for projecting balls from the game board into the goals, an accumulating trough for receiving balls from the goals,a distributing trough below said accumulating trough, a

barrier at the discharge end of the accumulating trough which when in one position permits the passage of the balls from the accumulating trough to the distributing trough and when in another position prevents such passage, a combined barrier and ejector at the discharge end of the distributing trough which when in one position prevents the passage of balls fromrsaid trough and when in another position permits the balls to roll into aposition to be ejected, from the discharge end of the said distributing trough, and means for actuating the said barriers.

10. A game apparatus comprising a game board, goals disposed above the board, means for projecting ballsfrom the game board into the goals, a distributing trough for receiving balls from the goals, said trough having a discharge opening adjacent the game board surface, a pivotedmember having a portion adapted to extend through the bottom of the discharge trough near the discharge opening therein, and means for moving said member about its pivotal mounting to move a ball through the discharge opening and onto the game board for further play.

11, A game apparatus comprising a casing, a game board located at the bottom of the casing, goals disposed above the board on opposite sides of said casing, means for projecting balls from the game board into the goals, an accumulating trough, comprising downwardly inclined branches leading from a position beneath the goals andmeeting near the center of the casing, said branches each being of suflicient length to accommodate more than half of the total number of balls used in the game, a distributing trough below said accumulating trough comprising downwardly inclined branches each being of a length to accommodate only one-half of the total number of balls used in the game, means for controlling the passage of said balls from 403' said accumulating trough into said distributingtrough, and means associated with each of the distributing troughs for individually and selectively moving the balls fromeach branch onto the game board surface for further play. 12. A game apparatus comprising a casing; a game board located at the bottom of the casing; goals disposed above the board on opposite sides of said casing; receptacles below said goals into which the balls may pass;

'50 an accumulating trough comprising downwardly inclined trough members leading from said receptacles and meeting near the center portion of said casing, said troughs being of a suflicient length to accommodate more than half of the total number of balls used in the game; a distributing trough below said accumulating trough comprising branches inclining downwardly from beneath the meeting point of the trough members of the accumulating trough, 1 each of said branches being of a length to accommodate only one-half'of the total number of balls used in the game; a barrier for controlling the' passage of balls from said accumulating vtrough into said distributing trough; a combined barrier and ball ejector at the discharge end of each branch of the distributing trough; means to actuate the barrier of the accumulating trough and the combined barrier and ejector of the distributing trough to simultaneously move the barrier of the accumulating trough to permit the passage of balls therefrom and to prevent the passage of balls from the discharge end of the distributing trough; and means to move the combined barrier and ball ejector independently of the movement of the accumulating trough barriers. I

13. A game apparatus comprising a horizontally disposed game board, goals disposed above the game board at opposite sides thereof, means at opposite ends of the game board for projecting balls from the game board into the goals, accumulating troughs for receiving the balls from the goals and discharging them at a point above the center of said game board, and means extending from below the discharge point of the accumulating troughs for conveying the balls to the projecting means at opposite ends of the game board. V

14. A game apparatus comprising a horizonta-lly disposed game board, goals disposed above the game board at opposite sides thereof, means at opposite ends of the game board for projecting balls from the game board into the goals, downwardly inclined accumulating troughs extending from each of said goals for receiving the balls from the goals and discharging them at a point above the center of said game board, and distributing troughs extending from below the discharge point'of the accumulating troughs for conveying the balls to the projecting means at opposite ends of the game board.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures.

RUSSEL N. SHEFFLER. WVILLIAM J. SHEFFLER.

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