US1942476A

US1942476A - Marble target game

Info

Publication number: US1942476A
Application number: US555203A
Authority: US
Inventors: William W Harris
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-08-05
Filing date: 1931-08-05
Publication date: 1934-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 1951-01-09

Description

Jan. 9, 1934. w. w. HARRIS MARBLE TARGET GAME Filed Aug. 5, 1931- INVENTOR William W. H?

NEY

Patented Jan. 9, 1934 STATES This invention relates to games.

More particularly, this invention relates to games wherein marbles, or other spherical objects are propelled with gun-like precision at a target or other objective mark and wherein skill is the dominating factor, rather than mere chance.

A particular object of this invention is to provide a target in which the objective point, or points, include means whereby the projected marble, or the like, is retained when a hit is scored,

thus providing visual registration of such accomplishment.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for the automatic return of the projectile to the propelling device in case a hit is not scored by any particular shot.

Another important object of this invention is to provide gun or projectile propelling device wherein the returned projectiles are received in a projectile receiving magazine and wherein the manual depression of a spring controlled lever segregates a single projectile which is propelled, upon the release of said lever out of a delivery barrel portion of the propelling device.

These highly important features and objects of the invention will be more fully understood as set forth in the following detail description in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a perspective View of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view of the left-hand portion of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 2, on a still greater scale, and also illustrating a movement of the gun and the marbles;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing the game comprises a base board, illustrated as of lozenge shape, or the like, the base board 10 being bounded by the limit strips 11, 11, 11, 11. The target 12 of suitable construction is disposed at the center, i. e., at the short diagonal of the lozenge configuration. The base board 10 is inclined in opposite directions from its center 10a, toward the opposite ends 10b, and supported in such relation by a cen-' ter block 100 and end blocks 10d.

The target 12 comprises in essence an opening 13, constructed to removably retain a marble or other suitable projectile, and when retained to be observed through the opening 13 from the 0pposite side of the target 12.

As is illustrated in the drawing, one form of retaining means comprises a strip 14 of rubber or like resilient material.

Most preferably, each target opening 13 is provided with strips 14a, 14b, of rubber or of other resilient material, secured to the outer face of the edge of the opening 13, each strip 14a, 1412, being cut away to provide flaps 15 at each side and at the top of each opening, said flaps being preferably integrally connected with one another. In Figs. 2 and 6, a marble 16 is illustrated as retained in position in an opening 13, and it will appear that such marble 16 when thus retained is observable from opposite sides of the target 12.

For gun sighting purposes, each gun is pivotally connected at its inner end relative to the base board 10, as by pivotal connection to each support 1003. Such pivotal connection is illustrated in the form of vertical pivot pin 18, secured to the extended base 19 of the support 10d, the pin 18 freely entering the opening 20 in the base of the gun 1'7.

The gun 1'7 comprises an entry compartment 21, the bottom face 22 of which is substantially flush with the terminal of the adjacent declining base 10, the bottom face 22 declining toward the interior of the gun 1'7. As appears in Fig. 4 the terminal portion of the bottom face 22 is circular or of other arcuate contour coacting with a corresponding contour of thet'erminal portion of the base board 10 for gun sighting purposes. As appears more fully hereinafter suitable means are provided for retarding a marble 16 within'the entry compartment 21, for the general purpose of limiting the number of marbles projected by the gun.

The gun' 17 further comprises marble projecting means of any suitable form and, as illustrated, comprises the projecting member 23 hinged intermediate its length at 24 to the hinge pin 25, the end portion 26 of the projecting member 23 being secured to one end of the retractile spring 27, the loop end of which is anchored to the eye-pin 28, the spring serving as the motive power of the projecting member 23. The trigger for the projecting member 23 may be of any suitable form and, as illustrated-comprises the hook 30 pivoted at 31 and biased by the expansile spring 33, attached to its tail portion 32. The hook 30 cooperates with a locking opening 34 disposed in the exteriorly projecting end 23a of the projecting member 23.

The projecting member 23 is provided with suitable means for receiving a single marble 16, at any time, as by cupping the member 23 as is indicated at 35.

In Fig. 2 the projecting member is shown in loaded position at which stage the motive power spring 2'7 is tensioned, and a marble 16a received within the cupped portion 35. Release of the projecting member 23 is afiorded by manual downward pressure upon the tail 32 of the releasing hook .30, whereby the projecting member 23 is released under tension of its motive power spring 27, the loaded marble 16a propelled through the discharge compartment 36, the movement of these parts being indicated by the

arrows

37, 38, the direction of propulsion of the marble 'lfia being determined by the pivotal position of the gun 17 relative to the center line of the base board 10. V

For enhancing interest in the game a plurality of target openings 13 may be disposed in uniform relation to one another in the target 12.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that my invention provides a double oppositely arranged target having a series of hitting objectives on each side thereof which present corresponding target conditions to opposed players.

Any suitable rules of play may be formulated.

Three or other definite number of marbles may be alloted to each player and the game may be declared as won by the player who first eifects the registry of hits in the three objective marks. The quick and automatic return of projectiles which .do not hit the objective targets to the propelling gun permits rapid loading and shooting, thus providing a game of constant action, the players not being limited to shooting in turn, but permitted to shoot with competitive rapidity. In the particular modification described and shown in the drawing the objective marks are in the form of directly opposed recesses having a through, i. e., communicating opening therebetween of slightly less diameter than the projectile. The recesses, proper, are of suificient diameter and depth for free reception of the projectile, butare guarded at their outer face by yieldable elements which restrict at least a portion of the immediate entrances to the recesses to a slightly less dimension than the diameter of the projectile. Thus it will be seen that while the velocity of the propelled projectile is sufficient to carry it by the yieldable guard and into the recess, the force of the rebound is not sunicient to overcome the resistance of the yieldable guard and the projectile is thereby retained as a visually registered bit.

It will also be seen that the provision of directly opposed target objectives adapted to receive and retain the propelled projectile, and the further provision of a communicating opening therebetween of only slightlyless dimension than the diameter of the projectile, constitute an important feature of the invention. This arrangement provides an extremely interesting feature of this shooting game as a players registered hits are not only observable by the opponent,

but their protrusion on the opponents side permits the latter to dislodge the registered hit by shooting from his own side into that partieular target objective.

Whereas, I have described my invention by reference to a specific form thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a spherical projectile shooting game, the combination of a vertically disposed target provided with an opening, means associated with said opening for retaining the projectile when it enters therein, projectile propelling means having an .upper delivery chamber and a lower receiving chamber, and means for automatically returning the projectile to the receiving chamber of said propelling means when the projectile is not retained in said target opening by the means provided .forthat purpose.

2. In a spherical projectile shooting game, the combination of an elongated body part, double faced target part disposed midway of the ends of said body part, said target being provided with a series of openings to serve as hitting objectives, the said openings being effectively slightly less in dimension than the diameter of the projectile, means disposed on both faces of said target part in association with each of said openings for retaining the projectile when the latter is propelled into any one of said openings and projectile propelling means disposed at each end of said body part.

3.. In a spherical projectile shooting game, a two faced target having an opening therethrough which serves as a hitting objective on opposed faces of said target, the said opening being restricted in dimension at a point between the two said opposed target faces to prevent the complete passage of the projectile iherethrough, and means disposed on both said opposed target faces in association with the said opening for retaining the propelled projectile when seated in the said restricted opening.

4. In a spherical projectile shooting game a vertically extending target having a vertically-disposed recess therein serving as a hitting objective and means in association with said recess for fixedly retaining a spherical projectile when propelled into the said recess.

5. In a spherical projectile shooting game, the combination of a body part, an upstanding target part having a multiple of laterally disposed hitting objectives, means acting in association with the said hitting objectives for the fixed retention of the projectile when a hit is effected, and projectile propelling means including a projectile receiving magazine swiveled on said body part to permit a variable aim'.

6. In a spherical projectile shooting game, a targetpart, a projectile propelling means comprising a projectile receiving magazine, a delivery barrel and spring actuated lever for receiving a single projectile from said receiving magazine and propelling said single projectile through said delivery barrel the said propelling means together with its receiving magazine being movable in relation to said target part to permit of variable aim.

'7. In a spherical projectile shooting game, projectile propelling means comprising a lowerly dis- 5 posed projectile receiving magazine, an upwardly disposed delivery barrel, and a spring-actuated lever subject to manual manipulation for receiving the foremost projectile in said magazine and elevating and propelling it through said up f per delivery barrel.

WILLIAM W. HARRIS.

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