US2465418A

US2465418A - Portable game device

Info

Publication number: US2465418A
Application number: US544898A
Authority: US
Inventors: David S Baker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-07-14
Filing date: 1944-07-14
Publication date: 1949-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 1966-03-29

Description

March 29, 1949.

D. S. BAKER PORTABLE GAME DEVICE Filed July 14, 1944 Patented Mar. 29, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE GAME DEVICE David S. Baker, New York, N. Y.

Application July 14, 1944, Serial No. 544,898

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a game device in which a ball or similar object is directed toward a target or cup-like receptacle over a surface which may be elevated locally in one or many places to provide corresponding or opposed undulations or inclined portions by means xed to and forming an integral part of the device.

An object of the invention is to provide a game device in which a surface over which a ball or the like is to be impelled may be given a number of combinations of undulations or slopes.

Another object of the device is to provide a surface with means by which undulations or slopes of a given size and position may be exactly reproduced whenever desired thus making it possible to repeat at will the exact conditions of a previous contest.

Another object of the invention is to provide a surface over which a ball may be rolled, such that When it is elevated locally the surrounding portion of the surface will assume a smoothly curving contour without abrupt breaks in the surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and effective means for elevating locally a golf practice putting surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide a surface of the kind described which may be readily rolled up into a roll of predetermined size, or unrolled into a substantially horizontal plane.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a surface with means controlling the diameter of the convolutions of the member when rolled up, so that when rolled it will always occupy substantially the same space.

Another object of the invention is to provide in conjunction with such a surface foot operable means for elevating the surface locally.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game which may be played Without .requiring the player to bend down to pick up the ball or to operate the surface elevating means.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and in the several steps and relation and order of each of said steps to one or more of the others thereof, all as will be pointed out in the following description, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

The invention will best be understood if the following description is read in connection with the drawings, in which,

Figure l is a plan view of the device showing the playingr surface unrolled and in horizontal position;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the device elevated locally by one of the elevating means provided;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken through the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view lsimilar to Figure 4 showing the device elevated along one margin to one position;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing the device elevated along one margin to a greater elevation;

Figure 7 is a detailed cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale;

Figure 8 is a side view of the device at the beginning of the operation of rolling it up for storage, showing the operation of the blocks I9 in controlling the diameter of the device when rolled up; and

Figure 9 is a detail view showing tapes woven between aligned abutting reinforcing cross members.

My device comprises a strip of material It, preferably elongated as illustrated, such for ex ample as felt, composition, or the like, over which a ball may be rolled toward a target located for example at one end of the strip I0 or beyond the end of the strip I0. The form of the target is immaterial but it may conveniently be a cuplike recess I I cut out of the strip I Il near one end.

If desired a plurality of reces-ses I I may be provided serving as alternative targets spaced at different intervals from the lateral edges of the strip I0. The position of a recess II relative to a lateral edge of strip I' has a bearing on the difficulty involved in holing a ball or the like, rolled for example from the far end of the strip, for reasons which will be apparent from the following description of how the surface of the strip I 0 may be shaped by the means to be disclosed.

The strip I0 is preferably but not necessarily reinforced. as, for example, by the rigid cross members I2 shown in the drawings, which may conveniently be of wood, or composition material such as masonite, or the like, glued or otherwise secured to the under surface of strip I0 so that they extend transversely of strip I0. If the members I2 are used they arepreferably aligned side by side in abutting relation so that when a portion of the device is elevated it will form a continuous smoothly curved surface without hollows between adjacent cross members.

Instead of the rigid cross members I2 other means for stilfening and reinforcing the strip I may be employed such for example as strip material underlying strip I0 and secured to strip I0, or strip I0 may itself be made of a suitable stiffness to be used alone without reinforcing means.

Projecting upwardly at intervals along the lateral edges of strip I0 are pivotally mounted members adapted to swing from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position, and, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein they are block-like members or foot pieces I3, which are essentially flat at the bottom but preferably rounded along the bottom outer edge I4 to facilitate their movement in the manner to be described. The members I3 are each secured to the rear .surface of strip IIJ, if the latter is used alone, or tothe under surface of the reinforcing means for strip I0 if such means is employed, by means of the hinges I5. One leaf Ia of each hinge I5 extends across a portion of the bottom surface of a member I3, and the other hinge leaf, I5b, is secured to the under surface of strip I Il or to the reinforcing means underlying strip Ill if such reinforcing means is used. Each hinge member I5 is preferably disposed so that its pintle I5c is, positioned inside of the lateral margin of strip I0. As illustrated herein (see particularly Figure 7), a strip I0 forming the playing surface is4 reinforced by cross members I2 .and the members I3 respectively are hingedly connected to cross members l2. 'The cross members l2 to which the Vmembers I3 are attached are each pro vided with a U-shaped bracket I6, extending Aover and around the end of the cross member, and the hinge leaf I5b is secured to the cross member AI2 as by screw means I'I, extending through the hinge leaf I5b and the bracket I6. An oppositely curved spring leaf I8 .is provided between each member I3 and the 'end of the aligned cross member, as between member I3b and the 'curved end of bracket I6, to yieldingly lock the members I3 in their initial horizontal position and to prevent them from flopping over and being in 'the way, as for example when the surface to which they are attached is being rolled up.

It will be seen that each member I3 together with the hinged leaf a to which it is secured constitutes a bell crank rotatable around'the hinge pintle I5c as a pivot. When pressure is applied to a member I3, as vby foot pressure, the member slides inward, on its edge I`4, thus rotating Vthe member from a 'vertical plane toward a`horizontal plane, and simultaneously rotating the members hinge leaf -If5a from a horizontal plane toward a vertical plane, and thus elevating a portion of strip IU, and its reinforcing means-if-any,which is located above and adjacent the .pintle EI'5c around which the said hinge leaf I5a pivots. Accordingly when a player wishes to modify the horizontal surface of strip I0 when .none -of members I3 are depressed he has only to 4step upon one or more members I3 to cause fstrip ID to be elevated locally in the vicinity of a depressed member I3. Due to the preferred 'sti'ifness of strip Ill the elevation thus formedwill 'be gradually curving and will slope inwardly toward the longitudinal center line of strip Ill. It will be seen that a wide variety of contours of strip I0 may be obtained through variations inthe slection `of the members I3 `which .are depressed.

Thus for example by depressing all of the members I3 along one lateral margin of strip I0, without depressing any of the members I3 along the other lateral margin of strip I0, a continuous elevation is obtained, the top of which extends as a ridge of substantially even height, and which slopes inwardly onto a horizontally extending surface portion of strip I0. If non-adjacent members I3 on the same side are depressed to the same extent a series of inwardly inclined undulations are obtained, tapering off into a level surface. On the other hand by depressing all of the members I3 of both lateral margins of strip I0 a series of oppositely inclined slopes will be obtained, both tapering off inwardly toward the 'longitudinally extending center line of strip I0. By selection of members I3 to be depressed, and the extent to which a hinge leaf I5a is elevated, as will be described, the difficulty involved in impelling a ball along the length of strip IU, and holing it in one of the receptacles I I, may be greatly varied.

As illustrated herein each member I3 comprises portions of different height; the outer surfaces f of which are angularly disposed to one another;

thus the portion I3a is of less height than the portion I 3b and its outer surface is initially in a vertical plana-and when the user placeshis foot on portion I3a the member I3 will not be rotated around its hinge pivot I'5c to as great a vdegree as would be the case if the player lstepped upon the more elevated portion I3b the outer face of which, above portion I3a, is inclined inwardly `so that it does `not contact the floor surface on which the device is supported until member I3 is rotated beyond the position shown in Figure 5 to the po'ition of Figure 6. Thus the surface `of .strip Ill in the vicinity of each member I3 may be elevated selectively to a plurality of different heights. thus further increasing the variety of the game.

A great advantage of the device is the positiveness of the action of the members -I3 in elevating portions of strip I0, and the fact that the same conditions obtaining for example at the time of one match may be repeated at any desired time. Similarly the skill of a .player in dealing With a given setting of members I3 on A'one :date may be compared with his skill in dealing with them `at another date, `or one player may compete under the same conditions which obtained `for another player, using the device at a different date.

In `order to facilitate rolling up `of the device for storage or transportation I provi-de along a portion of one or both margins :of strip I0 the aligned trapezoidal blocks I9, which in .the Aembodiment of the invention described herein are secured respectivelyto the ends ofthe cross rmembers I.2. vPreferably the trapezoidal blocks I! are of a width at their base corresponding V.to `the width of cross members yI2 and .their end faces are oppositely -and inwardly inclined. As the .assembly is rolled vthe oppositelyinclined `faces of adjacent trapezoidal blocks, suc'h for example as the opposed end faces 20 and 2`I, .wi11.come.into Contact and thus, according `to the inclination of said faces, will limit the angle which one block I9 may assume with relation to the next block 19. Thus the blocks will serve to determine the diameter of the -roll into whch the assembly may be rolled, and, by Vproviding trapezoidal `blocks I'U having uniformly inclined `end faces 2D and '21, asymmetrical roll of constant diameter will .be obtained. It will be understood that it ds :only necessary to provide 'the fblocks lalcngxa'pontion of the `lateral margin -of the device, :since 8 the first convolution, when formed, will serve to determine the diameter of the succeeding con- Volutions of the roll. It will be seen that the trapezoidal blocks i9 serve to support the entire weight of the rolled up assembly thus relieving strip lll of any substantial stress.

As illustrated herein the forward end of strip I may be secured to a member 22 which serves to anchor the front end of strip l0 and which if desired may constitute a base for the device when rolled up. Means such as e. canvas cover (not shown) may also be attached to the member 22 to act with the member 22 to provide a housing for the rolled up device. The member 22 may be provided adjacent its side and rear margins with the upwardly extending side members '23 which serve both as stop means to limit the travel of the ball beyond the target and as a part of a housing for the rolled up device.

The cup-like recesses Il are preferably of a depth so proportioned to the diameter of the ball employed that the ball when holed will extend above the recess sufficiently to permit it to be knocked out of the hole by an implement, such as a golf stick, thus making it unnecessary for a player to bend over to remove the ball. The limited depth of recesses li also adds the additional desirable hazard that a ball may enter a recess I I but fail to remain in the recess if struck too hard. The depth of recesses Ii may be controlled by the thickness of the playing surface employed and also by providing concavities in the playing surface supporting means.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention a method, apparatus, and an article in which the various objects hereinabove set forth together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. As various possible embodiments might be made of the mechanical features of the above invention and as the art herein described might be varied in various parts, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. A game device comprising in combination a surface over which a ball may be rolled, said surface comprising a normally flat flexible member capable of being elevated locally to form inclined sloping areas, and bell crank means hinged at one end beneath said surface and projecting beyond the edge of said surface, said bell crank means being responsive to pressure on its free end to rotate around its hinge line as a pivot and to elevate said surface locally.

2. A game device comprising a member having a flexible surface over which a ball may be rolled and means for modifying the contour of said member comprising means fixed to said member and rotatable about an axis positioned beneath said member, and adapted to be interposed to a selected extent between said member and a surface onwhich said member is supported.

3. A game device comprising in combination a exible surface over which a ball may be rolled, means for elevating said surface locally, said means being disposed so as to be movable from a position beyond the lateral margin of the said playing surface, and in substantially the same plane as the playing surface, into a position under the playing surface, and into a plane angularly related to the plane oi said playing surface, and means interposed between said elevating means and said playing surface for normally retaining said elevating means in its said initial position beyond the lateral margin of said playing' surface.

4. A golf game comprising a flexible putting surface, a member hingedly connected to said surface and movable from a plane parallel to said surface into a plane angularly related to said surface, and a foot control pedal attached to said membere, said foot control pedal having a curved bottom and an outer face which has a plurality of inclined portions whereby said pedal may be readily moved over a floor and under said putting surface into either of a plurality of positions to elevate the putting surface locally and selectively into either of a plurality of positions, and means yieldingly holding said foot control member in its initial position.

DAVID S. BAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: i

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 538,380 McKenzie Apr. 30, 1895 724,760 Altena Apr. 7, 1903 827,670 Russell July 31, 1906 1,248,842 Gaver Dec. 4, 1917 1,582,237 Angell Apr. 27, 1926 2,003,241 Brown May 28, 1935 2,025,183 Stayton Dec. 24, 1935