US2479721A - Ball shooting toy - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 23, 1949. c. w. BRlMHALL BALL SHOOTING TOY v 2 sheeiS-sheet 1 Filed Jan. 2, 1946 C. W. BRIMHALL BALLA SHOOTING TOY Aug., 23, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2, 1946 NMO wm.

IIIII viilllll Illll m.. s m,

mmf

rl i mam/M Patented Aug. 23, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFl-CE BALL SHOOTING TOY Claude W. Brimhall, Gaston, Ind.

Application January 2, 1946, Serial No. 638,696

Y (Cl. 46-43) 3 Claims. i 1

The invention aims to provide a novel, entertaining and durable toy for shooting vmarbles or other balls along a runway, by means of a rapidre, magazine-type, crank-actuated gun, and for returning the balls to the gun magazine vfor repeated nring yas long as desired, with the intervals between shots either short or long, according to the speed with which the crank is turned.

The magazine preferably includes a hopper for the returned balls, and a further aim is to provide novel means for preventing overloading of said hopper and thereby preventing the balls from becoming wedged therein.

A still further object is to make novel provision for removing any of the balls which .may fall back from a curved intermediate runway which connects a l-ower runway, along which the balls are shot, with an upper ball-returning runway.

Yet another object is to provide a novel construction which may be expeditiously manufactured primarily from wood, and may be prot@ ably sold at a reasonable price.

Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan partly in .horizontal section, as indicated by the irregular line 3--3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a further enlarged detail longitudinal section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section on line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detail horizontal sectional viewsubstantially on line 'I-l of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the plunger and spring guides.

A preferred construction has been illustrated and will be rather specifically described, with the understan-ding, however, ythat within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made.

A lower horizontal ball runway I0, an upper rearwardly declined ball-returning runway II, and a curved runway I0 rigidly connecting the rear ends of said runways I ll and II, are provided, and a rapid-fire, magazine-type, crankactuated gun l2 is mounted on the rear end of the runway Il] under the rear end of the runway II, for forwardly shooting balls I3 along the ballguiding and returning runway formed jointly by the elements I0, Il and I0', and for receiving the returned balls in readiness to be shot again. The shooting will occur repeatedly and almost continuously as long as the gun-actuating crank I4 is operated, and the intervals between shots may be controlled by turning said crank at one speed or another. The entire toy is preferably supported by legs I5 which space it sufficiently from the floor to make the crank I4 readily accessible to a child kneeling or sitting. The legs are preferably inwardly and upwardly foldable when the toy is to be stored.

The lower runway I0 comprises a bottom I6 and side strips I'I secured thereto by screws or the like I8, and the upper runway II likewise includes a bottom I9 and side strips 20 secured thereto by screws 2i. The intermediate runway Ill comprises a curved plate 22 having integral side flanges `23. The lower end of this plate 22 is secured by bolts or the like 24 against the lower side of the runway bottom I6, at the front end of the latter, and the upper end of said plate 22 is spaced above the front end of the upper runway bottom I 9. The lower ends of the flanges 23 are secured against the outer sides of the side strips I? of the lower runway In, by bolts or the like 25, and the upper ends of said flanges 23 are secured by bolts or the like 26 against the inner sides of the side strips 20" of the upper runway II. Directly in front of the lower runway bottom I6, the plate 22 is provided with 4`an integral channel-shaped portion 21 extending transversely thereof and slidably receiving a drawer 28 to collect any of the balls I3 which may fall back from the intermediate runway I. The bottom of the drawer 28 is formed with a ball outlet 29 and when said drawer is partly withdrawn from the channel 21 and tilted, any balls within said drawer will run to said outlet 29 and descend therethrough.

,At the rear end of the upper runway Il, is a pivotally hung gate 30 which arrests the returned balls until they have accumulated against said gate in sufficient number to push the latter rearwardly toy open position, whereupon the balls will drop into the magazine or hopper 3I of the gun I2, for gravitation to the ball shooting means hereinafter described. I have found that by thus arresting a number of the balls in the rear end of the runway li, the presence of too many balls in the hopper or magazine 3| at one time, is prevented, thereby overcoming any tendency of the balls to wedge and lodge instead of properly gravitating to the shooting means. Immediately behind the gate `3l), the side strips 2D of the upper runway Il, are secured to an end wall 32 by screws or the like.

The gun I2 includes two longitudinal side walls 33 preferably ofV greater height toward their front ends than toward their rear ends, said side walls 33 being secured against the inner sides of the side strips I1 of the lower runway I6, by screws 34. The rear ends of these walls 33 are connected by a rear end wall 35. Extending from this end wall 35 to points somewhat in advance of the side walls 33, are a number of strips 36 which may be secured by nails or the like 31 upon the bottom I6 of the lower runway IIl. In the present instance, there are three of the strips 36, two lying against the inner faces of the side walls 33 and one disposed centrally between said side walls.

A front end structure is secured by screws or the like 38 between the front ends of the side walls 33, said front end structure comprising a lower block 39 and an upper block 40 in the present showing, said lower bloc 39 having two vertical ball-guiding openings 4I between its ends. The upper block 40 inclines rearwardly from the upper side of the block 39 and its base is disposed totally in ladvance of the openings 4l, and a suitable finishing plate 42 is preferably secured by screws or the like against the front areas of said blocks 39 and 40.

An intermediate transverse wall r43 is secure-d between the intermediate portions of the side walls 33, and a ball chute y44 rests upon the upper edge of this wall 43 and the rear portion of the block 39, said chute 44 being preferably removable to give access to mechanism below it for inspection and lubrication. The upper side of the chute 44 has appropriate ball-guiding ribs V45 to guide the balls I3 to the openings 4 I.

Y Spring and plunger guiding, longitudinally split .tubes 46 extend under the intermediate wall 43 and the rear end of the block 39 and abut the rear end wall 35. Y The front ends of these tubes l46 are held down by the block 39, and a horizontal plate 41 holds the rear portions of said tubes against ascent, said plate 41 being secured upon the rear portions of the strips 36 Yand coacting with the walls 33, 35 and 43 in forming a pocket in which to keep a number of the balls I3. Each tube 46 is provided between its ends with two spaced parallel longitudinal walls 48 which project upwardly and abut the block 39 and the wall 43 tothereby hold said tubes against longitudinal shifting. Lateral shifting of these tubes is prohibited lby the strips 35 between which they are disposed.

Plungers 49 are slidable in the front portions of the tubes 46, each plunger being movable from a forward position (upper portion of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) in which it directly supports the lowermost ball in one of the openings 4I, to a rearward position (lower portion of Fig. 3 and Fig. 5) in which it allows the previously supported ball to drop to a shooting position in front of the plunger, in which position, the ball is yieldably held by a light transverse Spring 56 suitably mounted at its ends on two of the strips 36, the upper edges of said strips being notched to receive said spring.

VHunger-projecting springs are disposed in the rear end portions of the tubes 46 with their rear ends abutting a plate 52 suitably secured to the rear end wall 35. Forward movement of the plungers 49 is limited by stops 53 projecting upwardly from said plungers, said stops being cooperable with a stop plate 54 inset in and suitably secured upon the strips 36. Stops 53 may also project upwardly suiciently to strike the rear end of the block 39. v Rotatably mounted in suitable openings in the side Walls 33, is a transverse shaft 55 which is provided with the crank I4 above described, said shaft being held against endwise movement in any suitable way. This shaft rigidly carries two tappet pins 56 cooperable with upstanding lugs 51 on the plungers 49 to retract and release said plungers as the shaft is rotated.

Whenever la plunger 49 occupies the forward position shown at the upper portion of Fig. 3 and in'; Fig. 4, it directly supports the lowermost of the balls I3 in one of the openings 4I. When the plunger is withdrawn suiiciently by turning the crank I4, to clear the supported ball, this ball will drop to the shooting position shown at the lower portion of Fig. 3 and in Fig. 5, in which lposition it is yieldably held against displacement forwardly, by means of the spring 50. By the time the ball I3 reaches this shooting position or immediately thereafter, the plunger is released and its spring projects it forcibly forward, thus driving the ball under the spring 50 along the runway I0. The ball leaving this runway rolls along the curved runway I0 onto the upper runway II and returns along the latter. Rotation of the crank will successively shoot balls from both barrels of the gun and they may be shot in such rapid succession as to simulate real intensive machine-gun fire, or may be more slowly shot, simply by controlling the speed of the crank. When a suflicient number of balls collect against the gate 39, they push it open and descend into the hopper 3| in readiness for gravity-feed to the shooting means. The parts 58 are merely pivotally hung targets operable by the balls in the runway I I, and if desired, they may have scoring values, for use when using the toy to play a game.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention. While preferences have been disclosed, attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed. For example, the gun may be constructed in single-barrel form, instead of the double-barrel form shown.

Iclaim:

1. A ball shooting toy comprising a lower ball runway, a magazine type rapid-fire gun mounted at the rear end of said runway for shooting balls forwardly along said runway, said gun having a manually operated actuating crank the speed of which governs the intervals between shots, an upper ball runway disposed longitudinally above said lower runway, and a curved intermediate runway connecting the front ends of said lower and upper runways for directing the balls from said lower runway onto said upper runway when said balls are shot by said gun, the rear end of said upper runway being disposed at the magazine of said gun to return the balls to said magazine, said magazine including a hopper into which the balls are discharged from said ball runway, the delivery end of said runway being declined to said hopper and having a pressure-opened gate for arresting the entrance of balls into said hopper until said balls collect in suflicient number against said gate to push it open, thereby restricting the number of balls in said hopper to prevent them from wedging therein.

2. In a toy, a lower ball runway, Ia curved C- shaped runwayconnected with the front end of said lower runway to receive balls therefrom, the

lower front end of said curved runway being provided with a transverse upwardly open channel at the front end of said lower runway, and an upwardly open drawer in said channel to receive any balls which may fall rearwardly along said curved runway, said drawer being slidable at least partly from said channel for ball removal.

3. In a toy, la lower ball runway, a curved C- shaped runway connected with the front end of said lower runway to receive balls therefrom, the lower front end of said curved runway being provided with a transverse upwardly open channel at the front end of said lower runway, and an upwardly open drawer in said channel to receive any balls which may fall rearwardly along said l5 curved runway, the bottom of said drawer having a ball outlet through which balls collected in said drawer may roll when said drawer is withdrawn sufciently to move said ball outlet from the bottom of said channel.

CLAUDE W. BRIMIEALL.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,076,125 Kilgore Oct. 21, 1913 i, 1,086,727 Palmer Feb. 10, 1914 1,282,418 Haskell Oct. 22, 1918 1,312,698 Lasares Aug. 12, 1919 1,480,499 Brown s Jan. 8, 1924 1,582,796 Smith Apr. 27, 1926 1,903,790 Myers Apr. 18, 1933 2,196,549 Colaluca Apr. 9, 1940 2,278,024 Rosenzweig Mar. 31, 1942 2,409,547 Cox Oct. 15, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 172,766 Great Britain Dec. 22, 1921

Images