US2688484A - Table ball game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 7, 1954 D. M. GARBER TABLE BALL GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 6, 1951 l N VENT OR 004/ 444277 Gaease ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 7, 1 954 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

1 1 2,688,484 I I TABLE BALL GAME APPARATUS Don Martin Garber, Hanover County, Va. Application January 6, 1951, Serial No. 2043730 1 Claim. it This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a game device, and more particularly to games and devices upon which. they are played in connection with a ball, field and impelling means.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of an enclosed game board adapted to accommodate a barrier or an apertured bar so that a variety of games may be played; depending upon whether the bar or barrier is used. Another object of this invention is the provision of an enclosed game board provided with means for accommodating a barrier or apertured bar over or through which a ball may respectively pass.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an enclosed game board provided with a barrier or apertured bar over or through which a ball may be impelled by a mallet or bat.

Other objects and features will more fully appear from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the invention;

Fig. 2 a sectional elevational view or the bat; and i Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 33 of Fig. l and showing a modified board.

Referring to the drawings the invention consists of a game board I composed of a rectangular base 2. To each of the longer sides or edges of said base are respectively secured sides 3-4 which project upwardly from the base. To each end of said base are respectively secured stops 56-; said sides and end stops enclosing the top surface of the board to form a playing field and prevent the ball from rolling off the latter. The board may be provided with legs I so that it may properly support said board upon a base or floor, or the legs may be removed in order that the board may be disposed upon any suitable support such as a table.

In each of the sides 34 are disposed grooves or slots 8-9 opposed to and in alignment with each other. The grooves are respectively adapted to accommodate one of the ends of a barrier Ill or modified barrier II, the latter being provided with a plurality of apertures. A mallet or batlike member [2 consists of a handle l3; one end or which is attached to a head l4 at a forty-five degree angle. The basal portion of the head is also struck at a similar angle. A ball I5 is adapted to be used as an element in the playing of a game and the mallet when striking the ball is generally pushed upon the board. The ball is directionally impelled by the mallet by varying the angle formed by the head and the base it contacts.

If the ball is desired to be impelled upwardly and over the barrier (Fig. l) the angle between the head and base is decreased; the greater the decrease of such angle the greater the altitude the ball will rise, and vice versa.

For purposes of illustration, two games will be illustrated, although applicants device may provide a number of games. As shown in Fig, l, the

barrier In is placed in the slots and a player stands at each end of the device with a mallet in his hand and its head contacting the base. The object of each player is to use this mallet to knock the ball over the barrier to the other player, who in turn knocks it back to his opponent. The first one failing to knock the ball over the barrier is the loser. Of course, the board may be marked off like a tennis court and the game played in similar fashion to the game of tennis.

The game may also be played by merely utilizin half of the field including the barrier or bar with a suitable backstop.

Another type game may be played by placin the apertured bar in the slots. It will be noted that the various orifices in the bar are of different diameters. Each orifice may be given a number. Thus, a large orifice may be legended 1 and a small one numbered 5 since it is more diilicult to knock a ball through a small aperture than a large one. Also, the apertures in the edges of the bar are adapted to be of various sizes and placedupon the surface of the board to form gates. It is thought obvious that a player at one end that knocks the ball through a large orifice will get a smaller score than the player at the other end who plays the ball through a smaller orifice. It is also thought obvious that instead of using numerals for the various holes they may be legended so as to provide baseball, football, bas- .ketball or any game within the limits of this invention. For instance, the holes may be legended strikes, balls, hits, etc. for baseball; while football may carry such legends as touchdown, first down, pass for first down, etc.

While the invention may be constructed of any suitable material it has been found that a marble is best adapted for the ball and the board may be made of wood or any composite material. The mallet is usually of wood but its head may be improvised of any resilient surface.

It is obvious from the foregoing that the device may be utilized to provide a number of different games by providing various types of apertured bars.

Having described this invention, what is claimed is:

In a table ball game device, comprising an enclosed base and a barrier disposed in transverse position upon and across said base, an impelling mallet or bat provided with a rectangular shaped head having an extended oblique edge at the lower side thereof adapted for engagement with said base, together with a handle attached to the rear face of said headv and. extending rearwardly, in a parallel plane to the plane of theunder faceof said oblique edge, whereby when said edge is resting upon said base, the said head may betilted up and down and moved along-: said basein all directions, in a manner so that a variable angle between said oblique edge and base is" pro- .4 vided to permit said head to impel a ball over or through said barrier.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,144,112 Denny June 22, 1915 1,564,863 Laing Dec, 8, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,516 Great Britain 1902 231,967 Great Britain Apr. 16, 1925 238,958 Great Britain Aug. 13, 1925 336,188 Great Britain Oct. 9, 1930 399,962 Great Britain Oct. 19, 1933

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