US2784971A - Tethered ball game device - Google Patents

Description

March 12, 1957 E. c. VOGEL EFAL 2,784,971

TETHERED BALL GAME DEVICE Filed NOV. 17, 1954 INVENTORS EDMUND C. V0 GEL AND ALoYsws HVOGEL ATTORNEY United States Patent TETHERED BALL GAME DEVICE Edmund C. Vogel and Aloysius H. Vogel, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application November 17, 1954, Serial No. 469,422 1 Claim. Cl. 273-98) This invention relates to a game device, and the important objects and advantages thereof are to provide a game apparatus of the character described, which may be played by any reasonable number of participants and for playing a variety of games, which determines the winner by either skill or chance, and which Will afiord exceptional fascination, amusement, and entertainment for both adults and children, particularly the latter.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a game device of the class described, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, durable, compact, attractive in appearance, and comparatively economical in its manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which Will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts herein specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but it is to be understood that the latter is merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention and that changes in the form proportions and details of construction may be resorted to that come within the scope of the claim hereunto appended.

In the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a game device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a sound-producing element embodied in the present invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the improved game device comprises a plate 1 which may be constructed of wood, metal, plastic material, cardboard, or any other suitable material. While the plate is illustrated as being square in contour, it-will be obvious that the plate may be circular in shape or be of any other suitable polygonal configuration without departing from the principle of the invention.

The plate 1 is an integral structure and the top thereof is provided with a plurality of separatetsunken areas 2. The sunken areas are formed by a raised border 3 extending around the top of the plate, and by a plurality of spaced ridges 4 which extend radially from a common center member 5 to the border 3.

The center member 5 is preferably circular and formed with a rounded top surface. ,A small rubber ball 6 is connected with the center member 5 by means of an elastic rubber cord 7, which has one end secured to the ball and the other end thereof is attached at the center of the center member 5. The normal unstretched length of the elastic cord 7 is such that the attached ball 6 is retained on the top of the plate 1 at all times While the elastic cord is untensioned.

A difierent animal illustration, as indicated at 8, and a different numerical designation, as indicated at 9, are prominently displayed on each of the surfaces of the sunken areas 2.

It is, of course, apparent that, instead of displaying the illustrated pictures 8 and numerals 9, any other type of indicia may be displayed to complement any class of game applicable to the structure of the plate arrangement.

A bell 10, carried at the upper end of a vibratory stem 11, may be removably mounted on the plate 1 by inserting the lower end of the stem in any selected aperture 12 which is provided therefor in the plate 1.

In playing a game with the game device, the player elevates the ball 6 vertically to tension. the elastic cord 7 and then releases the elevated ball. The action of the tensioned elastic cord when the ball is so released, will cause the ball to first rebound from the center member 5 and then bounce repeatedly from other parts of the plate for some time. When the ball finally comes to rest it will have landed in one of the sunken areas 2. In playing the game the child player imitates the cry or call of the animal pictured in the sunken area in which his play landed the ball. The adult players form a sentence in which the animal his play indicated is named, and uses the associated numerical designation 9 as a score, which may be tabulated, and the player having the greatest amount being the winner. The bell 10 may or may not be used in playing a game as desired. In using the hell if the bounding ball should. strike and cause the sounding of the bell predetermined scoring points may be added or deducted from the play.

The present invention provides a most entertaining game device of its kind, which may be economically constructed successfully employed for the purposes and in the manner herein set forth.

What we claim is:

A game device of the class described comprising, in combination, a plate formed with a raised border and with a circular center member having a rounded top surface, said plate further formed with a plurality of regularly spaced ridges extending radially from said member to said border to provide a plurality of sunken areas on said plate, the surface of each of said areas displaying indicia representing a diiferent animal and a different numerical designation, an elastic cord having one end thereof attached at the center of the top of said member, a rebounding ball attached at the other end of said cord, said cord normally being of a length to retain said ball on the top of said plate, each of said ridges provided with an aperture, a vertically extending vibratory stem selectively engageable in any of said apertures, and a bell attached to the upper end of said stem.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 579,080 Reifl? Mar. 16, 1897 1,562,534 Wingard Nov. 24, 1925 1,578,892 Holman Mar. 30, 1926 2,218,055 Singer Oct. 15, 1940 2,243,620 Fernandez May 27, 19 1

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