US2860878A - Simulated baseball game - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 18, 1958 E. HUGHES SIMULATED BASEBALL GAME Filed Feb. 25, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENToR.

Elmer Hughes l Nov. 18, 1958 E. HUGHES SIMULATED BASEBALL GAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 195'( lll/1111111111llllllllLTv/lll INVENTOR. Elmer Hughes Attorney United yStates Patent O SIMULATED BASEBALL GAME Elmer Hughes, Berkeley, Calif. Application February 25, 1957, Serial No. 651,564 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-88) The invention relates to games in which balls are manually shot or otherwise caused to roll over a playing lield and of the general type sometimes referred to as pinball games.

An object of the present invention is to provide a game of the character described which is modeled after a baseball game and is designed to afford a skillful and realistic play in and scorin-g lof a game of baseball.

Another object of the present invention is to provide-a game of the character above which is visually attractive, simple in construction and yet fully automatic in its functioning and scoring in simulating the many individual plays of a baseball game.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a game of the character described which is compact, light in weight, adapted for low cost, mass production and continuous and foolproof operation over a long and useful life.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, which of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention, which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and Yforming part of the specification. VIt is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may 'be :adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.y

Referring to said drawings (two sheets):

Figure l is a plan view of a ball accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of a portion of the apparatus operatively connected to a schematic wiring diagram showing the electrical circuit ofthe game.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the game taken substantially on the Figure l.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the game taken from the position suggested by line 4-4 of Figure l.

Figure 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the game taken substantially on the plane of line 5 5 of Figures l and 3. p

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the playing eld of the game` generally identified as area 6 6 in Figure 1.

Figure 7 'is a transverse cross-sectional view of the game taken substantially on the plane of line 7--7 of Figure 6. l

The ball game of the present invention and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings consista-briefly, of aninclined playing field 11, a shooting device 12 by -means of which the player may'direct a ball 13 onto the upper game constructedv in plane ofline 3-3V ofY part 14 of the iield forrolling gravitation thereover, a

plurality of downwardly sloping ball-confining paths 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21, lhere representative of l'a walk, a`one, twoand three-base hits and a homerun respectively, ballreceiving stations-22, 23 and 24 aligned with the lower ends of paths 18, 19 and 20 for receiving balls therefrom ICC and ygenerally representing iirst base, second base and third base, the stations 22-24 being disposed on declining levels for the rolling of a ball from one to the other of the stations and from the lowermost station 24 to a run exitway 26, means 27 counting the number of balls passing through exitway 26, ball-retaining gates 31, 32 and 33 at and defining the lower ends of stations 22, 23 Vand 24 respectively, and means 36 in certain of the paths responsive to balls passing therethrough for opening and closing of gates 31-33 so as to effect movement of the balls from one to another of the stations and to the eXitway 26 in the same manner as a runner is advanced around the bases in a baseball game. Accordingly, with a ball in, say, station 22, representing rst base, an ensuing ball rolling down path 18 representing a one-base hit, will effect a single cyclic opening and closing of the gates`31-33 so as to advance the ball from station 22 representing lirst base, to station 23 representin-g second base, while the ball rolling'down path 18 moves into the first base station. Similarly means 36 is so arranged that a ball rolling down the two-base hit path 19 will effect a double cycle opening and closing of the gates to effect a double step advance of balls in any of the stations; and the means 36 in the three-base hit path 20 responds to a ball rolling therethrough to effect a triple cycle opening and closing of the gates to effect a triple step advance of balls in any ofthe stations' and in similar fashion the means in the homerun path 21 is responsive to a ball passing therethrough for elfecting a triple cycle opening and closing of the gates 31-33.

Preferably the upper part 14 of the playing eld, above the start of paths 17--21, isprovided with one or more' ball-receiving openings functioning to remove a ball from the playing lield and thus being representative of a put-out. As here shown, one opening 41 inthe uppermost part of the lield and rst most likely encountered by a ball, represents a strike-out opening, and a series of three openings 42, 43, and 44 arranged below opening 41 represent left -eld y-out, center field ily-out,

and right lield y-out, respectively. These openings may be graded in size, as shown in Figure l, being largely at the more probable course of movement of the balls over Vwhich runs from an upper end 47 at the' lower end of path 17 to a lower lend 48 terminating in the ball exitway 26 at the lower end of path 21, and the several gates'V 31-33 are mounted in this diagonal path 46 'to define.' the several ball-receiving stations 22-24; and in order` to carry out the realistic playing of the game, there is providedrin the diagonal passage-46 one or moreswinging gates having a normally biased positionrextending across the diagonal path land aligned with one of the paths '1S-2l) for. directing a ball therefrom into the underlying station, the gate being formed and mounted` for displacement by a ball guided thereby` to a position A lying lacross and closing the station on a downwardly sloping diagonal so as to shunt ensuing balls `from the.` closed station to the next lower station. As best seen yin Figures 1 and 6, three such hinged gates 51', V52 and n 53 are mounted in the diagonal path 46 and are normallyV biased to positions aligned with paths 18, 19y and' 20" for directing balls into the'flrst, second and third base; "stations 22-24. Each of the hinged gates is pivotallyjy mounted intermediate its ends for swingingV movement as depicted in Figure 6. Thus a ball 54`descending in path-18 or a ball.56 descending in the diagonal path 46 from the walk path 17 will strike the upper 'end l57' of hinged gate 51, as depicted by-.ball 58,iand thusbe` directed by the gate 51 into the4 iirst base station 22, Y

Patented Nov. 18, 1958 the ball coming to rest at position S9 against gate 31. As will be seen in Figure 6, the ball rolls laterally in station 22 to its position against gate 31 and in so doing engages the lower end 61` of gate S1, thus swinging thisv gate in a counterclockwise direction to a position,` as.V

depicted in dotted lines, against a stop 62 wherein the gate 51 dieslacross the normally open end of'station 22 and on a diagonal generally parallel to the path 46. As also will be observed from Figures l and 6, the diagonal path is widened opposite the one, twoand threebase hit paths 18, 19 and 20 so as to define first, second and third base stations 22-24 at the substantially lower half of the widened pathand leaving the upper half of the path open so that ensuing balls may pass a closed station, as depicted by ball 63-in Figure 6. Hinged gates 52 and 53 are mounted within the widened part of the diagonal passage in the same manner as described in connection with `gate 5-1A so that these gates similarly move from their normally biased position, directing balls into their associated underlying stations to closed positions across these stations, so as to shunt ensuing balls past the closed stations. As noted, the hinged gates 51-53 are biasedfto their station open position as shown in solid lines in Figure 6 so that they will automatically return to such open position when gates 31-33 are operated to release balls therein.

The means, heretofore identified by general reference numeral, for. cycling the gates 31-33 is preferably electrically operated. and here includes a solenoid 66 mounted*Y for. raising of gates 31-33 and which is operatively connected to a source 67 of electric potential and a` series of switches connected electrically in parallel as illustrated in Figure 2, and arranged in the passages 1821 for closing by balls rolling therethrough. One such switch 71 is located adjacent the upper entrance of the one-base hit passage 1S. Two such switches '72 and 73 are provided inthe two-base hit passage 19, switch 72 beingpositioned, adjacent the upper entrance of the path, and switch 73: being spaced medially of the length of the path. Three such switches 74, 75 and 76 are positioned at, the entrance to and at longitudinally spaced positions along the three-base hit path 20, and in a similar fashion three- switches 77, 7 S and 79 are provided in the homerun path 21.

The balls maythemselves form part of the electric circuitry byusing polished steel balls in the game and forming the switches 71-79 of spaced metal strips such as strips 81 and 82 in-the case of switch 71, which arespaced for jointvengagement with a rolling ball in path 18; These several paths 17-21 may be conveniently formed by a plurality of spaced parallel ribs 83, 84, 85, 86 and 87 on the top wall 88 of the game defining theplaying field 11, rib 83 being spaced from a raised side wall'89 to define the walk path 17, rib 83 being spaced from rib 84 to define the one-base hit path 18,A rib 84 being spaced from rib S5 to define the two-base hit path 19, rib SSbeing spaced from rib 86 to define the three-base hit path 20, rib 86 being spaced from ribr 87 to define the homerun path 21, and rib 87 being spaced from an opposite side wall 91 to define a passageway 92 for the balls leading from the shooting device 12 to the Vupper part 14 of the playing field.

The Vswitch contact strips 51-82 may be mounted either on the opposed sides of ribs and 34 or, as here shown, on the floor of path 18 and on the side of the adjacent rib 84 so that a 'ball 'entering the path 18 will jointly engage the two switch contacts. to thereby close the circuit through the metal ball itself, Similarly the contact strips for the remaining switches i2- 79 may be mounted either on the opposed sides of the ribs detining theV paths or in each case on the fioor of such paths and the side of one, adjacent rib. With referenceto FigureA 2, it will beA seen that all of the switches 71-79 are electrically connected inl parallel with each'other. andwithsource 67 andthe fieldiwinding 93er solenoid.

Cil

-in the base stations 22-24.

66 so that closing of any of the switches will energize the solenoid. Source 67 may be conveniently provided by flashlight cells 96 and 97 mounted at the under side of the playing field as illustrated in Figure 3.

As above explained, the function of the switches 71-79 is to effect a cyclic opening and closing of the gates 31-33 so as to permit a stepped advance of balls Thus, for example, the sequential closing of the two switches 72-73 in the two-base hit path 19 will effect a two-cycle operation of the gates and a two-step advance of balls in the stations-that is, from first base to second base to third base. It will be apparent that this same two-base advance of a ball from first to third base may be effected by holding the gates 31-33 open for a sufiicient period of time to allow a ball to roll from station 22 under gates 31 and 32 to station 24. Thus instead of having two switches 72-73 in the two-base hit path 19, the switch contacts of switch 72 could be elongated so as to hold the solenoid 66 energized and therefore the gates in elevated position for the requisite period of time to effect a two-base advance of the balls in stationsJ 22-24. Similarly the switch contacts of switches 74 and 77 at the entrances of the three-base hit path 20 and the homerun path 21 may be elongated to retain the solenoid energized for a period corresponding to a three-base advance of the balls in the stations. It will be observed that the timing of the balls rolling in the paths 17-21 may be controlled by the pitch or incline of these paths and also by the Width and depth of the paths--that is, the spacing between the ribs SI5-87 and side walls 89 and 91.

Balls directed into the out openings 41-44 in the upper part of the playing field drop into an underlying chamber 96 provided by a housing 97 under the top wall 88 defining the playing field. Housing 97 also denes a downwardly sloping ball-return chute 98, seen in Figure 5 and indicated generally in dotted lines in Figure 1, and which at its discharge end 99 re-enters the playing field adjacent the lower end 1.01 of the field. As will be observed from Figures l and 3, the lower end of the field is bounded by a downwardly inclined end wall 102 along which the balls may gravitate to the shooting device 12. A counter 103 is mounted adjacent the end wall 102 for counting balls passing through the ball-return chute 98. An interior partition wall 104 cooperates with the end wall 102 to define an existing passage 106 for balls passing counter 103 to the shooting device, the latter being here located at the lowermost end 107 of the playing field in line with passageway 92. The shooting device 12 may be simply composed of a spring-operated arm 108 fixed at one end 109 for resilient springing action of its opposite end 111 which is mounted to strike ball 13 in a pocket 112 at the lower discharge end ofppassage 106. Run exitway 26 also terminates in passage 106 so that balls passing counter 27 willrroll to the pocket 112 of the shooting device. As will be understood, manual pulling back of arm end 111 and then releasing the arm will be accompanied by an abrupt resilient forward displacement of the arm end against ball 13, driving the ball over passageway 92 to the upper part 14 of the playing field. An interior curved guide 113 here cooperates with a curved end wall 114, forming an arcuate extension of side wall 91 to guide the ball in an arcuate orbit onto the upper end of the playing field. A ball so driven may strike a resilient abutment 116 at the other side of the playing field and rebound for gravitation over the playing field past one of the strike-out openings. A series of pins 117 may be mounted on the playing field around the put-out openings 41-44. andadjacent the entrances to paths 17-21 for deflecting the balls. lf desired, a transparent cover such as a glass sheet ,may be mounted in spaced relation over fthetop of the playing field.

Each of the hinged gates 51-53may be conveniently formed, as best ,seen in Figure 7, as a single length of wire bent to provide a top length 121 providing-the ballengaging portion, and an end loop 122 terminating in a stem 123 generally perpendicular to length 121V and extending therefrom intermediate its ends so as to provide a medial pivotal axis. Stem 123 is here journaled in andY ners are advanced around the bases in a baseball game.v

For this purpose the several gates 31-33 areconnected to a rocker shaft 128 and extend radially therefrom in generally parallel relation tothe top of the playing field, the forwardly projecting ends ofthe gates being curved downwardly, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3, for intercepting balls in the stations 22-24. Joint raising of the gates is here effected by mounting solenoid 66 under the center gate 32 and in Vertical position for effecting when energized the upward travel of its plunger 129, the latter being mounted to come up under and abruptly strike the center gate 32, see Figure 2, thus abruptly raising gate 32 and its connected gates 31 and 33. Since the gates are to be opened only momentarily so as to release balls in the station and then to close so as to trap the next ensuing ball, a stop 131 is provided on the rocker shaft 128 to limit its rotary displacement. As here shown, the several gates 31-33 may be formed as stiff metal wires and the center gate 32 is extended through the rocker shaft, as best seen in Figures l and 2, to project fromv the opposite side and to provide a free end serving as stop 131, this end functioning on a predetermined raising of the gates to strike the top surface of the playing field and cause a rapid return of the gates to their normal weightbiased closed position.

Appropriate elevation of the upper end of the playing field to provide the desired incline thereof is here effected by a pair of depending feet 132 and 133 which may rest on a table top 134 or other support. The opposite end 136 of the wall 88 may be rested directly on the supporting surface 134, as seen in Figure 3.

The functioning of the device in the playing of a simulated game of baseball is briefly summarized in part in the following: At the start of the batting series, a ball directed into the walk path 17 will find the first base station 22 open and roll therein against the lower end 61 of hinged gate 51. The ball, depicted by ball 59 in Figure 6, will roll against gate 31 and in so doing will swing hinged gate 51 closed, thus closing the first base station. A second ball directed over the walk path will accordingly find the first base station closed and will travel on to second base station 23. On entering this station the ball will engage hinged gate 52 and swing this gate to close the second base station. The player will'now have runners at first and second base in the same manner as occurs when the first two men at bat are walked in a baseball game. Should the third ball be directed into the walk path 17, it will find both first and second base stations closed and roll on to and enter and close the third base station 24 thus filling the bases as in an actual baseball game. A fourth walk following the succession of walks above described would cause the fourth ball to travel past closed first, second and third base stations and into the run exitway 26 and past counter 27, thus scoring a run. Counters 27 and 103 are here of simple starwheel form having a plurality of radially extending arms which are engaged and displaced by balls passing the counters, each ball so passing causing a stepped advance of the counter Wheel. AThe wheel may carry appropriate numerical legends as here'suggested to count the runs and outs.

A ball directed into the first basehit path -1S will roll past switch 71, thus energizing solenoid 66 and effecting a cyclic opening Aand closing of gates 31, 32 and 33. Thus Y a ball in the first basestation 22 will be released to roll into the second base station; a ball in the second'base station will be releasedtoiroll into'the third base station; and a ball in the third base station will be released to roll into the run exit passage 26 to scoref As will be observed, the action here isvidentical to the usual plays resulting in `a baseball game.

A ballV directed to the two-base hit path 1,9 willY travel l over and close switches 72-73 and in so doing cause a double cycle opening and closing of gates 31,-33 and thus effect a two-base advance of balls inthe stations and sending homef any ball in either the second or third base station.

A three-base hit, as represented by a ball directed into path 20, will similarly effect a three cycle opening and closing of the gates as the ballv traverses switches 74, 75 and 76. The three-base hit ball will end up in thethird base station 24 but prior to reaching this position it will have cleared the bases and 'sent all runners hoine. A- homerun as represented bythe directing of a` ball into Y path 21 will similarly clear all of the bases as the ball traverses switches 77, 78 and 79. However in the case of a homerun the ball passes directly into the lrun exitway 26 to score.

In each of the above described plays it will be observed' thata ball entering and retained in the first or second `or` third base station will effect a closing of the station by a swinging shut of the associated hinged gate v51-53 and so long as gates 31-33 are unactuated, any ensuing balls will be shunted past the closed base station.` vHowever when gates 31 -,33 are actuated byA a one, twovorthreebase hit or homerun to release balls inthe bas'e stations, the associated hinged gates 51-53 immediately swing open due to their weight bias so as to coordinate with the other parts in the realistic playing of a baseball game.

At any time during the above play a player may be put out by the direction of a ball into one of the out openings 41-44 in the upper part of the playing field. Out balls return to the playing field through chute 98 and past counter 103, and three outs retire the side in the usual fashion.

I claim:

1. A baseball game comprising, an inclined playing eld having a plurality of rst downwardly sloping ballconfining paths opening to a downwardly sloping diagonal path traversing the lower ends of said first paths and terminating at its lower end in a ball exitway, a plurality of first gates extending into said diagonal path from the lower side thereof and defining therewith a plurality of open upper ended ball-receiving stations disposed on dei clining levels and aligned with and arranged to receive balls from the lower ends of said first paths, a plurality of hinged gates mounted in said diagonal path and normally biased to positions aligned with said first paths for directing balls therefrom into said stations, each of said hinged gates being formed and mounted for displacement by a ball guided thereby into its associated station to a position lying across and closing the normally open end of said station and on a downwardly sloping diagonal so as to shunt ensuing balls from the closed station and to the next lower open station, electric means for effecting joint cyclic raising and lowering of said first gates to effect on each cycle an advance of balls from one to another of said stations and from the lowermost station to said exit- Way, and electric switches mounted in said iirst paths forclosing by balls rolling therethrough and connected for'- energizing said electric means, said hinged gates returning to their said normally biased positions upon release of balls from their associated stations.

2. A baseball game comprising, an inclined playing eld having a plurality of side-by-side downwardly sloping ball-confining paths denoted walk, one-base hit, twobase hit, three-base'hit and homerun; said homer-un path terminating in a run exitway; a downwardly sloping diagonal path extending from said walk to said hornerun path and across the lower ends of` said one-, twoand three-base hit paths; Said diagonal path being widened opposite said one-, twoand three-base hit paths; a plurality of gates extending into theA widened part of said diagonal path from the lower vside thereof and defining therewith a plurality of open upper ended ball-receiving stations disposed on declining levels and aligned with the lower ends of said one-, twoand three-base hit paths and being denoted as first base, second base and third base; electric means for effecting4 joint cyclic raising and lowering of said gates `to effect on each cycle a single-step advance of balls from rst base `to second base to third base to said run exitway; and electric switches mounted in said one-, twoand three-base hit paths and said homerun path for effecting respectively a single, double, triple and triple cyclic operation of said gates; a plurality of hinged gates mounted medially in said widened part of said diagonal path and being normally biased to positions aligned with said one-, twoand three-base hit paths for directing balls therefrom into lsaid first, second and third base stations; each of said hinged gates being formed and mounted for displacement by a ball in its associated station to a position lying across and closing the normally open end of said associated station and on a downwardly sloping diagonal so as to shunt ensuing balls from the closed station to the next lower open station, said hinged gates returning to their said normally biased positions upon release of balls from their associated stations.

3. A baseball game as characterized in claim 2 and having a plurality of ball exiting openings in the upper` part of said field and denoted strikeand y-outs, means providing a ball-receiving chamber underlying said openings and a downwardly sloping ball return chute re-entering said field adjacent the lower end thereof, a ball shooting device for directing balls onto the upper part of said field, means'leading balls from said run exitway and said ball return chute to `said shooting device, and means counting balls passing through said ball return chute and from said run exitway.v

4. A ballgame comprising, an inclined playing field havingra pluralitytof first downwardly sloping ball-coniining paths opening to a downwardly sloping diagonal path traversing the lower ends of said first paths and terminating at its lower end;in a ball exitway, a plurality of gates in said diagonal `path defining a plurality of ballreceiving stationsdisposed ondeclining levels and aligned with and arranged to freceive balls from the lower ends of said first paths, electriemeans for effecting joint cyclical raising and lowering of said gates to effect on each cycle an advance of balls from one to another of said stations and from the Alowermost station to said exitway, electric switches mounted `in said first paths for closing by ballsr'rolling,therethrough and connected for energizing said electric meansland a swinging gate having a normally biased position extending across said diagonal path and aligned with one of said first paths for directing a ball therefrom into an upper of said stations, said swinging gate being formed and mounted for displacement by a ball guided thereby into said upper station to a position lying across and closing'said upper station and a downwardly sloping diagonal so as to shunt ensuing balls from said closed position to .the next lower station.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,973,820 Mac Dougall Sept. 18, 1934 2,050,309 Gensburg Aug. 11, 1936 2,051,229 Tigerman Aug. 1S, 1936

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