US2992003A - Indicating toy target - Google Patents

Description

July 11, 1961 B. E. SMOLEN ETAL INDICATING TOY TARGET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 21, 1959 INVENTORS. BEN E. SMOLEN flflRU/V GREGORY T/MONER.

' HTTOIQNEX July 11, 1961 B. E. SMOLEN ET AL INDICATING TOY TARGET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 21, 1959 k r MM 5 MN NEW 2 ma m. mM r 5% A E M ma BN my M United States Patent 2,992,003 INDICATIN G TOY TARGET Benjamin E. Smolen, 44 W. 44th St., New York, N.Y.,

and Aaron Gregory Timoner, 86-08 241st St., Bellrose, N.Y.

Filed Apr. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 807,798 3 Claims. (Cl. 273102.1)

This invention relates broadly to games and has more specific reference to a game, preferably played by two or more participants which, in addition to entertaining and amusing the participants, helps to develop a sense of friendly rivalry and tends to stress among those who take part therein keen vision, a steady hand and an awareness of having caused mechanical, visual and/or audible reactions.

With this in view, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a game comprising broadly a target area having an outwardly protruding bulls-eye centrally thereof, at which participating players attempt to throw missiles such as darts, arrows, etc., the object of the game being for each player to hit the bulls-eye as many times as possible, a hit causing the game to pro duce automatically a positive reward response in the form of a score indication, wherein contact with the bulls-eye by a missile will cause successive numerals to become visible, so that each of the players can keep score of the number of times he or she has hit the bulls-eye.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a game which automatically produces visible and audible evidence of contact whenever a missile hits the bullseye, by the use of means which will cause a bell to sound and a score indication to appear whenever a missile has contacted the bulls-eye.

And a still further aim of the present invention resides in the provision of a game of this character, wherein all moving parts may be quickly and easily restored to their original or starting positions.

These and other meritorious aims and advantages, which will hereinafter become more fully apparent as the description hereof proceeds, are accomplished by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a material component of this disclosure, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a game, constructed in accordance with the present invention, the game being shown in starting position, the drawing illustrating one form of bracket arrangement.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a modified operating mechanism of the game in starting position, the view being taken from behind the front panel of the game.

FIGURE 3 shows another modified form of operating mechanism for the game, wherein spring action operates and resets the mechanism.

FIGURE 3a is an enlarged detail view of the central activating finger used in connection with the embodiments illustrated in FIGURES 2. and 3.

FIGURE 4 illustrates in detail the operating mechanism used in connection with the game illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 illustrates still another modification of the operating mechanism; and

FIG. 6 illustrates yet another form of operating mechanism.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates in general a game constructed in accordance with the present invention, the drawings illustrating the game as being rectangular in cross-section. Obviously, the game can be made in any other suitable and desirable form and constructed of any suitable and deice sirable material. Game 10 is illustrated as comprising a front panel 12, the edge of which is turned rearwardly thereby forming a top 13, a bottom 14, and side walls '11, only one of which is illustrated in the drawings. At its edge, top 13) extends rearwardly a greater distance than bottom 14 to receive and better retain rear panel 15, which abuts the rearwardly turned edge of front panel 12, thereby providing game 10 with a hollow interior for a purpose which will presently become more fully apparent.

Game 10 is provided with a collapsible support 16 to aid in maintaining the game in an upright position when in use. Support 16 comprises a pair of normally horizontally directed bars 20 and 22 respectively, the said bars 20 and 22 passing through a pair of spacedapart sleeve members 26 in which the said bars are hingedly retained. Where bar 22 protrudes from sleeves 26, it is turned normally forwardly to form a pair of side members 24 one of which is illustrated in solid lines and the other in broken lines in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, and the said bar is then turned parallel bars 20 and 22, as at 28. Ann 28 has a pair of spaced-apart outwardly directed arms 30 secured thereto, which pass through appropriate openings in the box, as at 31, each of the said arms 30 terminating in a foot member which may be provided with a suction cup 32 or any other suitable and desirable supporting element.

Where bar 20 extends from sleeves 26, it is turned outwardly and then rearwardly as at 18, the said arm 18 passing through rear panel '15 as at 40.

From the normally upper ends downward, the box which constitutes the housing for the game 10 form a vertical slot 36 between front panel 12 and rear panel 15, each of the said slots 36 continuing into a horizontal slot 38 in the rear panel 15, thence continuing vertically in order to join and to form a locking member 40 through which the ends of members 18 enteras hereabove mentioned to lock the front panel and the rear panel, forming a box as illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings.

A target area 44 may be provided centrally of the outer face of front panel 12, the target area 44 comprising a conventional outer circle 50, a smaller circle 52 therein, a still smaller circle 54 in circle '52, and an inner circle 56 in circle 54. Centrally of the inner circle 56 is a circular opening 48 through the front panel 12 through which bulls-eye 46 projects.

-At one side of front panel 12 or at any other suitable and desirable location, a window opening 60 may be provided, one desirable location being illustrated in FIGURE 1. A slot 58 may be provided under window opening 60 wherein is positioned a reset lever 62 projecting throu slot 58 for a purpose which will presently become more fully apparent.

Secured to the inner face of panel 12 are two spacedapart guides 76 and 77 respectively, the purpose of which it is to guide the movement of slide bracket 64', which has an operating control slot-guide 78 which is positioned in the leg of bracket 64 and extends rearwardly. Bracket 64' is provided with score markings as is illustrated at 66 and 68 in FIGURE 1 and at 68a in FIG- URE 3. The score markings are visible through window 60 in FIGURE 1 and through window 60a in FIGURE 3. The score markings illustrated in the drawings are the numerals 10, 20, 30, and 40 but other markings may be used when desired. In FIGURE 1 an identical slide bracket is referred to by the numeral 64.

An operating arm 82, terminating in a control finger 83b at one end projects through slot 79 in guide 77 and terminates at its other end in a sleeve 83 through which shank 74 of bulls-eye 46 passes and to which it is fixed. An identical bulls-eye in FIGURE 1 is referred 3 to by the numeral 46. A support bracket 84 having a pair of spaced-apart posts 85 is secured to the inner face of panel 12 to support and guide the travel of shank 74. Shank 74 has a clapper 72 at its normally rearward end, the bulls-eye plate '46 at its normally front end and the sleeve 83 of operating arm 82 fixed thereto between the posts 85 of support bracket 84. The normally rearward end of support bracket 84 has a bell-gong 70 mounted thereon, the alignment being such, that gong 70 Will be struck by clapper 72 when activated by impact upon bulls eye 46.

The operating control slot-guide 78 of slide-bracket 64' is provided with an elongated zig-zag shaped slot 86 extending therethrough, and said slot 86 is provided with a plurality of spaced-apart shoulders 86a therein which form intermittent stops 87.

When the game is in its normal or pre-playing position, finger 83b at one end of operating arm 83 rests against the uppermost of the stops 87. When the bullseye is hit by a missile, the impact will cause the bullseye plate 46 to be pushed inwardly, thereby causing the finger 83b at one end of operating arm 83a to become momentarily disengaged from the stop against which it had rested. By gravity bracket 78 will drop, the finger 83b will come to rest against the next stop 87.

In the modified operating mechanism illustrated in FIGURE 3, a spring reset arm 63 is provided, one end of which passes through one end of slot guide 78a, its other end terminating in a pivot for reset lever 62a. In this modification spring action is substituted for gravity in advancing the guide bracket. A tension spring 80 is provided for this purpose, one of its ends being secured to the inner face of front panel 12, its other end being engaged in the other end of slot guide 78a. The indicator face of slide bracket 64a is illustrated as being provided with score markings 68. When the bulls-eye is hit by a missile, the impact will cause the bulls-eye plate 46a to be pushed inwardly, momentarily disengaging finger 83b at one end of operating control arm 8311 from the stop against which it had rested. Spring action will pull the slide bracket downward until finger 83b rests against the next stop.

Support bracket 84, having a pair of spaced-apart posts 85a, is secured to the inner face of front panel 12 in order to guide the travel of shank 74a. Bracket 64a is provided with an elongated, zig-zag shaped slot 86a, having a plurality of stops therein. Bulls-eye shank 74a has a bulls-eye plate 464: at one end and a clapper 72a at its other end and the sleeve 83 of operating arm 82a is secured thereto between posts 85a. Gong 70a is mounted at the normally rearward end of support bracket 84a in such way that the gong 70a will be struck by clapper 72a whenever bulls-eye plate 46a is hit by a missile.

In the modified operating mechanism illustrated in FIGURE 4, the front panel 12 has a bulls-eye plate 46 extending therethrough. A reset lever 62 also extends through the front panel 12 as illustrated in FIGURE 1. A slide bracket 64 rides between a pair of guides 76b and 77b attached to a slot guide 78b. At a suitable point between bulls-eye plate 46 and slot guide 78b of slide bracket 64, an operating arm 82b is fulcrumed as at pivot 88, secured to the inner face of front panel 12. One .end of operating arm 82b terminates in a clapper 72b adapted to strike bell 70b. The other end of operating arm 82]) is retained in slot guide 78b in a manner identical to that of finger 83b in FIGURE 2.

In the modification illustrated in FIGURE 5, panel 12 has a bulls-eye plate 460 extending therethrough, the said bulls-eye plate 46c being normally urged outwardly through panel 12 by compression spring 89. Bracket 840 which is secured to the inner face of panel 12 supports bulls-eye shank 740, the said shank having a clapper at one end adapted to strike gong 70c at the end of support bracket 84c. v

In the modification illustrated in FIGURE 6, a bullseye plate 46d having an inwardly extending stem 74d extends outwardly through front panel 12. A reset lever 62d connected to the indicator face of slide bracket 64d extends outwardly through a slot in the front panel 12. A pair of guides 76d and 77d control the movement of indicator slide bracket 64d which has a slot guide bracket 78d identical to the element 78 hereabove described, in connection with the mechanism illustrated in FIGURE 2. Retained in the slot of slot guide bracket 78d is an operating arm 82d which is secured to the shank 74d of bulls-eye plate 46d, and is fulcrumed off the pivot 88, secured to the inner face of front panel 12. At a point between that where bulls-eye shank 46d is secured to operating arm 82d and where the said operating arm is entered in the slot of slot guide bracket 78d, one end of a tension spring is secured to the operating arm and the other end to the inner face of front panel 12.

The game is played in the following manner:

Each of the players is supplied with a dart, arrow or any other suitable and desirable missile with which he must attempt to hit the bulls-eye from a predetermined distance. The player making the greatest number of contacts will have the highest score and will therefore win the game. Every time a missile strikes the bullseye, the impact will cause the projecting bulls-eye plate to be pressed inward. Since the shank to which the bulls-eye plate is secured at one end has a clapper at its other end in alignment with a gong, and since the shank also has one end of an operating arm secured thereto, the other end of which terminates in a finger entered in the slot of the slide bracket, impact against the bulls-eye plate will cause the gong to sound and the slide bracket to advance from one stop position to the next stop posiion. The slide bracket will advance either by gravity as in FIGURE 2 or by spring action as in FIGURE 3.

In the modification illustrated in FIGURE 3, the arm 63 advances the slide bracket 64 upwardly into starting position against the pull of the spring 89. In FIG. 1, the reset arm 62 is pushed upwardly for resetting, while in FIGURE 3 the reset lever 62 is swung in the direction of the arrow.

The modifications shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 are operational, mechanical mechanisms which may be housed in a box such as is illustrated in FIGURE 1. These modifications can be applied where a score indicating window 60 is provided somewhere on the face of the panel outside the target area 44.

The embodiments illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 can be used where a score indicating window is positioned within the target area above the bulls-eye.

Thus there has been shown and described a game in the principal form of its embodiment and in several modifications thereof. It is to be understood however, that the disclosure herein made is to be regarded as illustrative and descriptive of the best forms known and not as restrictive or limitative to the exact details shown, applicants reserving the right to make such changes in the construction of their device as might come within the scope of the annexed claims without thereby departing either from the spirit or the scope of the present invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A game comprising a hollow housing including a front panel having a target area centrally therof, an opening in the center of said target area, a guide bracket secured to the inner face of said front panel, a shank in said guide bracket, one end of said shank terminating in a bulls-eye plate projecting through the central opening in said target area, a track on the inner face of said front panel, a bracket riding thereon, an elongated zig-zag slot in said bracket, a plurality of stops therein, an operating arm, one end of said operating arm terminating in a sleeve, said shank fixedly retained therein, the other end f S i operating arm terminating in a finger, said finger engaging one of said stops, the other end of said shank 3. A game as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second terminating in a hammer, a gong on said guide bracket named bracket is urged downwardly on said track by spaced from and in alignment with said hammer, and said spring action when said finger of said operating arm is bulls-eye plate adapted to be urged inwardly, thereby disengaged from one of said stops. causing said hammer to sound said gong and causing the 5 momentary disengagement of said finger from (116 stop References Cited in the file of this patent where it had been engaged for engagement with t e next successive step UNITED STATES PATENTS 2. A game as defined in claim 1, wherein said second 1,036,651 Lasares Aug. 27, 1912 named bracket will advance downwardly on said track 10 1,581,068 Knopf Apr. 13, 1926 by gravity when said finger of said operating arm is 2,113,521 Torres Apr. 5,1938 disengaged from one of said stops. 2,636,739 Preston Apr. 28, 1953

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