US3032345A - Target game - Google Patents

Description

y 1962 J. H. LEMELSON 3,032,345

TARGET GAME Filed April 7, 1959 20: 16' w l2 In INVENTOR. JeromeHLem'elson 3,032,345 TARGET GAME Jerome H. Lernelson, 43A Garfield Apartments, Metuchen, NJ. Filed Apr. 7, 195?, Ser. No. 804,801

' 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-95) This invention relates to game and amusement apparatus and, in particular, to target seeking devices and targets.

Target games utilizing missiles and darts which become secured to a target for indicating the position said missile strikes said target. The most popular games of this type utilize a pointed steel needle or blade secured to the nose of the missile which penetrates the surface of a target and holds the missile in place or a rubber friction cup, also secured to the nose of the missile, which when urged against a flat surface of the target will become secured thereto by suction means. Both types of missile-target combinations have serious shortcomings which frequently make them undesirable for amusement purposes. For example, the steel tipped dart is generally too dangerous for the average small child to play with. The suction cup tipped dart or missile is relatively safe to play with but frequently requires a considerable amount of force to secure to a target surface and must be projected substantially normal to said surface in order to become lodged thereagainst.

In this invention, the nose of a target contacting device or dart is provided with a small patch or quantity of a material which is made of a multitude of short filaments of synthetic plastic such as nylon which are adapted to mesh with and interlock against a material made also of a multitude of short wire-like filaments which are shaped to become hooked with the filaments of the material on the dart. Such materials are presently available under the commercial name of Velcro manufactured by the Velcro Corporation, New York, N.Y.

Such Velcro material has been generally used for clothing closures and a Velcro closure unit consists of two strips of flexible wool-like material one of which has a multitude of tiny monofilament hooks protruding from its surface, there being thousands to the square inch, with the other material consisting of a flexible cloth or textile band having a multitude of tiny wire-like filaments sewn thereto into a multitude of loops each of which protrudes outward from the surface thereof. These two strips could arbitrarily be referred to as a first type of contact engaging material and a second type of contact engaging material. When the surfaces of the materials are brought together the hooks become engaged in the loops in a random manner and the net effect is to provide a means for holding one material against the other which generally requires at least several ounces of force to separate said two materials. Said Velcro material is a relatively simple and safe material for use in a play thing since the hooked component thereof has essentially the texture of rough wool and the looped component provides a surface which is free of rigid or sharp projections and is yieldable.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide new and improved game and amusement devices utilizing one or more patches or surfaces of a material of the type described which will hereafter be referred to as a hooking material.

Another object is to provide a new and improved target and target contacting device for use in skill and amusement games and the like which are provided with means for securing a missile on the surface of a target by the application of a light force between the two whenever predetermined areas of said missile and target are in surface contact with each other.

Another object is to provide a new and improved dart and target therefor in which part of said dart may hook 3,032,345 Patented May 1, 1962 ice or penetrate part of said target without permanent deformation of either.

Another object is to provide target apparatus including a lightweight missile and a target having one or more areas thereof adapted for contact by said missile which, when contact is made therewith, becomes engaged thereon and may easily be dislodged therefrom without permanent deformation of said target.

Another object is to provide improved target apparatus including a missile having a hooking surface adapted for engagement with a hooking surface of a target of such characteristic that a plurality of filament elements of both said surfaces will randomly interlock with each other to such a degree that said missile will be held in a predetermined attitude on said target.

Another object is to provide a new and improved target game including a missile having at least part of its external surface covered with a hooking material which is of such a characteristic that when it is compressed between said missile and a target it may not only be used to hold said missile against said target but will also act to absorb some of the shock of impact of said missile with saidtarget.

Another object is to provide a new and improved dart game including a nose thereof which is adapted for penetrating and engaging a surface of a target whereby said missile is held thereon yet which is so safe for use by small children that if it strikes the eye of a child it will not cause damage thereto.

Another object is to provide a new and improved game ball adapted with surface means for securing said ball to a target having predetermined characteristics when it strikes said target.

With the above and such other objects in view as may hereafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention, as claimed.

FIGURES 1 and 2 show a dart and target in accordance with this invention;

FIGURES 3 and 4 show a target and a hand-guided missile in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 5 illustrates a missile in the form of a sphere in accordance with this invention.

in FIG. 1 is shown a game apparatus in the form of a dart and a fragment of a target therefor, the dart in flight at the target. The dart 10 is preferably made of a single molding from plastic and comprises an elongated body 12 having a plurality of thin sheet-like guide fins 14 extending along said body to the rear portion thereof and having a head 16 of enlarged diameter at integrally formed on said body at the other end. The head 16 is preferably of sufficient weight or is weighted to permit said dart to ascribe a flight stabilized path when projected or thrown. Secured to the front face 16 of head 16 by means of cement, a staple or other fastener is a small patch or disc 18 of so called Velcro closure material. This is adapted to engage a patch of Velcro closure material of the type to which it will secure and hold the dart thereagainst when said head is thrown against a predetermined area of the target containing said Velcro material.

The target 20 consists of a target board 22 which may comprise a sheet of cardboard, plastic, wood, metal or the like having means in the form of a bent wire 23 or the like for supporting it erect on a surface or hanging it on a wall. A plurality of targets 24 are provided on the surface of 22 which comprise patches of Velcro material having the characteristic such that, when the patch 18 which is secured to the nose of the dart or missle 10 spec es is urged thereagainst, the short projecting plastic filaments or hooks from either will engage the other and cause the dart to be held thereagainst thereby indicating a hit. When the nose of the missile strikes the areas 22 of the surface of the target 20 which do not contain the patches 24 the dart will not be held but will merely bounce off or slide down the surface of the target. The notation 26 refers to numerical markings on the surface of 22 adjacent the target patches 24 provided to indicate the score. The patches 24- may be riveted, stapled, cemented or otherwise secured in place on 22'.

FIG. 2 shows the dart 10 held against the face of 20 by the interaction of the hooking materials of the patches 18 and 24-,

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a further embodiment in the realm of the invention having components which include a target and a guided missile which is controlled by hand and has means for engaging and securing to said target. The missile illustrated in FIG. 3 is shown in the form of a sword which is adapted to be held in the hand and manipulated in the direction of a target body referred to by the notation C in FIG. 3. The sword 25 may be utilized in a dueling game between two persons each of whom has a target which is removably secured to his clothing or to an article secured to his person, the object of the game being to remove the target from the opponent by the manipulation of said sword and a means on the end thereof which will engage the target of an opponent and be secured to said target so that, when the end of said sword is removed or pulled away, the target will be removed thereby.

The sword 25 consists of an elongated shank or simulated blade 26 having a handle 26" and simulated handguard 27 at one end thereof and a head member 26 of larger diameter than 26 extending integrally from or secured to 26. In FIG. 3, 26 is illustrated as a member secured to the end of 26 and is preferably made of rubber, The rear end 26a of 26 is provided with a hole therein in which the forward end of 26 is frictionally engaged. The forward end of 26' is of enlarged diameter. Secured to the front face 26!) of 26' is a patch or disc 18 of said Velcro material positioned so that when 26 is thrust longitudinally, it (13') will engage a surface contacted by the end of said sword.

The target 29 is preferably a heart-shaped patch of Velcro material which will be held by 18' when contact is made therewith. Removal of 29 from the wearer by 18' may be effected as follows:

A patch 25; of Velcro closure material is secured to the clothing of each participant in the game by means of a safety pin 2% preferably in a position on the upper part of the chest above the heart. The closure material of 28 is provided facing the wearer with the lower end thereof positioned below said safety pin. The target 29 which is a heart shaped piece of Velcro material with an upper projecting tab-like portion 28", is of a characteristic to be held by the closure material of 28' and of 18. The tab 28" may be engaged under the patch 28 so that 29 will be held in place against the clothing or a base sheet which may be rigid or flexible plastic cloth which may be worn by each participant. If the area of engagement of 28" with 28 is smaller than the surface of 29 which may be brought into engagement with the face of 18', when 26 is brought against 29 and becomes compressively secured thereto, it may be used to remove 29 from its position of engagement on its contestant. If each contestant is provided with such a patch and mount and each with a sword or dueling stick such as 25, the winner of a dueling game may be designated as the first to remove the target from his opponent by means of securing it to the end of his sword.

FIG. illustrates a missile in the form of a sphere or ball which may be thrown or otherwise propelled at a targe of the type heretofore described and which has at least part of its exterior surface provided or covered with a hooking material. The ball 30 may be of any suitable diameter which may vary from one to several inches or more depending on the intended method of propelling said ball, its weight and the size of the target. For example, said ball 30 may be intended to be shot from a gun or struck by a golf club or the like in a manner to propel it at a target whereby it would preferably vary from, one-half inch in diameter to one and one-half inch in diameter. If the ball is intended to be thrown by hand, batted or catapulted by a mechanical device at a target, it may range from one and one-half to three inches or more in diameter. The base 30 of the ball 30 may be made of any suitable rigid or deformable material such as plastic, rubber, leather or the like. For best results, it is preferably light enough in weight so that it will secure to the target in the manner of the missle of FIG. 2 by means of one or more patches 18" of hooking material secured to its outer surface. Shown in FIG. 5, are a plurality of circular patches of said hooking material which may be cemented, stapled, stitched or otherwise secured to the base 30. Said circular patches may be replaced with one or more patches of hooking material of other contour such as a strip extending partly or completely around the sphere as a belt. Whereas the hooking material may be provided in a manner to cover the entire spherical surface of 30', the provision of it on a limited area or areas of said surface may enhance the play value of the missle since it must not only strike the hooking material of the target but must do so with the patch 18" engaged between the base 30 and the target hooking material in order for said ball to be engaged and held on said target.

In a preferable form of the embodiment of FIG. 5, the base 30' of the missle 30 is preferably resilient or otherwise deformable inward so that as the hooking material of a patch 18 engages thehooking material of the target said. base will deflect and tend to conform at least in part to the shape of the target whereby a greater area area of the missle hooking material will engage and be held by the target hooking material. The base 30' may be a hollow spherical shell of rubber or resilient plastic such as plasticized vinyl or may be made of cloth or leather with the interior thereof stuffed with cotton, foamed plastic, or other suitable material which will permit the spherical shell of 30' to maintain its shape yet will deflect when said missile strikes a rigid surface permitting said enhancement of the hooking action between the hooking material of 18" and that of the target. As a further construction it is noted that the ball 31) may be made of flexible vinyl sheeting or the like which is inflated or inflatable to the shape of a ball or sphere as shown and which has said patch or patches of hooking material cemented or otherwise secured to the exterior surface thereof. Such a missile is sufficiently light in weight to permit it to hang from the targetupon the engagement of its hooking'material and that of the target and it may be provided in a relatively large diameter which will permit the engagement of the ball against the target.

I claim:

1. A dart game comprising in combination, a target board having an outwardly presented face provided with a textile covering having a surface of a pile fabric having upstanding loops, and a dart having a forwardly presented blunt impact end provided with a textile covering having integral outwardly extending stiff hooks and spines formed of broken loops of filament adapted for retentive imbedment in said surface upon contact therewith.

2. A game apparatus comprising in combination:

(a) a target surface having an outwardly presented face provided with a first type of contact engaging textile material,

([1) a target contacting device having a portion thereof covered with a second type of contact engaging textile material,

(0) one of said contact engaging textile materials comprising a surface of a pile fabric having upstanding loops and the other of said contact engaging textile materials comprising a covering having integral outwardly extending stifi hooks and spines formed of broken loops of filament adapted for retentive imbedment in said surface having upstanding loops upon contact therewith,

(d) whereby when said target contacting device is directed against said target surface, said first and second types of contact engaging material engage with each other to hold said target contacting device against said target surface.

3. A game apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said target contacting device is in the form of a dart.

4. A game apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said dart has a rather blunt nose portion.

5. A game apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said target contacting device is in the form of a ball having at least one patch of said second type of contact engaging textile material thereon.

6. A game apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said target surface has a plurality of spaced apart patches of said first type of contact engaging textile material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lynch June 5, Otto July 1, Reiche Sept. 14, Barringer Aug. 4, Mestral Sept. 13, Swartz May 15, Stewart July 2, Stem Dec. 31, Forster Jan. 21, Robes Feb. 4, Mieg Jan. 13, Lemon Aug. 18,

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