US3092384A

US3092384A - Balancing game

Info

Publication number: US3092384A
Application number: US20123A
Authority: US
Inventors: William L Herne
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-04-05
Filing date: 1960-04-05
Publication date: 1963-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 1980-06-04

Description

June 4, 1963 w. L. HERNE 3,092,384

BALANCING GAME Filed April 5. 1960 FIG. 1.

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United States Patent 3,092,384 BALANCING GAME William L. Heme, Elmwood Road, White Plains, N.Y. Filed Apr. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 20,123 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-1) This invention relates to games and more particularly to that type of game which involves skill and balancing judgment on the part of the players.

It is an object of the invention to provide a game of simple construction and one which may be readily manufactured by injection molding and requiring a minimum of factory assembly.

It is another object to provide a game which affords considerable amusement and requires a certain amount of judgment on the part of the players for predetermining the position of certain weighted elements in order to maintain a condition of balance of a holder element.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a game which with simple structural elements can efiect a build-up of a rather large configuration, wherein balance of the system progresses ironr a condition of relative stability to one of exciting and sometimes inobvious instability.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows.

Briefly, the invention comprises a bowlshaped holder having a generally spherical contour which is rested on its rounded end on a table. A plurality of playing elements such as slender rods having certain attachment means at each end is provided, there being added mass provided at one end of each rod. The holder element is also provided with an attaching element. Thus, after a first rod is secured to the holder element, a second rod may be secured to the extending end of the first rod in various positions with respect thereto. Then other rods are additionally secured end to end in one or more configurations. Each player in turn secures a rod to some point in the configuration which in accordance with his judgment or guess will keep the holder means from tipping beyond a specified limit. When a player attaches a rod which causes the holder means to tip to a predetermined extent, he is eliminated, and thus the game proceeds until ultimately one player emerges victorious.

A detailed description of the invention will now be given in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the game showing the disposition of the elements in the course of play.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the holder element.

FIG. 3 is a section through 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3a is a modified version of the holder element.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of one of the playing elements, and

FIG. 5 is an elevation thereof.

Referring now to the drawing, there is disclosed a generally bowl-shaped holder element having a spherically contoured body 14, a radial flange 17, and a centrally disposed inner collar 22. The holder element 10 may be integrally molded of plastic and is provided at its lowermost portion with an attaching element 25 having a hub insertable in collar 22 and an extending cas-tellated tubular neck 28, the outer end of which is provided with diametric slots 32. Preferably the attaching element is cemented within collar 22 so as to be permanently fixed therein, or it may be force fitted.

If desired, a slug of metal 35 or other heavy material may be utilized, as shown in FIG. 30 within the attaching element for providing a more stable condition. Thus, in FIG. 3a the bowl-shaped holder may be made in two sections and cemented (not shown) on the line Y--Y, enclosing the slug or pellet 35. Alternately, of course, such a weight could be enclosed within the hollow space within the lower end of the attaching element 25 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a playing unit or element is disclosed which will be seen to be a generally flat rod 40 reinforced by an integrally molded rib 43 Which stops short of the right-hand end of the rod. Such end of the rod is provided with a cross-arm 46 inwardly of the extreme tip as shown. The other end of the rod is molded with a disk-like mass 49 from center of which extends in each direction a dual castellated socket or tubular support and attachment means structure 53 having four diametrically arranged slots 56. As seen in FIG. 4, the slots 56 are space-d apart. The width of slots 32 are such as to sli-dably accommodate the thickness of the rod. Thus, as seen in FIG. 1, the cross-arm 46 is slid into slot 32 and the playing element thus stands upright in the bowl 10. In a similar manner, the width of all slots 56 can accommodate the cross-arm end of any of the rods. It will be noted that due to the cruciform arrangement of slots 56 at both sides of the rods, a large variety and choice of selection is provided for attachment. Specifically, at the end of any rod a player can attach the cross-arm end of the next rod at eight different positions. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, wherein a branched configuration has been built up, it will be apparent that the player whose turn it is can make attachment at thirty-two different positions, affording a large variety of choices and requiring a certain amount of judgment as to where to place a rod so that the general configuration will not tip over.

In accordance with the rules of play, should the flange 17 touch the table, or should any rod touch the table, the player who positioned a rod thus eifecting such touching is eliminated.

While it would appear at first glance to be a relatively simple matter to place rods so as to maintain balance, actually, in play, various configurations provide hidden surprises due to the extra weight brought into the problem by the masses 49 in distributed array and also due to the flexible nature of the rods wherein they bend due to the weight carried. Thus, as viewed in FIG. 1, either of the lower horizontal rods attached to the central vertical rod is experiencing some flexing, although not yet very perceptible, but as the configurations are built up the flexing will increase. Such flexure changes the moment arms in a manner which is extremely diflicult to take into account When deciding where to place another rod on the configuration. As a matter of fact, confident players are readily fooled by the device, which lends considerable amusement to the game. Accordingly, by providing slender rods capable of flexing under light loads, a game which aifords much merriment is effected.

It is apparent that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore the invention is not limited to the precise illustration given except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

'1. A balancing skill game comprising a balanceable, rockable base having stable equilibrium and a. plurality of identical, elongated playing elements :having selective multi-position attachment means at their ends, said rockable base having an attachment means engageable with at least one end of any of said playing elements for securing said playing element thereto, the attachment means of said playing elements being operative to effect an unsymmetrical configuration of said elements by selective sequential attachments of playing elements to each other, wherein the center of gravity of said configuration is capable of maintaining said base in a balanced condition.

2. A balancing skill game comprising a hollow bowl having a flange and adapted to rest with said flange in a generally horizontal plane above a supporting surface, an attaching means disposed axially within said bowl, a pillrality of elements having attachment means at at least one end thereof engageable with the attaching means of said bowl, said elements being attachable to each other sequentially end-to-end to elfect a configuration beyond the confines of said bowl tending to tilt said bowl to an angle at which said flange touches said supporting surface.

3. In a game as set forth in claim 2, said playing elements being comprised of a flexible material wherein lowermost elements in said assembly may be flexed under the weight of subsequently attached elements carried thereby to change the moment arm of the assembly mass acting to tilt said bowl.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,039,121 Semple Apr. 28, 1936 2,103,467 Konikofii Dec. 28, 1937 2,104,742 Fleischer Jan. 1-1, 1938 2,458,306 Schneider Jan. 4, 1949 2,732,654 Sullivan Jan. 31, 1956 2,858,640 Drobniewski Nov. 4, 1958

Claims

1. A BALANCING SKILL GAME COMPRISING A BALANCEABLE, ROCKABLE BASE HAVING STABLE EQUILIBRIUM AND A PLURALITY OF IDENTICAL, ELONGATED PLAYING ELEMENTS HAVING SELECTIVE MULTI-POSITION ATTACHMENT MEANS AT THEIR ENDS, SAID ROCKABLE BASE HAVING AN ATTACHMENT MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH AT LEAST ONE END OF ANY OF SAID PLAYING ELEMENTS FOR SECURING SAID PLAYING ELEMENT THERETO, THE ATTACHMENT MEANS OF SAID PLAYING ELEMENTS BEING OPERATIVE TO EFFECT AN UNSYMMETRICAL CONFIGURATION OF SAID ELEMENTS BY SELECTIVE SEQUENTIAL ATTACHMENTS OF PLAYING ELEMENTS TO EACH OTHER, WHEREIN THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF SAID CONFIGURATION IS CAPABLE OF MAINTAINING SAID BASE IN A BALANCED CONDITION.