US3130971A

US3130971A - Game apparatus comprising fingersupported ball projectors and wrist-supported basket

Info

Publication number: US3130971A
Application number: US131611A
Authority: US
Inventors: Boccardi Patsy; Sweeney Aida
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-08-15
Filing date: 1961-08-15
Publication date: 1964-04-28
Anticipated expiration: 1981-04-28

Description

April 1964 P. BOCCARDI ETAL 3,130,971

GAME APPARATUS COMPRISING FINGER-SUPPORTED BALL PROJECTORS AND WRIST-SUPPORTED BASKET Filed Aug. 15, 1961 F|G.2 FIG.3

INVENTORS Patsy Boccardi 8 y Aida Sweeney ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,130,971 GAME APPARATUS COMPRISING FINGER- SUPPORTED B A L L PROJECTORS A N D WRIST-SUPPORTED BASKET Patsy Boccardi, 820 Classon Ave., and Aida Sweeney, 491 7th Ave., both of Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Aug. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 131,611 3 Claims. (Cl. 273101) This invention relates to the field of games and game apparatus, and has for its objective the creation of a hand basket-ball game apparatus designed to develop skill, dexterity and coordination in the players, as well as providing sources of entertainment and amusement, unrestricted to any age limit.

It is therefore the principal object of our invention to create a hand basket-ball game designed to develop the coordination and muscular dexterity of the players.

Another important object of this invention is the creation of a hand basket-ball game designed to provide a source of entertainment and amusement for the players, regardless of age.

Still another object of this invention is the creation of a game apparatus which can be utilized for a variety of difierent types of games according to varied prescribed playing rules.

A fourth important object of this invention is the creation of a game apparatus which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects, advantages and functional features will become more readily apparent from an examination of the following specification, taken with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective View of the apparatus of the hand basket-ball game, with the parts attached to the hand of a player;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of one of the cupped rings shown in FIG. 1, partly in cross section;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the cupped ring shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the basket element of the ap' paratus, partly in cross-section;

FIG. 5 is a top view, taken on line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view, similar to FIG. 1, but showing a method of propelling the ball from a cupped ring to the basket element.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the different views.

Illustrative of the embodiment shown, our hand basketball game comprises a set of four cupped rings 10 of identical construction and a basket element 11, together with a ball 12. The cupped rings 10 each consist of a ring portion 13 to which is secured a cup portion 14. The ring 13 is provided open, as at 15, and constructed of a substantially rigid material which permits movement of the ends at 15 toward and away from each other to increase or decrease the diameter of the ring 13 so that it can be adapted to fit any size of finger securely enough to restrain rotation of the ring 13 on the finger. The cup portion 14 is of sulficient depth and diameter to receive and hold the ball 12 freely, and should be of substantially rigid construction. The ball 12 may be composed of any light, resilient material, such as rubber, plastic, cork, or the like.

The basket element 11 comprises a circular, flat-bottomed cup 16, to the underside of which is secured a strap 17 adapted to secure the cup firmly atop the wrist of the player, as shown in FIG. 6. Within the cup 16 there is provided a smaller circular, flat-bottomed cup 18, secured integrally to the base of the cup 16, the cup 18 being concentric in circumference with the cup 16 and of ice a diameter to permit free entry of the ball 12 therein, the perimeters of the

cups

16 and 18 being spaced apart a distance suflicient to permit free entry of the ball 12 into the cup 16 between said perirneters as well, as shown in FIG. 4. The vertical walls of the

cups

16 and 18 are of sufiicient height to retain the ball 12 when it enters either cup.

A vertical post 19 is secured to the wall of the cup 18, by engagement of its brackets 21 with a rib 22 in the wall of the cup 18, said interlocking arrangement securing the post 19 firmly against movement, and permitting removal of the post 19 from the cup 18 for convenience in packing and storing. A ring 23 is secured horizontally near the top of the post 19, and is provided with a mesh sleeve 24 adapted to depend therefrom in the direction of the cup 18, as shown. The ring 23, and the sleeve 24 are of a diameter larger than that of the cup 18 and smaller than that of the cup 16, so that when the ball 12 falls through the ring 23 it is directed by the sleeve 24 into the cup 18, when the basket element 11 is held vertically.

In a preferred form of game played with the foregoing apparatus, four cup rings 10 are secured to the four fingers of the players hand, other than the thumb, and the basket element 11 is secured to his wrist by means of the strap 17, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the cup rings 10 being secured in alternating positions so that the cup 14 on the forefinger faces down, the cup 14 on the middle finger faces up, the cup 14 on the ring finger faces down and the cup 14 on the small finger, or pinky, again faces up, with the openings of the basket element 11 facing up. The ball 12 is then thrown up in the air and must be caught, without a bounce, in the cup 14 of the cup ring 10 on the players forefinger, the hand being palm-up. The player then flips the ball into the air from this position of his hand, by movement of his hand and wrist, propelling the ball 12 from the cup 14, and must reverse his hand and catch the ball 12, without a bounce, in the cup 14 attached to the ring 13 on his middle finger, his hand being now palm-down. Having done so, the player then flips the ball 12 from this cup 14 into the air, reverses the position of his hand, and catches the ball 12 in the same manner in the cup 14 attached to the ring 13 on his ring finger, his hand again being palm-up. This process is repeated with respect to the recovery of the ball 12 in the cup 14 attached to the ring on the small finger, the hand now being again palm-down. After having advanced the ball 12 in the foregoing manner, it is the object of the game to flip the ball 12 and catch it in the small cup 18 of the basket element 11, having it first pass through the ring 23 and sleeve 24. This is done by a quick movement of the hand and wrist, as shown in FIG. 6. It is now the turn of the next player, who attempts to perform all of the foregoing acts in the same manner.

A method of scoring points is provided with this form of game, awarding points for each successful advanceent of the ball 12 along the cup rings 10 and into the cup 18, and reduction of points for each failure. For example, catching the ball 12 in the cup 18, as above described, is awarded more points than catching the ball 12 in the cup 16, and so forth.

In another form of game which may be played with the apparatus of this invention the cup rings 10 may be worn by two or more players without using the basket element 11, the cup rings 10 placed, as heretofore described, upon the fingers of the players. The ball 12 is then flipped into the air and must be caught by the first player in the cup 14 of the ring 13 on his first finger. He then flips the ball into the air and it must be caught by his opposing player in the cup 14 of the ring 13 on his first finger. The second player then flips the ball 12 again into the air, and it must be caught by the first player in the cup 14 of the ring 13 on his middle finger. And

in this manner the ball 12 is caught respectively by the opposing players for advancement along the cup rings 10 of their fingers. A set of rules and schedule of points may be drawn up for this type of game, as is well apparent.

Many other variations of games may be created by using one or more cup rings 10, with or without the basket element 11, with one or more players, teams, etc., limited only by the ingenuity of the players, each type of game "provided with its own set of rules and scoring system.

.The embodiment thus shown and described is therefore merely by way of illustration and not of limitation, and, as is obvious, various changes may be made in the "construction, composition and arrangement of parts of our invention, and all or parts of the apparatus shown and described may be used in various Ways, without departure from the spirit and scope of our invention, or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof inherent therein, all of which We claim.

comprising each a finger-engaging element and a cup portion adapted to receive the ball, said cup portion not of a diameter substantially larger than the ball diameter, the basket element comprising a pair of concentric cups integrally secured together and adapted each to receive the ball, means to secure the basket element to the wrist of the player in position to receive the ball when flipped from a finger ring, a vertical post secured to the inner cup wall, an horizontal ring secured to the post adjacent its top, and a vertical sleeve disposed around the ring and dependent therefrom, the sleeve disposed to prevent entry of the ball into the inner cup except through the sleeve.

2. A game apparatus as described in claim 1, the ring portion of each cup-supporting finger ring provided with free ends adapted to be moved together and apart to vary the diameter of the ring portion.

3. A game apparatus as described in claim 1, the vertical post being removably attached to the wall of the inner cup.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Aug. 24, 1959

Claims

1. A GAME APPARATUS COMPRISING A BALL, A PLURALITY OF CUP-SUPPORTING FINGER RINGS ADAPTED EACH TO ENGAGE ONE FINGER OF A PLAYER, AND A BASKET ELEMENT, THE FINGER RINGS COMPRISING EACH A FINGER-ENGAGING ELEMENT AND A CUP PORTION ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE BALL, SAID CUP PORTION NOT OF A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE BALL DIAMETER, THE BASKET ELEMENT COMPRISING A PAIR OF CONCENTRIC CUPS INTEGRALLY SECURED TOGETHER AND ADAPTED EACH TO RECEIVE THE BALL, MEANS TO SECURE THE BASKET ELEMENT TO THE WRIST OF THE PLAYER IN POSITION TO RECEIVE THE BALL WHEN FLIPPED FROM A FINGER RING, A VERTICAL POST SECURED TO THE INNER CUP WALL, AN HORIZONTAL RING SECURED TO THE POST ADJACENT ITS TOP, AND A VERTICAL SLEEVE DISPOSED AROUND THE RING AND DEPENDENT THEREFROM, THE SLEEVE DISPOSED TO PREVENT ENTRY OF THE BALL INTO THE INNER CUP EXCEPT THROUGH THE SLEEVE.