US3165317A

US3165317A - Game apparatus having movable target elements with angularly related wings

Info

Publication number: US3165317A
Application number: US258023A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond C Kirsch
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-02-12
Filing date: 1963-02-12
Publication date: 1965-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 1982-01-12

Description

R. C. GAME APPARATUS HAVING WITH ANGULARLY Original Filed Nov I IIIIIIII/llb Jan. 12, 1965 ATTORNEY 7 2 W m m PO, 6 W M 6 I 1 3 1 F f 2 N f 0 3 a v I I N T FIIIIIIIIII l O m M M V m m E 4 M 2 Y B AW V\EFE J6 Il HEWI L m 6 H 7 8 M United States Patent 3 165 317 GAME APPARATUS IIAVlNG MGVABLE TARGET ELEMENTS WITH ANGULARLY RELATED WINGS Raymond C. Kirsch, 159 Pleasant Ave., Hamburg, NEE.

Continuation of appiication Ser. No. 69,726, Nov. 16, 1960. This application Feb. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 253,023 Claims. (Cl. 273-1021) and inexpensive character which requires for the eflicient playing of the game a substantial degree of skill on the part of the players and also the use by each player of targets differentiated in appearance from the targets of his opponent with different results dependent on the particular position of the particular target against which the missile is thrown, the results in either instance being related to the scoring of points up to an agreed number by which the winner of the game is determined.

Generally stated, the structure embodies a pair of juxtaposed chambers, each of which is in operative relation to a pivotally mounted member (which, for convenience, may be called a gate) having two visually differentiated wings in angular relation, each wing providing a target and the targets being in different positions in the chamber, one target being positioned to close the part of the chamber which lies behind it and within which it is movable and the other target being positioned to open the part of the chamber within which it is movable, either target being movable to either position accordingly as the target in closed position may be hit by a missile. The pivotally mounted member is of substantial V-shaped outline, each of its wings forming a leg of the V, and the missiles are of a character which will not injure the structure as thrown against the targets, the missiles preferably being beanbags. The structure also embodies sundry additional features of novelty and invention which Will be set forth in detail as the description proceeds.

In the preferred construction herein shown the juxtaposed chambers are in upper and lower relation, one being arranged immediately above the other and the pivotally mounted members which provide the targets are, of course, similarly in upper and lower relation. Each player will be assigned a designation corresponding to a particular visual differentiating characteristic of the targets. For example, if one of the targets be white and the other black the white player must aim his missiles at either of the white targets, one of which may be in open position and the other in closed position, and the black player must aim his missiles at either of the black targets which are in a similar mutual relation. Thus with one of his targets in open position and the other in closed position the player may aim at either of his targets, his toss if he successfully aims for the target in open position causing his missile to land in the chamber and if he successfully aims for the target in closed position causing the movement of the target member about its pivot with the results of his missile landing in the chamber and the ejection from the chamber of his opponents missile.

In the drawing:

ing structure in accordance with the invention in an embodiment which, as now considered, is preferred.

FIGURE 2 is a rear perspective view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1, the rear wall of the structure and the gates being omitted for clarity of illustration.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a rear perspective view of one of the pivoted gate members, the other gate member being similar in construction.

FIGURE 5 is an elevation of a missile in the form of a beanbag, a plurality of such missiles being used by each of the players in a single game. i

The structural features of the invention include a portable body 1 having a front wall 2, a bottom wall 3, a rear wall 4 and by preference vertical side walls 5 and a top Wall 6. The juxtaposed chambers 7 and 8 into which the missiles may be thrown are preferably in upper and lower relation and are delimited by upper and lower shelves 9 and 10, vertical wall-like supports 11 to which the shelves are attached at their ends and the rear wall 4. The supports 11 have flanges 12 along their front edges and preferably along their upper edges by means of which they may be attached to and supported by the

walls

2 and 5. The front wall 2 is formed with a cer1 f tral opening 13 in communication with chambers 7 and 8 and through which the missiles have access to the shelves 9 and It).

The access of the missiles to the chambers 7 and 8 is controlled by a gate'14 pivotally mounted in a corresponding chamber and of V-shaped horizontal outline to provide angularly

related target wings

15 and 16, the gates preferably having top and bottom walls 17 of substantially triangular outline. As mounted in the chambers 7 and 8 the gates are distinguished from one another by the designations X and Y. Each gate has a central vertical pivotal mounting in its chamber and where the gates are in upper and lower relation their pivotal mounting is coaxial and may be provided by a common pivot pin 18 located within the angle formed by the apex of the gate. The gates are spaced from the horizontal Walls of their chambers by washers 19 fitted externally upon the walls 17 and thereby have substantially free swinging movement.

The supports 11 which provide the vertical walls of the chambers 7 and 8 are suitably spaced from the vertical edges of the gates 1 thereby to avoid frictional contact, and are preferably of arcuate horizontal outline concentric to the pivotal centers of the gates.

The swinging movements of the gates are positively limited, the rear wall 4 being preferably utilized for this purpose and the

wings

15 and 16 preferably having vertical marginal flanges 2%) for engagement with the wall 4 as a stop. The stop limit position of each gate is such that one of its

wings

15 or 16 will be flush with the front wall 2 and will partially close or occlude the chamber in which the gate is mounted while the companion wing 16 01' 15 will extend angularly and inwardly toward the rear of the chamber to provide an open scoring space 21 as a part of the chamber into which a missile may be thrown to rest upon the shelf which provides the bottom of the chamber, the space 21 being bounded by the angularly extending Wing and the adjacent support 11 and Patented Jan. 12, 1965 1 having ample peripheral extent to accommodate the missile.

Each gate has its target wings similarly differentiated in appearance. Thus the wings 15 may be black, as suggested by the black vertical lines in FIGURE 1, and the wings 16 may be white. FIGURE 1 shows the gates in a normal relation for beginning the play of the game, the two black wings 15 and the two white wings being preferably similarly offset. Thus in FIGURE 1 the black wing 15 and the white wing .16 of the upper gate X are respectively at the left and right of the pivotal axis of the gate. Conversely, the white andblack wings of the lower gate Y are respectively at theleft and right of its pivotal axis. In FIGURE 1 the

wings

15 and 16 of the two gates are shown in the same relative positions,

that is to say the wings 15 are in open positions to expose the scoring spaces 2]. and the wings 16 are in closed position. Assuming the gates to be in the positions shown in FIGURE 1, assuming a missile, e.g a beanbag 22, to be resting upon the floor, ie the shelf 9 of the upper space 23. at the left, as shown in FIGURE 3, and assuming further that it is the turn of white" to throw a missile, his target will bethewhite wing 16 of the upper gate X and if this target be hit efiiciently the gate will be swung (as indicated by broken lines in FIGURE 3) to permit whites missile to enter the scoring space 21 at the right and to cause the black wing 15 to reject his opponents missile from the scoring space 21 at the left. Blacks turn to play immediately follows and black. has the option of throwing his missile 22 into the exposed lower scoring space 21 or against the now closed black. wing 15 of the upper gate X.

The winner of the game will be the player who is first credited with an agreed number of scoring points, for

example, twenty-one. In playing the game each player starts with an agreed number of missiles, for example, four, and stands at an agreed distance from the structure, for example, ten feet. The players alternate in throwing their missiles and when each player has thrown his four missiles what may be called an inning has been played and the score at the end of that inning is noted. For

example, after play for an inning black may have one scoring point with a missile remaining in his assigned scoring space 21 and Wlnte may have two scoring points with two missiles remaining in his assigned scoring space 21. These scoring points having been noted at the end, say of the first inning, play is resumed in like manner and the scoring points noted at the end of each inning, the number of innings of course depending on the number required for one of the players as the winner of the game to be credited with an agreed number of scoring points. As above pointed out, once the play of the game is under way a player on each throw has the option of throwing his missile directly into his assigned scoring space 21 or of throwing it against his assignedtarget wing in its closed position, thereby to deposit his missile in his assigned scoring space and at the same time eject his opponents missile.

The missiles may be stored in any convenient receptacle. However, it is preferred and in accordance with the invention to include the missile storage space in the game playing structure. For this purpose a shelf 23 similar to the shelves 9 and 16 may be positioned above the shelf 9 and secured to the supports 11., the shelf 23, the supports 11 and the top wall 6 delimiting a missile storage space 24. The top wall 6 may be provided with a suitable opening, prefm'ably a relatively large slot 25, through which a player may insert his hand in order to remove the missiles from the storage space 24 or to replace them, the slot 25 also providing a hand grip by means of which the structure may be carried from place to place.

I claim:

1. For use in combination with a missile tossed by hand a game playing structure comprising a body having a vertical-front wall, rearwardly and inwardly inclined vertical supports mounted behind the frontwall, a horizontal shelf extending between and secured to the supports, the front wall having an opening in communication with the space above the shelf, a gate of V-shaped outline having its apex extending vertically and supported by and upon the shelf, a vertical pivot pin for the gate arranged adjacent the apex and about which .the gate may have swinging movement, the gate by reason of its V-shaped outline providing a pair of angularlyv related wings, either of which may serve as a target against which a missile may be tossed, and means for limiting the swinging movement of the gate to either of two positions in'which one of the wings provides the target and is located within the front wall opening in substantially fiush relation to the front wall and the other wing extends'laterally and rearwardly and incomhinatiion with the adjacent vertical support provides a scoring space into which a missile may be thrown through the opening in the front wall for support upon the shelf. 7

2. A game playing structure as set forth inclaim 1 wherein the two wings of the gate are, differentiated from one another in respect to appearance. Y I Y 3. A game playing structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for limitin'gthe swinging movement of the gate comprises a back wall against which either wing may abut as a stop.

4. A game playing structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein each wing is provided with a marginal vertical flange for abutting engagement with the back wall as a stop, the flange being in spaced relation to the adjacent vertical support.

.5. A game playing structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the gate has upper and lower walls and a washer is mounted upon the pivot pinbelow the lower wall to space the gate from the shelf.

6. For use in combination with a missile tossed by hand a game playing structure comprising a body having a vertical front wall, rearwardly and inwardly inclined vertical supports mounted behind the front wall, upper and lower spaced horizontal shelves extending between and secured to the supports, the front wall having an opening in communication with the spaces above the shelves, a gate of V-shaped outline having its apex extending vertically and supported by and upon each shelf, a vertical pivot pin for each gate arranged adjacent the'apex and about which the associated gate may have swinging movement, the gates thereby being pivoted coax ally, each gate by reason of its V-shaped outline providing a pair of angularly related wings, either of which may serve as a target against which a missile may be tossed, means'for' limiting the swinging movement of each gate to either of two positions in which one of the wings provides the target and is located within the front wall opening in substantially flush relation to the front wall and the other wing extends laterally and rearwardly and in combination with the adjacent vertical support provides a scoring space into which a missile maybe tossed through the opening in the front wall for support upon the shelf, the two having their wings similarly differentiated from one another in respect to appearance. i

7. A game'playing structure as set forth in claim 6 wherein in the two gates the wings of similar appearance are arranged at opposite sides of the common pivotal axis. 8. A gameplaying structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein a horizontal shelf is arranged above and in spaced relation to the shelf first named, extends between and is secured to the supports, and in combination with the supports delimits a chamber in which missiles may be stored.

9. A game playing structure as set forth-in claim 8 which has an upper wall from which the vertical supports extend and which is formed withan opening in communication with the missile storage chamber through which the missiles may be removed and replaced.

10. A game playing structure as set forth in claim 6 relation to the upper shelf, extends between and is secured to the supports, and in combination with the supports delimits a chamber in which missiles may be stored, and an upper wall is provided from which the vertical supports extend and which is formed with an opening in communication with the missile storage chamber through which the missiles may be removed and replaced.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED, STATES PATENTS Nelson Oct. 4, 1910 Kaiser Nov. 28, 1922 Stephenson Apr. 29, 1924 Knippei Feb. 16, 1932 Barber et a1 Oct. 25, 1960

Claims

1. FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH A MISSILE TOSSED BY HAND A GAME PLAYING STRUCTURE COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A VERTICAL FRONT WALL, REARWARDLY AND INWARDLY INCLINED VERTICAL SUPPORTS MOUNTED BEHIND THE FRONT WALL, A HORIZONTAL SHELF EXTENDING BETWEEN AND SECURED TO THE SUPPORTS, THE FRONT WALL HAVING AN OPENING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE SPACE ABOVE THE SHELF, A GATE OF V-SHAPED OUTLINE HAVING ITS APEX EXTENDING VERTICALLY AND SUPPORTED BY AND UPON THE SHELF, A VERTICAL PIVOT PIN FOR THE GATE ARRANGED ADJACENT THE APEX AND ABOUT WHICH THE GATE MAY HAVE SWINGING MOVEMENT, THE GATE BY REASON OF ITS V-SHAPED OUTLINE PROVIDING A PAIR OF ANGULARLY RELATED WINGS, EITHER OF WHICH MAY SERVE AS A TARGET AGAINST WHICH A MISSILE MAY BE TOSSED, AND MEANS FOR LIMITING THE SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE GATE OF EITHER OF TWO POSITIONS IN WHICH ONE OF THE WINGS PROVIDES THE TARGET AND IS LOCATED WITHIN THE FRONT WALL OPENING IN SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH RELATION TO THE FRONT WALL AND THE OTHER WING EXTENDS LATERALLY AND REARWARDLY AND IN COMBINATION WITH THE ADJACENT VERTICAL SUPPORT PROVIDES A SCORING SPACE INTO WHICH A MISSILE MAY BE THROWN THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE FRONT WALL FOR SUPPORT UPON THE SHELF.