US3204965A

US3204965A - Tethered projector ball games

Info

Publication number: US3204965A
Application number: US217462A
Authority: US
Inventors: Merlin E Engle
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-08-16
Filing date: 1962-08-16
Publication date: 1965-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 1982-09-07

Description

Sept. 7, 1965 M. E. ENGLE 3,204,965

TETHERED PROJECTOR BALL GAMES Filed Aug. 16, 1962 INVENTOR -M/ 4 nv E. [N645 BY $631M ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,204,965 TETHERED PROJECTOR BALL GAMES Merlin E. Engle, 1882 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, Minn. Filed Aug. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 217,462 1 Claim. (Cl. 273119) This invention relates to an improvement in tethered ball games and deals particularly with a game which requires considerable skill to play effectively.

The object of the present invention resides in the provision of a game including an outer receptacle, a game board, and a support for supporting a tethered ball suspended above the center of the game board. The game board is slightly concave, and the game is played with marbles or balls of various colors. An object of the game is to use the tethered ball as a means of propelling marbles on the surface of the game board and through angularly spaced apertures in the wall encircling the board.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a game of the type described including a game board which is preferably circular in outline and preferably which is provided with a cylindrical peripheral wall. The game board is preferably divided into four quadrants, each of which is colored or otherwise distinctively decorated, and the marbles to be propelled are similarly colored or decorated. Each of the quadrants serves as a goal for one of the players, and the peripheral wall adjoining each quadrant is provided with one or more apertures which are of somewhat larger diameter than the marbles and through which the marbles may pass. The game is played by placing a marble 0n the table, and swinging the tethered ball outwardly along its arcuate path. When the tethered ball is released, it swings down over the center portion of the game board to strike a marble and an attempt is made by each player to knock all of the marbles of his chosen color through the opposite quadrant f the game board which is similarly colored.

When a tethered ball of the type described is released, it normally tends to swing over the center of the game board beneath the point of suspension. However, means are provided so that if the tethered ball is merely released, so as to swing over the center of the game board, the marble which is located at the center of the game board cannot be directed to the apertures in the wall of the opposite quadrant. This is accomplished by spacing the holes on opposite sides of the center of each quadrant, and by providing notches in the upper surface of the peripheral wall at the center of each corner, and by arranging the tethered ball support in such a way that any ball passing through the notch and over the center of the game board will cause the marble to strike the opposite side of the peripheral wall inwardly of the apertures in the opposite quadrant. As a result, in order to propel a single marble from the center of the game table through an aperture in the opposite quadrant, it is necessary for the player to propel the tethered ball so that it will not pass over the center of the game board.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that as the game progresses, the marbles which are not propelled through the wall apertures remain on the game board, and during each turn of play, the player adds an additional ball to the game board. As a result, a group of marbles will collect at the center .of the game board and considerable skill is required for the players to strike the mass of collected balls in such a way that the marbles of that player are propelled through the aperture in the players quadrant.

These and other objects are novel features of the present invention and will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claim:

"Ice

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the game in readiness for use.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan View of the game board and outer receptacle illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a detailed view of a means of connecting the peripheral wall into an endless strip and simultaneously forming a socket for the mast which supports the tethered ball.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the game board, the position of the section being indicated by the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the mast inserted into the socket of FIGURE 3.

In its preferred form, the game includes a tray 10 which is square in form, a rectangular base panel 11 and rectangular upwardly extending side walls 12. When not in use, the tray-shaped body may be enclosed by a telescoping tray-shaped cover, which is-not illustrated in the drawings.

The rectangularly arranged walls 12 shown in FIGURE 1 as including centrally located rectangular notches 13 in each wall through which the tethered ball may swing when the game is played. The upwardly extending corner portions of the side walls act toenclose the game and to form a support for the telescoping cover.

The game board is illustrated in general by the numeral 14. The game board 14 includes a circular concave disk 15 which may, if desired, have a circular fiat central portion 16. A downwardly extending peripheral flange 17 supports the concave game board above the level of the support pin.

A ring-shaped wall 19 of materially greater height than the flange 17 encircles the flange 17 and extends upwardly from the game board. The lower marginal edge of the wall 19 is provided with an inwardly extending the outer surface of the wall 19. The ends of the wall 19 are connected by a connecting bracket which includes a central cylindrical socket 23, outwardly turned flanges 24 extending generally tangentiallyfrom the cylindrical socket 23, and inwardly turned flanges 25 connected to the outer ends of the flanges 24. The

flanges

24 and 25 of the bracket are spaced to accommodate the reversely turned flanges of the wall 19 therebetween, thus forming a combined socket and connecting member. Obviously, when the game is made of plastic or similar material, the game table and wall may be molded in one piece and the socket may be integral with the wall.

As indicated in FIGURES 1 and 4 of the drawings, the wall 19 is provided with four angularly spaced notches 26 of generally rectangular form, reducing the height of the wall at these four equally spaced points. These notches complicate the operation of playing the game as will be later described. The peripheral wall 19 is also provided with a series of angularly spaced apertures 27 extending thereto, these apertures 27 being located on opposite sides of the notches 26. The apertures 27 are of somewhat greater diameter than the marbles such as 29 which are used in the playing of the game.

The game board 14 is placed within the outer receptacle 10 so that the notches 26 in the game board are centered with respect to the notches 13 in the side walls 12 of the outer enclosure. The game board 14 is preferably anchored in place in the outer enclosure. The concave desk 15 is divided into quadrants indicated by the Patented Sept. 7, 1965 lines 30 which extend diagonally between the corners of the enclosure 10. The four quadrants formed by the lines 30 are centered with respect to the notches 26, these notches also being centered between the apertures 27. Usually the inner surface of the wall 19 is colored with the same color as the segment whichinterjoins so that the players may readily see which segment the marbles 29 pass through.

A hollow tubular supporting mast 31 is frictionally engaged in the socket 23, and is preferably held from rotation in any suitable way such as by a transverse pin 32 extending diametrically through the lower portion of the mast and into notches 33 in the upper end of the socket 23. An angular upper portion 34 is usually detachably connected to the other upper end of the mast 31 by telescoping an end of the angular member 34 into the mast 31. The upper mast portion 34 is preferably keyed to the lower portion 31 by a cross pin 36 extending diametrically through the member 34, and notches in the upper end of the member 31 which are similar to the notches 33 in the sockets 23.

When in place, the horizontal arm 37 of the angular member 34 extends directly over the center of the concave disk 15. A flexible string or thread 39 is suspended from a point directly over the game board center, and a ball 40 is suspended from the mast by the cord 39. The cord 39 thus permits the ball to be swung like a pendulum in the playing of the game.

A cup shaped receptacle 41 is mounted upon the base panel 11 of the outer enclosure in one or more of the corners. The receptacle 41 may serve as a penalty box for containing marbles improperly driven from the game board as the game is played.

In the playing of the game, one to four players may be used. Each player is given a predetermined number of marbles which are similar in color or design to that of the quadrant of the board which is opposite to it. The ball 40 is then swung outwardly through the

notches

13 and 26 and is then released to permit the ball to swing downwardly through the notches to strike the marble on the game board. If the marble is at or very near the center of the game board, it is necessary for the player to swing the ball slightly to'one side as it is released so that the .marble will not be struck squarely and may be caromed into one of the apertures in the players quadrant. The notches 26 limit the extent to which the player may drop the tethered ball, thus increasing the difiiculty in aiming and making it necessary to control the tethered ball in such a way that it will cause the marble to carom at a desired angle.

If the ball is projected through the aperture in the 4 players quadrant, the marble is taken out of play, the object being to propel all of the players marbles through the apertures of the proper quadrant. If a ball or marble of one color is propelled through an aperture in a quadrant of another color, it is placed in the penalty box 41.

If the marble does not leave the game board, it will roll toward the center of the board and will remain there until the next player plays. Each player in turn adds a marble of his color to the game board and attempts to shoot his own marbles through the apertures of his own quadrant. In the event a player drives an opponents marble through an aperture in this opponents quadrant, this ball is also removed from play. Marbles placed in the penalty box may be removed at any time the corresponding player takes his turn, but when a marble is removed from the penalty box and placed upon the table, the player loses his opportunity to try to drive the marble from the game board during that turn.

In accordance with the patent statutes, the principles of construction and operation of this improvement in tethered ball games have been described, and while an endeavor has been made to set forth the best embodiment thereof, it should be understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A marble game including:

a concave game board, the peripheral edges of which are substantially on a common horizontal plane,

a peripheral wall encircling said game board,

a most extending upwardly from a point outwardly of said game board and extending to a point directly above the center of the concave game board,

a ball fixedly connected'to said mast by a flexible member and supported above the center of the game board,

said peripheral wall having apertures therethrough and adapted to permit the passage of marbles propelled over the surface of said game board through the wall, and

said concave game board having a generally circular central fiat area.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 714,911 12/02 Jeisi 27340 735,132 8/03 McCutchen 273-119 2,967,713 1/61 Kumpman 273- X RICHARD C. I INKHAM, Primary Examiner. JOHN M. HORAN, Examiner.