US3467383A - Aerial projectile target game with spin-imparting projector - Google Patents

Aerial projectile target game with spin-imparting projector Download PDF

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Publication number
US3467383A
US3467383A US528178A US3467383DA US3467383A US 3467383 A US3467383 A US 3467383A US 528178 A US528178 A US 528178A US 3467383D A US3467383D A US 3467383DA US 3467383 A US3467383 A US 3467383A
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United States
Prior art keywords
ball
projector
spin
barrel
propelling
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US528178A
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English (en)
Inventor
Guy Jean Martin Miermans
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Individual
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Individual
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F5/00—Roulette games
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F7/00—Indoor games using small moving playing bodies, e.g. balls, discs or blocks
    • A63F7/22—Accessories; Details
    • A63F7/24—Devices controlled by the player to project or roll-off the playing bodies
    • A63F7/2409—Apparatus for projecting the balls
    • A63F7/249—Apparatus for projecting the balls projecting the playing bodies through the air, e.g. with a jump
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F9/00—Games not otherwise provided for
    • A63F9/02—Shooting or hurling games
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B69/00—Training appliances or apparatus for special sports
    • A63B69/40—Stationarily-arranged devices for projecting balls or other bodies
    • A63B2069/402—Stationarily-arranged devices for projecting balls or other bodies giving spin

Definitions

  • This invention relates to apparatus for playing games.
  • the apparatus comprises an aimable projector for throwing a playing piece, and a target table having a yielding surface of high coefiicient of friction.
  • the games which can be played with the apparatus rely essentially upon the skill of the player in the manipulation of the projector so as to throw the playing piece as near as possible to a desired position on the target table, the nature of the surface of the target table restricting and directing the bounce and run of the playing piece, thereby increasing the precision with which the player can determine the position at which the playing piece comes to rest, as compared with what would be possible with a target table with a hard smooth surface.
  • a suitable form of surface for the target table is sheeting of foam rubber or of a foamed plastics material.
  • the playing piece is a ball, such as a billiards or snooker ball, in which case the projector may have means to impart to the ball a spin that is adjustable in direction.
  • the player can control the extent of run of the ball after it lands on the target table, and can make the ball break to left or right or roll forwards or backwards, at will.
  • the target table may be provided with holes, pockets or other means to receive the playing pieces, or may be marked into areas, the holes, pockets or areas being numbered or otherwise identified for scoring or imposing penalties upon the player.
  • the game may be played by causing the thrown playing pieces to score, or impose a penalty, upon touching or moving other playing pieces on the table, for example by making cannons as in billiards.
  • the target table may have boundary walls or cushions to enable the playing pieces to rebound on to the target table.
  • the table may be provided with obstacles, traps or other hazards, and/or electrically operated illuminated scoring devices.
  • the projector is such that the playing piece is thrown by a release of energy imparted by the player, as by loading a spring or operating an air compressing device.
  • the projector may be in the form of a gun-like catapult, having an aimable barrel along the interior of which the playing piece is propelled by a spring-operated or other propelling element.
  • a spin may be imparted thereto by engagement of the ball, as it is pro pelled, with at least one guide of friction material extending longitudinally along the projector, namely along the interior of the barrel when the projector is of gunlike form.
  • the ball is supported in the projector at three points only, i.e.
  • the propelling element or elements being of a material of low coefficient of friction so that the surface of the ball can slide easily against the propelling element as it is propelled along the guide or guides, the braking effect of the latter imparting a rotation or spin to the ball, which becomes effective only when the ball lands on the target table owing to the yielding nature of the surface of the table.
  • the propelling element should touch the ball at a point that does not coincide with that axis of the ball which lies along, or is parallel to, the longitudinal axis of the projector.
  • the propelling element may have a surface inclined to the longitudinal axis of the projector to press the ball against the guides while propelling it.
  • the barrel may be rotatable by the player about its longitudinal axis.
  • the propelling element is conveniently mounted on a propelling rod that is slideable in a block of self-lubricating material, such as nylon or polytetrafiuoroethylene, at the inner end of the barrel. This avoids the need for any oil or grease.
  • a guide bar extending rearwardly from the barrel and carrying a slider to which the propelling rod is connected, the guide bar being provided with a stop member carrying a releaseable detent for holding the slider in a cocked position.
  • the energy for projecting the playing piece is stored in elastic springs which are stretched when the player draws the slider back to its cocked position and are released by operation of the detent.
  • the guide bar is fixed in relation to the barrel, rotation of the guide bar will also rotate the barrel and accordingly the guide bar may have a handle by which the player can rotate it and the barrel.
  • the barrel may be mounted on a trunnion bracket so that its elevation can be adjusted, to enable the player to alter the trajectory of the playing piece.
  • the trunnion bracket may be rotatable about a vertical axis so that the aim of the projector is adjustable in traverse.
  • FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of the apparatus
  • FIGURE 2 is a sectional side elevation of the projector
  • FIGURE 3 is a view looking down the barrel of the projector
  • FIGURE 4 is a cross-section taken on the line IVIV in FIGURE 2;
  • FIGURE 5 is a cross-section taken on the line V-V in FIGURE 2;
  • FIGURE 6 is a diagram showing how spin is imparted to the ball
  • FIGURE 7 shows another form of the target table
  • FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, showing another form of propelling element and slideway.
  • the apparatus comprises a table 1 on which are mounted a target table 2 and a projector 3.
  • the target table 2 consists of a sheet of foamed plastics material, for example about (2 cm.) thick. This surface is marked out in numbered rectangles.
  • the target table is surrounded on three sides by a boundary wall 4.
  • the projector 3 which is supported upon a fixed mounting 5, secured to the table, by means of a trunnion bracket 6 pivoted to the fixed mounting by a pivot pin 7, and which can be locked in any desired position of pivotal adjustment about the vertical axis of the pivot pin 7 means of a clamping nut 8.
  • a sleeve 9 Supported about a horizontal pivotal axis in the trunnion bracket 6 is a sleeve 9. Supported in the sleeve 9 is a projector barrel 10 which can be rotated about its own axis, and which is a sufliciently snug fit in the sleeve to remain in any desired position of rotation unless deliberately moved by the player.
  • the sleeve 9 could be a split sleeve provided with a clamping screw (not shown) which, when tightened, squeezes the sleeve 9 tightly around the barrel 10.
  • a ring 12 Fixed to the barrel 10 is a ring 12 which not only serves to locate the barrel longitudinally in relation to the sleeve 9, but can also carry protractor markings which, in conjunction with a fixed mark on the sleeve 9, indicates the angular position of the barrel 10 about its longitudinal axis.
  • a block 13 Screwed into the inner end of the barrel 10 is a block 13 made of nylon or other self-lubricating material. This block has a flange which abuts against the sleeve 9 on the opposite side thereof to the ring 12, to provide 1ongitudin-al location of the barrel 10.
  • a handwheel 16 is fixed to the end of the guide rod 14. The player can adjust the angular position of the barrel 10 about its longitudinal axis by turning the handwheel 16.
  • a stop member 17 which can be clamped in any desired position of adjustment along the guide rod by means of a screw clamp 18.
  • the guide rod 14 may have marks to assist in the positioning of the stop member 17.
  • Pivotably mounted on the stop member 17 is a detent 19 having a hook 20 at one end and a trigger 21 at the other.
  • a spring biases the detent towards the position in which it is shown in FIGURE 2.
  • a disc-like slider 23 Slidably mounted on the guide rod 14 is a disc-like slider 23 provided with a rearwardly extending cylindrical sleeve 11 which accommodates a self-lubricating bushing.
  • the slider is prevented from rotation on the guide rod 14 by means of a key 24 which runs in the keyway 15.
  • a propelling rod 25 Projecting forwardly from the slider 23 is a propelling rod 25 which is slidably guided in a bore in the block 13 and which is connected at its forward end to a propelling element 26.
  • This element 26 is slidable along the in terior of the barrel 10 on a dovetail slideway 27.
  • the propelling element 26 is made of a material of low coefiicient of friction, such as nylon or polytetrafluoroethylene, and has an inclined front surface 33 which makes an angle of 50 with the longitudinal axis of the .4 barrel (see FIGURE 6).
  • the inclined surface 33 will press the ball 32 into engagement with the rubber guide members 31, as well as propelling the ball forwards.
  • the ball is thus supported at three points only, namely the points of contact A and B with the guide members 31, and the point of contact C with the inclined surface 33.
  • the projector may be equipped with a coin-freed or token-freed locking mechanism which, on insertion of a coin or token, sets a time switch (not shown) and energises a solenoid 37 mounted in a casing 41 fixed to the underside of the sleeve 9.
  • the solenoid draws down a spring-biased detent lever 36, withdrawing its tip from a circumferential groove 43 in the slider 23. This permits the slider to be drawn back along the guide rod 14 and frees the projector for shooting balls.
  • the solenoid is de-energised, thereby permitting the tip of the detent lever 36 to re-enter the groove 43 upon completion of the next shot, so that the projector is automatically locked but can be released again by insertion of another coin.
  • the coin-freed or token-freed locking mechanism may include a shot-counting device which locks the projector after a pre-determined number of shots.
  • the dovetail slideway 27 of FIGURES 2 and 3 is replaced by a double flanged rail 47, and the propelling member 44 has side walls which project downwards on each side of the rail 47 and carry pins 42 on which are mounted ball bearings 40 which run along between the flanges of the rail 47.
  • the game may be played by a single player trying to achieve a maximum or target score by shooting a given number of balls on to the target table, or two or more players or teams may complete with one another.
  • a scout or jack ball may be placed on the table, the scoring being by cannons, or the final position of the scout or jack ball on the table may afford a suitable adjustment to the score.
  • a player can shoot a ball so that its point of landing on the table, its course after landing and the position in which it comes to rest, can all be accurately controlled.
  • the apparatus can also be used for gambling games akin to roulette, using a target table marked out similarly to that shown in FIGURE 6, the players betting upon the number or some other characteristic of the area in which the projected ball or a scout ball will come to rest.
  • the playing pieces can be cubes or ellipsoids or discs like ice hockey pucks.
  • the target table can have holes in it, the passage of a playing piece through a hole actuating an automatic scoring mechanism. In such a case there may be a chute or sloping tray down which the balls roll back to the player. If desired there may be a coinfreed trap to hold back the balls after a predetermined number have passed through the holes, or after a predetermined time interval.
  • the boundary wall can have pockets to permit the playing of a game similar to billiards or snooker.
  • the foam plastics or rubber surface of the table may be removable and replaceable by similar yielding surfaces with diiferent markings, or by a different type of surface so that the same table can be used for a different type of game such as skittles or bowling.
  • the top of the table which supports the removable yielding surface may itself be adapted for such other uses.
  • Apparatus for playing games comprising in combination at least one ball, an aimable projector for throwing said ball with a trajectory and spin controllable by the player, a target table to receive said thrown ball, said projector comprising an elongated longitudinal ball guide track element of friction material to impart spin to said ball, mechanical means to propel said ball along said element track, said propelling means having at least one ball contacting element, there being a total of three ball contacting surfaces in said projector distributed among the track element and the ball contacting element, means to effect rotation of said track element about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said track element whereby the direction of said spin imparted to said ball is adjustable and means supporting said track for pivotal movement about horizontal and vertical transverse axes, said target table having a flat yielding surface of high coefiieient of friction.
  • said projector also comprises elastic means associated with said propelling means, means to retract said propelling means and simultaneously tension and said elastic means, detent means to hold said propelling means in an adjustable retracted position with said elastic means tensioned, and trigger means to release said detent means.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
  • Pinball Game Machines (AREA)
US528178A 1965-02-19 1966-02-17 Aerial projectile target game with spin-imparting projector Expired - Lifetime US3467383A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB7274/65A GB1104376A (en) 1965-02-19 1965-02-19 Apparatus for playing games

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3467383A true US3467383A (en) 1969-09-16

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US528178A Expired - Lifetime US3467383A (en) 1965-02-19 1966-02-17 Aerial projectile target game with spin-imparting projector

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US (1) US3467383A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
CH (1) CH443093A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
ES (1) ES323236A1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
GB (1) GB1104376A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
NL (1) NL6602112A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
SE (1) SE315535B (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4184680A (en) * 1978-06-21 1980-01-22 Gage Walter T Artillery game and playing method
CN104075620A (zh) * 2013-03-26 2014-10-01 北京全景多媒体信息系统公司 一种双自由度自复位支架

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US885358A (en) * 1906-10-11 1908-04-21 Thomas D Morrow Shooting-gallery.
US1353663A (en) * 1920-02-06 1920-09-21 Charles H Napier Target-throwing device
FR789482A (fr) * 1934-07-31 1935-10-29 Courtieu & Bataille Jeu de boules pour l'intérieur
US2526018A (en) * 1947-12-15 1950-10-17 Thomas R Foster Ball projecting machine
US3102526A (en) * 1959-09-25 1963-09-03 Connor J Franklin Projectile launcher
US3326556A (en) * 1964-02-14 1967-06-20 Robert K Andersen Horseshoe game apparatus and shoereturning and stacking mechanisms therefor

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US885358A (en) * 1906-10-11 1908-04-21 Thomas D Morrow Shooting-gallery.
US1353663A (en) * 1920-02-06 1920-09-21 Charles H Napier Target-throwing device
FR789482A (fr) * 1934-07-31 1935-10-29 Courtieu & Bataille Jeu de boules pour l'intérieur
US2526018A (en) * 1947-12-15 1950-10-17 Thomas R Foster Ball projecting machine
US3102526A (en) * 1959-09-25 1963-09-03 Connor J Franklin Projectile launcher
US3326556A (en) * 1964-02-14 1967-06-20 Robert K Andersen Horseshoe game apparatus and shoereturning and stacking mechanisms therefor

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4184680A (en) * 1978-06-21 1980-01-22 Gage Walter T Artillery game and playing method
CN104075620A (zh) * 2013-03-26 2014-10-01 北京全景多媒体信息系统公司 一种双自由度自复位支架
CN104075620B (zh) * 2013-03-26 2017-08-25 北京全景多媒体信息系统公司 一种双自由度自复位支架

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE315535B (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1969-09-29
CH443093A (fr) 1967-08-31
NL6602112A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1966-08-22
GB1104376A (en) 1968-02-28
ES323236A1 (es) 1967-01-01

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