US3698711A

US3698711A - Floating body amusement device

Info

Publication number: US3698711A
Application number: US178091A
Authority: US
Inventors: Terry S Bullard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-09-07
Filing date: 1971-09-07
Publication date: 1972-10-17
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-17

Abstract

An amusement device including a transparent container substantially filled with a liquid having a cylindrical game piece immersed therein tending to float towards the upper surface thereof, and a tubular operator element operationally longitudinally moveably extending downwardly through a container opening cap element into the liquid. The operator element has a lower interior portion formed as a recess to substantially snugly receive the cylindrical game piece, and the operator element includes means to eject the game piece from the recess. The object of the device is to cause the game piece to enter the operator element recess in the shortest possible time. Substantially floatable spherical objects of the same diameter as the game piece may also be immersed in the liquid to make the objective of the device more difficult to attain.

Description

[ Oct. 17, 1972 DEVICE Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle [72] Inventor: Terry S. Bullard, 6268 Hudson Anomey Maxwell Garson Avenue, Norfolk, Va. 23502 [57] ABSTRACT Sept 1971 An amusement device including a transparent container substantially filled with a liquid having a cylindrical game piece immersed therein tending to float 273/1 L towards the upper surface thereof, and a tubular I t Cl A'63f 9/06 operator element operationally longitudinally n R l L. moveably extending downwardly through a container [91 opening cap element into the liquid. The operator element has a lower interior portion formed as a recess to substantially snugly receive the cylindrical game piece, References cued and the operator element includes means to eject the UNITED STATES PATENTS game piece from the recess. The object of the device is to cause the game piece to enter the operator element recess in the shortest possible time. Substantiall floatable spherical objects of the same diameter as th United States Patent Bullard [54] FLOATING BODY AMUSEMENT 22] Filed:

[21 Appl.No.: 178,091

[58] Field of Search..........

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FLOATING BODY AMUSEMENT DEVICE This invention relates generally to an amusement device, and more particularly to a device of this type in which an operator element having a lower portion provided with a recess and extending into a liquid is manipulated to cause a particular game piece immersed in the liquid to enter the operator element recess.

Amusement devices known heretofore have included a game piece or pieces freely moveable in a liquid enclosed within a suitable container which is manipulated to induce the game piece or pieces to enter a suitable recess also moveable in the liquid, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 449,748 granted to Edward P. Roberts on Apr. 7, 1891, or to enter a suitably fixed recess or recesses positioned in the liquid, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 976,371 granted to Walter C. Jeans et al. on Nov. 22, 1910 and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,746,757 granted on May 22, 1956 to John G. Frost. Another and analogous type of amusement device known previously is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 459,868 granted on Sept. 22, 1891 to Ovid B. Law, wherein a game piece provided with a suitable recess is freely moveable in a liquid enclosed within a manipulable container to induce the game piece to settle on and enclose a fixed projection positioned in the liquid. Other amusement devices of somewhat more remotely analogous types are also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 735,269 granted to Thomas K. Keith on Aug. 4, 1903 and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,461,461 granted on Feb. 8, 1949 to Ralph D. Young. The novel amusement device forming the subject matter of the present application, which is considered more closely related to the prior art amusement devices disclosed in the Jeans et al. and Frost patents than to the amusement devices shown in the other prior art references mentioned hereinbefore, is deemed to present more of a challenge to an operator thereof than the amusement devices shown in the Jeans et al. and Frost patents, and is believed to be particularly advantageous thereover in view of the more sustained interest that persons operating the presently disclosed amusement device may be expected to take therein in meeting such added challenge. On the other hand, the amusement device herein disclosed, although challenging to an operator thereof, is not so difficult to operate to attain the desired objective as to induce a rapid loss of interest therein based on sheer frustration, as may well be the case with respect to certain of the other prior art amusement devices mentioned hereinbefore.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive amusement device capable of challenging the patience and manual dexterity of an operator thereof.

According to the instant invention, the foregoing and other objects are attained by providing a transparent container of the bottle type substantially filled with a liquid such as water having a cylindrical game piece immersed therein; the game piece being somewhat buoyant in the liquid and therefore being adapted to float upwardly towards the upper surface of the liquid. A tubular operator element extends downwardly into the liquid disposed in the container through the upper opening thereinto; the operator element longitudinally moveably extending through a container opening cap element in substantially liquid-tight fashion by means of, for example, a circumscribing O-ring type sealing element. A lower interior portion of the tubular operator element is formed as a recess adapted to substantially snugly receive therein the cylindrical game piece. A piston connected with a piston rod longitudinally moveably extending through the tubular operator element and out of the upper extremity thereof is provided for ejecting the cylindrical game piece from the recess therefor formed in the tubular operator element once the game piece has been substantially snugly introduced thereinto; such being the objective of the amusement device. A plurality of spherical objects about equal in diameter to the diameter of the cylindrical game piece and of about the same degree of buoyancy may also be immersed in the liquid substantially filling the container to serve as obstacles to make the attainment of the objective of the amusement device more difficult.

A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the amusement device;

FIG. 2 is a sectional, elevational view of the amusement device, taken on the line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view of the operator element of the amusement device; and

FIG. 4 is a somewhat schematic pictorial representation of the amusement device in use.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate the same or identical parts throughout the several views, and more specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an amusement device, generally designated by the reference numeral 11. Amusement device 11 includes a transparent container 12 of the bottle type, which may be formed of glass or of a clear plastic material, and which is provided with an operationally uppermost neck portion 13 having an upper terminus defining an opening or inlet/outlet port 14 for the container 12. As shown in the drawing, the container 12 is also preferably somewhat constricted in diameter along a portion of the length thereof at about the vertical midpoint thereof for the purpose more fully set forth hereinafter. The particular configuration of the container 12 shown in the drawing, however, is disclosed for the purpose of illustration rather than of limitation, and may be modified as deemed desirable.

The opening 14 of the container 12 is closed by a cap element 15 formed of a resilient material such as plastic, as illustrated, or rubber, which conventionally exteriorly engages the outer upper extremity of the neck portion 13 of container 12 in a circumscribing fashion. A central opening is formed through the portion 16 of the cap element 15 closing the opening 14 of container 12 and, when the cap element 15 is formed of a plastic material, as illustrated, this portion 16 of the cap element 15 is made sufficiently thick to permit the forming of a medial groove in the opening therethrough in which an O-ring type sealing element 17, preferably formed of rubber or the like, may be seated. When the cap element 15 is formed of rubber, the sealing element 17 may be omitted as unnecessary.

A tubular operator element, generally designated by the reference numeral 18, extends downwardly into the container 12 through the upper opening 14 thereof. The operator element 18 includes an upper longitudinal portion 19 having a cylindrical outer surface sufficient in diameter to snugly pass through the sealing element 17 seated in the opening in the portion 16 of cap element 15, when provided, or to snugly pass through the opening in such a portion 16 of a rubber cap element not provided with the sealing element 17. The operator element 18 also includes a lower longitudinal portion 21 having a cylindrical outer surface with a diameter about twice that of the upper longitudinal portion 19 thereof. The

longitudinal portions

19 and 21 of operator element 18, of course, are in longitudinal alignment, and the operator element 18 further includes an intermediate portion 22 integrally interconnecting the

longitudinal portions

19 and 21 thereof; the portion 22 of the operator element 18 having an outer surface of truncated conical form extending only a relatively short distance from the outer surface of the lower extremity of the upper longitudinal portion 19 thereof towards the outer surface of the upper extremity of the lower longitudinal portion 21 thereof. The tubular operator element has a substantially uniform wall thickness throughout the length thereof, and is preferably suitably formed of a plastic material, as illustrated.

The operator element 18 is also provided with a piston element 23 of truncated conical form shaped and sized to be snugly seated within the interior of the intermediate portion 22 thereof; the piston element 23 being integrally interconnected with a piston rod 24 extending therefrom through the upper longitudinal portion 19 of the operator element 18 and out of the operationally upper extremity thereof. The length of the piston rod 24 is such that it may be manually grasped adjacent the operationally upper extremity thereof and moved downwardly through the upper longitudinal portion 19, intermediate portion 22, and lower longitudinal portion 21 of the operator element 18 a distance sufficient to move the piston element 23 downwardly to the lower extremity of the lower longitudinal portion 21 of the operator element 18; the piston rod 24 then being manually moveable upwardly in reverse fashion to return the piston element 23 to its initial position within the intermediate portion 22 of the operator element 18.

The interior of the lower longitudinal portion 21 of the operator element 18 defines a cylindrical recess having an open lower end. A substantially cylindrical game piece 25 is immersed in a liquid such as water substantially filling the container 12; the length of game piece 25 being substantially equal to the length of the recess defined by the lower longitudinal portion 21 of the operator element 18 and the diameter of the game piece 25 being somewhat smaller than the diameter of such operator element recess. The weight of the game piece 25, which may be formed of foamed plastic or the like, is less than the weight of the liquid disposed in the container 12 which it displaces when immersed therein, and the game piece 25 hence tends to float towards the upper surface of the liquid. Suitable weight means may be imbedded within such a game piece 25, if deemed desirable, to reduce the buoyancy thereof to a suitable level. A plurality of spherical objects 26 may also be immersed in the liquid substantially filling the container 12; the spherical objects 26 having a diameter about equal to the diameter of the game piece 25 and having about the same level of buoyancy as the game piece 25.

An operator of the amusement device 11 may grasp the lower portion of the container 12 with one hand and may grasp the upper extremity of the upper longitudinal portion 19 of the operator element 18 with the thumb and certain of the fingers of the other hand, as illustrated in F IG. 4 of the drawing. While so holding the upper longitudinal portion 19 of the operator element 18, he may push the operator element 18 downwardly into the container 12 to the extent that the lower extremity of the lower longitudinal portion 22 thereof is disposed at about the vertical midpoint of the container 12, and he may also pull the operator element 18 upwardly until the upper extremity of the intermediate portion 22 thereof is adjacent the cap element 15. The length of the operator element 18 extending into the container 12 within such range of longitudinal movement may also be swivelled about to bring the lower extremity of the lower longitudinal portion 22 thereof adjacent the interior wall of the container 12. The liquid substantially filling the container 12 will not be sloshed out of the opening 14 thereof to any appreciable extent upon such movement of the operator element 18, due to the snug fit of the cap element 15, or the O-ring type sealing element carried thereby, against the upper longitudinal portion 19 of the operator element 18 moveably extending therethrough, as set forth hereinbefore.

The operator element 18 of the amusement device 11 may be manipulated, as mentioned hereinbefore, to urge the game piece 25 to move through the liquid in the container 12 until it is in an attitude and position in the liquid to present one of the ends thereof to the operator element recess with the game piece 25 in more or less longitudinal alignment with such recess. The operator element 18 may then be further maneuvered to induce the game piece 25 to completely enter the operator element recess to attain the objective of the amusement device 11. If the container 12 is somewhat constricted in diameter along a portion of the length thereof at about the vertical midpoint thereof, as mentioned hereinbefore and as illustrated in the drawing, to the extent that the inner diameter of the container 12 therealong is appreciably less than the length of game piece 25, then the game piece 25 will of necessity assume an attitude in which one of the ends thereof is at a higher level than the other when it is moved downwardly through the liquid to such constricted portion of the container 12 under the urging of operator element 18, which could be expected to somewhat facilitate the attainment of the objective of the amusement device 1 1 as hereinbefore set forth.

Any one or more of the spherical objects 26 could enter the recess in the operator element 18 while the operator of the amusement device 11 is attempting to induce the game piece 25 to enter such recess. The operator of the device 11 would then be forced to operate the piston rod 24 to move the piston element 23 through the recess to eject the spherical object or objects 26 therefrom. Inasmuch as the amusement device 11 is useable by a number of operators to compete against each other on the basis of the time taken to successfully attain the objective thereof, it will be apparent that the provision of the spherical objects 26 as obstacles to the attainment of the objective of the amusement device 11 would considerably enhance the difficulties involved.

When an operator of the amusement device 11 has successfully attained the objective thereof, the piston rod 24 is moved to cause the piston element 23 to eject the game piece 25 from the recess of the operator element 18. The ejection of the game piece 25 from such recess, which is thereby readily and easily accomplished without the necessity of removing the cap element 15 from container 12 and entirely withdrawing the operator element 18 from the container 12 which would most likely lead to spillage of liquid therefrom, would otherwise be difficult to accomplish due to the substantially snug fit of the game piece 25 within the recess of the operator element 18.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the foregoing teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An amusement device, comprising:

a transparent container filled with a liquid to a preselected level and having an opening thereinto adjacent the upper extremity thereof;

a game piece immersed in said liquid, said game piece being sufficiently buoyant to tend to float towards the upper surface of said liquid;

an operator element extending through said container opening downwardly into said container, said operator element having a manually graspable upper extremity operationally positioned above the level of said container opening, said operator element further having a lower portion operationally disposed within said container and immersible in said liquid provided with a downwardly opening recess adapted to substantially snugly receive said game piece therein; and

means carried by said operator element operable exteriorly of said container for ejecting said game piece from said operator element recess.

2. The amusement device according to claim 1, wherein said container opening is substantially closed by a cap element having an opening therethrough, and wherein said operator element substantially snugly and longitudinally moveably extends through said cap element opening.

3. The amusement device according to claim 1, wherein said game piece is of substantially cylindrical form and wherein said operator element recess is of substantially cylindrical form and about equal in length to the length of said game piece as well as somewhat larger in diameter than said game piece.

4. The amusement device according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of spherical objects corresponding in diameter to the diameter of said game piece and corresponding in buoyancy to said game piece are immersed in said liquid.

5 The amusement device according to claim 1,

wherein said operator element is of tubular form including a tubular upper longitudinal portion having a cylindrical outer surface operationally extending through said container opening and further including a tubular lower longitudinal portion defining said downwardly opening recess and having a cylindrical outer surface greater in diameter than the diameter of said outer surface of said upper longitudinal portion thereof, said upper longitudinal portion of said operator element and said lower longitudinal portion thereof being in substantial longitudinal alignment and being substantially uniform in wall thickness, and wherein said means for ejecting said game piece from said operator element recess includes a piston element moveable in said recess between an initial position remote from said recess opening and another position adjacent said recess opening, said piston element being interconnected with a piston rod longitudinally extending through said tubular upper longitudinal portion of said operator element and out of the upper extremity thereof.

6. The amusement device according to claim 5, wherein said game piece is of substantially cylindrical form about equal in length to the length of said operator element recess and smaller in diameter than the diameter of said operator element recess.

7. The amusement device according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of spherical objects corresponding in diameter to the diameter of said game piece and corresponding in buoyancy to said game piece are immersed in said liquid.

8. The amusement device according to claim 5, wherein said container opening is substantially closed by a cap element having an opening therethrough, and wherein said tubular upper longitudinal portion of said operator element substantially snugly and longitudinally moveably extends through said cap element opening.

9. The amusement device according to claim 8, wherein said game piece is of substantially cylindrical form about equal in length to the length of said operator element recess and smaller in diameter than the diameter of said operator element recess.

10. The amusement device according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of spherical objects corresponding in diameter to the diameter of said game piece and corresponding in buoyancy to said game piece are immersed in said liquid.

Claims

1. An amusement device, comprising: a transparent container filled with a liquid to a preselected level and having an opening thereinto adjacent the upper extremity thereof; a game piece immersed in said liquid, said game piece being sufficiently buoyant to tend to float towards the upper surface of said liquid; an operator element extending through said container opening downwardly into said container, said operator element having a manually graspable upper extremity operationally positioned above the level of said container opening, said operator element further having a lower portion operationally disposed within said container and immersible in said liquid provided with a downwardly opening recess adapted to substantially snugly receive said game piece therein; and means carried by said operator element operable exteriorly of said container for ejecting said game piece from said operator element recess.

5. The amusement device according to claim 1, wherein said operator element is of tubular form including a tubular upper longitudinal portion having a cylindrical outer surface operationally extending through said container opening and further including a tubular lower longitudinal portion defining said downwardly opening recess and having a cylindrical outer surface greater in diameter than the diameter of said outer surface of said upper longitudinal portion thereof, said upper longitudinal portion of said operator element and said lower longitudinal portion thereof being in substantial longitudinal alignment and being substantially uniform in wall thickness, and wherein said means for ejecting said game piece from said operator element recess includes a piston element moveable in said recess between an initial position remote from said recess opening and another position adjacent said recess opening, said piston element being interconnected with a piston rod longitudinally extending through said tubular upper longitudinal portion of said operator element and out of the upper extremity thereof.