US3866917A

US3866917A - Gunfight game

Info

Publication number: US3866917A
Application number: US376990A
Authority: US
Inventors: Burt Ensmann; Michael Ieda; Madhusudan Joshi
Original assignee: Ideal Toy Corp
Current assignee: Tyco Industries II Inc
Priority date: 1973-07-06
Filing date: 1973-07-06
Publication date: 1975-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 1992-02-18
Also published as: JPS5037536A; IT1007981B; FR2235717B1; AU6700574A; GB1436276A; CA967609A; FR2235717A1

Abstract

A simulated gunfight game has a playing board on which projectiles are discharged from a toy gun towards a target mounted on an opponent''s toy gun. The guns each include a housing in the form of a simulated pistol, with means in the housing for discharging a projectile or ball therefrom. The targets are operatively engaged with the housings of the respective guns and are disengaged therefrom by actuating mechanisms within the guns which are responsive to the impact of an opponent''s projectile on the target member in order to give a visual indication that the target was hit. The actuating mechanisms also prevent discharge of projectiles from their associated gun after the target on its gun is struck by an opponent''s ball or projectile.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Ensmann et al.

[ Feb. 18, 1975 GUNFIGHT GAME 3,398,956 8/1968 Lukes .Q 273/101 [75] In entors: Bu t E sma Flushing; M chae 3,787,052 l/l974 Glass et al. 273/101 Ieda, Ft. solanga; Madhusud n FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Joshi, Hempstead, all of NY. 1,171,815 ll/l969 Great Britain 273/129 [73] Assigneez Ideal Toy Corporation, Hollis, NY. ima y Examiner Richard C Pinkham [22] Fllfidl July 1973 Assistant Examiner-Arnold W. Kramer 2 pp No: 37 990 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Richard M. Rabkin [57] ABSTRACT 273/120 273/127 A simulated gunfight game has a playing board on [58] Field of Search 273/119 R, 119 A, 120 R, whch molecules are dlscharged from my gun 273/12O A 127 R 127 A 127 B 127 C 127 wards a target mounted on an opponent s toy gun. The D 122 122 102 102 A lo2l C guns each include a housing in the form ofa simulated 6 1 D 2 R 129 pistol, with means in the housing for discharging a 6 1 E3 projectile or ball therefrom. The targets are operatively engaged with the housings of the respective guns and are disengaged therefrom by actuating mecha- [56] References Cited nisms within the guns which are responsive to the impact of an opponents projectile on the target member UNITED STATES PATENTS in order to give a visual indication that the target was 294,491 3/1884 Mestier 273/119 R X hit, The actuating mechanisms also prevent discharge 4261113 4/1890 Comm", 273/102-1 C X of projectiles from their associated gun after the target 2221;; Q on its gun is struck by an opponents ball or projectile. 2:905l468 9/1959 Enman1.1....WWII 273/101-2 x 15 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures #4; A f/ fi /0 l i9; 88 1 a I m /Z\\ w #5 7a 72 j a4 l /42 //00 36 745 B2 55 T \T /4a /z2 54 1 R 5 M 4 52 I :4 I 24 l Il /32 2 /25 I .5 I I I [[1, I I h I 32 Z5p /35 L4-9 1 GUNFIGH'I GAME The present invention relates to a parlor game and more particularly to a parlor game which is used to simulate a gunfight.

One of the favorite pastimes of American boys is playing in games with toy guns, for example Cowboys, Cowboys and Indians," Cops and Robbers, etc. In the Western or cowboy type games the children usually simulate the activities of characters from the Old West and certain of their more romanticized activities, in particular, the old fashioned gunfights or shoot-outs. For obvious safety reasons however, such games are usually played with simulated guns which do not eject any projectiles and they thus are somewhat limited by the childs imagination in determining the ultimate outcome of their simulated game.

By the present invention, a game is provided which now permits children to safely play a simulated shooting or gunfight game, by allowing the players to simultaneously shoot projectiles such as balls or the like at an opponents target, with the target being responsive to an impact by a projectile so as to give a positive indication of a hit.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a safe parlor type game in which a gunfight may be simulated.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gunfight game in which the players may simultaneously discharge projectiles towards an opponents target member.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gunfight game which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and durable in use.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a gunfight game is provided in which a frame or playing board provides a relatively flat playing surface onto which balls or other projectiles are ejected from toy guns which are operatively associated with the playing board. The toy guns are preferably located at opposite ends of the playing surface and are movably mounted with respect to the surface adjacent their associated ends. These guns each include a generally pistol shaped housing having means therein for discharging a ball or projectile onto the playing surface and towards the other of the toy guns. In addition, a target member, such as a cowboy figurine, or the like, is operatively engaged with each of the gun housings and with means in the housing for preventing discharge of a ball from the gun when the target is hit by a projectile discharged from the other of the toy guns. In this manner, the players can simulate a gunfight by shooting projectiles or balls at one anothers targets, until the target is hit. At that point, the opponents gun is disabled, or prevented from discharging further balls therefrom, and thus the players obtain a positive indication that the target has been hit. Preferably, the gun housings include means for ejecting the target from the gun upon an impact by an opponents ball or projectile so as to give a positive indication that the target'has been hit.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy gunfight game constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;-

FIG. 2 is a view, partly in section and with parts broken away, taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional .view of the discharge end portion of the gun used in the present invention showing the means for preventing discharge of balls therefrom;

FIG. 4 is a front view, on a reduced scale, ofa toy gun and target member constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4, showing the movement of the target member in response to an impact by a ball orprojectiles; and

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a mounting arrangement for obstacles placed on the playing surface of the game.

Referring now to the drawing and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, it will be seen that a gunfight game 10, constructed in accordance with the present invention, includes a playing board 12 having a playing surface 14 on which individual projectiles or balls 16 are projected by a pair of simulated toy guns 18, 20 respectively. These guns are each provided with a target member 22, which in the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, is in the form of a cowboy with a drawn pistol, and the object of the game, as more fully described hereinafter, is for the individual players to hit the target 22 of his opponent with a ball or projectile from the players gun. In this connection, each of the guns includes an actuating mechanism 24 which is effective to project target 22 from the gun when the target is struck by an opponents projectile, while simultaneously preventing further discharge of balls 16 from the gun whose target is hit, thereby to effectively disable that Playing surface 14 is bounded by an integral wall 26 formed in board 12 and has opposed

end portions

28, 30 adjacent to which the respective guns are mounted. Peripheral wall 26, at the

end portions

28, 30 defines a pair of

wells

32, 34 at opposite ends of the board (see FIG. 2). The wells 32 each receive the forward end portions 36 of the guns while the wells 34 cooperate with a mounting assembly 38 for each of the guns.

Mounting assemblies 38 each include a lever member 40 located below the playing surface 14 and pivotally mounted to the board 12 at pivot points 42 adjacent the central portions of the board, as seen most clearly in FIG. 2. This pivotal connection can be formed in any convenient manner, as for example by a post 44 formed on the lower surface 46 of the playing board 12 and a retaining washer 48 of conventional construction. Since guns 18, 20 are respectively mounted on levers 40, the guns can be moved in a pivoting are adjacent the

ends

28, 30 of the playing board. To guide the guns in this pivotal movement, the ends 50 of levers 40 (only one of which is seen in FIG. 2) include an integrally formed vertically extending receptacle 52 which is adapted to receive a pivot post 54 formed integrally with the gun 18. Receptacle 52 includes a laterally extending flange member 56 which has a tongue 58 extending downwardly into the well 34 in the side wall 26 of the playing board. By this construction, lever 40 can be pivotally mounted about the pivot point 42 in a controlled arc by the cooperation of well 34 and tongue 58.

To-permit the free pivotal movement of the lever 40, playing board 12 is supported in vertically spaced relationship from the floor or table 60 on which the game is played by a plurality of leg members 62 formed integrally with the playing board or secured the reto in any convenient manner.

Guns 18, are of identical construction and therefore only one of the guns need be described herein in detail. Thus, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, it is seen that the toy gun l8 hasa generally pistol shaped housing 64 preferably formed of a molded plastic material comprising two mirror image half sections bonded together along the longitudinal axis of the gun to form the complete housing. The upper surface portion 66 of housing 64 has an opening 68 therein which provides acess tothe rearward portion of an inclined ramp or magazine 70. Balls 16 are supplied to gun 18 through the opening 68 onto magazine 70 for gravity supply to the projectile or ball discharge or trigger mechanism 72. Thus, ramp 70 is inclined downwardly and forwardly towards the nozzle portion 74 of the pistol housing, so that the balls 16 will roll down the ramp 70 onto a second inclined ramp portion 76 formed within housing 64 and along which the balls 16 will roll towards the trigger mechanisms 72.

Trigger mechanism 72 consists of a lever 78 pivotally mounted within'housing 64 on a pivot pin 80 extending from one of the mold halves of the housing. The lever 78 is in the form of a bell-crank, with one leg 82 thereof extending. downwardly through an opening 84 in the lower portion of the housing to function as the actuating mechanism or trigger of the gun and is readily grasped by the finger of the user in a conventional manner when the pistol grip portion 86 is held in the palm of a players hand. The lever78 is biased by a tension spring 88 having one end fixed to a post 90 and its other end engaged about a hook member 92 on the lever,

.thereby to bias the lever to an inactive state, as shown in FIG. 2. However, when pressure is applied to the trigger. leg 82 of thelever, the latter pivots about post 80, against the tension of spring 88, 'to discharge a ball 16 from the gun, in the manner described hereinafter. Of course, when manual finger pressure on the leg 82 is removed, spring 88 returns the trigger to the position shown in FIG. 2.

Housing 64 includes a ball discharge chute 94 formed integrally therewith and extending from the end 96 of ramp 76 to a discharge opening 98 located in the forward end 36 of the gun adjacent the playing surface 14 of the game. Chute 94 includes a curved ramp section 100 and is in communication with the interior of housing 64 through an opening 102 adjacent ramp 76. A generally Ushaped spring clip 104 is mounted in opening 102 in any convenient manner, such as for example by slots 106 formed in wall portions of the housing adjacent the opening. This spring clip retains the balls 16 in position over the discharge opening 102. Preferably, in the at rest state, the spacing between the legs of the U-shaped spring clip is less than the diameter of the balls 16 so that passage of a ball through the spring clip is precluded. It is noted that the structure of the gun of the present invention corresponds substantially to the gun structure described and claimed in US. Patent Application Ser. No. 331,149, filed Feb. 9, 1973, and now US. Pat. No. 3,830,500, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. That application also The forward or leg portion 108 of lever 78 includes a protrusion 110 which is located to contact a ball 16 supported on spring clip 104 above opening 102. Leg 108 extends from the trigger mounting area in housing 64 to the discharge area adjacent ramp 76 through an opening 112 formed by a cooperating pair of ribs 112 in the housing sections forming the pistol which ribs segregate the trigger area from the magazine area within the housing. The enlarged lower portions of the ribs are in abutting engagement and form'a shoulder 114, seen in section in FIG. 2, which acts as a stop to prevent balls from rolling into the trigger area of the housing and also to limit the pivotal movement of lever 78 in a clockwise direction.

By this construction, when a ball 16 is placed within housing 64 and rolls onto spring clip 104 over the discharge opening 102, trigger 78 can be actuated to pivot the projection 1'10 thereof in a clockwise direction to move it into contact with the ball 16. Continued application of pressure imparts a downward force on the ball which acts on the legs of the spring clip forcing the latter apart because of the geometry involved. That is, the spherically shaped ball is in point contact with the cylindrical legs of the spring clip, so that the downward force on the ball produces a reactive force acting downwardly and outwardly on the legs to force the latter apart. As the legs of the spring clip move outwardly in this manner the ball 16, due to the force imparted on it by the trigger mechanism, moves downwardly between and in contact with the spring legs. When the point of contact between the spring clip legs and the ball passes the point of maximum diameter of the ball the spring clip leg segments, due to their inherent resiliency, return to their at rest state. In doing so the legs, under the spring force, ride up the surface of the upper portion of the ball to impart an ejecting force by a squeezing action on the ball which propels the ball out of the discharge opening 102 onto chute and along the latter to the forward end 36 of the gun wherein the ball moves through the opening 98 at the end of the chute onto the playing surface 14 at a relatively high velocity.

Because the guidechute 94 is in longitudinal vertical alignment with the nozzle portion 74. of the pistol, the players may aim their respective pistols with relative ease, to achieve a high degree of accuracy in firing balls from their guns. Thus, by the mounting arrangement of the pistol, the players can move their pistols about pivot points'42, 54, in order to aim their shots at the target member 22 mounted on his opponents pistol and accurately project a ball 16 towards that target.

In order to enhance the play of 'the gunfight game of the present invention and to produce more realistic effects, target members 22 are removably mounted on gun housings 64 between an abutment member 118 formed integrally with the housing and the actuating mechanism 24. The latter includes a lever 120 pivotally describes in greater detail the configuration and construction of this spring clip arrangement.

mounted on a post 122 within housing 64 immediately below the free end 124 of discharge chute 100. This lever is spring biased upwardly, and in a counterclockwise direction, by a coiled compression spring 126 having one end contained within a pocket 128 formed in housing 64 and the other end received in a projection 130 formed within the lever. The free end 132 of lever 120 extendsoutwardly of the discharge opening 98 of the gun and is substantially wider than the remainder of the lever to provide ,a relatively broad based support for the bottom edge 133 of the target member 22. The

.latter has a recess 133' formed therein which receives or straddles the forward end 132 of the lever. Lever 132 also includes an upwardly extending flange portion 134 which prevents the target member 22 from inadvertently sliding off of the lever by forward movement of its lower edge 133. In addition, gun housings 64 have downwardly extending flanges 135 located below discharge opening 98 which rest on and ride along the base of wells 32 to hold target members 22 and discharge openings 98 at their proper elevations with respect to playing surface 14. By this construction the legs 23 of the target straddle opening 98 of chute 94 so that balls 16 can be projected through the legs 23, as seen in FIG. 4.

As mentioned, target members 22 in the illustrative embodiment of the invention are in the configuration of a gunfighter or cowboy, and they are formed of a relatively flat sheet of plastic material having the various features of the cowboy impressed therein. Each target member is engaged with its associated abutment member 118 through an opening (see FIG. 4) 138 formed in one of the legs of the cowboy. In this manner, the lower edge 140 of aperture 138 is held in engagement against the lower edge 142 of abutment member 118 when the target is positioned with its lower edge 133 engaged with and straddling the forward end 132 of lever 120. It is noted that the lower edge 142 of abutment 118 is formed generally as a cam surface with a downwardly extending inclination, so as to capture the target member on the abutment and prevent inadvertent removal therefrom.

By this arrangement, when a projectile 16 hits the target member 22 of an opponents gun with sufficient force the target member will be dislodged from engagement with the surface 142 of abutment member 118, thereby permitting spring 126 to move lever 120 about pivot point 122 in a counterclockwise direction and thus expel the target member from the gun. It is noted that engagement of the lever 120 against the bottom of ramp 100 provides a stop, limiting the movement of the lever in response to spring 126.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 of the drawing, target members 22 and their cooperating guns 18, 20 are constructed to permit a preferentialdischarge of the target from the gun in response to an impact at a predetermined point on the target. This is achieved by forming the target members with a projecting fulcrum member 143 on their rear surfaces 144. These fulcrum members are each of a generally conical configuration with their pointed tip portions 146 located to engage the bearing surface 148 of a pad 150 secured to or integrally formed with its associated gun housing. The fulcrum member 143 and pad 150 of each gun are located adjacent one side of the target member,as seen in FIG. 5, in the lower portion thereof. By this arrangement, when a ball 16 impacts against the lower portion of the other side or edge of the target, the target will be caused to pivot in a generally clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 5, moving the aperture 138 away from abutment member 118. As a result, the target member will be freed from engagement with the aperture and lever 120 will be pivoted by spring 126 to expel the target from the gun. Thus, the players will aim for the lower right foot of the target member,as seeen in FIG. 4, in order to hit the spot on the target which will most readily release the target from the gun. It is noted that slot 133 in the lower edge of the target member is formed in a predetermined position with respect to fulcrum member 143 and lever 120, thereby to properly locate member 143 against pad 150 when the target straddles lever end 132.

In accordance with another feature of the present invention, actuating mechanism 24 in effect disables its associated gun, when its target member 22 is expelled by an impact. This is effected by the projection 130 on the lever, as seen in FIG. 3. That is, when target member 22 is expelled from the game by an impact, as previously described, enlargement 130 is moved into chute 94, in front'of the forward edge 124 of the ramp 100. As a result, the chute is blocked by the enlargement. Accordingly, once target 22 is expelled, any further operation of trigger mechanism 72 by the player using that gun, will eject balls through opening 102 down ramp 100, but the balls will not be discharged from the discharge opening 98 in the chute because of the restriction in the chute as a result of the abutment 130.

Accordingly, it is seen that in the play of the game the players shoot projectiles or balls at one anothers targets in an attempt to knockoff their opponents target member from their gun. When a players target is hit in the proper location and with sufficient force to knock his target off the gun, i.e., off of lever 120, not only is a physical indication of the correcthit provided by the ejecting of the target, but his gun is, in effect, disabled since he can no longer project his own balls towards his opponents gun.

To further enhance the play of the game, playing surface 14 is provided with a plurality of obstacles 152 removably mounted thereon in any convenient manner. These obstacles may take any of a variety of shapes as desired. In the illustrative embodiment of the present invention since the game is intended as a cowboy game, wherein the target members are in the configuration of cowboys and the guns are in the configuration of Old West style pistols, the obstacle members 152 are in the form of cacti and trees. In any case, obstacles 152 are located on playing surface 14 forwardly of the nozzle 74 of their adjacent guns. Thus, the players, in the play of the game, can move their pistols 18, 20 respectively into position behind one of the obstacles by pivoting the gun about pivot point 54 on lever 40 or by pivoting the lever 40 with the gun thereon about pivot 42, so as to hide their target member or cowboy behind one of the abstacles and prevent its being hit by a ball from an opponents gun. This arrangement increases the action in the game and produces greater excitement in the play thereof.

As mentioned, obstacle members 152 may be secured to playing surface 14 in any convenient manner. However, in the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, playing surface 14 is provided with a plurality of apertures 154 formed therein respectively associated with each of the obstacle members 152. The latter have bayonette type cruciform bosses 156 formed on their lower ends which are adapted to be received in the apertures 154. As seen in FIG. 6, the apertures 154 have diametrically opposed extensions 156 formed therein through which laterally projecting extensions 158 on the bayonette type boss 158 can be inserted when the boss is inserted in the opening. The projections 158 are longer than the diameter of the openings 154, so that when the obstacle is rotated after insertion in the opening 154, projections 158 will be engaged against the lower portion of playing surface 154 to prevent removal of the obstacles from the game.

Finally, the game may also be provided with removable plaque members 160 along the sides 162 of board 12 and in slots 164 formed in side walls 26 to provide scenery accompanying the game. Thus, in the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the plaques 160, which are formed of embossed plastic sheets, provide simulated western town type structures.

Accordingly, it is seen that the present invention provides a gunfight type game in which the players can safely project balls or projectiles at an opponents target member. Since the target members are engaged with the opponents gun, by the apparatus described above, when a target member is hit it is ejected from the gun and thus from the game to indicate that a proper hit has been made. Moreover, such a hit disables-the players gun so that he can no longer fire projectilesat the opponent who hit him. Moreover, by the provision of obstacles 152 on the playing surface and the movable mounting of the guns on the playing board, the players can hide behind the obstacles to avoid shots by their opponents, and take advantage of opponents errors to come from behind an obstacle and hit their opponent and immediately return to a safe position behind an obstacle; Thus, a highly realistic gunfight game is provided which requires the players to use physical dexterity in properly moving and aiming their guns to hit an opponent's target in the proper position while simultaneously avoiding hits against their own targets by their opponent.

without departing from the scope or spirit of this inven-' tion.

What is claimed is:

l. A toygun comprising a housing in the shape of a gun, means in said housingfor discharging a projectile from the housing, a target operatively engaged with and removably mounted on said housing, and means in said gun shaped housing responsive to an impact against said target for indicating that said target has been hit by a projectile from another source. i

2. The toy gun as defined in claim 1 wherein said indicating means comprises means responsive to an impact against said target member for preventing discharge of a projectile from said gun housing.

3. The toy gun as defined in claim 2 wherein said housing has-an eject opeing formed therein through which said projectiles are discharged and said discharge preventing means includes means for blocking passage of a projectile through said eject opening when said target is removed from-said housing.

4. The toy gun as defined in claim 3 wherein said discharge preventing means includes means for disengaging said target from said housing in response to an impact against said target.

5. The toy gun as defined in claim 1 wherein said indicating means comprises means for disengaging said target from said housing in response to an impact against said target.

6. A toy gun comprising a housing, means in said housing for discharging a projectile from said housing; means in said housing for selectively preventing discharge of projectiles from said housing and a target member operatively engaged between said discharge preventing means and said housing; said discharge preventing means including means for simultaneously propelling said target member away from said housing and for preventing discharge of projectiles from said housing after an impact against said target member.

7. The toy gun as defined in claim 6 wherein said housing has a target abutment member formed thereon and said discharge preventing means comprises a lever pivotally mounted in said housing and said means for simultaneously propelling said target comprises a spring operatively connected between said housing and said lever for biasing said lever in a first direction, said target member being operatively engaged between said housing abutment member and said lever to hold said lever in a first position against the bias of said spring, said abutment member and said target member having normally engaged and cooperating cam surfaces for holding said target member in operative engagement between said lever and said housing and for disengaging said target member from said abutment member in response to an impact against said target member whereby said lever is moved by said spring in said first direction to a second position thereby to prevent discharge of projectiles and to propel said target member away from said housing.

8. The toy gun as defined in claim 7 wherein said housing includes an eject opening therein adjacent said lever through which said projectiles are discharged; said discharge preventing means including a stop memf ber formed on said lever for blocking said eject opening when said lever is moved to said second position thereof, thereby to prevent discharge of projectiles through said eject opening. v

9. The toy gun as defined in claim 8 wherein said housing and said target member have cooperating bearing and pivot point surfaces formed thereon located to be in engagement with each other when said target member is engaged between said lever and said abutment member whereby an impact against said target member causes the target member to pivot about said pivot point surface thereby to disengage said cooperating cam surfaces.

10. The toy gun as defined in claim 9 wherein said target has a recess formed in one edge thereof which straddles said lever when the target member is engaged between the lever and said abutment member thereby to locate said target member with respect to the abutment member.

'll. A toy gun comprising, a housing, an actuating mechanism disposed within said housing, magazine means formed in said housing for storing a plurality of balls therein and for feeding one ball at a time adjacent to a ball eject opening formed in the housing, said actuating mechanism including a first lever pivotally mounted within said housing and having a first segment extending out of said housing through an access opening-therein and a second segment disposed within said housing, whereby said first segment moves in response to the application of a force thereon to pivot said second segment from a first position spaced from said one ball fed from said magazine to a second position in force applying contact with said one ball fed from said housing, resilient retaining means mounted in said housing adjacent said ball eject opening for receiving and retaining said one ball fed from said magazine, said retaining means resiliently yielding when said second segment applies a force on said one ball held therein to permit passage of said one ball therethrough and resiliently returning to its initial unstressed position to impart an ejecting force on said one ball to eject said one ball through a discharge opening in said housing; means in said housing for selectively preventing discharge of balls from said housing through said discharge opening; and a target member operatively engaged between said discharge preventing means and said housing; said discharge preventing means including means for simultaneously propelling said target member away from said housing and for preventing discharge of projectiles from said housing after an impact against said target member.

12. The toy gun as defined in claim 11 including a discharge chute integral with and extending from said housing between said ball eject opening and said discharge opening for receiving said one ball ejected from said housing, said chute being inclined to direct said one ball onto a game playing surface.

13. The toy game as defined in claim 12 wherein said housing has a target abutment member formed thereon and said discharge preventing means comprises a second lever pivotally mounted in said housing adjacent the end of said chute near said discharge opening and said means for simultaneously propelling said target comprises a spring operatively connected between said housing and said second lever for biasing said second lever in a first direction, said target member being operatively engaged between said housing abutment member and said second lever to hold said second lever in a first position against the bias of said spring, said abutment member and said target member having normally engaged and cooperating cam surfaces for holding said target member in operative engagement between said lever and said housing and for disengaging said target member from said abutment member in response to an impact against said target member whereby said second lever is moved by said spring in said first direction to a second position thereby to prevent discharge of projectiles and to propel said target member away from said housing.

14. The toy gun as defined in claim 13 wherein said discharge preventing means includes a stop member formed on said second lever in position to enter said erating cam surfaces.

Claims

1. A toy gun comprising a housing in the shape of a gun, means in said housing for discharging a projectile from the housing, a target operatively engaged with and removably mounted on said housing, and means in said gun shaped housing responsive to an impact against said target for indicating that said target has been hit by a projectile from another source.

3. The toy gun as defined in claim 2 wherein said housing has an eject opeing formed therein through which said projectiles are discharged and said discharge preventing means includes means for blocking passage of a projectile through said eject opening when said target is removed from said housing.

8. The toy gun as defined in claim 7 wherein said housing includes an eject opening therein adjacent said lever through which said projectiles are discharged; said discharge preventing means including a stop member formed on said lever for blocking said eject opening when said lever is moved to said second position thereof, thereby to prevent discharge of projectiles through said eject opening.

11. A toy gun comprising, a housing, an actuating mechanism disposed within said housing, magazine means formed in said housing for storing a plurality of balls therein and for feeding one ball at a time adjacent to a ball eject opening formed in the housing, said actuating mechanism including a first lever pivotally mounted within said housing and having a first segment extending out of said housing through an access opening therein and a second segment disposed within said housing, whereby said first segment moves in response to the application of a force thereon to pivot said second segment from a first position spaced from said one ball fed from said magazine to a second position in force applying contact with said one ball fed from said housing, resilient retaining means mounted in said housing adjacent said ball eject opening for receiving and retaining said one ball fed from said magazine, said retaining means resiliently yielding when said second segment applies a force on said one ball held therein to permit passage of said one ball therethrough and resiliently returning to its initial unstressed position to impart an ejecting force on said one ball to eject said one ball through a discharge opening in said housing; means in said housing for selectively preventing discharge of balls from said housing through said discharge opening; and a target member operatively engaged between said discharge preventing means and said housing; said discharge preventing means including means for simultaneously propelling said target member away from said housing and for preventing discharge of projectiles from said housing after an impact against said target member.

14. The toy gun as defined in claim 13 wherein said discharge preventing means includes a stop member formed on said second lever in position to enter said chute to block said discharge opening when said second lever is moved to its second position thereby to prevent discharge of balls through said discharge opening.

15. The toy gun as definEd in claim 14 wherein said housing and said target member have cooperating bearing and pivot point surfaces formed thereon located to be in engagement with each other when said target member is engaged between said second lever and said abutment member whereby an impact against said target member causes the target member to pivot about said pivot point surface thereby to disengage said cooperating cam surfaces.