US3868111A

US3868111A - Platform miniature golf game

Info

Publication number: US3868111A
Application number: US395644A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edgar Allan Schuelke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-09-10
Filing date: 1973-09-10
Publication date: 1975-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 1992-02-25

Abstract

A platform miniature golf game including a generally flat platform having side and end walls extending completely about the platform, and a plurality of spaced apart longitudinally extending walls intermediate the side walls dividing the platform into a plurality of adjacent simulated fairways. Additional transversely extending walls spaced from the end walls adjacent each end of the platform provide at least one green at each end of the fairways and separate the greens from the fairways except for openings in the transversely extending walls which provide passageways for passage of a ball from at least two of the fairways to each green at each end of the fairways.

Description

United States Patent 1 Schuelke [111 3,868,111 Feb. 25, 1975 72nd St., Downers Grove, Ill. 60515 22 Filed: Sept. 10, 1973 21 App]. No.: 395,644

[52] US. Cl 273/87 C [51] Int. Cl. A63f 7/06 [58] Field of Search 273/87, 87.2, 87.4, 176 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 711,979 10/1902 Knight 273/87.2 1,510,385 9/1924 273/87.2 1,818,749 811%! Pittler 273/176 G 1,875,198 8/1932 Nagai 273/87 B UX 1,952,624 3/1934 lnman et a1. 273/176 E 2,827,299 3/1958 Dean 273/87.2 X 3,038,726 6/1962 I-lesidence 273/176 F 3,360,265 12/1967 Yabroudy 273/176 E X D83,110 1/1931 Kimmins 273/87 D X Dl57,950 4/1950 Goldstein 273/87 D X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 537,202 4/1955 Belgium 273/87.2

349,816 6/1931 Great Britain 273/176 G Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Harry G. Strappello Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Donnelly, Maky, Renner & Otto [57] ABSTRACT A platform miniature golf game including a generally flat platform having side and end walls extending completely about the platform, and a plurality of spaced apart longitudinally extending walls intermediate the side walls dividing the platform into a plurality of adjacent simulated fairways. Additional transversely extending walls spaced from the end walls adjacent each end of the platform provide at least one green at each end of the fairways and separate the greens from the fairways except for openings in the transversely extending walls which provide passageways for passage of a ball from at'least two of the fairways to each green at each end of the fairways.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures iPATENlTEB FEB 2 5 I975 SHEET 1 BF 2 1 PLATFORM MINIATURE GOLF GAME SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a platform-type miniature golf game and in particular to such a golf game in which there are a plurality of golf tees and at least one fairway and green and cup combination.

Another purpose is a miniature golf game of the type described in which there are a plurality of fairways with each fairway being common to at least one green and cup combination.

Another purpose is a platform golf game of the type described which is reliably constructed.

Another purpose is a platform-type miniature golf game in which generally parallel fairways are defined on top of a platform with each fairway having simulated golf hazards and being accessible to at least one green.

Another purpose is a miniature golf game of the type described which may use a conventional small ball, for example a marble, in combination with a club of like size and shape.

Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the miniature golf platform described herein,

FIG. 2 is a substantially enlarged view of the club and ball,

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the platform illustrated in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the platform shown in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, there may be a generally fiat platform 10, somewhat rectangular in shape, supported by a plurality of legs 12, preferably one in each corner. There is a peripheral wall extending about the platform made up of sides 14 and 16 and ends 18 and 20. Preferably, the platform and the legs may be formed of wood or of a molded plastic and the top of the table or platform 10 is covered with a suitable feltlike material, for example a green felt which is common to pool tables.

The top of the platform 10 may be divided into a plurality of fairways. For example, there may be

parallel walls

22, 24 and 26 which divide a portion of the platform top into four simulated fairways. At each end of the platform 10 there is a pair of simulated green and cup combinations, there being four such green and cup combinations indicated at 30, 32, 34 and 36.

Walls

38 and 40 divide the green and cup combinations 30-34 from the fairways. There are openings in the

walls

38 and 40 so that there is access from each of the fairways to one of the green and cup combinations. These openings are illustrated particularly in FIG. 1 and will be described in detail hereinafter.

FIG. 2 illustrates the details of the ball and club. The ball 42 may be of the size of a marble or the like and may be suitably colored white. The club will be of a compatible size and shape and may have a head 44 and a shaft 46, with a handle 48 at one end of the shaft. Preferably, the club head will have no loft.

ways, with the tees being marks on top of the felt with an arrow at each tee indicating the directionof the fairway or the direction of the green. For example, the first tee is indicated at 50 and the player must first move the ball from the tee over a bridge 52, toward a tunnel 54 at the opposite end of the fairway. The bridge 52 may pass over a water hazard or the like. After passing through the tunnel. 54, the ball must pass through one of the openings 56 in wall 40, which gives the player access to green and cup combination 36.

After completing the first hole the player starts at the second tee, indicated at 58, and must first drive the ball between two outwardly extending projections 60, much in the nature of trees, which are placed on opposite sides of the entrance to the fairway. After passing through the projections 60 the player must move the ball between a pair of upstanding abutments 62 which define a lane. At the end of the lane is a covered bridge 64 and the ball must be driven through this area and then through an opening 66 in wall 38 so that the player may have access to green and cup combination 30.

The thirdtee is indicated at 68 and the golfer must first go on either side of a central projection 70 and then on either side of a second central projection 72. In each case the central projections 70 and 72 are bounded by outwardly extending

projections

74 and 76 so that in effect there are two parallel paths that the golfer may take from the tee 68 toward the green. A covered lane 78 is near the end of the third fairway and after passing through the covered lane 78 the player must move the ball through an opening 80 into the green and cup combination 34.

The fourth tee is indicated at 82 and the player must first move the ball between a pair of abutments 84, similar to the abutments62, and then through a tunnel 86 to one of three openings 88 at the far end of the fourth fairway. After passing through one of the openings 88 the player is in position on green 32.

The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth fairways are merely the reverse of the first four fairways. The fifth tee is indicated at 90, the sixth tee at 92, the seventh tee at 94 and the eighth tee at 96. Thus, the player reverses the direction of play and in effect has a completely different simulated fairway as the hazards must be taken in reverse order and from the opposite direction.

In this connection, a simulated sand trap stands at the entrance to green 34 from the fifth fairway.

The ninth tee is adjacent the first tee and is indicated at 98. In this case the ninth fairway may be a combination of the first fairway, bypassing cup 36, and retuming along the second fairway to cup 30. In like manner, the 18th fairway may be a combination of any other fairways.

As described above, the platform legs and walls may be made of wood or may be formed of a suitable plastic material. In likemanner the various obstacles or hazards on the fairways may be formed of plastic or wood or any other material which is suitable for easy fabrication.

What is important in the invention is the fact that the fairways are common to more than one tee and to more than one green and cup combination. Thus, a complete l8-hole golf round may be simulated by a lesser number of fairways. It is not necessary to have 18 fairways, and an l8-hole course may be simulated by the four 3 fairways shown. In this connection, it is not necessary to have only the ninth and eighteenth holes using combinations of fairways, as other holes can also be simulated by a combination of more than one of the various fairways shown.

The platform may be of a size and shape to be permanently installed in 'a given area or it may be of the type which can be folded up and stored until it is to be used. In this connection, in some applications the platform may be of the type which can set directly on a floor, it may be set on legs of the type shown, or it may be set upon a table top. What is important is to provide a platform arranged in a manner to have a number of fairways, common green and cup combinations for the fairways, and a plurality of tees on the fairways such that an entire l8-hole golf round may be simulated with a minimum. number of individual structural fairways.

Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it should be realized that there may be many modifications, substitutions and alterations thereto.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A platform miniature golf game comprising a generally flat platform having side and end walls extending completely about said platform, a plurality of spaced apart longitudinally extending walls intermediate said side walls dividing said platform into a plurality of simulated fairways between said side walls and longitudinally extending walls, said fairways being separated from each other only by said longitudinally extending wells, additional transversely extending walls spaced from said end walls adjacenteach end of said platform providing at least one green at each end of said fairways, a recessed cup in each said green, said transversely extending walls separating said greens from said fairways, and openings in said transversely extending walls providing passageways from at least two of said fairways to each green ateach end of said fairways,

whereby during use of said game a ball may be caused to pass through said openings from at least two of said fairways to each green at each end of said fairways.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein there are at least two i greens at each end of said fairways separated by a wall therebetween, and there are at least two fairways hav-. ing communication with one of said greens at each end of said fairways and two additional fairways having communication with the other of said greens at each end of said fairways through openings in said transversely extending walls.

3. The game of claim 2 wherein one of said longitudinally extending walls extends the full length of said platform to provide said wall separating said two greens at each end of said fairways.

4. The game of claim 1 further comprising obstacle means on each fairway forming simulated golf hazards, and means defining a simulated golf tee at each end of said fairway.

5. The game of claim 4 further comprising means defining more than one simulated golf tee at least at one end of one of said fairways.

Claims

1. A platform miniature golf game comprising a generally flat platform having side and end walls extending completely about said platform, a plurality of spaced apart longitudinally extending walls intermediate said side walls dividing said platform into a plurality of simulated fairways between said side walls and longitudinally extending walls, said fairways being separated from each other only by said longitudinally extending walls, additional transversely extending walls spaced from said end walls adjacent each end of said platform providing at least one green at each end of said fairways, a recessed cup in each said green, said transversely extending walls separating said greens from said fairways, and openings in said transversely extending walls providing passageways from at least two of said fairways to each green at each end of said fairways, whereby during use of said game a ball may be caused to pass through said openings from at least two of said fairways to each green at each end of said fairways.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein there are at least two greens at each end of said fairways separated by a wall therebetween, and there are at least two fairways having communication with one of said greens at each end of said fairways and two additional fairways having communication with the other of said greens at each end of said fairways through openings in said transversely extending walls.