US3887183A

US3887183A - Modified bowling game and apparatus therefor

Info

Publication number: US3887183A
Application number: US463664A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martin P Saso
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-12-15
Filing date: 1974-04-24
Publication date: 1975-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 1992-06-03

Abstract

A modified bowling game and apparatus for such game wherein a projectile is directed toward a plurality of horizontally spaced targets arranged in a predetermined pattern and each target bears indicia indicative of the number of points the player receives if such target is struck by a tossed projectile; each target being relatively light in weight and generally in the configuration of one half a conventional bowling pin, and being supported on a slender, flexible rod having one end fixed to a base or support member in the form of a suction cup; and the projectile is made of rubber or rubber-like material and is formed to have ten faces, two of such faces being spaced and parallel and having a generally square form and the other eight faces having substantially isosceles trapezoidal forms.

Description

United States Patent Saso MODIFIED BOWLING GAME AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Inventor: Martin P. Saso, 7S510 Route 83,

Clarendon Hill, 111. 60514 Filed: Apr. 24, 1974 Appl. No.: 463,664

Related US Application Data Substitute for Ser. No. 315,440, Dec. 15, 1972, abandoned.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 273/82 R UX 273/82 R X Lloyd Mankinen Kappel 273/95 R Abrahamson 273/58 K June 3, 1975 2,940,756 6/1960 Rosenberger 273/41 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle [5 7 ABSTRACT A modified bowling game and apparatus for such game wherein a projectile is directed toward a plurality of horizontally spaced targets arranged in a predetermined pattern and each target bears indicia indicative of the number of points the player receives if such target is struck by a tossed projectile; each target being relatively light in weight and generally in the configuration of one half a conventional bowling pin, and being supported on a slender, flexible rod having one end fixed to a base or support member in the form of a suction cup; and the projectile is made of rubber or rubber-like material and is formed to have ten faces, two of such faces being spaced and parallel and having a generally square form and the other eight faces having substantially isosceles trapezoidal forms.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures MODIFIED BOWLING GAME AND APPARATUS THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a novel bowling game and. more particularly, to unique apparatus or equipment for playing the game.

In recent years, people are having more and more lei sure time available for recreational purposes. The average work week for most workers in the United States is much shorter today than it was twenty years ago. This abundance of leisure time is partially evidenced in the homes being built in recent years. The majority of homes being built today are designed to include areas, both indoor and outdoor, peculiarly adaptable for the partaking of recreational activities including the playing of games and the like. It is also vogue to alter and modify older homes to provide the same or similar recreational areas.

Many of the indoor recreational areas are equipped with apparatus for playing table tennis. shuffle board, and billiards. Obviously, in order to play such games it is necessary to provide a table, as in the case of table tennis and billiards, or a permanent playing surface area, as in the case of shuffleboard. Thus, certain portions of the available recreational area must be set aside to specifically accommodate such game tables and playing surfaces and generally such recreational area portions are incapable of being used for any other recreational purpose.

The apparatuses of many other games suitable for playing indoors as well as outdoors disclosed in the prior art each usually includes a playing surface in the form of a game board, table or the like which must be erected and assembled before the game can be played and, obviously, provisions must be made to store the same when not in use. Moreover, because of the nature of construction of the game equipment played to play certain games and the materials of which the game pieces are made, many games can only be played indoors while others can only be played outdoors.

SUMMARY OF THE lNVENTlON Accordingly. it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an amusement game capable of being played either indoors or outdoors and apparatus for playing the game which substantially obviates the foregoing shortcomings inherent in prior art games and of the equipment necessary to play such games.

Briefly, the present invention contemplates the provision ofa bowling game wherein a projectile is manually propelled toward a plurality of targets arranged in a predetermined pattern from a prescribed distance from the targets. Each of the targets bears indicia indicative of the number of points the player receives if such target is struck by the projectile. Preferably, the game apparatus includes three projectiles made of rubber or other material having the same or similar resilient characteristics of rubber. Each projectile is formed to have l0 flat faces, two of such faces being spaced approximately twelve inches apart and parallel with respect to each other and having a generally square form. The other eight flat faces have substantially isosceles trapezoidal forms. The game apparatus also includes a plurality of targets made of light weight plastic material. Each of the targets has a configuration generally in the form of one half of a conventional bowling pin split along the longitudinal axis and bears a particular numeral thereon indicative of the number of points the player receives if such target is struck by a projectile when tossed by the player. The targets are each supported on the uppermost end section of an elongated, relatively slender and flexible rod. The lower-most end of each target support rod in turn is fixed to an enlarged base or support member having an inverted cup-shaped lowermost portion. The support members are made of rubber or rubber-like material whereby the relatively thin wall defining the cup-shaped portion of each support member being resilient and deformable is capable of functioning as a suction cup for detachably securing the base or support member to a relatively smooth flat playing surface.

The game apparatus consists of five targets and three projectiles. Preferably the targets are arranged in two horizontally spaced rows, there being three horizontally and laterally spaced targets in the first or front row and two targets in the second or back row which are horizontally staggered with respect to the targets in the front row. The targets in the front row, which are the easiest to hit by the player bear the numerals l, 2, and 3, respectively, while the more difficult targets to hit in the back row bear the numerals 4 and 5, respectively. The numeral on each target corresponds to game points and when a particular target is hit by a projectile. the player tossing such projectile is given the point value of the numeral on the particular target struck. The game is played by having the players stand ten to twelve feet from the front row of targets and toss the projectiles toward the targets in an attempt to hit the same. In accordance with the rules of the game the projectiles must first strike the playing surface one and then bounce into the targets to hit the same. Each player has an opportunity in turn to toss the three projectiles and his score is reached by totaling the point values of the targets struck during his turn at play. The player with the highest point value score is the game winner.

An object of the invention is to provide game apparatus for a modified bowling game which may be played either indoors or outdoors as long as a relatively flat and smooth playing surface appoximately four feet wide and fifteen feet long is available.

Another object is to provide targets and projectiles for a bowling game which are substantially indestructible and are capable of being used indefinitely.

A still further object is to provide a bowling game and targets for such game which may be quickly and easily set up or arranged in order to play the game and which set up or arrangement does not require the use of any tools or the like to assemble the apparatus, the marring or permanent marking of a playing surface area, or a particular playing surface area be used solely for the playing of the game.

Still another object is to provide game apparatus for a modified bowling game which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture yet sturdy and durable in construction and which, because of its compact nature, necessitates a relatively small storage space when not being used.

The foregoing and other important objects and desirable features inherent in an encompassed by the invention, together with many of the purposes and uses thereof, will become readily apparent from a reading of the ensuing description in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of one of the targets and the means for supporting such target;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the target shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is also a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along line 55 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of one of the projectiles of the game apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference characters represent like elements throughout the various views. the game apparatus of the present invention includes five target assemblies, each of which is indicated in its entirety by reference character 10, and three iden t ically shaped and sized projectiles 11.

All of the ta rget assemblies 10 are identically constructed and each includes a target 12 attached to an elongated slender rod 13, which in turn, has its normally lowermost end connected to an enlarged base or support member designated generally by reference character 14. As best illustrated in FIG. 2, the target has a configuration resembling one half a conventional bowling pin split along its longitudinal axis. Preferrably, the target 12 is made of relatively light weight nonmetallic material such as plastic or the like and is hollow. as best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, it will be noted that the bottom of each target 12 is defined by a generally semicircular wall 15 which is integrally formed with the body of the target. The semi-circular wall 15 has a generally semicircular notch or recess 16 formed therein which opens into the exposed straight edge of the wall 15. The wall surface defining the notch 16 extends slightly more than l80 so that the notch entrance or opening at the exposed straight edge of the wall 15 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the notch 16.

Each target 12 additionally includes an intermediate clip 17 in the form of a relatively thin, flat strip made of the same non-metallic material as the material of the target body. The strip is generally rectangular in shape and has its longitudinally spaced ends suitably secured to the interior surface of the target body by means of adhesive or the like. The longitudinal exposed edge lies substantially in the same vertical plane as the straight, exposed edge of the bottom wall 15. The clip 17, like the bottom wall 15, is also provided with a notch 18 which is substantially similar in size and configuration as the notch 16. It will be appreciated that the

notches

16 and 18 are substantially in vertical alignment when the target 12 is in its normally upright position.

The upper clip 19, structurally similar to the clip 17 but of shorter length is secured to the interior wall of the target 12 adjacent to the uppermost end thereof. The upper clip 19 is provided with a notch 20, opening into the exposed edge of clip 19 in the same fashion that

notches

18 and 16 open into the exposed edges of clip 17 and bottom wall 15, respectively. Also, the

notch 20 of the upper clip 19 has a configuration substantially the same as the

notches

16 and 18 and all the notches are substantially in vertical alignment when the target 12 is in its upright position.

The rod 13 of each target assembly 10 is preferrably made of metal and includes a section 21 of approximately 20 inches in length and of substantially uniform diameter throughout its length. The diameter of the rod section 21 is slightly larger than the diameter of the

notches

16, 18 and 20. The significance of this fact will be pointed out presently.

The normally lowermost end of the rod section 2] is securely connected to one end of a helically-wound spring section 22 which, in turn, has its opposite or normally lower-most end rigidly fastened to a relatively short end section 23. From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the entire rod section 21 is capable of flexing angularly with respect to the short end section 23 at and by virtue of the spring section 22.

The lowermost or free end portion of the short end section 23 is adapted to be forced or pressed into the cylindrical recess 24 formed in a generally cylindrical projection 25 of the base or support member 14. The diameter of the free end portion of the end section 23 is slightly larger than the diameter of the recess 24. The base member 14, including the cylindrical projection 25, is preferably made of rubber, or other material having similar physical properties of rubber. Consequently, the free end of the short end section 23 is secured to the base member 14 solely by friction.

The projection 25 is integrally formed with an enlarged inverted cupshaped portion 26, as best shown in FIG. 2. The cup-shaped portion 26 is defined by a relatively thin wall 27 and, being made of rubber or rubber-like material is resilient and deformable. Consequently, the cup-shaped portion 26 is capable of functioning as a conventional suction cup for detachably securing the base or support member 14 to a relatively smooth and flat surface by vacuum alone.

The projectiles 11 employed to play the modified bowling game of the present invention are made of sponge rubber or the like so as to be resilient and capable of bouncing when thrown against a plane surface. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6, each projectile 11 is formed to have 10 plane faces, two of the faces 28 are substantially square in shape when viewed in plan. The square faces 28 are parallel with respect to each other and are spaced approximately twelve inches apart. Each of the other outer faces 29 of each projectile 11 are substantially in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, when viewed in plan, and with the shorter of the parallel edges or sides of such isosceles trapezoidal faces 29 having the same length as the edges or sides defining the square faces 28.

As pointed out herebefore, the game apparatus of the present invention comprises five target assemblies 10 and three projectiles 11. In order to play the modified bowling game, the components of each of the five target assemblies 10 are removed from storage and assembled if the target assemblies 10 are stored in their disassembled state. The lowermost end 23 of each rod 13 is forcibly inserted into the recess 24 of a respective one of the base or support members 14. A respective one of the bowling pin-shaped targets 12 is then attached to the rod 13 by causing the rod section 21 thereof to be forcibly pressed into each of the

notches

16, 18 and 20 of such target. The uppermost terminal end of the rod is positioned in abutting engagement with the underside of the wall portion defining the top end of the tar get 12, as shown in FIG. 3, so as to prevent the target 12 from sliding down the rod section 21 while the game is being played.

Preferably, the five target assemblies are arranged in two horizontally spaced rows. The front or row closest to the area where the player stands to toss the projectiles 11 toward the targets 12 in an attempt to strike the same consists of three target assemblies 10 horizontally and laterally spaced with respect to each other and the back or second row consists of the remaining two target assemblies 10 which are staggered with respect to the target assemblies 10 of the front row, as shown in FIG. 1. Each of the target assemblies 10 is readily secured or attached to the playing field surface by merely pressing or exerting a downward force at the junction of the base member projection and inverted cupshaped portion 26 to cause the inverted cupshaped portion 26 to assume a generally flattened shape in the fashion ofa conventional suction cup. Thereafter, upon release of such downward force, the rod 13 and target attached thereto will be supported in a generally upright position. It will be noted that each target bears a respective numeral from 1 to 5 on its exposed or outer face. The numeral may be embossed, painted or placed thereon in any suitable manner. Preferably, the targets 12 in the front row, which require the least skill by the player to strike with a projectile l1, bear the

numerals

1, 2 and 3, respectively, with the more difficult targets 12 to hit in the back row bearing the numerals 4 and 5, respectively. It is to be understood that the numeral on each target 12 corresponds to the number of game points a player receives if such target 12 is hit by a projectile 11 thrown by him during his turn at play.

Once the target assemblies 10 are arranged in the aforesaid manner, the game is played by having the players stand 10 to 12 feet from the front row of targets 12. The players attempt to strike as many of the targets 12 as possible with each toss of a projectile 11 and, obviously, it is desirable to hit those targets 12 bearing the highest numerals thereon so as to achieve as high a score as possible with each toss of the projectile 11. The projectiles 11 must first strike the playing field surface at some point before the front row of targets 12 and then bounce into the targets 12 to strike the same in order to accumulate game points. Each player has an opportunity or turn to toss all three of the projectiles 11 and his final score is established by totaling the point value of the targets 12 struck during his turn at play. The player with the highest point value score is the game winner.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that a highly entertaining amusement game, involving some degree of skill to play, has been described. The game may be readily played either indoors or outdoors and does not require any special or particular playing area to play the game.

The embodiment of the invention chosen for the purposes of description and illustration herein is that preferred for achieving the objects of the invention and developing the utility thereof in the most desirable manner, due regard being had to existing factors of economy, simplicity of design and construction, production methods, and the improvements sought to be effected. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the particular structure and functional aspects emphasized herein are not intended to exclude, but rather to suggest, such other modifications and adaptations of the invention as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Game apparatus for playing a modified bowling game of the kind wherein projectiles are manually tossed and directed toward a plurality of targets arranged in a predetermined pattern on a substantially flat and smooth playing field area surface from a position horizontally spaced from the targets in an attempt to strike the same, comprising, a projectile; and a plurality of target assemblies, each of said target assemblies including a target having a configuration substantially resembling one vertical half of a bowling pin, said target being made of relatively lightweight non-metallic material, and means for supporting said target on said playing field area surface in a generally upright position vertically spaced above said playing area surface ineluding an elongated. slender rod having a relatively long end section extending from one end of the rod and a relatively short end section extending from the opposite end of the rod, means for attaching said target to said relatively long end section of said rod, and an enlarged base member connected to said relatively short end section of said rod, said base member being detachably connectible to said playing field area surface solely by vacuum.

2. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rod includes a helically-wound section intermediate and connected to said long and short end sections of said rod. said helically-wound section permitting said long and short end sections to flex angularly with respect to each other.

3. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said projectile is made of elastomer material and the outer surface of said projectile is in the form of ten plane faces, two of said plane faces being spaced and parallel with respect to each other and substantially square in shape, and the other eight plane faces being substantially in the shape of isosceles trapesoids.

4. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said base member is made of elastomer material and includes a generally cylindrical projection provided with a recess therein, said short end section having an end portion inserted into said recess and frictionally held therein by the wall surface of said projection partially defining said recess.

5. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said base member includes a generally inverted cupshaped portion, said projection being integrally formed therewith, said cup-shaped portion being defined by a relatively thin wall, said thin wall being resilient and deformable so as to be capable of assuming a substantially flat configuration on said playing field area surface in the manner of a suction cup.

6. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein each of said targets bears a particular indicia in the form of a numeral on its exposed surface.

Claims

1. Game apparatus for playing a modified bowling game of the kind wherein projectiles are manually tossed and directed toward a plurality of targets arranged in a predetermined pattern on a substantially flat and smooth playing field area surface from a position horizontally spaced from the targets in an attempt to strike the same, comprising, a projectile; and a plurality of target assemblies, each of said target assemblies including a target having a configuration substantially resembling one vertical half of a bowling pin, said target being made of relatively lightweight non-metallic material, and means for supporting said target on said playing field area surface in a generally upright position vertically spaced above said playing area surface including an elongated, slender rod having a relatively long end section extending from one end of the rod and a relatively short end section extending from the opposite end of the rod, means for attaching said target to said relatively long end section of said rod, and an enlarged base member connected to said relatively short end section of said rod, said base member being detachably connectible to said playing field area surface solely by vacuum.

2. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rod includes a helically-wound section intermediate and connected to said long and short end sections of said rod, said helically-wound section permitting said long and short end sections to flex angularly with respect to each other.

5. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said base member includes a generally inverted cup-shaped portion, said projection being integrally formed therewith, said cup-shaped portion being defined by a relatively thin wall, said thin wall being resilient and deformable so as to be capable of assuming a substantially flat configuration on said playing field area surface in the manner of a suction cup.