US416511A - Henry v - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

H. V. SMITH.

GAME.

No. 416,511. I Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

NJETERS. PMb-L'dhognphar. Wnbhklgiun. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

HENRY V. SMITH, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF I TO FRANKLIN B. BRADLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,511, dated December 3, 1889.

Application filed August 29, 1889. Sen'al No. 322,338. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY V. SMITH, of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Games; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure l, a perspective View of the field, portions of the surrounding ledge broken away; Fig. 2, a top view of a portion of the field, representing the position and operation of the pitcher and batter; Fig. 3, a longitudinal central section on line m a; of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, an under side view of a portion of the field, representing the mechanism for operating the pitcher and batter; Fig. 5, a detached view of the hand of the pitcher, showing the ball in section as held by the pitcher; Fig. 6, a modification inthe construction of the operatingfigures; Fig. 7, a Vertical section; and Fig. 8, a transverse section of a figure, illustrating a modification in the moving parts.

This invention relates to agame designed to represent a game of base-ball, and in which counts may be made in like manner as in that game; and the invention consists in a platform having figures arranged corresponding to the players in a base-ball game, especially the pitcher and the man at the bat, the said last-mentioned figures arranged to receive a rotative movement, whereby the pitcher throws the ball by its rotative movement, and the batter by its rotative movement makes a movement as if batting the ball, and as more fully hereinafter described. A represents the field, which is made from a board of any desirable size, upon which is laid out the several positions, as in a baseball game, and at these posit-ions the figures are arranged.

As here illustrated, B represents the catcher; C, the pitcher; D, first base; E, second base; F, third base; G, shortstop; H,

center field; I, right field; J, left field, and K the man at the bat. These figures, except the pitcher C and batter K, may be fixed to the board in their respective positions, and

the other figures,-excepting the pitcher and batter, may be omitted entirely.

The pitcher C is arranged upon a rotating disk L, as seen in Fig. 3, and has one arm extended, as seen in Fig. 1, so as to receive a ball M.- Under the best construction the hand of the pitcher is in the form of a pin N, (see Fig. 5,) and the ball M formed with a corresponding hole, so as to set loosely onto the pin.

The disk L is constructed with a shank O, which extends through the platform, as seen in Fig. 3. This shank forms an axis upon which the figure may turn, and upon its lower end, beneath the platform, a cam P is secured to the shank O, and upon the flat side of the cam a spring R bears, as seen in Fig. 4, so as to yieldingly hold the cam in the position seen in Fig. 4, which is the normal position of the figure represented in Fig. 2. If the figure be turned to the position represented in broken lines, Fig. 2, the cam below is correspondingly turned and compresses thespring, as represented in broken lines, Fig. 4. If from this position the cam be started on its return, so as to bring the fiat side of the cam within the influence of the spring R, the reaction of the spring will accelerate the rotation of the figure to give it an impulse suificient to throw the ball, which may have been placed upon the hand of the figure, and with considerable force.

The figure is provided with a handle or lever S near its feet, by which it may be conveniently turned to the position indicated in broken lines, Fig. 2, and in this position the figure will stand, because of the direct bearing of the spring against the cam. Then if the person working the game presses the lever S toward the return movement, so soon as the cam has passed so far as to permit the spring to operate upon the flat side the spring .will exert its influence upon the figure to may he so nearly simultaneous with the movement of the pitcher that the batsman may hit the ball should it come within the range of his bat, the movement of the pitcher is communicated to the batsman, and this is done by a rod V, running longitudinally beneath the platform from the cam of the pitcher to the cam of the batsman, and the end of the rod toward the pitcher is in such position with relation to the cam that in the last part of the return movement of the cam I it will strike the rod V, giving it a blow like a hammer. The other end of the rod W bears against the batsmans cam V, and so that the blow thus imparted by the movement of the pitcher will be communicated to the cam of the batsman, serving to give a slight but very quick rotation to the batsman, as from the position in Fig. 2 to that seen in broken lines same figure.

A spring X beneath the platform. bears against the flat side of the cam V, serving to yieldingly hold the cam in its normal position, but yet so as to permit the blow from the pitcher to be communicated to the batsman, as before described, the springinstantly returning the cam V and batsman to the normal position after the blow shall have been imparted. The ball being fixed upon the hand of the pitcher and the rotation imparted to the pitcher, as before described, the ball will leave the pitchers hand and fiy with considerable force toward the batsman. The batsman at the same time makes its movement, and if the ball comes within the range of the bat it willbe struck and thrown into the field.

At different points in the field cavities are formed-portion (L outside the foul-lines I), and others (Z within the diamond, and still others 6 within the field-lines outside the diamond. Near the lower end of the field lines f and g are made across the field, and at opposite corners spaces h are indicated. The cavities are designed to count as catches, so that should the ball fall into one of the cavities it is a catch at that point and counted as such; but if the ball does not fall into one of the cavities, but, on the contrary, lies upon the surface, it is counted as base-hits, according to its position. If, for illustration, the ball lies inside the line f, out of the cavities, it is calleda onebase hit. If between the lines f and 9, it is called a two-base hit. If outside the line g, it is called a three-base hit. If in the spaces h at the corners, it is called a homerun.

After the ball has been once thrown and the count made it is replaced upon the hand of the pitcher and again thrown, and, so 0011- tinuing, the game is played, making the counts the same as ina base-ball game. Two parties playing, each will play and count with the same figures, but as for their respective nines. To prevent the ball from escaping from the field, a ledge iis formed around the platform.

It will be understood that the platform or field may be made as a board to rest upon a table, or made as the top of a table, as usual in this class of games.

\Vhile I prefer to make the whole figure rotate, the figure maybe made in parts, divided at the waist, as seen in Fig. 6, the lower portion made stationary upon the platform, and the body portion having the shank extending through the lower portion, and by which the pitching or striking rotation may be imparted. Again, the rotation may be imparted to the arm of the pitcher or of the batter without rotation of the bodyas, for illustration, the arm may be hung in the shoulder of the figure, as represented in Fig. 7, there being an axle or spindle l extending from the arm into the body at the shoulder, and upon which the arm may swing. This spindle carries a cam 911., against the fiat side of which a spring it may act, as seen in Fig. 8, and substantially as does the spring R upon the cam I, and so that thearm turned to the drawmback position, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 8, the cam will be held by the spring in that position to be tripped, and this tripping may be performed by the cam P, operating a trip-rod r, as represented in broken lines, Fig. 8. So soon as the cam P imparts its blow, as before described, it operates t-he trip-rod r, and it in its turn trips the cam on and imparts a rotative throwing or striking movement to the arm of the figure. I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting the operation of throwing and batting to the particular mechanism first described; neither do I wish to be understood as limiting the invention to any particular shape of the figure, it only being essential that the pitcher shall receive an impulse to throw the ball and the batter an impulse to strike the ball should it come in range of the but.

It will be evident that the cavities, pockets, or divisions of the platform for the lodgment of the ball may be arranged in any desirable manner or position upon the platform so that the count or points of the game maybe readily determined.

I claim 1. The herein-described game, representing the game of base-ball, consisting of a platform having thereon the representation of the several positions in the field and constructed with cavities at different points, within either of which the ball may rest com bined with a pitching-figure and a battingfigure, with mechanism,substantially such as described, to impart the pitching movement for the discharge of the ball, and a connection between the said pitching mechanism and the batter, substantially such as described, and whereby the movement of the pitcher is simultaneously communicated to the batter.

2. The herein-described game, representing a game of base-ball, consisting of a platform pitcher, the-disk of the batter provided with a like spring-cam, and a connection between the cam of the pitcher and the cam of p the batter, whereby the movement of the cam of 15 the pitcher may be communicated to the batter, substantially as described.

HENRY V. SMITH. Witnesses:

H. S. SHELToN, O. E. HOUGH.

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