US506800A - Toy game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

. I 2 SheetsSheefi 1. E. B. SMITH. TOY GAME APPARATUS.

, (No Model.)

Patented 001;. 17, 1893. I I

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

, ERNEST B. SMITH, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.-

TOY GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 506,800, dated October 17, 1893.

Application filed June 20, I892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, Hampden county, .State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Toy Game Apparatus, of which the followingis a specification.

My improvements relate to agame in which nearly all of the features of base ball are resection in side elevation of the device, and on the dotted line ac, 0c, of Fig. I. Fig. IV, is an elevation in cross section, and on the dotted line y, y, of Fig. I. Fig. V, is aside elevation on the dotted line a, z, of Fig. I, and Fig. VI, is a detail view of a part.

Referring to the drawings, B is a board adapted to be supported upon a table or other rest with its face inclined, so thata ball, unobstructed, will roll from one end to the other; and b is a side or rim inclosing the face of the board, so as to retain a ball upon the face.

c, c, are holes sunk in the face of the board to catch and retain a ball rolling over the face of the board; and d, d are pins or wires projecting vertically from the face of the board and serving the purpose of causing the course of a rolling ball to be erratic. These general features of a game are well known, and in common use; but with these I combine elements which resemble closelyin their action the pitching and batting in the real game of base ball, and it is to'their construction and operation that my invention owes its principal interest.

D is a post journaled vertically in the board B to rise above its face and also extend Serial No. 437,331. (No model.)

a short distance below the bottom of the board as seen in Figs. III, and V.

To a horizontal arm 6 from the post D is a cup g, arranged in an inclined position, and adapted to hold a ball, such as a marble.

Upon the lower end of the post and below the bottom of the board, is a radial projecting arm 71 shown in the drawings in the form of a ring for convenience in securing thereto both a rod and spring, and to which is at tached one end of a rod E, so that when the rod is pulled the post will be rotated; and from the arm h to a fixed support, as the screw 2', is a coil spring I, against which the post rotates when pulled by rod E. The arm h is prolonged through the end of post D, as seen in Fig. II. to come againsta stop m, which is made adjustable as, shown by means of a clamp screw 11 passing through a slot in the shank of the stop, and into the bottom of the board, to permit the stop to be arranged to limit to any degree the rotation of the post when released by rod E. The rod E, from the post D, is prolonged parallel with the bottom of the board and guided and supported by a cleat 0, and is provided withv a handle 0. in convenient reach of the fingers at the lower end of the board. When the spring I, holds thearm h against the stop m, the arm e from ,the post D extends transversely above the board, and the cup 9 is above the medial center of the board.

In operation a marble or other ball is placed in the cup when in the position seen in Fig. I, and the rod E pulled out as shown in Fig. III, to have its handle 0 suddenly released, by means of which the arrest of rotation of the post caused by the stop, projects the loose ball from the cup, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. III.

Although the stop may be formed by the handle 0, coming in contact with the lower end of the board, I prefer the adjustable one shown, applied directly to the post.

When the ball is thrown by post D, it flies as from the hands of a pitcher toward the batter, represented by a postH of similar general configuration to the one D, and like it is journaled to one side of the medial center of the board to have one end projects. short dis- ICO tance below the bottom, and is provided upon said lower projecting end with a spring G from its surface to a fixed support It for it to rotate against, and with a projecting pin Z and stop pin 19, for arresting the rotation.

Above the board the post H is provided with a radial arm F flattened and enlarged to form a bat proportioned to the size of the ball or marble.

Beneath the bat F and in the same central line of the board with the cup g. is a trigger J. in the form of a board of a greater width, preferably than the ball, hinged at its lower end to the surface of the board 13. provided with a spring j between its free end and the board, and having its free end arranged to come beneath the bat F, and being slightly depressed, hold the bat by a spur or projection 8 upon the lower edge of the bat, against which said free end catches,as shownin Figs. I and 1V. When the bat F is set, as seen in Fig. IV, and a pitch from the cup g. lands the ball, as shown in dotted lines Fig. III, the trigger J is depressed by the contact of the ball, to set the bat free, which by the power of the spring, strikes the ball a blow to throw it, as indicated in Fig. V, upon the board, where it finds its way to one or the other of the pockets formed by holes a.

I have holes to represent all of the counting points of the game with the names of the contingencies and possibilities written over the holes standing for them, as for instance, the holes or pockets 0. 0. into which the ball may be directly thrown, or into which they may roll deflected by the pins (1 d, represent the outs, fouls, different base runs and home run and different base hits -having avalue each in points set forth in directions for playing the game,or determined by the players, and upon each lower corner of the board B, I arrange upon flat surfaces, dials S. S with hands If. t for scoring the points and games.

Centrally beneath board B and at the upper end is a support A. in the form of a tripod or other convenient foot, connected to the board by means of a piece a journaled in the head of the support A so as to rotate freely therein, and the piece a is hinged to the bottom of the board, so that the board can be swung on the support vertically. The piece (1 thus joined to the support and board, forms a swivel joint, which enables the lower end of the board to be lifted from the table or other rest, and swung to any point without movingthe support A, and thereby enables players seated around a table, to keep their seats, by changing the position of the board to come opposite each. Feet r raise the lower end of the board B sufficiently above the table to enable the handle 0 to clear it in its movement.

Without the feature of the game represented by the bat F, the post D throwing a ball elastic, or non-elastic to rebound, or otherwise find its way from the upper end of the board to one of the holes 0 therein-would make a new gameas would also, a ball proj ected in any other way than that illustrated in the post D, to come against the piece J to operate the post H with its bat F.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination substantially as shown and described of the inclosed board provided with pockets and obstructions,and with means for projectinga ball to one end of the board; of a spring actuated rotating post journaled near one end of the board, with a stop for arresting its rotation, provided with a radial arm above the face of the board adapted to form a ball striking batand an inclined hinged trigger adapted to retain the bat in position against its actuating spring, and release it upon the impact upon its inclined face of a projected ball, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a game board of the character described, and with a spring actuated ball pitching device'formin g part of said game-boardof the automatic batting device, comprising aspring actuated rotating post H, journaled in the board, a radial arm therefrom above the board adapted to form a striker for a ball-and an'inclined hinged trigger pieceas J, bearing from the board to the bat and adapted to hold the bat and its post 11 against the compressed spring, and release them upon the impact of a projected ball upon the inclined face of the trigger, whereby the ball itself actuates the bat and receives a positive blow therefrom, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with an inclined game board, of a support for the raised end,having both a horizontally and vertically rotating hinge combined therewith, substantially as shown and described, whereby the-board may have its lowerend lifted and rotated horizontally without changing theposition of the support for the upper end.

ERNEST B. SMITH.

Witnesses:-

R. F. HYDE, L. HrPERKINS.

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