US726833A - Game. - Google Patents

Description

No. 726,833. PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.

0. WILLIAMSON.

GAME. APPLICATION n'Lnn JUNE 16, 1902.

no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

UNITED Q STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES l/VILLIAMSON, OF NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 726,833, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed June 16 1902. fierial No. 111,848. (No model.)

130 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WILLIAMSON, a citizen of the United States, residing vat Newport News, in the county of Warwick and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Games, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a new and improved game adapted for indoor as well as outdoor use, and which will at once be interesting and amusing to the old as well as the young.

It is the purpose of the invention to provide agame that will not only be amusing and interesting, but the playing of which will be very healthful, affording light but invigorat ing exercise, serving to throw the head and body of the player erect, and thus broadening the shoulders and expanding the chest.

Briefly and generally stated, the invention comprises a field or course, hereinafterto be referred to as a screen, which is preferably but not necessarily made of flexiblematerial, said screen being laid off in a regular course somewhat after the fashion of a golf-j course, suitable openings or pockets being provided in the screen which serve as the holes into which a very light inflated body or ball is to be successively knocked, driven, or advanced by means of a wand or one spe-; cially provided for the purpose, the said inflated bodies being buoyant in the one case and nearly so in the other and of greater diameter than the holes or pockets.

The invention further comprises av novel form of supporting-frame for the screen, field, or course, the same being constructed in such a manner that it may be readily ad justed to different heights to accommodate the apparatus'for the use of children as well as adults.

The construction of the several parts of the apparatus comprising my improved game is such that the same may be easily and quickly set up for indoor or outdoor use, .and can as readily be taken down, folded, and rolled up into a compact body for storage and shipping purposes. The apparatus is also very simple and durable in construction, cheap to manufacture, and not likely to get out of order.. 7

In order to enable others to understand,

make, and play my said game, I will nowproceed to describe the sainein detail, reference being had for this purpose to the accompany ing drawings, in whic h Figure 1 is a perspective view of the screen, field, or course supported in position for use. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the field, screen, or course. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the wands or cues used in advancing the inflated balls. Fig. 4: is a detail sectional view of the screen, field, or course supported in position for overhead Ia in Fig. 5-is a similar view showing the screen, field, or course lowcred for playing the game in another manner." Fig.6 is an enlarged plan view of one its base. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional-view showing one form of means for connecting a part of the supporting-frame for the screen.

Fig. 8 is a view,.partly in section, of oneof the supporting-standards and Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of another form of means for connecting a part of the supporting-frame.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the reference -numeral 1 designates a screen or field,,which is I preferably, but not necessarily, made of some light-flexible material s1 1ch as cotton fabric,d,uck, silk,- netting, or any other suitable material-the object of using flexible material being to provide a light screen that can .be rolled up in a small compass for storage or transportation. The screen may be made of anydesired size and in practice will be made of various-sizes. This 'field or screen is provided with a plurality of holes or pockets 2, laid ofi in a regular course, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2, the arrows in said figure indi'cating the direction in which the inflatedtballoons or bodies are to be advanced. The opposite ends of the screen are provided with pockets into which two or. more stifienerstrips 3 are lgcated, said strips being divided, as showninFig. 2, in order to permit of the screen being folded. I have shown but two stripsat each end of the "screen; but it will be obvious that I may employ more than two, if desired. The screen is also provided around its entire edge with a plurality of hooks 4., by which it may be ICO secured at said edges to a suitable support and which will serve to hold the screen tightly stretched both longitudinally and transversely.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one form of supporting means for the screen or field; but I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself specifically to such means, for it will be obvious that other forms of supports may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The supporting-frame herein shown comprises a pair of sectional standards 5, the sections of which are suitably coupled together in a detachable manner by means of short sleeves 6, one of said sleeves being attached to one end of each section. The said standards are each removably inserted in a short pipe-section 7, that is in turn detachably inserted in a hollow base 8, the lower end of the said pipe-sections fitting over an internal projection 9, carried by the bottom of each base. The said bases are made hollow, as shown in Fig. 8, in order to receive a weighty substance or material lO-such, for instance, as sand or shot-which latter may be emptied from its base at will by simply removing the short pipe-section 7 and inverting the base, as will be obvious. To each of the uppermost sections of the standards 5 is secured a pin or bolt 12, (see Fig. 9,) which extends through and projects for some distance beyond the sections, said pins serving to enter the ends of and support a ridge-pole or spreader 13, that extends between and connects the two standards, thus providing a rigid frame. Extending over each end of the ridge-pole and around each standard is an angle-loop 14, and between the said loop, ridge-pole, and standard at each end of the frame is slipped an end pole 15, said poles being securely held in position by the means just described, as will be apparent by referring to Fig. 9 of the drawings. The end poles are preferably made in two or more sections and coupled together by means of sleeves similar to the standards 5. The said end poles are also provided with loose rings 1b, carrying eyes 17, into which the books 4 on the ends of the screen may be inserted for holding the screen in a stretched condition. The opposite ends of the end poles are also connected together by means of tie wires or cords 18, over which the hooks 4 in the side edges of the screen are hooked. It will thus be seen that the screen when in position will be held taut in all directions and that the same may be easily and quickly attached to or removed from its support and the latter taken down and folded up into a compact body. It will also be seen that the supporting-frame can be readily adjusted to different heights by simply removing or inserting one or more sections of the standards 5, thus adapting the apparatus for short or tall persons.

Instead of the connecting means shown in Fig. 9 I may employ that shown in Fig. 10, which consists of a pipe-coupling 1.9, secured to the standard 5 and having two short hollow arms for the end-pole sections and a third arm 21 for the ridge-pole.

The game is intended to be played by two persons, and in operation two inflated bodies, bladders or sacks 22, are employed, the object being to drive or advance said bodies over the screen, field, or course and cause them to successively enter or seat themselves in the holes or pockets 2 of the screen, as will be hereinafter more fully described, a suitable wand or cue (see Fig. 3) being employed to drive the inflated bodies. This wand or cue consists of a rod or handle 23, having secured to one end thereof a disk 24, of cork, rubber, or other soft or resilient material, the said disk being considerably larger in diameter than the wand, so as to project well on all sides thereof, and thus enable the player to strike the inflated body high up near the top or near its point of contact with the screen, so as to lift the same therefrom.

* In playing the game with the screen in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 balloons 01' bags filled with gas are employed, their normal tendency being to rise and come to a state of rest upon the under side of the screen, it being understood that the said balloons or inflated bodies are considerably larger in diameter than the holes or pockets 2 in the screen, the relative sizes being such that the balloons will barely seat themselves in the holes or pockets.

In starting the game the players occupy positions at opposite ends of the screen, the balloons being located on the spots 25. One of the players then strikes his balloon with his wand or one, driving the same in the direction indicated by the arrow A, his object being to drive the same into, or as near as possible to, the first hole a. The next player then strikes his balloon, driving the same in the direction of the arrow B, his object being to drive his balloon into the first hole a. The plays are then made alternately, each player being required to take his balloon over the entire course in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 2, returning to the point or spot 25 from whence he started,it being necessary that each hole or pocket be entered in succession. player first making all the holes or rounding the course wins the game, and if it is desired to count points on your opponent the player in arrears may be allowed to finish his course, and a point will be counted for every stroke it takes him to arrive at his starting place or instead of said player continuing to play five or any other number of points may be counted for each unentered hole or pocket, and this will determine the number of points he has been beaten.

In order to prevent the balloons from being knocked or driven oif or over the edge of IIO The

the screen, I provide a short skirt or curtain 26 around the entire edge of the screen, as more clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 7;

Instead of playing the game overhead with balloons or bags filled with gas, as just described, I contemplate playing the same with the screen lowered and inverted, as shown in Fig. 5, and in this case the bags are filled with air, and while they will not rise and float like a balloon, yet they will be more or less buoyant and will travel very freely over the surface of the screen, thus rendering the game somewhat difficult and very amusing. It will be understood that the inflated bodies are almost of the same specific gravity as air andare thereforebuoyantornearlyso. In fact, with one form of the invention the inflated bodies are of less specific gravity than air, and consequently theirnormal tendency is to rise, while in the other form they are of substantially the same specific gravity as air, their normal tendency being to settle lightly or slowly. In both cases the inflated bodies may be said to be buoyant, or nearly so, and in this lies the important feature of the invention.

that where I employ the term buoyant or of substantially the same specific gravity as air in the claims I mean a body that is buoyant, or nearly so.

As hereinbefore stated, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to any particular form or construction of supporting-frame for the screen, as this may be varied or changed at will without departing from the spirit of the invention. Neither do I wish to limit myself to the use of spherical inflated bodies, for it will be obvious that these may be other than spherical in shape. So far as I am aware I am the first to provide a game apparatus comprisinga screen, field, or course provided with holes or pockets, as herein set forth,combined with inflated bodies ofgreater diameter than the said holes or pockets, so that said bodies will only partially enter or seat themselves therein, and to such an apparatus I lay claim broadly.

What I claim is- 1. In a game apparatus, a screen or field provided with a plurality of openings arranged in a regular course, combined with an inflated body of substantially the samespecific gravity as air adapted to be advanced over the surface of the screen or field and to be seated in said openings, substantially as described.

2. In a game apparatus, a screen or field of flexible material provided with a plurality of openings arranged in a regular course, nieans for holding and supporting the screen or field under tension, and an inflated body of substantially the same specific gravity as air adapted to be advanced over the surface of the screen or field, and to be seated in said openings, substantially as described.

3. A game apparatus comprising a field of It will be understood, therefore,

flexible material provided with a plurality of openings laid off in a regular course, means for holding the flexible field in a stretched condition, combined with a buoyant body of larger diameter than the openings in the field.

4. In a game apparatus, a flexible field having a plurality of openings therethrough laid out in a regular course, and means for supporting and holding the field stretched both longitudinally and transversely.

5. A game apparatus comprising a field provided with a plurality of openings or pockets, means for supporting the field overhead, and a floating bodyof larger diameter than the openings or pockets in the field.

6. A game apparatus comprising a field of flexible material provided with a plurality of pockets, means for supporting the field in a stretched condition, combined with a buoyant body of larger diameter than the pockets in the field.

7. In a game, the combination with a suittachable ridge-pole connecting said standards,

end poles detachably connected to the standards, means for connecting the opposite ends of the end poles one to the other, and a flexible screen attached around its edges to said end poles and connecting means, said screen being provided with openings laid off in a regular course, substantially as described.

9. In a game apparatus, the combination with a pair of hollow bases, standards removably fitted in said bases, a ridge-pole connecting the said standards, end poles also supported by the standards, and a flexible screen supported at its edges by said end poles, said screen being provided with a plurality of openings or pockets laid off in a regular course, substantially as described.

10. In a game apparatus, the combination with a pair of hollow bases, sectional standards removably connected to said bases, a

ridge-pole connecting the standards, end

nesses.

CHARLES WILLIAMSON.

Witnesses:

GEO. E. OoNNnLL,

W. S. KILLIAM.

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