US787161A - Game apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 787,161. PATENTED APR.11, 1905. E. FAHL.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1904. RENEWED MAR. 13.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

PATENTED APR.11, 1905.

E. PAHL. GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 16.1904. RENEWED MAR. 13.1905.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

Patented. April 11, 1905.

EUGENE FAI'IL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart 0t Letters Patent No. 787,161, dated April 11, 1905.

Application filed May 16. 1904. Renewed March 13, 1905. Serial No. 249,826.

Be it known that l, EUGENE Faun. a citizen of the United States, and a residentof St. Louis, Missouri. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lame Apparatus, of which the following is a specilicat-ion containing a full, clear. and xact (lCSCI'lPiIUILIHfercnce heiug had to the accompanying drawings. forming a part hereof.

.\Iy invention relates to an improved game apparatus: and it consists of the novel features herein shown. descrihed, and claimed.

In the drawings, I igure I is a perspective of a game apparatus emhodying lhe principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a Vertical central section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional detail on the line 3 I of Fig. 2. Fig. l is a perspective of one of the pins and the hase to which the pin is pivoted. Fig. 5 is a perspective of the pivoted lingers for setting up the pins.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in the construction of my improved game apparatus I take the hlocks l3 and cut out half-circles from their forward edges to form the semicircular faces T. Spacing-hlocks S are placed hetweeu the hlocks I), the spacing-hlocks he ing of suhstantially the same form as the blocks l3 and having forwardly and downwardly extending projections l). The hlocks (3 and S are arranged alternately and secured together with the curved semicircular faces I in alinement. \vardly from the hlocks, the surface of the hoard matching with the semicircular faces 7, and side pieces 11 and 12 are placed one on each side of the hlocks, and side pieces 13 and ll are placed one on each side of the hoard in I alinement with the side pieces 11 and 12. A cushion 13 is mounted upon the forward end of the hoard I0. and longitudinally-extcinling grooves II) and IT are formed at the junction llat board It) extends fors of the side pieces 13 and ll with the hoard 5 III. said grooves being in alinement with the two outer hlocks o. The semicircular faces T of said outer hloeks are cut away. as indicated hy the dotted lines 18, to match with the surfaces of the grooves. A tray 191s attached lo the forward end of the hoard It) to receive the halls. The pins 20 are connected to the forward upper corners of the blocks (5 by hinges 21, and wings 22 extend downwardly from the-pins in front of the upper ends of the semicircular faces 7. Felt cushions 23 are secured to the upper edges of the blocks (3, so that. when the pins fall hackwardly they will strike these cushions and the cushions will serve to deaden the sound. A hallleplate 21 is secured to the lower ends of the projections 9, said hatlle-plate reaching from the side piece ll to the side piece I2 and extending hackwardly and downwardly. and guide-strips 25 and 26 are secured to the upper face of the hal'lle-plato ll: in the form of an inverted V. Small halls or marbles Hare used in connection with my game apparatus, and the operator or player will take a hall, lay his hand upon the cushion l5, and shoot the hall hackwardly along the, hoard ll) in the same manner as marhles are shot. and the hall will roll along the hoard It) hackwardly and upwardly and forwardly along the semicircular faces 7 and strike one or more of the wings 22, thereby tipping one or more, of the pins 20 hackwardly. The wings 22 are so close together that the halls cannot pass hetween; hut if one or more of the pins have fallen the hall may pass in the space normally occupied by the fallen pin. After the hall strikes the wings it will fall upon the haflle-plate 21 and roll hackwardly along one of the guides or 26 and then roll downwardly and forwardly along one of the grooves 16 or IT.

The setting-up device is formed of wire and comprises lingers 2S, spaced accurately apart to lit between the blocks 8 in front of the. blocks 6. and the ends 2%) and 31), extending through hearings in the side pieces II and IL A crank-arm 3i extends forwardly from the end 50, and a cord 32 extends downwardly through a hearing-eye 3?, and then forwardly through guide-eyes ill and 35, and the ring 30, attached to the forward end of the cord.

is in position at the front end of the apparatus, so that the player may manually engage the ring and pull the cord, thereby depressing the forward end of the crank-arm 31, pressing the lingers 2b do\\"n\\'ardly hetween the projections.), hringing the wings 22 downwardly to their vertical positions, and setting the pins in their upright position.

The arm 37 extends backwardly from the end 30, and a counterbalancing-weight 38 is mounted upon the rear end of this arm and holds the fingers 28 normally in their horizontal positions, so that the pins may fall backwardly and the wings swing forwardly without obstruction.

My game apparatus partakes of the nature of a tenpin-alley; but it is constructed upon a smaller scale, and the alley is so constructed that the balls must travel along a semicircular face before coming in contact with the pins or with the wings which operate the pins.

I have provided means of returning the balls to the player and means of setting up the pins, and the essential details of construction are vlelry much diflerent from an ordinary tenpina ey.

IVhen the ball is discharged forwardly fromthe upper end of the curved surface, it will strike the baffle-plate, and as it rolls backwardly down the baffle-plate it will be guided to one side or the other by the guide-strips, and as the ball passes from the bafHe-plate it will strike the lower part of the curved surface and roll forwardly down the curved surface to one of the grooves 16 or 17, and in passing down this curved surface the ball will acquire momentum suflicient to return it to the forward end of the board. The returning of the ball to the player is one of the most important features of my invention.

In terms my game apparatus comprises a ball-surface having a flat level portion and having a curved portion extending upwardly from the rear end of the flat portion and discharging forwardly, a baffle-plate to catch the ball from the upper part of the curved portion and discharge it back to the lower part and sides of the curved portion, grooves to conduct the ball back to the player, and side boards to hold the ball upon the ball-surface.

I claim 1. In a game apparatus: a board; means forming a semicircular surface leading upwardly and forwardly from the rear end of the board; and pins pivotally mounted, and having wings extending below the upper end of the semicircular surface; substantially as specified.

2. In a game apparatus: a board; a semicircular surface extending upwardly and forwardly from the end of the board; a baffleplate in front of and below the upper end of the semicircular surface; and pins pivotally mounted, with Wings extending below the upper end of the semicircular surface; substantially as specified.

3. In a game apparatus: a board; a semicircular surface extending upwardly from the rear end of the board; grooves extending along the sides of the board; a baffle-plate in front of and below the upper end of the semicircular surface; and guide-strips upon the bafile-plate; substantially as specified.

4. In a game apparatus: the rectangular block 6 having the semicircular forward faces 7; the spacing-blocks 8 between the blocks 6; the projections 9 at the forward upper ends of the blocks 8; the pins 20 pivoted to the upper forward corners of the blocks 6; and the Wings 22 extending downwardly from the pins 20; substantially as specified.

5. In a game apparatus: the rectangular block 6 having the semicircular faces 7; the spacing-blocks 8 between the blocks 6; the projections 9 at the forward upper ends of the blocks 8; the pins 20 pivoted to the upper forward corners of the blocks 6; the wings 22 extending downwardly from the pins 20; the baffle-plate 24 attached to the projections 9; and the guide-strips 25 and 26 secured to the baffle-plate; substantially as specified.

6. In a game apparatus: a ball-surface having a flat level portion, and having a curved portion extending upwardly from the rear end of the flat portion and discharging forwardly; a baffle-plate to catch the ball from the upper part of the curved portion and discharging it back to the lower part and sides of the curved portion; a groove upon each side of the ball-surface to conduct the ball back to the player; and side boards to hold the ball upon the ball-surface; substantially as specified.

In testimony whercofI have signed my name to this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE FAHL. Vitnesses:

E. E. LoNeAN, ALFRED A. EICKS.

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