US808959A - Game apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906. E. B. VINSON 81: B. F. ROBINSON.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILED MAR. 16, 1905.

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No. 808,959. PATENTBD JAN. 2, 1906. E. B. VINSON & B. F. ROBINSON.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED MAR.16. 1905.

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mm W/////// WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EVA BURRITT VINSON AND BENJAMIN F. ROBINSON, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed March 16, 1905. Serialllo. 250,330.

To all whom, it nuty concern:

Be it known that we, EVA BURRITT VIN- soN and BENJAMIN F. ROBINSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvem'ents in Game Apparatus; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has reference to improve ments in that class of game apparatus or toys designed for use and amusement as a parlor or house game; and the invention has for its principal objects to provide a simply-constructed and novel game apparatus known asthe game of parlor ten or nine pins, in

which the pins which are to be knocked down by means of a suspended swinging ball rest upon a base or box which is to be placed upon the fioor, with a view of providing a novel mechanism adapted to be operated, preferably, by the foot of the player for readily and quickly setting up the pins without having to place them in their proper positions upon the base or box by hand or by having to get down upon the fioor for the manipulation of the pin-setting mechanism or means,

A further object of the present invention is to provide a simply-arranged and cheaplyconstructed means of connection between each pin of the toy or game apparatus and an actuating device which may be manipulated by hand or by foot, as may be desired, for raising and setting up any one or more or all of the thrown pins, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Other objects of our present invention not at this time more particularly specified will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of this invention.

With the various objects of our present invention in view the same consists, primarily, in the novel game apparatus or toy hereinafter set forth, and, furthermore, this invention consists in the various arrangements and combinations of parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which Will be more fully described in the following specification and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claim which are appended to and which form an essential part of this specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of a game apparatus embodying the principles of our present invention, showing the ninepins set up and in connection with the said View showing a suspended ball for striking down the said pins. Fig. 2 is a side view of the game apparatus, showing the pins after they have been struck and have fallen, with the raised positions of the said pins being represented in dotted outline. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal vertical section of the game apparatus, showing the pins in their fallen positions and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the base or boX of the apparatus and through the head or king pin, the remaining pins and the actuating mechanism being shown in front elevation and in its manipulated position'for bringing all the fallen pins into their raised and standing positions.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the said above described-figures of the drawings to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the said drawings, the reference character 1 indicates the complete game apparatus, the same comprising a suit able hollow base or box 2. The said base or boX, which may be of any suitable size and shape, consists, essentially, of the ends 3 and sides 4, upon which is suitably arranged and secured a top 5, provided with a series of holes or perforations 6, which are disposed in the usual diagrammatic arrangement, in which ten or nine pins are set up. Surrounding the lower outer portions of the ends and sides of the base or box 2 there may be suitable fianges 7, which may be provided With slightly-projecting pins or prongs 8 to embed themselves in the carpet or the like to firmly secure the apparatus against movement in its operative position upon the floor for playing purposes. Movably arranged upon the said top 5 and adapted to be placed over each hole or perforation 6 is one of a set of ten or nine pins 9, each pin having a tube-like interior part 10, in each of which is arranged the one end portion of a string or cord 11, having a knotted end 12, by means of which the end portion of each string or cord 11 is positively a'lfixed to a pin 9. It will be understood, however, that the end of a string or cord may be suitably aflixed to its pin 9 in any other suitable manner. ithin the said base or box 2, with suitable pivot portions 13 journaled in suitably-disposed bearings in the sides4 of the said base or box, is a bar 14, carrying a plate 15 of approximately the same width as the interior of the said base or box .2, as will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 4 of the drawings. Suitably connected with the said swinging plate 15 is a member 16, which is formed with a shank 16, extending into and movably arranged in a segmental opening or slot 17 in one of the said sides 4. Connected with the said shank 16 upon the outer face of the said side 4 of the base or box 2 is an actuating portion or rod 18, which is provided with an annular receiving-groove 19, substantially as shown, and the said portion or rod 18 forming a foot or finger piece by means of whichthe parts can be operated in the manner to be presently described. Directly above the upper end of the segmental opening or slot 17 and secured in the side 4 is a holding or receiving pin 20, an elastic band 21, or the equivalent thereof, being placed over the said pin and in the said annular re- 'ceiving-groove 19 of the said actuating portion or rod 18, as shown. The normal tendency of this elastic band 21 is to pull the parts in an upward direction, whereby the swinging plate 15 is held in the position indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Rotatively arranged in a series of suitablydisposed bearings in the sides 4 of the base or box 2 are a series of three rollers 22 and a single 'roller 23, the same being arranged substantially in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. The strings or cords 11, which are attached to the respective pins 9, except the string or cord attached to the head or king pin, pass around the respective rollers 22, which of course are in proper alinement with the respective holes or perforations 6 in the top 5, and then over the single roller 23, each cord or string 11 having its lower free end portion suitably secured,by means of fastenings 24 or other means, to or along the front edge of the said swinging plate 15. The cord or string 11, which is attached to the said head or king pin 9, after passing through the hole or perforation 6, upon which the said pin is placed, passes in close proximity to the said single roller 23, and its lower free end portion is also suitably secured, by means of a fastening 24 or other means, to the front edge of the swinging plate 15.

All the parts of the game apparatus or toy having been assembled in their operative relation with the ninepins 9 standing each upon a hole or perforation 6, let us now suppose that the pins have been struck down by a player by means of the usually-suspended ball 25 (shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings) and that one or all of the pins 9 have fallen, the said pins lying all over the top 5 or hanging down the sides of the base-or box 2. Now by placing the foot upon the foot-piece or rod 18 the same is forced into the dotted position, (indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings,) at the same time stretching the elastic band 21 or other connection, as shown. The downward movement of the said foot-piece or rod 18 causes the said swinging plate 15 to assume the position indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, or shown in the dotted outline in Fig. 3, whereby all the strings or cords 11 will be pulled taut and each string or cord will act upon the bottom of its fallen pin, and the said fallen pins will assume their vertical positions, fully set up upon the top 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings. As soon as the foot of the player is'again removed from the foot-piece or rod 18 the band 21 or its equivalent in assuming its normal initial position will immediately return the said swinging plate 15 to its normal initial position. (Indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.) The game apparatus is now again in condition for striking its erected or set-up pins by means of the said ball 25, as will be clearly evident. Of course it will be understood that the said actuating member or rod 18 can, if desired, be manipulated by hand just as well as by means of the foot; but since the game apparatus is usually placed upon the floor the setting-up mechanism has been designed to be actuated by the foot in erecting the fallen pin or pins, thus avoiding the stooping over or getting down upon the floor of the player every time the pins have to be reset.

From the foregoing description of our invention it will be seen that we have devised a simply and cheaply constructed game apparatus which affords great pleasure and amusement to both old and young and in which the pins can be quickly and readily reset without tiring the player.

We are aware that changes may be made in the arrangements and combinations of the devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, without departing from the scope of our present invention. Hence we do not limit our invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the devices and parts as described in the forego ing specification and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, nor do we confine ourselves to the exact details of the construction of the said parts.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a game apparatus, a hollow base provided with sides and a top, one of said sides being provided with a slot, a set of pins adapted to be set up upon said top, a swinging plate journaled within the said base, a,

means of connection between the said plate and each pin, and an actuating means connected with said plate and extending from the slot in the side of the base for actuating said swinging plate, and by means of said plate and the means of connection between the same and the pins setting up the fallen pins when said plate-actuating means is operated, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a game apparatus, a hollow base provided with sides and a top, one of said sides being provided with a slot, a set of pins adapted to be set up upon said top, a swinging plate journaled within the said base, a means of connection between the said plate .and each pin, a shank extending from the said swinging plate said shank being movable in said slot, and an actuating-rod on said shank for actuating the said swinging plate, and by means of said plate and the means of connection between the same and the pins setting up the fallen pins when said actuating-rod is operated, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a game apparatus, a hollow base provided with sides and a top, one of said sides being provided with a slot, and the said top being provided with a series of holes or perforations, a set of pins adapted to be set up upon said top, a swinging plate journaled near its rear edge within the said base, a series of rollers also journaled within said base, flexible cords or strings arranged over said rollers and extendingthrough the holes or perforations in said top, said cords or strings being secured to the front edge of said swinging plate and said pins, and an actuating means connected with said plate for actuating said plate, and by means of the said cords or strings setting up the fallen pins, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a game apparatus, a hollow base provided with sides and a top, one of said sides being provided with a'slot, and the said top being provided with a series ofholes or perforations, a set of pins adapted to be set up upon said top, a swinging plate journaled near its rear edge within the said base, a series of rollers also j ournaled within said base, flexible cords or strings arranged over said rollers and extending through the holes or perforations in said top, said cords or strings being secured to the front edge of said swinging plate and said pins, a shank extending from the said swinging plate said shank being movable in said slot, an actuating-rod on said shank for actuating said swinging plate, and by means of the said cords or strings setting up the fallen pins, and an elastic band between said plate-actuating rod and the side of the base, for returning said swinging plate to its normal initial position, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that we claim the invention set forth above we have hereunto set our hands this 13th day of March, 1905.

EVA BURRITT VINSON. BENJAMIN F. ROBINSON. Witnesses:

FREDK. C. FRAENTZEL, GEO. D. RICHARDS.

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