US834665A - Game apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

' PATENTED` OCT. 30, 19,06.

E. PAHL. GAME APPARATUS. Annunci num JULY ze. 1905.

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GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

ippiiaaon sied July 26,1905. serai No. 271.348.

`To a/ZZ whom it may concern,-

' Be it known that I, EUGENE FAHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, 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, formingpart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational'view of my improved game apparatus, part of the ballrunway being omitted. Fig, 2 is a plan view of said apparatus. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the rear end of the apparatus, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in game apparatus of a character similar to cocked hat and tenpins, and is as an improvement upon the apparatus shown and described in United States Letters granted to me April 11, 1905.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as will be hereinafter described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the-drawings there is a platform 1, upon which the bowler stands to deliver the ball onto a runway 2. Suspended above this runway by a suitable framework is a curtain 3, having marks or pointers 4 arranged thereon, either by painting ory in some suitable manner, to provide an objective point for the delivered ball. Passing under this curtain, the pointers 4 serving as a guide for the bowler, the ball, delivered with sufficient force, passes onto a curved runway composed of a series of vertically-disposed slats 5, sufliciently far apart to receive the ball and guide it vertically, upwardly, and forwardly.

framework, as shown at Fig. 3. A cushion Patent No. 787,161,

The front edges'of these slats are preferably beveled, as shown in Fig. 4.

12 receives the struck or knocked-down pins. If a ball rolls off either side of the alley and is received in the curved guideways a at the sides, a bail will be operated; but the side bails are not provided with upward extensions, and consequently a pin will not be knocked down. If a ball is received in either of the curved guideways b, the bail struck will knock down either of the side pins. If a ball enters either of the curved guideways c, the ball will strike two bails and knock down two pins on either side. If a ball enters either of the curved guideways d, the Vsecond pin on either side will be knocked down. a ball enters either of the curved guideways e, the center and next adjacent pin on either side will be knocked down. If a ball enters the middle guidewayf, it will strike an indeendently-mounted bail 13, hinged to the rame, and knock down all of the pins.` y This bail 13 on each side of its center has crank extensions 14, which are designed to engage the bails in line with the side pins, so that in addition to the center the side pins are also knocked down whenever a ball is delivered accurately so asto run up the central curved guidewayf.

The above construction lends some zest to the game, as it requiresconsiderable skill for the bowler to deliver the ball accurately so that it will reach the central curved guideway.l It is designed that the bowler shall throwy three balls, the game being counted the same as tenpins, except that the number of pins which the bail may knock down being iive instead of ten, the value of a strike or spare being cut in half. It is therefore possible by observing the rules governing the game of tenpins to make one hundred and fifty points.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be observed that as the ball issues from the upper forward end of the curved guideways it will strike the bails 6 or 6 and 13, as the case may be, and the ball is then received into an open-ended box 15, whose bottom is covered with leather, felt, or some other sound-deadening material 16. The front wall ofthe box is also provided with a cushion 17, and a cushion 18 is arranged along the box. The direction of rotation imparted to the ball in its travel along the alley and the upper rear edge of' IOO ICS

the curved `guideways is indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, and consequently when the ball is received on the cushion 16 the direciro tion of rotation of the ball is counter to its momentum, and unless the ball is delivered with considerable force this counter rotation is sucient to overcome the momentum, and consequently the ball will not strike the cushion 1'7, but will be arrested on the cushion 16 and moved rearwardly down the incline provided by said cushion. Cushion 16 terminates in a laterally-inclined runway 19, which extends to the side of the frame and delivers the ball onto an inclined return-way 20, preferably located at the side of the alley. At the forward end of the alley this runway is provided with an upwardly-inclined track ending in a stall for the balls, placing them within convenient reach of the operator.

To avoid the necessity of an attendant at the rear end of the alley to set up the pins when they are knocked down, I arrange a lever 22 at the forward end of the alley, which lever is connected to a chain or cable 23, extending along the bottom of the horizontal portion of the return-runway 20 and thence upwardly at the rear end of the alley and forwardly, where it is connected to the arm 24, which arm is part of a restoring-bail 25, pivotally mounted on the framework at the rear end of the a paratus. This bail 25 is arranged so as to e under the pins when they are knocked down, as shown in Fig. 3, and when the lever is pulled forwardly this bail is lifted and restores the pins to vertical position. The spring 26 returns the bail to its lowered position and also restores the lever 22 to its normal position.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

In a game apparatus, the combination of a runway or alley, of a curved runway at the rear end of said alley, a bail suspended so as to hang in front of the upper extremity of said curved runway, and a hinged pin with which said bail coperates,- substantially as described.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination with a runway or alley having an upwardlyextending reiiex-curved ortion at its rear end, a plurality of strikers suspended in front of the terminus of said curved ortion, and a plurality of hinged pins witli) which said strikers coperate; substantially as described.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of a runway or alley having an upwardly-extending reflex-curved portion at its rear end,

a plurality of strikers suspended in front of the terminus of said curved portion, whereby a ball may operate one or more of said suspended in iront strikers, and a lurality of hinged pins with which said stri Kers coperate, substantially as described.

4. In a gaine apparatus, the combination with a runway or alley having an upwardlyextending reflex-curved portion at its rear end, a set of hinged pins, and means whereby all the pins of said set may be knocked down simultaneously by a ball issuing from said curved portion, substantially as described.

5. In a gaine apparatus, the combination with a runway or alley having an upwardlyextending reflex-curved portion at its reai end, a plurality of hinged pins, and means whereby all of said hinged pins may he knocked down by a ball issuing from said curved portion; substantially as described.

6. In a game apparatus, the combination with a runway or alley having an upwardlyextending reflex-curved portion at its rear end, a series of bails,' 6 suspended in front of the terminus of said curved portion, said bails having upward extensions, a series of hinged pins which are engaged by the upward extensions of said bails, and a bail 13 having lateral extensions whereby when said bail 13 is operated all of the bails 6 will be operated; substantially as described.

In a game apparatus, the combination with a runway or alley having an upwardlyextending reflex-curved portion composed. of vertically-arranged spaced slats, bails of the upper ends of said slats, and hinged pins with which said bails coperate; substantially as described.

S. In a game apparatus, the combination with a runway or alley having a horizontal portion, of an upwardlyextending reiiexcurved portion, said curved portion consisting of vertically-arranged spaced slats having beveled edges, whereby the ball is forced to travel in a straight line after entering the curved portion, and guiding-inarks arranged in front of said curved portion; substantially as described.

9. In a game apparatus, the combination of a runway or alley having a horizontal poi'- tion, an upwardly-extending reflex-curved portion at the rear end thereof, said curved portion being composed of vertically-arranged spaced slats, and a curtain arranged in front of said slats and under which the ball passes, said curtain being provided with objective marks; substantially as described.

10. In a game apparatus, the combination of a runway or alley having an upwardly-extending reiiex-curved portion at its reai end, and a receiving-box having an inclined cushioning bottom wall and a pad on its front wall, and an exit-runway from said box substantially as described.

11. In a game apparatus, the combination of a runway or alley having an upwardly-cxtending reflex-curved portion at its rear end, a receiving-box having an inclined laterally- IIO extending exit-channel, the bottom Wall of said receiving-box being inclined to deliver the ball in said channel, and a. ripping-surface on said bottom Wall whereby the coun- .ter rotation of the ball is utilized to prevent momentum carrying the ball against the for- Ward Wall of the box; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses, ro this 20th dey of July, 1905. y

EUGENE FAHL.

Witnesses:

F. R. CORNWALL, W. N. MATTHEWS.

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