US994671A - Game apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

G. GRENZEBACH.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 26, 1910.

Patented June 6, 1911.

CHARLES GBENZEBACH, OF BIRMINGHAM, OHIO.

GAME APPARATUS.

cancer.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 26, 1910.

' Patented June 6, 1911.

Serial No. 563,521.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES GRENZEBAOH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus; and I do 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.

This invention relates to improvements in game apparatus.

The object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus the playing of which will afl'ord an interesting pastime and a beneficial exercise.

WVith this and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a side view of a game apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 1s a rear view of the tally board of the appara tus; and, Fig. 4t is a cross sectional v1ew on the line M of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a track wire 1 which is stretched tightly between and secured at its opposite ends to supporting posts 2 and 3. Adapted to travel on the track wire 1 is a carriage t in which are arranged pairs of groove rollers 5 which engage the upper and lower sides of the track wire and hold the carriage in place thereon. Formed on or rigidly secured to the carriage 4 is a ball or similar projectile 6. The ball 6 is arranged on the upper side of the carriage and is held thereby a suitable distance above the track wire. In order to hold the ball up in position or to prevent the carriage from turning on the trackwire I provide a counter balancing weight 7 which is provided with pairs of track engaging wheels 8 and has its heaviest portion suspended below the wire.

In operation the adjacent end of the carriage 4 is adapted to fit into the adjacent end of the hollow portion of the weight whereby said carriage is balanced and caused to maintain an upright or operative position on the track wire. Adjacent to the post 2 of the track wire and supported upon a suitable standard 9 through which the wire passes is a tallyboard 10 having on its front face a scale of numbers with which is adapted to register a pointer or indicating finger 11 fixed on the adjacent end of a short stud shaft 12 revolubly mounted in the center of the tallyboard as shown. The shaft 12 projects through the board and has fixedly mounted on its rear side a double pulley 13 around one portion of which is adapted to be wound a weight supporting cord 14 having connected thereto a weight 15. Adapted to be wound on the other portion of the pulley 13 is a pointer operating cable 15 which passes downwardly and around a guide pulley 16 revolubly mounted in the opening in the standard 9. After passing around the pulley 16 the cable 15 is connected to one end of a coiled spring 17 to the opposite end of which is connected 2. cable 18.

The oppositeend of the cable 18 is connected to a pointer operating block 19 which is slidably mounted in a grooved track 20 supported on suitable standards 21 beneath the track wire 1. The block 19 is provided with guide rollers 22 which engage the groove in the track 20 and slidably connect the block therewith. The block 19 is provided on its upper end with a separate wire engaging section 23 having a slot 24: through which the wire 1 passes. The upper section 23 is hingedly connected to the lower section of the block and is adapt-ed to swing clownwardly thereon in one direction for a purpose hereinafter described. The upper sec tion 23 after being swung down is restored to its normal position by a suitable spring 25 connected thereto in any suitable manner.

On one side of the groove track 20 is arranged a series of rack teeth 26 with which is adapted to be engaged a pivoted pawl 27 carried by the block 19 whereby when said block is forced back against the tension of the spring 17 the pawl will catch in the teeth 26 and hold the block in the position to which it has been forced.

Arranged on a suit-able supporting standard 28 adjacent to the post 3 and at the opposite end of the wire from the tally board is a bow spring 29 the ends of which are connected by a carriage operating cord 30 which when the spring 29 is drawn back to an operative position is adapted to be engaged with a suitable catch 31 arranged on an arm 32 pivoted to the post 3 as shown.

The spring 29 is provided to return the carriage 4 and weight 7 to their normal positions after being forced to this end of the track wire.

It will be understood that the standards 3, 28, and 21 are located adjacent each other as shown in Fig. 1, but at a considerable distance from the standard 9 carrying the tally board 10, so that when the ball 6 is struck, it will cause the carriage 4 to move along the track 1 until said carriage engages and actuates the block 19 and shifts it along the track or support 20.

In using the invention the operator or one who plays the machine stands adjacent the tally board 10 and strikes the ball 6 with a bat or similar club while the attendant of the machine stands adjacent-to the track 20. The ball is now struck by a bat or suitable club and is thus forced back along the track wire and into engagement with the projecting upper end of the pointer operating block 19 thereby forcing said block back on the track 20 to a distance corresponding to the force of the blow with which the ball is struck. The block when thus forced back will be held in this position by engagement of the pawl 27 with the rack teeth 26. The rearward movement of the block 19 will cause the cables 18 and 19 to turn the wheel 13 thus winding up the cable 14: and raising the weight 15. This movement of the block 19 also stretches the spring 17 which ofiers a resistance to the movement of the block. After the parts have thus been operated the attendant adjacent the track 20 lifts the wire out of engagement with the slot 2 1 in the upper section 28 of the block and the carriage 1 and weight 7 moved back into position to be engaged by the cord 30 of the bow spring. The action of the spring 29 when the cord is released will force the carriage 4L and weight 7 back to their normal positions. In thus being forced back over the track wire the hinged upper section 23 of the block 19 will be swung downwardly when engaged by the weight and carriage thereby permitting these parts to freely pass by the block in their return movement. The distance to which the pulley 13 is moved by the cable 15 will be indicated on the tally board by the pointer 11 thus registering the force of the blow struck.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a game apparatus, a projectile supporting track, a projectile supporting carriage adapted to travel on said track, a projectile secured in said carriage, a balancing weight also slidably mounted on said track to hold said projectile in posit-ion to be struck, a tally board, an indicating finger to coact therewith whereby the force of the blow with which said projectile is struck is indicated on said tally board, a pointer actuating block adapted to be operated by the movement of said projectile supporting carriage when forced over said track, means to hold said block in the position to which it has been forced by said carriage and means to return the carriage and its counter balancing weight to their normal positions.

2. In a game apparatus, a track wire, a projectile supporting carriage adapted to travel on said wire, a projectile arranged in said carriage, a weight to hold said parts in operative position, a tally board, a pointer revolubly mounted thereon, an operating pulley connected with said pointer, a weight connected with said pulley adapted to be raised thereby, an operating cable also connected with the pulley, a spring connected to said cable, a pointer operating block connected to said spring and adapted to be actuated by the movement of said projectile carriage and means to restore said carriage to its normal position after actuating said block.

3. In a game apparatus, a track wire, a proj ectile supporting carriage slidably mounted on said wire and adapted to be forced over the same by the striking of said ball, a tally or blow recording mechanism adapted to record the force of the blow with which said projectile is struck, a tally operating block adapted to be actuated by the movement of said projectile carriage, a track to slidably support said block in position, a series of rack teeth arranged on said track, a pawl carried by said block and adapted to engage said teeth whereby the block is held in the position to which it has been forced by said projectile carriage and means to restore said carriage to its normal position.

4:. In a game apparatus, a track wire, a projectile supporting carriage slidably mounted on said'wire and adapted to be forced across the same, a tally operating block having a hinged upper section adapted to engage said track wire whereby when said projectile carriage is forced over the latter said block will be actuated by the movement of the carriage, a guide track to slidably support said block in operative position, a pawl, a rack holding mechanism adapted to secure the block in the position to which it is forced by said carriage, a bow spring arranged at the opposite end of the track wire from said tally and a catch to hold said spring in an opera tive position to receive the carriage when brought to this end of the track wire Whereby said carriage may be returned to its normal position.

5. In a game apparatus, a straight track, a projectile to move along said track and adapted to be struck, a support adjacent said track, a slide block on said support adapted to be actuated by said projectile, a tally, a connection between said tally and said block, and means for retaining said block in the position to which it is actuated when struck by said projectile.

6. In a game apparatus, a straight track, a projectile to travel along the track and adapted to be struck, a tally at one end of said track,'means at the other end of the track for returning the projectile, a support adjacent to the track and the last mentioned means, a slide block arranged on said support, a spring pressed pivotally mounted section in said slide block adapted to co-act with said projectile, an operative connection between said block and said tally, and means for retaining said block in the position to which it is actuated when struck by said projectile.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES GRENZEBACI-I. Witnesses:

MARY GRENZEBAOH, ELIZABETH J. FELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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