US2424016A - Game piece projector - Google Patents

Description

y 1947- H. P. BOTI 'S GAME PIECE PROJECTOR Filed Jan. 13, 1944 INVENTOR #06 5077'5 ATTORNEY Patented July 15, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- GAME PIECE PROJECTOR Hugh P. Botts, New York, N. Y., assignor of onehalf to Lawrence G. Botts, New York, N. Y.

Application January 13, 1944, Serial No. 518,186

Claims.

This invention relates to game devices. More particularly, the invention relates to games composed of collapsibly related members forming a backing and playing field with a game piece ad- J'ustable for executing different plays in the game, and freely movable over the game board. Further, the invention relates to a game adapted to similate'the game of basketball, but which may be used for any other purpose. The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed, and in which the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a game made according to my invention, showing the same in set-up position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device as shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken through the basket and the movable game piece.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the movable game piece shown in Figs. 1 and 2, detached.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and also illustrating in dot and dash lines difierent positions of the game piece.

Fig. 5 is a plan View showing another form of lever which I employ in projecting round ball like game pieces.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one form of game piece; and

Fig. 7 is a detail view of another form of game piece.

While my improved game may be constructed of any desired material, depending largely upon the selling price of the resulting game, for purposes of illustration, I have shown in the accompanying drawing a Very simple and economical method of constructing the game from sheets and strips of cardboad, fiber board and the like. At this time, it is also well to point out that all of the cards are collapsibly related, so that the complete game may be sold in a compact package.

In the construction shown, the game is made up of a board I0, divided into two playing field sections II and I2, hingedly coupled, as seen at I3. Hinged to one edge of the field l2, as at M, is a back wall or perpendicular playing surface l5 to the upper edge of which is hinged, as seen at [6 a supplemental back wall member or easel H. The walls l5 and I! are coupled by a flexible strap l8, which limits the spread of these walls while at the same time, provides flat collapsing 2 of the walls IT on the walls l5. The various sections I, l2, l5 and I! are all substantially of the same size, thus simplifying the construction and also the packing and shipment thereof.

The playing field formed by the sections I I and I2 will constitute one end only of a complete field, and if desired, two of these field units can be employed in playing a game although one field is all that is necessary.

The field I has a center marking as at I9 to designate the center starting point of playing the game, whereas the field l2 has a foul line marking 20, from which foul shots, as in the game of basketball, can be played. Other suitable markings may be disposed on the fields II and I2 for playing various shots in laying out a set of rules for playing a game of basketball or any other game that might be desirable.

The markings on the playing field will govern the location of the movable game piece 2|, or this member might better be termed a game piece projector. The projector comprises two narrow strips 22 and 23 hingedly coupled at their upper edges, as seen at 24. The strips 22, 23 have centrally thereof an opening through the upper edges 25 and 26 respectively. The aperture 25 is deeper or longer than the aperture 26, for purposes later described. These apertures may also be termed notches.

An elongated tapered lever 21 is employed in conjunction with the projector 2|, and constitutes part thereof. The taper on the lever provides a wide end 28 and a narrower end portion 29. Secured to the end portion 29 is a cross bar 30, preferably notched, as seen at 3|, so that a disc type game piece 32 can be placed on the end portion 29 and centralized on the bar 30 by the notch 3|.

The game piece 32 may be composed of any suitable material, and on very economical games, it may constitute a colored disc of cardboard or fiber board. In other cases, it may similate a disc such as used in the game of Tiddly-Winks, or may be composed of plastic material. A number of these discs may be employed in different colors to denote different teams. Further, discs of one color may have a series of numbers to designate the difierent players on a team. The same would be true of ball or spherical game pieces, such as indicated at 33 in Fig. '7 of the drawing, and which are used in conjunction with the pro- J'ector levers 34, such as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The primary difierence in the lever 34 being that the end portion 35 thereof, corresponding to the end portion 29 is enlarged, and

3 has a circular aperture 36 therein, forming a seat for the spherical member 33, a part of which is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The end portion 35 also includes a cross bar 31, similar to the cross bar 30 so that a disc type game piece, such as 32 can also be used in conjunction with the lever 34. The end portion 35 also includes a projecting finger piece 38, by means of which the lever can be snappedinthe hand operation ,thereof, as later described, 3

By reason of the taper provided in the levers 21- 34, the wide end portions of these levers will fit snugly between opposed walls of theap t r 25, whereas the contracted end portion fitting and operating in the aperture .23 will be free to swing or move vertically in this aperture. the frictional engagement between the end portion 28 and the walls of the aperture 25 forms a pivot mounting of the lever in connection with the member or projector 2 I.

In playing the game, the walls 22- 23 are moved toward and from each other in the manner indicatedin-full and dotand dash lines in Fig 4 of the drawing in order to change the distance between the pivot of the lever andtheengagementofthelever with the base of the aperture 25 in the wall 23, and also to change the angu- Iarity of the lever. In this way, the movement of the projectile or game piece 32-33 with respect to a basket 39 will be controlled.

The basket is in the form of a small piecevof cardboard "or other material having a large aperture 40 therein, largeenough to permit free passage of the projectile 32, 3,3 therethrough. In this connection, the illustrations of the projectile or ?mepiece in 'Fig. 6 or '7 are very much enlarged. The basketfifi 'isvhinged to the wall 45, as seen at 4 I, so as to fold 'fiatly thereon. Hinged to the sides of the basket '39 are triangular braces orsupports 42 so fashioned as to support the basket inhorizontalposition in the slightly inclined support of the wall [l5 and also foldable flatly uponthe wall [5 together with the basket 3,9. If desired, meanscan be employed to retain the braces or supports. in definite position on the .wal l5- It will here be understood that the use of the basketis to. demonstrate one adaptation and use of the invention. A number of these devices could be employed on theback wall, and couldbe given different values, or the back wall may be. characterizedih any desired manner for the reception of the projected game pieces. I-Iere also it will be under'stood that the shape and form of the game pieces may be modifiedv to suit the, particue lar gamebeing played.

In playing the game, themember or projector 2| is freely movable by hand over the playing field into different positions The two wall parts 22-13 will be supported between the fingers of one hand and adjusted to the desired inclinations to each other, after which the garnepiece or projectile is-arranged on the, end 29 of the lever, and thi-slever is -depressed by the other hand to the degree required to throw or advance-thegame piece in theidirection of the board orwall 15, to either pass through the basket. opening. 40, or to accomplish any other desired resultsin playing thegame. e

1 in constructing a very large field, the advancement of the'projectile simply constitutes a. positioning of the member 2| .in making the next move; ingfield may have markings thereon designatiug whatplayer or teamwould make the next Thus In this respect, thegame board .or playv i ula 51 03 shot, by reason of the location of the game piece on that particular section of the field. This would particularly be the case with the disc type projectile or game piece as shown at 32. However, in using the ball type projectors, suitable sockets could be provided in the playing field for retarding the movement of the ball.

It will be understood that the lever 21-34 is readily detachable fromthe member 2!, particularly in the packing and shipment of the game. Further, levers of different lengths can be employed with one game in order to produce different playing shots, and the player may choose the lever of the desired size in performing any par- On the other hand, a number of members -21 could be employed with the levers attached thereto.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A game piece projector comprising two relatively movable parts, said parts having registerin; apertures, the aperture of one part being longer than the aperture in the other part, a taperedlever arranged in the apertures to said parts, the flared .end of the lever having a frictional engagement with the opposed walls of the aperture in the first mentioned part, the lever being freely movable in the shorter aperture of the second part and projecting therefrom to form an operating end, and means on said operating end for supporting a game piece thereon] 2. Agame piece projector comprising two relatively movable parts, said parts having registering apertures, the aperture ofone .part being longer than the aperture in the other part, a tapered lever arranged in the apertures'to said parts, the flared end of the lever having a frictional engagement with the opposed walls of vthe aperture in the first mentioned part, the lever being freely movable in the shorter aperture of the second part andprojecting therefrom to form an operating end, means on said operating end for supporting a game piece thereon, and said last named means comprising a socket.

3. A ame piece projector comprisin two relatively movable parts, fsaid parts having registerihg apertures, the aperture 'of one part being longer than. the aperture in the other part a tapered lever arranged in the apertures "to said parts, the flared end of the lever having a frictional engagement with the opposed walls of the aperture in the first mentioned part,, the lever being freely movable in the shorter aperture of the second part and projecting therefrom to form an operating end, means on said operating end for supporting a game piece thereon, and said last named means comprising a socket and a notched cross bar.

4. A game piece projector comprisin two relatively movable parts, said parts having registering apertures, theaperture of one part being longer thanthe aperture in the other part, a tapered .lever arranged inthe apertures to said parts, the flared end of the lever having a frictional engagement with the opposed walls of the aperture in the first mentioned part, the lever being freely movable inthe shorter aperture of the second part and projecting therefrom to form an operating end, means on said operating end for supporting a game piece thereon, and said last a ed ea compr sin a n h Cross bar.

6 j'ector comprising two substantially similar hingedly coupled parts movable into different an- REFERENCES CITED gular positions with respect to each other, 1- The following references are of record in the jacent portions of said. parts having registering file of this patent: openings a lever arranged in said openings and 5 Pm having a pivotal engagement with one part and UNIM'D STATES ATENTS a variable bearing on the other part depending Number Name Date upon relative adjustment of the parts in chang- 460,717 Fisk Oct. 6, 1891 ing angular position of the lever with respect to 2,114,777 Englerth Apr. 19, 1938 said parts, and means on the free end portion of 10 2,203,990 Heymer June 11, 1940 the lever for supporting a game piece thereon. 1,563,908 Krause Dec. 1, 1925 HUGH P. BOTTS.

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