US2782037A - Surface projectile ball game - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 19, 1957 A G. ROVIRA 2,782,037

SURFACE PROJECTILE BALL GAME Filed April 15, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet i H- M I %/24/// INVENTOR. ALBERTD GRAU ow RP! Feb. 19, 1957 R WR 2,782,037 SURFACE IPROJECTILE BALL GAME 1 Filed April 15, 1953 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WA P INVENTbR. ALBERTO mu ROI/IRA BY United rates Patent SURFACE PROJECTILE BALL GAME Alberto Gran Rovira, Barcelona, Spain Application April 15, 1953, Serial No. 349,009 Claims priority,application Spain April 16, 1952 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-422 This invention relates to a parlour game and more particularly to a game of skill wherein balls are propelled along various channels provided on an'inclined table.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a game of skill wherein the score obtained depends solely upon the skill of the player.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a game of skill which is very simple and rigid in construction and which can be played by young and old alike. More particularly, the present invention relates to a game arrangement comprising means forming an inclined sinusoidal guide channel and an inclined straight guide channeheach having a higher and a lower end and having a bottom wall extending from one end thereof the other, a playing ball having a predetermined weight and adapted to be placed in the sinusoidal guide channel at the higher end thereof and rolled down within the same to the lower end thereof, means associated with the straight guide channel for propelling another playing ball having a predetermined weight from the lower end toward the higher end thereof, and a trapdoor located partly in the bottom wall of the sinusoidal guide channel and partly in the bottom wall of the straight guide channel, the trapdoor being openable in downward direction by a weight at least equal to the sum of the predetermined weights of both playing balls but remaining closed when exposed to a weight equal to the predetermined weight of one of the balls, whereby the trapdoor remains closed when only one of the balls is located thereon, and automatically opens when both the balls are located thereon, the balls in such event falling through the trapdoor means out of the channels.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate diagrammatically and by way of example, one embodiment thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the game;

Figure 2 is a plan view at the level of the lower drawer showing the means for recovering the balls; and

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view along one of the tracks or straight side runs of the game.

Referring now to the drawings, the structure comprises two boards land 2, superimposed and arranged in an inclined plane, the board 1 being formed with three cut outs or tracks 3, 4 and 5, the first two of which are straight and situated at either side of the board, while the central track 5 is formed as a zigzag. The board 2 is fixed to the underside of board 1 and closes the cut outs in board 1 to form tracks 35 therewith.

The balls 6 roll along the tracks or grooves 3, 4 and 5, those balls in tracks 3 and i being propelled upwardly by the propelling means, 7 which are actuated by lower springs 8 (Fig. 3), and those balls in track 5 roll downwardly due to the force of gravity. Means are provided for-intermittently feeding balls by gravity to the upper part of track 5. An example of one of these feeding means is to be seen in Fig. 1.

These feeding means comprise a number of inclined 2,782,037 Patented Feb. 19, 1957 toone end of the track it and opposite the entrance to the track 5. While in a balanced position lever 11 has an opposite end portion 12 projecting through an aperture in the track 3, so that the balls 6 to the right thereof are prevented from rolling down the track 8.

However, when a ball strikes the finger 13, the lever 11 is swung about the axis at, 14 so that element'l2 is lowered permitting a ball to roll down the track 8. In this way, each time a ball strikes the finger 13, a further ball is'released. v

In those portions of board 2 adjacent both the bends of the zigzag track 5 and sections of track 3 or 4, the board 2 has openings each of which communicates with track 5 andone of the tracks 3 and 4 and which are closed by traps or doors 15 which are generally held shut by the action of a counterweight 16 the weight'of which is greater than that of a single ball 6, but less than that of two balls so that the trap-doors 15 will only swing open when two balls meet simultaneously upon them.

The balls 6, upon passing through the openings in which the trap-doors 15 are located, drop into a lower inclined drawer 17 in which they are led along the respective pathways 18, 19 and 24 as well as i8, 19 and 2t) to the corresponding compartments 21 in the front, in accordance with their having fallen through the one or other of the openings; the compartmentsmay also be provided with numbers indicating the number of points won 'by'the players. 4

The balls which roll down the central track 5 without being dropped therefrom due to the coincidence with a ball on track 3 or 4 over a trapdoor drop into another compartment 22, which is not numbered for the reason that no score is obtained when balls enter compartment 22.

All the balls having fallen into the compartments 21 as well as 22, are held back therein till the end of the game by the partition 23 and upon lifting the latter it is possible to collect the balls which emerge through the opening 24 onto the projecting tray 25.

The mechanism functions in the following manner:

The balls 6, upon dropping intermittently from the tracks 89lil of the feeding means, roll down the central zigzag track 5. When the balls 6 begin to roll down the zigzag track, further balls are impelled by the impelling means 7 up the straight tracks 3 and 4, and are driven upward with the necessary skill so that they may coincide with a downwardly rolling ball on a common 7 trap 15; if they coincide there, the trap swings open and allows the two balls to drop into the lower drawer 17,

in which they slide along the corresponding groove (18,

19 or 2th, or else iii, 19' or 20) as far as the corresponding compartment 21 in the front where the points gained by each player are indicated in accordance with the figure inscribed on the drawer. One after the other the remaining balls are discharged, and at the end of the turn the points are added up. At the end of the game, the partition 23 is lifted, and the balls, sliding over the inclined plane, roll out through the opening 24 and are collected on the tray 25 so that the game may begin afresh. A pair of openings are provided on either side of opening 24 to provide passages for any balls which, by chance, are deflected towards the outer side edges of the drawer 17, after having fallen through the trapdoors, and which do not enter any of the grooves 18, 19, 2% or 18', i9, 26.

Some suitable means for marking the total amount of points gained are also provided. They may consist of 3 simple rolls or cylinders 26 hearing figures which play rotate the axles 28 upon turning the outer knurled knobs27.

It is to be understood that the tracks 3, 4 and 5 can also be formed by placing small partition walls on a single inclined board, provided with the corresponding openings and trapdoors 15, to provide the same contours as tracks 3, 4 and 5; they produce the same effect as the superimposition of two boards 1 and 2, the first of which is provided with cut outs.

It is also possible to replace the counterweights 16 with springs conveniently arranged and gauged for the required purpose.

I claim:

1. A game arrangement comprising, in combination, means forming two inclined guide channels, each having a higher and a lower end and having a bottom wall extending from one end thereof to the other; a playing ball having a predetermined weight and adapted to be placed into one of said guide channels at the higher end thereof so as to roll downward within the same to the lower end thereof; means at the lower end of the other of said guide channels for propelling another playing ball having a predetermined weight from said lower end toward said higher end thereof; and a trapdoor located partly in said bottom wall of one of said channels and partly in said bottom wall of the other of said channels, said trapdoor being openable in downward direction by a weight at least equal to the sum of the predetermined weights of both playing balls but remaining closed when exposed to a weight equal to the predetermined weight of one of said balls, whereby said trapdoor remains closed when only one of said balls is located thereon, and automatically opens when both said balls are located thereon, said balls in such event falling through said trapdoor means out of said channels.

2. A game arrangement comprising, in combination,

means forming an inclined sinusoidal guide channel and an inclined straight guide channel, each having a higher and a lower end and having a bottom wall extending from one end thereof to the other; a playing ball having a predetermined weight and adapted to be placed in said sinusoidal guide channel at the higher end thereof and rolled down within the same to the lower end thereof; means associated with said straight guide channel for propelling another playing ball having a predetermined weight from said lower end toward said higher end thereof; and a trapdoor located partly in said bottom wall of said sinusoidal guide channel and partly in said bottom wall of said straight guide channel, said trapdoor being openable in downward direction by a weight at least equal to the sum of the predetermined weights of both playing balls but remaining closed when exposed to a weight equal to the predetermined weight of one of said balls, whereby said trapdoor remains closed when only one of said balls is located thereon, and automatically opens when both said balls are located thereon, said balls in such event falling through said trapdoor means out of said channels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 165,154 Butler July 6, 1875 1,385,517 Blackburn July 26, 1921 1,538,449 Schulz May 19, 1925 2,236,536 Hilton Apr. 1, 1941 2,322,155 New June 15, 1943 2,651,520 Ragusin Sept. 8, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 407,366 Great Britain Mar. 8, 1934 841,982 France Feb. 20, 1939

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