US3176430A - Jumping figure and game - Google Patents

Description

April 6, 1965 J. w. RYAN JUMPING FIGURE AND GAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 28. 1962 INVENTOR. TIE/v W Bra/v JUMPING FIGURE AND GAME Filed May 28, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 45 v. do j 48 INVENTOR. :Ibmv PVT Em 3,176,430 JUMPING FIGURE AND GAME John W. Ryan, Bel-Air, Calif., assignor to Mattel, Inc.,

' Hawthorne, Calili, a corporation of California Filed May 28, 1962, Ser. No. 198,249 2 Claims. (Cl. 46-129) This invention relates to games of amusement and more especially to card games wherein certain of the plays are made during a limited time interval.

Many card games have been devised such that the principal plays are intended to be made during specific time intervals which are either uniform or fixed in duration or are determined upon the happening of a certain predictable or unpredictable event. Games of this general character usually afford high interest in the players, particularly if an award or prize is given to the winner or most skillful player. Timing devices of the clock type are, of course, well known and of a wide variety, however, the usual clock type timers are more complicated than are necessary for game purposes and usually too expensive to be included in a game apparatus which should usually be relatively inexpensive.

The present invention has been developed with these considerations in mind and provides an interesting and amusing card game timing device for determining the principal playing intervals that is intriguing in its structure and operation as well as appearance and adds an amusing aspect to the playing of the game. This timing device is in the caricatured form of an individual that is made to assume a crouching position which it maintains during the timing interval at the end of which time the figure leaps or jumps into the air a substantial distance. This is accomplished by a spring mounting of the head of the figure, the collapsed position being maintained by a pneumatic latch.

It is therefore the principal purpose and objective of this invention to provide a novel game of the amusement type incorporating improved timing means for determining the time intervals of the principal plays of the game.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and unique timing device for determining card game intervals, which device is in the form of a caricatured figure.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a timing device for a game as in the previous object wherein successive time intervals are unequal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a timer device for games as in the previous object wherein the several time intervals are unpredictable, thereby adding high interest in the playing of the game.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel timer device in the form of a grotesque figure that jumps into the air at the end of the timed period.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear and be brought out more fully in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a container for the game components showing the components therein.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevational view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a face view of several of the card elements of the game.

FIGURE 4 is an elevation view, partly broken away, of the timer element of the game.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the timer thereof in partially actuated condition.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 4.

1 United States Patent 0 3,176,430 Patented Apr. 6, 1965 FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 4.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along line 88 of FIG. 4.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view enlarged taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 7.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view enlarged taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 7.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the game of this invention is comprised of three parts, a set or deck of playing cards 10, a scoreboard 12 and a timer 14. A box like container 11 is provided for receiving and storing of these components and serving to support scoreboard 12 during play of the game. Playing cards 10 may be of any desired number such as 52, the conventional or standard deck, or a greater or less number may be used if more convenient or expedient. Each playing card 10 has numerical indicias 16 thereon, such as the numbers 5, 10 and so forth representing the playing value of each card and may have literal indicia 18 to indicate a grouping of a small number of the cards and may have graphical indicia 20 indicating the theme of the game. An odd card 22, similar to the joker card of a standard set, is provided and may bear graphical indicia 24 simulating that of the timer figure to be described more fully hereinafter.

Scoreboard 12 may be of any suitable form and construction, however, is shown as comprising a plate 26. Plate 26 has a U-shaped marginal flange 27 for seating on the upper edge of the wall of container 11. Plate 26 has a plurality of longitudinal slots 28. A two-part scoring scale 30-32 is provided adjacent each slot 28 and a pointer 34 is slidable along each slot to indicate the various points scored on the scales 30 and 32. Scale 30 runs forwardly or upwardly from 0 to 250 while scale 32 runs downwardly from 1 to 30, the zero point on both scales being coincident at the numeral 36. Scales 30 and 32 are preferably distinctively colored for ready reference with respect to the particular slot 28 with which each pointer 34 thereof is associated.

Timer 14 comprises a base 40 in the form of a plate or disc, a handle or actuating member 42 and a plurality of bow springs 44 disposed in a circular array, the end portions 45 of which are respectively bent inwardly and secured to the base 40, by being inserted in recesses therein having pin formations 41 which extend through apertures 43 in the spring ends 45. The springs 44 are secured together at their upper ends and to handle member 42 in any suitable manner, however, in the present form of the invention, there are actually only two spring elements which are bent in the form shown in FIG. 4 and cross at the mid-points thereof as shown in FIG. 6 and suitably secured to the underside of actuating and handle member 42 which is shown as being generally cylindrical. A pneumatic latch device 46 in the form of a suction cup is secured to the underside of actuating member 42. A fabric cover 48 is provided for the spring array 44 and may simulate a cape, cloak, or garment or a balloon-like configuration if desired.

Base 40 has a depending flange 47 and a plurality of bosses 4 extend radially inwardly therefrom and are spaced circumferentially at A locking disc 50 is receivable within flange 47 and has a plurality of marginal notches 51 spaced at 90 circumferentially. Cover 48 preferably overlies springs 44 and is secured between them and actuating and handle member 42. The lower portion of the cover 48 is suitably dimensioned to be received in or within flange 47 and is held by disc 50 which is positioned by first aligning notches 51 thereof with bosses 49 and thereafter turning the disc so that the full diameter thereof is above these bosses. Handle and actuating member 42 may have a flange 52 for facilityin manipulating if desired.

In the operation of the timer the actuating memberAZ is pushed downwardly andthe, suction cup '46 pressedron the base 40' where it will be held (for 'a period 'off'time which in the usual case may vary from a few seconds to, approximately, one half a minute. Upon release of the suction cup the energy of the bow springs 44Vwill,be transmitted to'the head and actuating member 42f'and the figure will be propelledby a simulated jumping action into the air. e

' handle and actuating member,

I a collapsible body formed of'a'plurality of outwardly bowed bow spring elements interconnecting said membersiandiyieldably retaining said members inspaced relation, a suctioncup diaphragm on one of said members engageable. withthe other member,

said bow springelementshavingends connected to said base menibe'ran'd opposite-ends,connected'to said actuating member,. and a body o'fiflexible sheet material j secured to 'saidmembers and enclosing said bow spring The game is played in the following manner:- The playing cards 10 including the odd card 22, arexshuffied and dealt to all of the players. in equalnumbers'. The timer 14 is then set in the manner previously; explained" and,

during the timer interval, each player passes to thelnext adjacent player,either to the right or to the left, as may be agreed upon, arpreviously determined number of cards is credited with the number'of points equal to the value 'elementsrand said suction cup whereby to define a generally bulbous body when said members are in said spaced relation.

v 2'. A jumping figure toyjcompris'ing'a 'flatcircular disc 'base plate, a plurality of bow springs extending upwardly ina circular array'thereon, a figure head and actuating,

membermountedon the, upper end of said springs, a suction cup diaphragm on said-actuatingmeinber facing said base plate, a depending flange "on said base plate, a

ofthe cards in his hand at that timerand the amount indi- V cated on the, scoreboard using the sliding pointers 39. The player who at that moment has inrhis hand the odd card 22 suffers a loss "equal to a predetermined number of points, such as 30, 'The game is ended after an agreed or I predeterminedrnumber of plays have been made;

It will be understood that the foregoing description. is

illustrative rather than restrictive of theinvention and that changes and modifications may be made within the purview and scope'of. the subjoined claims. I What is claimed is: r f 1, t 5 f 1. A 'jumpingfigure toy comprising a base member, a

plurality o'f bosses extending radiallyinwardly on said flange, a locking disc received within said flange and maintained in position above saidbosses, said locking disc including notches mating with said bosses for mounting said disc over said bosses, andaflexible shroud cover envelope positioned over and in contact withsaid bow springs, the

upper portion of said cover being secured between said springs andsaid actuating member, and the lower portion of said coverbeing secured between said'flange and said locking disc. a 1

References Cited'in the file-of'this patent 7' UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,968,121 Pe arson et'al. Ian. 17, 1961 3,036,834 Zalkind May 29, 1962 7 OTHER REFERENCES 7 Playthings, vol 56, No. 3, March 1958, p. 308.

Claims (1)

1. A JUMPING FIGURE TOY COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER, A HANDLE AND ACTUATING MEMBER, A COLLAPSIBLE BODY FORMED OF A PLURALITY OF OUTWARDLY BOWED BOW SPRING ELEMENTS INTERCONNECTING SAID MEMBERS AND YIELDABLY RETAINING SAID MEMBERS IN SPACED RELATION, A SUCTION CUP DIAPHRAGM ON ONE OF SAID MEMBERS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OTHER MEMBER, SAID BOW SPRING ELEMENTS HAVING ENDS CONNECTED TO SAID BASE MEMBER AND OPPOSITE ENDS CONNECTED TO SAID ACTUATING MEMBER, AND A BODY OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL SECURED TO SAID MEMBERS AND ENCLOSING SAID BOW SPRING ELEMENTS AND SAID SUCTION CUP WHEREBY TO DEFINE A GENERALLY BULBOUS BODY WHEN SAID MEMBERS ARE IN SAID SPACED RELATION.

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