US1280630A - Game-exhibiting device. - Google Patents

Description

W. G. ASHLEY.

GAME EXHIBITING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.5, 1917. RENEWED AUG. 1s, 1.918.

Patented Oqt. 8,1918.

(Mommy Lesa-e30.

, WED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. ASHLEY, on NEW snnronn; MASSACHUSETTS, nssrsnon 'ro STANDARD.

7. BALL PLAYER CORPORATION, OF NEW BEDFORI), MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION I 0 F MASSACHUSETTS.

GAME-EXHIBITING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 5,; 1917, Serial No. 205,592. Renewed August 16, 1918 Serial No. 250,236.

To all whom it may concern: a

'Be it known that I, WILLLAM G. Asrrnnr, a citizen of the United States, and residing atfNew Bedford, Bristol county, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Game-Exhabm Devices, of which the following is a Specification. a r

The present invention relatesto improvements' in apparatus for exhibiting the.

progress of games played with a bat and ball and is particularly an improvement upon the apparatus illustrated and descr bed in my prior Patent, No. 1,216,261, dated February 20, 1917.

The object of'the improvements is to provide. the apparatus of Said earlier patent with means for visually indicatlng the actions of a batsman in striking at or hitting a ball, whereby the progress of abase ball game, for example, may be more completely 1 represented. v

' In the accompanylng drawing:

Figure 1 is a face View of an exhibition apparatus embodying the I Fig. 2 is a rear view;

invention;-

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale, showing severalof the parts in a difierent position;

Figs. 4, '5 and 6 are detail views. Referring to the drawingit *will be seen that" the apparatus like thatof the patent referred to comprises a structure including a sheet-metal member 10 on both faces of which are suitable representations of a base 'bal'lfield, said'mem being arranged tween racks A, B, for cards or plates bearing the n'amesof players and other information concerning the game to be represented.

All of these parts are mounted in a Suitable frame 11. j

An electromagnet 12 is supported in rear of the plate 10, from a pin or stud 13, by a collapsible arm 14 or other Suitable means permitting free movement of the magnet over the surface of the member '10, and the weight of the magnet is counterbalanced by weights 20, 21, which are connected by cables 15, 16 with a pin 17, said cables being guided over suitable pulleys 18, 19.

. Current is] supplied to the magnet 12 through a conductor that extends over suitl'able pulleys 25, 26 and 27, .a Weight 28 beingconnected therewith between the pulleys- 26, 27to maintain the conductor properly taut at all times. r

A ball 22 of ma netic materialis adapted to travel over t e representation of the game field on thefront face of'the inember 10 in accordance with movements of the magnet 12 and a trough 23 is provided to receive .the ball when theunag'net is deenergized.

Patented Oct. '8, 1918. I

* A,miniatu re bat '30. is supporited on one 35. When the solenoid is energized the shaft 31 will be rocked to cause the bat 20 to swing over the home plate in a manj ner simulating the acutal movement of a batsman in striking at or hitting the ball. A stop 36 is provided to limit the swinging movement'ofi the batand the weightof the latter is sufficient to restore the parts to normal position when the solenoid is deenergized. i

' The solenoid 35 is included in a circuit with a'battery 40 which is adapted to be closed automatically by the action of a button or contact actuator 41 on the cable 16 by which one of the counter weights, 21, for

the electromagnet 12 is supported.

One of the line wires from the battery 40 is divided into two sections adapted to be connected by manipulation of a manual switch 42 and the terminal of said wire is electrically connected with a contact 43 pivotally supported on a bracket extending rearward from the board.

The other line of the circuitcomprises a wire 44 connecting the battery with the solenoid and a wire 45 leading from the solenoid to a. contact member 46 in the path of the pivotally mounted contact 43.

As shown particularly in Fig. 5 the contact 43 is provided. with a relatively fiat section that is normally held substantially parallel to the contact 46, but slightly separated therefrom, by the action of a spring 43 and is provided with a laterally extending arm 40 'to the free end of whiclris pivoted a finger 43 that extends into the path of the actuator 41. Therefore as the electromagnet 12 is moved to cause the ball 22 to travel from the pitchers position to the batsmans position the actuator 41 will engage the finger 43 and turn the contact 43 about its axis into contact with the contact 46 thus closing the circuit and energizing the solenoid if the switch 42 has been previously closed. The parts are so positioned that the movement of the magnet 12 to carry the ball from the pitchers position to the catchers position will shift the actuator above the finger 43. As soon as the actuator passes from engagement with the contact 43 the latter will be returned to its normal position by the spring 43*, breaking the circuit through the solenoid and permitt ng the bat to automatically'return to the position shown in Fig. 1. As the actuator is lowered by movement of the electro-magnet 12 away from the batters position it will again strike the finger 43 which will swing about its pivot on the arm 40 without affecting the position of the contact member 43.

It will be understood that if the play to be illustrated is to include a strike, or a hitting of the ball by the batsman, the operator will adjust the manual switch 42 prior to shifting the electro-magnet to carry the ball from the pitchers to the batsmans position and will open said switch after said play has been completed. When the play does not involvea strike or a hit-' ting of the ball by the batsmanthe switch 42 is left in open position andthe shifting of the contact 43 against the contact 46 does not therefore energize the solenoid and produce any movement of the bat 30.

The operation of the apparatus will, it is, thought, be clear from the drawings and the foregoing description.

While one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail it will be evident that the invention is not limited to the exact construction shown.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to beobtained by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for exhibiting the progress of a game played with a ball and bat, the combination with an exhibition board having on one face a representation of a game field, a miniature bat pivotally mounted on the board at the batsmans position on said representation, a ball movable over the representation of the game field on the board, means for moving the ball, and means for turning the bat on its 'pivot to indicate the act of the batsman in striking at or hitting a ball.

for turning the bat on its pivot, for the purpose described. a 3. In an apparatus for exhibitin the progress of a game played with a bal and bat, the combination with an exhibition board having on one face a representation of a game field, a miniature bat pivotally mounted on the board at the batsmans position on said representation, a ball movable over the representation of the game field on the board, means for moving the ball, a soleno1d having its core connected with the bat, an electric circuit including the solenoid, and means controlled by the ball moving means for closing said circuit, for the purpose described.

4. In an apparatus for exhibiting the progress of a game played with a ball and bat, the combination with an upright exhibition board having on its front surface a representation of a game field; a miniaturebat mounted on a shaft journaled in hearings in the board adjacent the batsmans position on said game field representation, a ball mov able over the representation of the game field on the board, means for moving the ball including a member inrear of the board, a solenoid having its core connected with the bat supporting shaft in rear of the board, an

. electriccircuit including a source of current,

the solenoid and two normally separated contacts, and means controlled by the ball moving devices for bringing said contacts together, for the purpose described.

5. In an apparatus for exhibiting the progress of a game played with a ball and bat, the combination with an exhibition board having on one face a representation of a game field, a miniature bat pivotally mounted on the board at the batsmans position on said representation, a ball of magnetic material movable over the representation of the game field on the board, an electromagnet for moving the ball, and means controlled'by movement of the magnet for turning the bat on its pivot, for the purpose described.

6. In anapparatus for exhibiting the progress of a game played with a ball and bat, the combination with. an exhibition board having on one face a representation of a game field, a miniature bat pivotally mounted on the board at the batsmans posi tion on said representation, a ball of magnetic material movable over the representation of the game field on the board, an electromagnet for moving the ball, arranged in rear of the board, a solenoid arranged in 5 rear of the board and having its core connected with the pivot of the bat, an electric circuit including a source of power and the solenoid, and means controlled by movement of the electromagnet for closing said circuit, for the purpose described. 10

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM G. ASHLEY.

Images