US1404149A - Appliance for playing an indoor or outdoor game - Google Patents

Description

w. M. SHORT. APPLIANCE FOR PLAYING AN INDOOR OR OUTDOOR GAME. 1,404,149.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

2 5HEETSSHEET I.

w. M. SHORT. APPLIANCE FOR PLAYING AN INDOOR OR OUTDOOR GAME. k

APPLICATION FILED OCT: 3, I92]. 1,404,149, Patented Jan. 17, 1922'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILFRID MAURICE SHORT, OF CROYIDON, ENGLAND.

APPLIANCE FOR PLAYING AN INDOOR OR OUTDOOR GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Application filed October 3, 1921. Serial No. 505,206.

' door or Outdoor Games, (for which I have filed an application in Great Britain, Serial No. 5,344 23rd February, 1920, and France, Serial No. 144,913, th May, 1921,) of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to appliances for playing an indoor or outdoor game and provides novel arrangements and combinations of such appliances, An object is to utilize these appliances for playing a game which not only combines many of the attractive features of lawn tennis, badminton, and pingpong, but makes play possible out-doors all the year around, in areas which may be restricted, and upon any ground.

The appliances to which the invention relates are of the kind comprising a net, like a lawn tennis net, set up transversely across the field ofplay, and on each side of the net one or more objectives or targets for balls played from the opposite side of the net.

Whereas hitherto the targets have had forms, such as of pockets, cups and so on, adapted for receiving or retaining the ball. according to the present invention the targets consist of solid discs, boards or like members from which the ball will return, these targets being set up in a plane about perpendicular to the field of play and at such a height that the player who defends the target is able with requisite skill to pre vent with his racquet, bat, or the like, the said target being hit by the player who serves the ball from the opposite side of the net. There may be more than one target for each player, and since, as in lawn tennis there may be' more than one player on one or both sides of the net, the number of targets may be duplicated, the arrangement being such that each player can defend a target or set of targets.

The targets may be supported win any suitable manner-either by suspension from or support on horizontal or inclined wires, bars, or the like, which are again supported by posts provided for the purpose, or even by the, vwall of the. enclosure wherein the game is to be playedor directly by posts. The bars referred to might consist of short brackets secured to the posts, or they might be jointly supported by posts at each of their ends. In that case, the space embraced by the two posts and cross bar might constitute a goal, should it be desired to give the server a second motive in playing the ball. The targets might then be mounted either on the cross bar, or on the goal posts or on both of these.

The targets are conveniently adjustable in height, to suit the wishes of the players.

For outdoor games, the standards or posts are so constructed that they may be easily placed in position, and for use on hard surfaces (asphalte, wooden floors etc.) they may be made to fit into fixed sockets, or into a base sufliciently weighted to keep them in position. Any suitable means of keeping the posts in position, both on lawns and on hard surfaces, may be employed.

The solid discs, boards or the like constituting the targets may be of any suitable size, shape, and form, and, if more than one be employed, need not necessarily be of uniform size, shape, and form. They may be of any thickness, and be made of wood, tin, or any substance or material likely to serve the purpose. They should, of course. be as light as possible. 7

As in the game of lawn tennis, the game is played by two, three, or four players, and upon a court divided across the middle by a net, or part net as in badminton.

The players endeavour by means of bats. rackets, or the like, to strike a ball, pref erably of about the size of a tennis ball, or other suitable projectile, over the net, with the primary object of hitting a target, and also of hitting it over the net in such a way that the opponent or opponents fail. to return it. The services may be delivered from a suitable place, as the base-line.

The scoring would depend upon whether a target is hit, whether the opponent fails to return the ball, if he does so where it drops, and so on. Vhere goals are employed, special points might be scored for Ohtaining a goal.

For indoor games the targets are suitably mounted, or made to stand on the similartothat employed in lawn tennis or in badminton is set upon the field of play,

2, and in proximity with the latter there are also set up the targets 3, consistingof solid discs as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, or

boards or plates of other forms, for in stance, as in the remaining figures. The targets areshown carried by vertical posts 4, and may be either directly mounted on the, posts (Figs. 2, 5) or be carried by horizontal or inclined bars 7 as in the other figures. As seen particularly in the detail views (Figs. 4-9), the targets are adjustable in height, such as by the employment of a slidablesleeve 5 on the post, which I sleeve may be clamped at a desired height by a suitable clamping device such as a screw 6.

Figs. 3, 8, 9 show goals formed by the 7 horizontal or inclined bars 7 and the posts 7 suitable manner.

4. The disc 3 may be arranged either below or above, or between, its supporting bars, and may be split as shown in the last figure. V

The posts 4 are held vertically in any Fig. 4 shows a socket 8 for receiving the post, and Fig. 5 shows -a weighted base 9, which will often sufiice to hold the post sufliciently steadily.

No broad claim is made to devices comprising a solid disc target mounted on a horizontal bar supported at its two ends by posts, such a device, without vertical adjust ment of the bar,'having been suggested for games wherein no net is employed. Moreover, ring-fonned devices adjustable on posts have been proposed for game appliances notof the kind referred to.

What I claim is 1 '1. In a game appliance adapted to be used on a field of play, a support near one end of the field of play, a target on said support and serving as an objective for a game piece and a net arranged transversely of the field of play and between the position of a player and the target.

2. Apparatus for playing a game with a game piece on a field ofplay comprising a support near each end of the field of play, target on each support and serving as an objective for the game piece, and a net arranged transversely of said field of play and betweenthe positions of certain of the players and their respective targets.

game piece on a field of play comprising a support near each end of the field of play,

vertically adjustable means on said support,

a target attached to each of said vertically adjustable means and arranged in a. plane substantially perpendicular to the field oi play, and anet arranged transversely ofthe field of play and between the positions of certainoi the players and their respective I a 3. Apparatus for playing a gamewith a targets.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim in l which said vertically adjustable means comprises bars extending from said supports and means for clamping said bars to said supports. J l

A game apphancecompr sing a net supported by each of said pairs of posts and 7 comprising two portions each of which is supported by one of said bars.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my sigma-' ture.

WILFRID MAURICE SHORT.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,404,119, granted January 17,

1922, upon the application of Wilfrid Maurice Short, of Croydon, England, for an improvement in Appliances for Playing Indoor or Outdoor Games, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 77,

claim 4, for the numeral 2 read 3; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 14th day of February, A. D., 1922.

[SEAL] KARL FENNING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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