US1507343A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

F. O. DEGENHARDT GAME APPARATUS Sept. 2. 1924. i,5o'7,343

Filed Feb. 15, 1922 2 Shasta-Sinai 1 MIM Sept. 2. 1924. 1,507,343

F. O. DEGENHARDT GMIE APPARATUS Filed Feb. 15 1922 2 Sheets-Sh. 2 .3

Patented Sept. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES FRANK O. DEGENHARDT, 0F BROOKLYN,

NEW YORK. ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO GEORGE BOEOHIER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application flied February 15, race. Sex-1a.] No. 536,655.

To all whom it my omwer-n Be it known that I, FRANK O. Dracusmner, a. citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn. county of Kings, city and State of New York. have invented an Improvement in Game Apparw tus, of which the following is a specification.

This inrention relates to a game apparatus and as designed is intended for use in playing baseball in doors or in it relatively small space out of doors. but the invention is in no Wise limited to a baseball gums as the apparatus may be designed for similarly playing foot ball or any one of a number of other games or sports. In carrying out the invention I preferably employ a stand made in the form of :1 player and adapted to be placed against a. Wall or fence or otherwise supported in playing tliegeuie. The frame is provided with a suitable aperture and through this aperture each particular play as made is designated so that the some may be recorded in keeping the score in the usual manner irrespective of the particular kind of game that is being played. The game furtheruwre played with a ball or similar object which is thrown against the stand and used to strike a pin or projection carried by the stand to operate suitable devices for actuating the indicator to make the same appear in the slot to which reference has hereinbefore been made. For example in playing baseball the frame is supplied with a plurality of pins or projections each in tended to designate a particular play in the game and when any pin or projection is struck by a hall or other device thrown at the frame the mechanism is operated to cause the indicator to appear behind the slot in order that the play may be seen and recorded. Suitable devices are also employed for maintaining the indicator in positionbehind the slot so that no mistake may be made in reading and recording the some :and also for releasing the indicator in order that it may return or be returned to its normal inoperative position.

In the drawing:

F ig. 1 is a front elevation of the game apparatus made in accordance with my present invention.

F ig. 2 is an edge or side elevation of the same.

line 6-6, Fig. 5, and

operating the indicator. Referring particularly to the drawing it will be seen that in carrying out the invention I employ a stand 10 which may be made of any suitable material and in any desired configuration. Inasmuch. however, as the present game is designed for use in playing baseball the frame is so formed as to desigis a sectional plan of these devices perspective View illustrstiug note a baseball catcher 11 and an umpire l2,

the figures being placedone shove the other us clearly illustrated in F lg. 1." This stand in playing the game may be placed against a well when the game is played indoors or against a fence or supported by a suitable post in the manner of an easel or otherwise when the game is played out of doors. In the upper portion of the stand preferably in a. position indicating the mouth of the umpire there is a slot 13 through which as hereinafter described indicutorssre caused to appear designating each particulur play as the same is made.

Suitably attached to the rear of the frame or stand is a plate 14: which, be made an integral part of the stand if desirable. In this plate there is u plurality of projections ouch adopted to he struck by the ball or other object employed in playing the game. As these projections ere similar in all respects but one of them will hedescribod in detail. in predetermined positions the plate s ender with disks 151, lttpnes on the outer and one on the inner side, thereof. These disks are secured to tr sleeve 17 which passes through the plate and also through the stand so as to project from the face thereof. In the sleeve 17 there is a plunger 18 having at its forward cud a plate or striking hcad 19, while in the plunger 18 thcrc is a pin 20 ertcndinc' through a longitudinal slot 21 provided therefor in the sleeve 1?. The plunger 18 is normally Iii-aim tuined. in an inoperative position as shown in Fig. 4 by means of a spring surrounding however, may l the sleeve 17 and plunger 18 and extending from the disk 16 to the innersurface of the head 19. The inner end of the plunger 18 is flattened as indicated at 23 and provided with a transversely extending slot 24.

Associated with each of the sleeves and plungers as hereinbefore described and preferably located immediately above the same and secured to the plate 14. in any suitable manner is a post 25. Each post 25 is fitted with a collar 26 lying adjacent the inner surface of the plate and also with a collar 27 secured to the post adjacent the end thereof by a set screw 28 or otherwise. Together with each of these sets of devices I employ a rod 29 which may be made of wire or other suitable material and at one end 30 is passed through the slot 24 at the inner end of the corresponding plunger, a portion 31 of the rod 29 being turned around the corresponding post 25 to form a support for the rod and the indicator 32 carried at the outer or upper end thereof. As illustrated in Fig. 7 the indicator 32 carries the designation ball, it being understood that each of the several indicators employed carry a similar designation, for instance, strike, foul, first base, second base. third base, home run, foul strike, and the like. as well as other terms or plays employed in playing the game of baseball.

Extending from the inner face of the plate 14 there arestop posts 33, 34 and 35. These are secured in the plate in any suitable manner and are preferably arranged so as to be in alignment as indicated. Mounted on these stop posts there are guides 36 suitably spaced from one another so that the upper end of one of the rods 29 passes between each of the several guides to direct the course of the rod when being moved. as hereinafter described. I also employ a set of lock and release bars indicated at 37 and 38. At the forward portion of these lock and release bars the same pass through an opening provided therefor in the plate 14 and the extremity of the bar 37 is upturned as indicated at 39 while the corresponding end of the bar 38 is turned down as indicated at 40 the aperture in the plate through which these bars pass being indicated at 41. Adjacent the inner ends these lock and release. bars 37 and 38 pass through and are journaled in a bearing provided therefor in a bracket 42 which is suitably secured to the outer end of the stop post 34;. The lock and release bars 47 and 38 are norn'ially held in position respectively by springs 43 and 4-4 which at corresponding ends are secured to a screw or similar device set in the plate 41, while at. their opposite ends these springs 43 and 44 pass through the lock and release bars 37 and 38 so as to maintain the pin 46 in the bar 38 in contact with the bracket 42. and a pin 47 similarly secured in the bar 38 in like manner against the bracket 4.2 which, as will be understood,

normally maintains these lock and release bars imposition.

On both the lock and release bars '37 and 38' there are laterally extending hooks. Those extending from one side of the bar 38 are indicated at 48,, while those extending from the opposite side of the bar 38 are in dicated at 49. The hooks extending from one side of the bar 37 are indicated at 50 and those extending from the opposite side thereof are indicated at 51. These books are so disposed relatively to the hook and release bars that when the latter are in their normal positions the hooks lie between the several guides 36 so that when any rod 29 is moved from its normal position to bring the indicator behind the slot in the stand the corresponding hook will engage the rod and maintain the indicator in position so that the. same may be read through the slot in the stand in order to prevent an dispute as to the play and also to enable the players to properly keep their score. Then upon depressing the lock and release bars against the action of the springs which normally maintain the same in place the rod 29 will be freed and caused by the action of the spring 22 to return to its normal position. moving the indicator from its place behind the slot in the stand in returning the plunger to its normal position.

In the use of the apparatus. as hereinbefore described, any number of players may constitute a team or side and be opposed by one. or more teams or sides, each player in turn being permitted to throw mined number of balls at the stand in attempts to spring the heads of the plungers; or each player may continue until he is either out. or makes a run as in playing baseball, other conditions, of course, being necessary in the use of the apparatus for other games for which it may be designed for play. As will now be understood when a player strikes the head of a plunger the same will be depressed or moved inwardly against the action of its spring 22 thereby causing the flattened inner end of the plunger to move the inner or lower end 30 of the corresponding rod 29 whereby the rod swings on its coiled portion and the upper end of the rod is moved throwing the indicator behind the slot and locking and securing the rod and indicator in position until the same are released, as hereinbefore described. i

The various plungers as indicated in the drawing may be employed to designate the plays set out beneath each of the same and of course the corresponding indicator carries the same designation, although as will be understood these or different or other plays may be indicated. Still furthermore, and as hereinbefore stated, while I have shown and described my invention as applia predeteriii cable to a baseball game it may be so designed as to be employed as a foot ball or other game without departing from the nature and spirit of my invention.

1 claim as my invention:

1. In a game apparatus, a stand, a plungeiextending throu h the stand, an indicator, a rod to whic at one end the indicater is attached, a support extending from the said stand and to which the said rod is pivotally connected to swing the indicator from an invisible to a visible osition, the opposite end of the rod extending through a slot provided therefor in the inner end of the plunger, and means for normally maintaining and returning the said plunger to its initial position whereby in the movement of the plunger in one direction the rod is moved to swing the indicator from its invisible to its visible position and when the plunger is returned to its initial position the rod is moved to swing the indicator from its visible to its invisible position.

2. In a game apparatus, a stand, a plunger extending through the stand, an indicator, a rod to which at one end the indicator is attached, a support extending from the said stand and to which the said. rod is ivotally connected to swing the indicator lrom an invisible to a visible position, the opposite end of the rod extending through a slot provided therefor in the inner end of the plunger, means for normally maintaining and returning the said plunger to its initial position whereby in the movement of the plunger in one direction the rod is moved to swin the indicator from its invisible to its visible position and when the plunger is returned to its initial position the rod is moved to swing the indicator from its visible to its invisible position, and a latch device for maintaining the indicator in its visible position.

3. In a game apparatus, a stand. a plunger extending through the stand, an indicator, a rod to which at one end the indicator is attached, a pin extending from the stand and around which a portion of the said rod is coiled to support the same and the indicator carried thereby in a normally invisible position, the opposite end of the rod extending through a transversely disposed slot in the inner end of the plunger, and means for normally maintaining and returning the plunger to an initial position whereby when the plunger is moved in one direction the rod is swung to move the indicator from its invisible to its visible position, and when the plunger is returned to its initial position the rod is swung in the other direction to return the indicator to its initial invisible position.

-l. In a go me apparatus, a stand, a plunger extending through and movable in the stand,

an indicator, there being an opening in the stand through which the said indicator is visible when moved to a predetermined position, a rod to which at one end the indicator is attached, and a pin about which a portion of the rod is bent and upon which the said rod is adapted to swing, the opposite end of the said rod being in direct engagement with the said plunger whereby when the plunger is moved in one direction the rod is actuated thereby to swing the indica tor from a normally invisible to a visible position behind the said opening in the stand and when the plunger is moved in the other direction the said rod is dircctly actuated thereby to swing the indicator from its visible to its invisible position.

5. In a game apparatus, a stand, a plunger extending through the stand, an indicator, a rod to which at one end the said indicator is attached, a pin extending from the said stand and around which a portion of the said rod is coiled to support the same and the indicator carried in a normally invisible position, the opposite end of the said rod extending through a transversely disposed slot in the inner end of the plunger whereby through the operation of the plunger the rod is actuated to move the indicator from its invisible to a visible position, and means for maintaining the said indicator in its visible position and then releasing the same, permitting the rod and indicator to automatically return to their initial invisible position.

6. In a game apparatus, a stand, a plunger extending through the stand, an indicator, a rod to which at one end the said indicator is attached. a pin extending from the said stand and around which a ortion of the said rod is coiled to support. t 19 same and the indicator carried in a normally invisible position, the opposite end of the said rod extending through a transversely disposed slot in the inner cud of the plunger whereby through the operation of the plunger the rod is actuated to move the indicator from its invisible to a visible position, means for maintaining the said indicator in its visible position and then releasing the same, permitting the rod and indicator to automatically re turn to their initial invisible position, and means for guiding the said rod in the movement thereof.

7. In a game apparatus, a stand represent ing a player and having a slot therein, a plunger extending through the said stand, means for normally maintaining the plunger in an initial position, an indicator, a rod to which at one end the indicator is attached, a pin about which a portion of the said rod is coiled, while the opposite end of the said rod passes through a diagonally disposed slot in the inner end of the plunger, and means for retaining the rod and indicator in a position in which the indicator is visible through the slot and releasing the rod, permitting the same andtheihdicator to return to their initial position;

8. In a game apparatus, a stand representing a player and having a slot-therein, a plunger extending through the said stand, means for normally maintstining the plunger in an initial position, an indioetor, a rod to which at one end the indicator is attached, a pin about which a portion of the said rod is coiled, while the opposite end of the said dicator in a position in which the indicator is Visible tilH'QHgIkthB SIOt and releasing the rod, permitting the some and the indicator to return to their initial position.

FRANK o. DEGENHARDT.

Signed by merthi s 11th day of Feb y 2n

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