US2738978A - Dart games - Google Patents

Description

A. M. HENRY March 20, 1956 DART GAMES `Filed April 28, 1953 wirf wml.

United States Patent() DART GAMES Augustus `M. Henry, Levittown, N. Y.

Application April 28, 1953, Serial No. 351,642-

s claims. (ci. 27s-Quiza) This invention relates to game apparatus, and more particularly aims to providenew and useful improvements in game apparatus of a kind having the popular appeal of a contest of skill in which a `contender attempts to direct a missile against a target in a manner to cause the missile to strike the latter, and further having a popular appeal because it will provide a contest having competitive features suggestive of the game of baseball. A game apparatus of the kind toward the betterment of which the improvements of the instant .invention are especially well adapted is exemplified by the disclosures of U. S. Patent No. 2,187,422, issued to me on January 16, 1940.

One principal object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus of the class indicated above, which is novel and valuable in that it is of markedly simple and inexpensive nature.

Another principal object is to provide a game apparatus as aforesaid, and one so constructed and operating, that the missile employed may be an elongate one, such as a dart, and yet the provision is such that said missile, on striking the target-area defining opening, is able instantaneously to free itself from the target and target-area defining opening incidental to rebound of the said missile from the target after striking the latter. To insure such rebound, the dart employed may be the type of dart customarily used in any of the multitude of different dart-throwing games, but one from which the usual piercing spike is eliminated. According to the patent aforesaid, at the instant the missile despatched toward the target strikes the latter, there is subsantially simultaneously set up a relative movement between the respective bounds of two openings both ahead of the ytarget andmutually in registry at the instant the missile passes through both thereof on ythe last stage of its travely toward the target. This lrelative movement between oppositely facing edge portions of the said two openings is in a direction parallel to the plane' of the target face. The result is that when a dartl has heretofore been sought to 'be used as the missile'to constitute the projectile object of play, there was a scissoring action as between the said two edge portions of the two openings, such that before the dart (with its spike eliminated) could rebound from the target for thereby effecting self-ejection from the game apparatus, said scissoring action occurred, and the dart would be transversely seized somewhere along its length tightly enough to entrap the same and the games mechanism.

According to the instant invention, however, the arrangement is such at and adjacent to the target-area defining opening that the described scissoring action is made impossible under any circumstances; and indeed, while a target area defining opening is provided in a plane parallel with the plane of the target face, and this opening is given a movement past the target face substantially simultaneously with the striking of the target by a missile just previously travelling through said f opening, this movement of said opening relative to the target acts positively to assist the dart in its self-ejection from the game apparatus incidental to its rebound from the target immediately on striking the same.

Other objects, features and advantages of the instant invention will hereinbelow be pointed out or become obvious as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a game constructed inaccordance with the invention; 4

Fig. 2 is a side elevational-view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a view of the rear of the game, showing the operating mechanism, and

Fig. 4 is a view looking at the mechanism of Fig. 3 from the left, with parts shown in section to more clearly disclose the structure.

Referring to the drawing, 4 indicates the playing field `of the game, the same as here shown being substantially diamond shape to thereby represent a baseball diamond. It is provided with an indicium here shown as a tab-like extension 11, intended to represent a player in the role of a base runner; and so is located at what is self-evident as the home plate location, the said extension 11 being located at the position shown in Fig. l each time that a player begins play.

The playing field dis a rotary structure secured on a .spindle 3 held in a suitable bearing carried by a suitable support, as one on or constituting the base member 1 of the game apparatus. As here shown, such base member may consistof a suitable sheet of stift" material, such as heavy cardboard, Masonte or metal, reinforced around its edges if necessary by a suitable frame 2.

Provided in the playing field 4 is a plurality of. round apertures indicated respectively at 5, 6, 7 and 8. ln the form shown, these apertures are graduated in diameter, from the larger aperture S to the smaller aperture 8, although if desired, the apertures may be all made of lthe same size, without departing from the spirit of the invention, although making the game easier to win.

At 10 is shown a plunger head constituting the target, the same being of circular shape and so located that at each halt in the 90 rotative movements of the playing field 4, one or the other 'of the apertures 5 to 8 inclusive will register with the disk-shaped plunger head 10. In Fig. 1 the largest of the apertures, or that shown at 5, is vindicated as being in register with the plunger head 10.

Secured on the spindle 3 to the rear of the base board lis a ratchet member 15 provided with four teeth,` each The plunger head or disk 10 is fixed on one end ofr a shaft 9 which is axially slidable through thev base member 1 and through the cross brace 14. A guide plate 17 is fastened to the rear or" the cross bracedtr and the shaft 9 slidesthrough said guideplate when ay missile, such as a dart, enters through vthat one of the four apertures S to 8 which then lies opposite the tar-- get 10 to act as a target area defining means, and forcibly strikesthe face of the disk-target 10.

Secured on the shaft 9 isa dog 18 which dog is normally heldin the position shown in Fig. 3 and in which position it is in engagement with one of the teeth',

located between the outer face of the base member 1 and the rear of the target-disk plunger "10. 'One en'd of a coil spring 19 is attached to a pin 20 projecting .from the dog, and the opposite end of the :spring .19 is attached to an eyeletl22a secured.totand-projectiugfrom `thecross brace 14 as-clearly seen n'Fig. .3. Said spring 19 tends to hold .thedog 18 in contact with a stoppin 21 projecting from theguidetplate 17.

Fromthe foregoing,-the operation of theggame `will be readily understood. The torsional spring is placed `underteusiori by `manually rotating the playing lfield 4 in a clockwise direction, as viewedvin Fig. l. When this `is done by aid'of the extension llas Va'rewind'handle, the ratchet 15 is rotated, -with the teeth V1(thereori easily movingipast theldog lysince'the dog canpivot `as `required to permit of the passage of the teeth. .Rewinding is halted at a point rto cause the diamondshaped eld 4 to assume thepositionishown in Fig. 1, wherein thetlarge aperture 5 will befrelocated'in registration with the target-disk and'the .base `runner designative extension 11 will befin a lowerniost .position -as shown so asto suggest a'batter 4-atthoin'e plate. Aplayer then stands oi from the game board for a re- The -cl itninatedfrom its blunt forward end.

lf the player is fortunate enough tohit 'the target- `disk l1i) as exposed'through the aperture 5, the disk 10 and its attached shaft 9 will be driven inwardly, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and'since the'dog l18is -earriedby `the shaft 9, the dog will likewise be moved -inwardly and thus disengaged from thelowermost tooth 16 of the ratchet 15. This will free the ratchet, and under the torsion of the spring '12, theratchetwill turn a quarter turn in the direction of the arrow i'n Fig. `3, to bring the 'next tooth 16 in position to be engaged by the dog 18 as the dog is moved b'acktoitsformer position by urge of the spring 22.

`When the ratchet is moved for a quarter turn as just described, it will rotate the playingeld r4 through 90. That is to say, the base runner indicating tab il will become located at the right hand'corner of the diamond at the tirst base-position. At the same time,

'the aperture `6 will now be positioned in registry with the target disk 10, and since the aperture 6 is smaller in diameter than the apertureS and also smaller than the target 1i), it will be apparent that .the target has become reduced in size, makingit more dificultfor the `player to hit the target 10 and for-the .runnertnow on first base to be advanced to second base. When `the player is successful in striking the now-reduced :target 10, the playing field will again berotatediforatquarter -turn, bringing 'the next -smallenaperture -7 lbefore the target-disk 10, and advancing the base runner from tirst base to second base. Again when 'the target Iis struck, the field will be rotated for aquarter turn to bring the smalleraperture Si'n front ofthe target, thus further reducing the effective size of the target area, but now with the base runner `(the extension 11) "on third.

Variations and modifications are possible, andparts of thc improvements may be usedvwithout others.

As will be noted, the sheet member constituting the `playing field 4, by its own diamond shape, thatis, by the mere totality of its bounding edges, graphicallytsug gcsts tbe "infield" or playing diamond of a baseball field, whenever said sheet member isiat rest and consequently when some one of its apertures 5, 6., 7 and S is in registry with -the `target 10. This result, moreover, istattained without having to paint Lin or otherwise add, `on the front of either the sheetfmeniber `r4-.or the v base member 1, base-lines such as shown in the aforesaid'PatentNo. 2,l87,'422 to me.

In order to have the accompanying drawing as simple and at the same time as clear as possible, the placement of the target 10 has been shown as unnecessarily upwardly-spaced from the location of the extension 11 of the sheet member 4 with the latter in game-starting position as in Fig. l. However, with the aperture 5 lowered on the sheet member 4 with the latter in its last-named position sufficiently to bring the low point on the periphery of saidopening at'about-the upper point of the triangular enclave of the extensionfll onto the front of the sheet member 4, and with the target 10 correspondingly lowered, and with the apertures 6, 7 and 8 each relocated to be registrable with the target 10, all four of the apertures 5, 6, 7 and 8 would be so close to the points of the diamond outline of the sheet member 4, as graphically to suggest, merely iby their locations whenever said sheet member is at rest, ,the four base lpoints of a baseball 'field generallytreferred -to as home plate, irstbase, second'basetand third base.

What l claim is: t Y l. ln a game apparatus, amain supportVa diskthaving a shaft axially movable through the support, spring means for urging the disk away `from the .supporbfor a limited distance, an intermittently rotated member rotatively mounted on the support vand located in front of vthe disk, said rotary member 'having `a diamondshaped outline and provided with a plurality foffopenings each of which represents a base o'n :said diamond,

Aoneor the other of said openings being adapted to-reg ister with the disk during each vpause in the rotative movements of the diamond-shaped member, springactuated ratchet means for intermittently Vrotating `said diamond-shaped member, means carriediby sidshaft of the disk for normallyrestraining the'ratchet meansfrom rotating the diamond-shaped membensaid means onthe shaft being temporarily-rendered ineifective to restrain Athe ratchet means from rotating the diamond-shaped -member each time that the Vdisk is moved toward the Asupport by a blow from a thrownmissile entering through one-of the openings and striking the disk 'sai'd'rliarn'ondshaped member beingat the extreme front 'of'the game apparatus, the edge portion of the diamond-shaped rotary member around the opening throughwhichthe missile thus passes being etective to providea wiping action to aid'in displacing the thrown missle'from said opening.

2. In a game apparatus, a support, a target member 'mounted on the support, a shaft on said target member slidable axially `through the support, a Vspring'for urging the target member forwardly and in a direction away from the support, a rotative sheet member .having a diamond-shaped outline formed with spaced apertures adapted vto be positioned in sequence in registry with sheet member, said means being held inoperative while the target member is urged forwardly "by the springand rendered operative to rotate saidtsheet member fora .given distance when the target/member is moved toward the support by a blow from a thrown missilefthe target member havinga marginal edge portion around reach of lits aperturesto provide a wiping action against aimissilc that has passed'throug'h saidfaperture, `tofthereby'reject the thrown missile from said opening :said .diamondshaped sheetmember being at `the extreme 'front of tthe apparatus thus to be unimpededlyfoutintheopenithereby to adapt saidimissile to be `manually thrown `through the air without itrajectory `limitations .thereon by @structural lcomponents of the apparatus. t A

3. In a game of the kind incorporating a target and means for yieldingly urging said target to a forward position and for permitting rearward movement of the target in recoil thereof from the impact of a missile striking thereagainst, said game also of the kind incorporating a target area deningrmeans in the form of a rotatably-mounted sheet member having a plurality of openings and fractionally rotatable to move one of said openings from registry with the target and substitute another of said openings in registry with the target, said game also of the type incorporating spring means eiective when wound to cause fractional rotation of said sheet member in response to such a recoil of the target, as a new article of manufacture a sheet member as aforesaid which is substantially diamond shape in outline and adapted to be pivotally mounted with the axis of such pivot at the center of the diamond, which has four apertures each adjacent one of the four corners of the diamond, and which at one corner of the diamond carries a projection for facilitating manual rewind of said spring by a turning of the sheet member in the direction opposite to that in which it turns when rotated by said spring, whereby, with said sheet member the extreme frontal structure of the game, said missile may be a thrown dart with a forward end which is spikeless thus to make of an opening in the sheet member through which said dart enters at the end of a throw thereof a wiping ejector of the dart, and whereby, at the same time, said projection is always out in the open and so always in sight of a player of the game visually to indicate during rotation of said sheet member an advance of a gamepiece and so as also to be readily manually accessible from the front of the game to facilitate use thereof for rewinding the spring.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 626,500 McCullough June 6, 1899 986,683 Bugbee Nov. 14, 1911 1,121,945 Smith Dec. 22, 1914 1,212,943 Hart Jan. A16. 1917 1,535,918 Hoffman Apr. 28, 1925 2,109,860 Dahlstrom Mar. 1, 1938 2,187,422 Henry Jan. 16, 1940 2,251,757 Rose Aug. 5,V 1941 t 2,486,860 Memmel Nov. 1, 1949 2,552,446 OConner May 8, 1951 2,578,375 Sire Dec. 11, 1951

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