US3479031A - Boat racing game - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 18, 1969 s. A. woon, JR 3,479,031

BOAT RACING GAME Filed Dec. 12, 1967 INVENTOR United States Patent() 3,479,031 BOAT RACING GAME Garfield A. Wood, Jr., 4565 Salial Palm Road, Bay Point, Miami, Fla. 33137 Filed Dec. 12, 1967, Ser. No: 689,843 Int. Cl. A63f 9/14; A63h 23/02 U.S. Cl. 273-86 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A boat racing game including an elongated oval shaped tank lled with water having a plurality of racing lanes formed by ribs on the Ibottom of the tank. Battery powered, motor driven boats are raced in the racing lanes and the ribs are interrupted along straight-a-way portions of the lanes to allow the boats to change lanes.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to boat racing games, and more particularly to a lboat racing game having a race track or tank of a unique conguration and self propelled model boats.

In recent years toys and games have become more sophisticated with particular emphasis being placed upon motor and battery operated toys and games. Furthermore, games which generate competitive interest between individuals for example, slot car racing and the like, have been found to be quite popular. However, the majority of these games have 'been limited to the simulation of land vehicle racing and operation.

Summary of the invention The present invention relates to a competitive game simulating the racing of water vehicles, such as model boats. A number of battery powered, motor driven model boats race against each other in a water filled tank. The tank comprises a plurality of endless racing lanes formed by a number of elongated ribs on the bottom of the tank. A particular feature of the invention is that the ribs forming the racing lanes are interrupted along at least one section of the racing lanes to enable the boats to change lanes to enhance the competition between boats.

The boats are driven by a commercially Vavailable power unit consisting of a small battery and electric motor which drives a propeller attached to the rear of the power unit. A rudder is also attached to the rear of the power unit which will direct the boat in a desired curved or straight course of travel.

Among the objects of the present invention are the provision of a competitive racing game simulating a power boat race wherein a plurality of self-propelled boats are raced around a water lled tank, and the provision of a boat race tank for use with the power boat racing game having a plurality of racing lanes for the boats formed in a manner to enable the boats to change lanes.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. l is a plan view of the boat racing game of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the boat illustrated in FIG. 1 taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to FIGURES l and 2, the racing game of the present invention includes an elongated oval shaped ICC tank 10 adapted to contain several inches of Water W between a side wall 12 and a center island 14. The tank 10 is preferably molded from a suitable plastic material. A plurality of racing lanes 16 are formed by intergal ribs 18 projecting upwardly from the bottom of the tank. Each of the ribs 18 is interrupted along both straight-away sections of the tank 10 in such a manner that the racing lanes 16 are separated only `at the end curved portions of the track 10.

Motor driven boats 20 race around the tank 10 within the racing lanes 16. As illustrated in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4 each boat 20 comprises a hull 22, a deck `24 and a commercially available power unit 26. The power unit 26 is removably attached to a bracket 27 fixed on the underside of the boat hull 22 by means of a key 28 projecting from the power unit and adapted to t into a tapered slot 32 defined by the bracket.

The power unit 26 has two sleeve- like sections 34 and 36. The forward section 34 is closed at one end and forms the housing for a conventional pen light battery 38 The rearward section 36 forms a housing for a miniature motor 40 which is electrically coupled by means of a suitable electrical connector `42 to the battery 38. A motor 40 drives a miniature propeller 44 coupled to the motor shaft y46. Fingers 48 extend from the rear of the section 36 to protect the propeller 44 and to form a support for a rudder 50 which is pivotally mounted between the iingers 48 by a pin 52 and which may be manually positioned to control the direction of the boat as it moves through the water.

The forward and rearward sections 34 and 36 of the power unit are rotably connected together in a manner to enable the circuit between the motor 40 and the battery 38 to be completed to energize the motor when the section 34 is rotated to a predetermined angular position. Each boat 20 is then placed in a racing lane 16 with the motor 40 running and allowed to proceed under its own power. By manually positioning the rudder 48 of each boat beforehand, the boat will tend to steer itself in accordance with the rudder position each time it passes into the straight-a-way portion of the tank 10 where the sepalrating ribs are interrupted. This gives each contestant an opportunity to select what he thinks is the best rudder position to win the race, the winner being determined by the rst boat to complete a given predetermined num-ber of laps.

It will be appreciated that the above description is illustrative only and not limited and many modifications may be made to the specific embodiment described above. For example, the racing lanes may be interrupted at only one of the straight-a-way sections of the track to provide only one area for changing lanes. Also, a more elaborate tank could also be employed with additional curved and straight-a-way sections and other types of boat designs and propulsion systems can be employed. Still further the ribs could be made separate from the tank. For example, a conventional swimming pool could be filled with water, and ribs made of a buoyant foamed styrene material iioated on the water to deline the racing lanes for the boats.'The innermost styrene ring would be a complete oval, and the outermost ring also could be a complete oval. The rings in between would be interrupted to enable the boats to change lanes. The ribs also could be interconnected at spaced points to maintain them in the desired spaced relation. The rings also `could be made in short lengths which could be secured together or interlocked end to end to form the rings. The foregoing would provide an easily boxed game which could be assembled and used with conventional swimming pools. These and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is dened in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A boat racing game comprising a plurality of selfpropelled boats with adjustable steering means that can -be lixed in a set position adapted to race in a tank, and a tank for water having a plurality of fixed parallel boat guiding lane means interrupted along at least one section thereof to form at least two sets of ends on said Iboat guiding lane means, said end sets being spaced apart in the tank a sui'licient distance so as to allow a boat to pass and steer from the guiding lane means at one of the end sets and back into the guiding lane means at the other of the end sets While remaining in the water.

2. The boat racing game of claim 1 wherein said boat guiding lane means comprises a plurality of spaced elongated ribs projecting upwardly from the bottom of the tank.

3. The boat racing game of claim 1 wherein each of said boats has a propeller -for propelling the boat, an electric motor in the boat for driving said propeller and a battery in the boat for providing electric power to the electric motor.

4. The boat racing game of claim 2 `wherein said tank is a plastic tank with said Yribs being integral therewith.

5. The boat racing game of claim 1 wherein there are at least four sets of ends to define at least two areas in -which the 'boats can change lanes.

6. A boat racing game comprising a one-piece plastic tank having a bottom, an endless upstanding outer wall,

.4 an elongated island projecting upwardly from the center of said bottom and cooperating with said outer wall to dene therebetween an elongated annular trough for water, a rst set of concentric spaced semi-circular ribs projecting upwardly from the bottom of the trough at one end of said island and a second set of concentric semicircular ribs projecting upwardly from the bottom of the trough at the other end of said island, said sets `forming guiding lanes for turning the boats 180 at the ends of the said island, and a plurality of self-propelled boats with adjustable steering means that can be xed in a set position adapted to race in said trough, said sets being spaced apart a sufficient distance so as to allow a boat to pass and steer from'guiding lanes of one set to the guiding lanes of the other set while remaining in the water.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,771,609 7/1930 Berger 46-93 X 1,872,074 8/1932 De Witt 273-86 2,952,942 9/ 1960 Troha 273-86 X 3,339,924 9/1967 Costagliola 273-86 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner T. ZACK, Assistant Examiner l U.S. Cl. XR. 46-93

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