US3421763A - Game board with toy top - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 14, 1969 R. c. LITTLE 3,421,763

GAME BOARD WITH TOY TOP Filed July 27. 1965 Sheet of 2 INVENTOR.

RUBEIQ C LITTLE ATTORNEY.

Jan. 14, 1969 R, c, I 3,421,763 I GAME BOARD WITH TOY TOP A Filed Jul 27, 1965 Sheet '2. of 2 INVENTOR. RUBEN c. LI'ITLE ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE 'An amusement device including a receptacle defining playing field, support means for the receptacle and a toy topv adapted to be spun in a circuitous path on the playing field and an upright pin adapted to be knocked down by the spinning top.

This invention relates to an amusement device, and, more particularly, to an improved amusement device including a top for spinning on a playing field in a receptacle.

-As is perhaps well known, spinning tops are old in the art, as are various shaped receptacles for spinning tops; and many different games have been devised in the past which utilize a spinning top as the active component. This invention is related to an improvement in such amusement devices.

With particular reference to this invention, the improved amusement device includes a receptacle having a playing field therein, movable pins on the playing field, and an improved toy top to be spun on the playing field for playing various games. The receptacle includes a floor and vertical walls defining the generally rectangular playing field. A vertical slot extends through one of the walls with an enlarged opening at the upper end of the slot to provide a starting position in the receptacle for the toy top. The height of the opening in the wall and the height of the toy top are interrelated to allow the toy top to be placed in the starting position. The improved toy top has an upper body portion which is substantially frusto-pyramidic in shape with a plurality of external flat side faces circularly spaced about the center line of the frusto-pyramidic shaped body. Each face is distinctively marked for use in the various games played with this amusement device. The larger, upper base of the frustopyramidic body is concave which aids a player when initially activating the toy top for amusement purposes by providing a finger support means. An elongate circular shaft extends outwardly from the smaller lower base of said frusto-pyramidic body, having a center line common to that of the body. At the distal end of the shaft is a spherical shaped tip which is distinctively marked. The tip is spacedat a particular distance from the upper body portion to allow the toy top to rest on its side on one of the fiat side faces and the tip. The toy top is activated by a thread in the ordinary manner. When activated the spinning toy top engages and knocks over various pins in the receptacle and displays a distinctive mark when it finally comes to rest.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved spinning top amusement device of noncomplex and durable construction that can be operated under various rules for performing many different games.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a new and improved interrelationship between the re ceptacle, the toy top, and the actuating thread, in order to provide an easily activated toy top amusement device.

The present invention will be more apparent by reference to the following detailed description of a preferred arrangement of the invention wherein reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the amusement device including the receptacle, a pin and a toy top in a starting position;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the amusement device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view in cross section taken along the plane of the line 33 of FIGURE 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation view of the amusement device of FIGURE 1 with an alternative lower supporting structure;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged side view of the toy top;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged cross section view taken along the plane of the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged plan view of the upper portion of the toy top;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged plan view of the toy top similar to that in FIGURE 7; however, it will;be noted that the sides such as 72 are longer than the sides ,74.

Proceeding now to the description of the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings, and referring more particularly to FIGURE 1, showing the preferred embodiment of the amusement device, designated by numeral 12, the amusement device includes a receptacle 14 with a toy top 16 and a pin 18 Within the receptacle and a thread 20 extending outwardly from a coiled position about the toy top through a slot in the receptacle.

The playing field lies within the receptacle 14 on a smooth horizontal floor 22 between vertical walls which deifine a generally rectangular field. A forward wall 24 is adjacent the toy tops starting position, as shown in FIG- URES 1 to 3; the height of the forward wall 24 is greater than the height of the toy top 16 when in an erect position in order to confine the movements of the top within the receptacle. Since the spinning top loses momentum as it travels from the starting position toward the opposite end of the playing field adjacent the rearward wall 26, the height of the rearward wall may be less than the height of the forward wall 24. Therefore, the forward Wall 24 is of a uniform height greater than the length of the top 16. The rear-ward wall 26 may be of a substantially smaller height. The upper edge of side walls 28 and 30 slope downwardly from the forward wall 24 to the rearward wall 26.

The receptacle 14 is supported on the lower face of the floor 22 on various table structures, with supporting means extending from the lower face of the receptacle for steadying the playing field when the amusement device is in use. The forward wall 24 extends below the floor member 22, as best shown in FIGURE 3, with the forward support member 32 abutting the side of the table structure 13 for steadying the amusement device. The forward@ support member 32 may alternatively be designed to also engage the bottom surface of the table structure 13 by means of extension 34, as shown in phantom in FIGURE 3. Other supporting :means, such as support member 36, may be connected to the floor of the receptacle 14, as shown in FIGURE 4. The slope of the support member 36 is designed to steady the amusement device on the rim of a pool table.

The forward Wall 24 has an enlarged opening 40, defined by the edges 42, which provides a convenient handle for carrying the amusement device. The opening 40 also permits the toy top to be placed in an erect starting position, in contact with the inner face of the forward wall 24, by allowing the upper portion of the toy top to ex- 3 tend into the opening 40, as shown in FIGURES 1 to 3. A vertical slot 44 extends downwardly from the opening 42 to allow the thread when it is wound about the toy top to pass outwardly through the receptacle wall to a convenient grasping position outside of the receptacle.

The toy top 16, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, has an upper body portion 50 of frusto-pyramidic shape with a plurality of external fiat side faces 52 circularly spaced about the center line of the body portion. The faces 52 are distinctively marked with numerals. The upper base 54, that is, the larger base of the frusto-pyramidic body 50, is concave to allow a player to easily hold the toy top in an erect starting position in the receptacle with the tip end of one of his fingers. The smaller base of the frustopyramidic body portion has an elongate circular shaft 56 extending outwardly therefrom. The shaft 56 has a common center line to that of the frusto-pyramidic body portion. The upper portion of the shaft has a notch 58 for the purpose of connecting one end of the thread 20 to the shaft of the toy top. A spherically shaped tip 60 is at the lower end of the toy top. The tip 60 is distinctively imarked so that if the toy top comes to rest upon the upper surface of the frusto-pyraznidic body, the distinctive mark on the tip will be visible to the players.

It should be noted that the size of the toy top is such that the projection of the planes of the faces 52 of the upper portion of the toy top intersect the surface of the spherically shaped tip. A fiat face will lie parallel to the upper surface of the floor 22 when the toy top is in a position as shown in FIGURE 5.

A plurality of pins or a single pin 18, as shown in FIGURE 1, may be placed on the playing field in various positions for playing different games. The pin 18 has a bottle-like shape with a flat base 61, an enlarged midsection 62, and an elongate neck portion 64. The pin is designed with a center of gravity that ordinarily maintains the pin in an erect position but allows the toy top, when spinning, to knock the pin off its base 61.

The activating thread 20 is of a length which not only penmits the thread to be wound about the shaft 56 of the toy top 16, but also permits the thread to extend through the slot 44 in the forward wall 24, when the toy top 16 is in its starting position, as shown in FIGURES 1 to 3. When the thread is quickly drawn through the slot 44 in the direction of the arrow, as shown in FIGURE 1, the toy top will be activated in the ordinary manner. The thread 20 has a finger ring 70 at its distal end, outside of the receptacle 14, to be grasped by a player for activating the toy top in a more convenient manner.

In use, the receptacle is placed upon a table with the supporting members steadying the playing field in the receptacle; the pin or pins are placed in an erect position at various points on the fioor; the toy top is placed in the starting position; the thread is connected to the notch 58, wound around the shaft of the toy top, and drawn through the slot 44 in the forward wall. Since the thread is wound around the shaft of the toy top, when a force is exerted in the direction of the arrow, as shown in FIGURE 1, the top is activated in the ordinary manner. The spinning top will move about on the playing field engaging the pin or pins until it finally comes to rest with one of the distinctive markings in view. Various games may be played with this durable amusement device.

The above described arrangements are illustrative of this invention. Numerous other arrangements may be devised by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as set forth in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An amusement device comprising; a receptacle; movable pins in said receptacle; a toy top to be spun in said receptacle; and a thread for activating the said top, said receptacle including; a floor; vertical walls connected to said floor defining a generally rectangular playing field,

said walls including a high forward wall, a low rearward wall, and side walls connecting the forward and rearward walls; supporting means extending below the floor of said receptacle for steadying the playing field, said supporting means including, a first support comprising a downward extension of said forward wall below said floor, and a second support extending downwardly from the rearward portion of the lower surface of said floor, said second support slanting toward said first support for engagin the rim of a pool table, said forward wall having a vertical slot therein to allow said thread to pass therethrough, said slot extending upwardly to an enlarged opening for al lowing the toy top to engage the inner surface of the forward wall in a vertical starting position, said toy top having; an upper body portion of substantially frusto-pyramidic shape with a plurality of external flat side faces circularly spaced around the center line of said body, said faces being distinctly marked, the larger base of said frusto-pyramidic body being concave; an elongate cylindrical shaft with one end extending outwardly from the smaller base of said frusto-pyramidic body and having a center line common to that of said body, said shaft including a notch for connecting said thread to the toy top; and a spherically shaped tip at the other end of said shaft, said tip being distinctively marked, said shaft and tip being sized to allow the toy top to rest on one of the flat side faces of said upper body portion and the tip on the floor of the receptacle, said pins having a bottle-like shape with a flat support base and a long upper stern portion, said pins being placed on said playing field to be engaged by the activated toy top, said thread being sized to wind around the shaft of the toy top and extend outwardly through said slot with a finger ring at its outer end.

2. An amusement device comprising; a receptacle; movable pins in said receptacle; a toy top to be spun in said receptacle; and a thread for activating the said top, said receptacle including; a floor; vertical walls connected to said floor defining a generally rectangular playing field, said walls including a forward wall, a rearward wall, and side walls connecting the forward and rearward walls; supporting means extending below the floor of said receptacle for steadying the playing field, said supporting means including, a first sup-port comprising a downward extension of said forward wall below said floor, and a second support extending downwardly from the rearward portion of the lower surface of said floor, said second support slanting toward said first support, said forward wall having a vertical slot therein to allow said thread to pass therethrough, said slot extending upwardly to an enlarged opening for allowing the toy top to engage the inner surface of the forward wall in an erect starting position, said toy top having; an upper body portion of substantially frusto-pyramidic shape with a plurality of external flat side faces circularly spaced around the center line of said body, said faces being distinctively marked; a cylindrical shaft with one end extending outwardly from the smaller base of said frusto-pyramidic body and having a center line common to that of said body; and a spherically shaped tip at the other end of said shaft, said tip being distinctively marked, said shaft and tip being sized to allow the toy top to rest on one of the fiat side faces of said upper body portion and the tip on the floor of the receptacle, said pins having a bottle-like shape with a flat support base, said thread being sized to wind around the shaft of the toy top and extend outwardly through said slot with a finger ring at its outer end.

3. An amusement device comprising; a receptacle; a toy top to be spun in said receptacle; and a thread for activating the said top, said receptacle including; a floor; vertical walls connected to said floor defining a generally rectangular playing field, said walls including a high forward wall, a low rearward wall, and side walls connecting the forward and rearward walls; supporting means extending below the floor for steadying the playing field, said supporting means including, a first support comprising an extension of said forward wall below said floor; and a second support extending from the rearward portion of the lower surface of the floor, said second support slanting toward said first support for engaging the rim of a pool table, said forward wall having a vertical slot therein to allow said thread to pass therethrough, said slot extending upwardly to an enlarged opening for allowing the toy top to engage the inner surface of the forward wall in a vertical starting position, said toy top having; an upper body portion of substantially frusto-pyramidic shape with a plurality of external flat side faces circularly spaced around the center line of said body, said faces being distinctively marked, the larger base of said frustopyramidic body being concave; an elongate cylindrical shaft with one end extending outward from the smaller base of said frusto-pyrarnidic body and having a center line common to that of said body, said shaft including a notch for connecting said thread to the toy top; and a spherically shaped tip at the other end of said shaft, said tip being distinctively marked, said shaft and tip being sized to allow the toy top to rest on one of the flat side faces of said upper body portion and the tip on the floor of the receptacle, said thread being sized to wind around the shaft of the toy top and extend outwardly through said slot with a finger ring at its outer end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS De. 31,017 6/1899 Seiler 273-147 2,149,815 3/1939 Lloyd 273108 2,976,045 3/1961 Mason 273-147 FOREIGN PATENTS 740,608 7/1932 France.

463,618 5/1951 Italy.

359,078 1/ 1962 Switzerland.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS ZACK, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

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