US722359A - Game apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 722,359. PATENTE D MAR. 10, 1903' G. A. FOWLER.

GAME APPARATUS..

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30, 1902. I0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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0. A. FOWLER. GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30, '1902.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2- H0 MODEL.

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CHARLES A. FOWLER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN COLLINS FOWLER, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- VANIA.

GAME APPARATUS.

sPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,359, dated March 10, 1903.

Application filed July 30, 1902. Serial No. 117.643. (No model.)

Q0 in whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. FOWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and amusing Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and amusing game apparatus, and has for its object to provide an apparatus having an opening in the upper end thereof through which a ball may be thrown, and this ball after entering the apparatus may pass through any one of five chutes, and each chute is connected with a separate pocket extending outward from the front of the apparatus, and when the ball rests within any one of the pockets electrical contact is made, which will ring either an electric hell or buzzer, so as to notify the players in which pocket the ball has emerged.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may under stand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the apparatus complete; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section through the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a side elevation of the crown to which the upper ends of the tubes are connected, showing also a portion of the tube; Fig. 5, a diagrammatical view of the electric circuit.

The framework of the apparatus consists of a front board A and a housing B, secured to the rear of the same. The whole apparatus is supported by suitable legs 0, so that the same may stand upright. The upper end of the front board A is formed circular, and through the center of the same is provided an opening D, to which is connected one end of an elbow-pipe E, the other end of which points downward and is secured to or formed with an inverted hopper G. The lower end of said hopper surrounds a crown-piece H, and this crown-piece is provided with a central opening and several openings arranged around the central opening, and to each of the openings surrounding the central opening is attached a tube I, which extends downward to different levels and then are turned horizontally and emerge through the front board A, where protruding pockets J are attached, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This crown-piece H is formed conical, and the central opening through the same opens through the apex of this cone, and through this central opening protrudes a tube K, which is flared slightly above the crown H, and this tube extends downward the same as the tubes I, turns at right angles, and emerges through the front board A into a pocket K.

In playing the game the players stand at some distance from the apparatus and throw a ball toward the same, aiming for the opening D. If the ball should go through the opening D, it passes through the elbow H and in falling downward may pass through any one of the tubes I or through the tube K; but the tube K being central is the most diffioult one for the ball to enter. The ball in passing down the tubes will then emerge from the apparatus at the front and lodge in any one of the pockets, and these pockets may be numbered, so as to count different scores for the players. Of course the pocket connected with the central tube will count the highest score.

For the purpose of notifying the players in which pocket the ball has lodged without the necessity of the players approaching the apparatus I provide in each of the pockets J and K a spring-tongue L, the free end of which is normally out of contact with the contactpoints M; but when the ball lodges within any one of the pockets this spring-tongue L is depressed by the weight of the ball and coming in contact with the contact-point M a circuit will be formed through the battery N, so as to sound an alarm upon the buzzer 0 if the ball lodges in any one of the pockets J or sound an alarm upon theelectric bell P if the ball lodges within the pocket K. Thus the players are notified at once whether the ball is in one of the pockets J or in the pocket K.

The crown-piece H, I prefer to so form that the upper conical surface of the same will be slightly dished at as many places as there are tubes I, and these tubes will be connected to the crown-piece H at the lowest point of these dished surfaces, so that there will be no chance for the ball to lodge in between the tubes, so as not to pass down one of them.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction here shown, as slight modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a game apparatus, an upright front board, the upper end of which is provided with an opening, a chute, one end of which is connected with said opening, the other end of which points downward and depresses outward a crown-piece fitted in the lower end of the chute, a series of tubes protruding upward through the crown piece, said tubes passing downward to differentlevels and then being bent at right angles and emerging through the front board, pockets arranged upon the front board, one for each tube, and alarm devices adapted to be actuated by a ball lodging in one of the pockets, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a game apparatus, an upright board provided with an opening at its upper end, a curved chute extending through said opening from the rear, the other end of said chute opening downward, a crown-piece fitted in the lower end of the chute, said crown-piece being formed slightly conical, a tube extending outward from below through the apex of said crown-piece, the upper end of said tube being slightly flared, a series of tubes extending upward through the crown-piece arranged around the central tube, all of said tubes extending downward to dilferentlevels and then being bent at right angles and emerging through the front board, pockets secured to the front board into which the tubes emerge, electrical contact devices arranged within the pockets adaptedto be operated by the weight of a ball, an electric circuit, a battery, electric bell and electric buzzer included in said circuit, the contact devices in the pockets also included in said circuit in such a manner that when the ball enters the pocket connected with the central tube an alarm will be sounded on the electric bell, and when the ball enters the pockets connected with the other tubes an alarm will be sounded on the electric buzzer.

3. In a game apparatus, an upright board provided with an opening through its upper end at which a ball is designed to be thrown, a curved chute extending rearward from said opening and opening downward, a crownpiece arranged in the lower end of said chute, said crown-piece being formed slightly conical, a tube extending upward through the apex of said crown-piece and being slightly flared upon its upper end, a series of tubes arranged around the central tube and extending upward through the crown-piece, said crown-piece being dished or concaved at different places upon its upper surface so that the concentric tubes will extend through the crown-piece at the lowest point of the concaved surfaces, all of said tubes extending downward to different levels and emerging through the front board, pockets arranged upon the front board in which the tubes emerge, and means adapted to be actuated by the weight of the ball for sounding an alarm when the ball enters any one of the pockets, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. FOWLER.

Witnesses:

H. B. HALLOCK, L. W. MORRISON.

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