' Aug. 19, 1947.
J. M. PRENTICE
2,426,048.
GAME APPARATUS
Filed Sept. 12, 1945
[Z311
IN VEN TOR.
Patented Aug. 19, 1947
2,426,048
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE
2,426,048
GAME APPARATUS
James M. Prentice, South Hadley, Mass.
Application September 12, 1945, Serial No. 615,755
6 Claims. ‘ (Cl. 273-118)
1
2
This invention relates to improvements in game
apparatus.
The principal objects of the invention are di
rected to improvements in game apparatus which
is characterized by a game board having a plu
rality of electric lights having in combination
with circuit closing means operable accordingly
as a playing piece is engaged thereby.
The novel features of the invention include a
board which may be‘ ornamented to simulate a
base-ball diamond, foot-ball ?eld, tennis court
or whatever may be desired.
A guideway which
is traversed by a playing piece has circuit closing
means associated therewith and accordingly as
the circuit closing means is operated in conjunc
tion with the playing piece one or more lights
are energized and may be taken as plays or re
sults of plays according to the rules of the game.
With the foregoing and various other novel
features and advantages and other objects of my
invention as will become more apparent as the
.
lower sides of the board extend through the up
per panel into the guideway.
A playing piece which is preferably in the form
of a metal ball 22 is provided and in the play of
the game said playing piece is dropped into the
entrance opening i8 so that it rolls down the
guideway 16 and it may be retrieved through the
outlet 20.
The board is preferably tilted or inclined from
the entrance It to the outlet 2%) so that the play
ing piece will traverse the guideway. This may
be accomplished by tilting the board in any well
known manner.
A plurality of contacts 24 are secured to the
These contacts 24 are connected by
wires 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 to one side of the lights
ill. Opposite sides of the lights are connected
by 36, 38 and dB to one terminal of a battery 42
and the other battery terminal is connected by
43 to strap 62.
A peep opening ll is provided in the upper
15 member l4.
description proceeds, the invention consists in
panel and into the guideway so that a player may
certain novel features of construction and in the
observe the ball as it rolls therepast.
combination and arrangement of parts as will be
A contactor 44 of metal is provided which has
hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the 25 downwardly extending legs 45 at opposite lon
claims hereunto annexed and more fully de
gitudinal edges that are slidable in grooves 48
scribed and referred to in connection with the
disposed transversely of the guide member IS.
accompanying drawings wherein:
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a game board appa
ratus embodying the novel features of the inven
tion;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the circuit
closing means of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;
and
'
Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional elevational views
on the lines 3—3 and 4-4 respectively of Fig. 2.
Referring now to the drawings more in detail,
the invention will be fully described.
A game board is represented by 2 which in
A downwardly extending lip 53 is provided at the
inner side of the contactor 44 and a lip 52 extends
downwardly at its outer side.
A tab 54 extends upwardly from the contactor
44 through an opening 55 in the upper panel and
a spring 58 in a socket 69 provided in the mem
ber I6 urges the contactor inwardly or forwardly
towards the contacts 24. A strap 62 overlies the
contactor 44 and has opposite ends secured to
member [6, as shown.
A trigger member 64 of resilient metal has its
inner end secured to the member I6 by any suit
cludes a frame 4 and upper and lower panels 6 40 able means, such as a screw 66 or the like. A
and 8 secured together in any well known man
projection ‘68 on the upper side of the member
ner. The face of the upper panel may be pro
'64 is adapted to lie behind the lip 52 of the con
vided with ornamentation in simulation of a
tactor M and a manually engageable tab part 10
extends upwardly from the said trigger through
game area such as a base-ball diamond, foot-ball
?eld or the like. 0 plurality of electric lights
an opening 12.
ID are provided which may be disposed as de
With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3,
sired or according to the playing space of the
the tab 10 may be depressed so that the projec
game which the panel is to carry. Indicia may
tion 58 is depressed whereby the spring 58 moves
be applied to the panel which will be appropriate
the contactor towards the contacts 24. By en
50 gaging the tab 54 of the contactor said contactor
to the particular game.
Longitudinally extending guide members 14
may be moved outwardly away from contacts 24
and [5 of wood or the like are disposed between
so that it is held in cocked position by the trigger
the panels and are ?xed in spaced relation to
against the action of spring 58.
provide a guideway l6 therebetween. Entrance
As stated, the upper panel may carry such
and outlet openings 18 and 20 at the upper and
ornamentation and indicia as may be desired and
2,426,048
3
4
a set of rules may be adapted for the play of a
form of a metal ball, a plurality of lights, a plu
rality of spaced contact on one of said guide
members in said guideway, a manually engage
able contactor‘ slidably mounted on the other
game.
In the operation of the apparatus the playing
ball 22 is dropped into the opening [8 so that said
ball will roll down the guideway 16. The player
grasps the tab 10 for depressing the trigger to
release the contactor for engaging the ball be
tween the lip 50 of the contactor and one or more
of the contacts 24. The ball is visible to the
guide member having a part depending in said
guideway for engaging said playing piece between
it and any one of said contacts for establishing
an electric circuit, and circuit connections be
tween said lights, contacts and contactor for con
player through the peep hole I l. The player may 10 hosting the same to a source of energy.
desire to make contact through the ball and that
3. A game apparatus comprising in combina
contact which will energize that light or lights
tion, a game board including spaced upper and
which, according to the indicia on the panel and
lower panels, longitudinally extending spaced
rules of the game, will be most favorable.
guide members between said panels forming a
Should the contactor be released before the
ball reaches the first of the contacts 24 none of
the lights will be energized and likewise should
the ball pass all of the contacts before the con
tactor is released none of the lights will be ener
guideway between said panels, said upper panel
provided with entrance and exit openings at
may be as many contacts as may be desired.
lower panels, longitudinally extending spaced
The invention may be embodied in other speci?c
forms without departing from the essential char
acteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodi
guide members between said panels forming a
guideway between said panels, said upper panel
provided with entrance and exit openings at
opposite ends of the guideway and‘ a peep open
opposite ends of the guideway and a peep opening
intermediate the ends thereof and in communi
cation with said guideway, a playing piece in
gized.
20 the form of a metal ball, a plurality of lights, a
There may be stop means to prevent the con
plurality of spaced contacts on one of said guide
tactor 44 engaging the contacts 24 so that no
members in said guideway, a contactor sl-idably
circuit will be established except through the ball
mounted on the other guide member having a
and the connections may be such that the ball
part, depending in said guideway for engaging
may engage the contactor and adjacent contacts, 25 said playing piece between it and any one of said
as well as one contact, for energizing a light or
contacts for establishing an electric circuit, and
lights.
circuit connections between said lights, contacts
A contact 16 is carried by the member [5 which
and contactor for connecting the same to a‘ source
will be engaged when the contactor is released
of energy, said upper panel provided with an
without the ball being between it and the contacts 30 opening and said contactor provided with a
24. ‘This may be connected to one of the lights
manually engag'eable part extending there
as by connection 18.
through.
The contactor and contacts may be placed as
4. A game apparatus comprising in combina
desired relative to the peep opening and there
tion, a game board including spaced upper and
ments are therefore to be considered in all re
spects merely as being illustrative and not asbe
ing restrictive, the scope of the invention being
indicated by the appended claims rather than by
the foregoing description, and all modi?cations
and variations as fall within the meaning and
purview and range of equivalency of ‘the append
ed claims are therefore intended to be embraced
therein.
What it is desired to claim‘ and secure by Letters
Patent of the United States is:
1. A game apparatus comprising in combina
tion, a game board including spaced upper and
lower panels; longitudinally extending spaced
ing intermediate the ends thereof and in‘ com
munication with said guideway, a playing piece
in the form of a metal ball, a plurality of lights,
a plurality of spaced contacts on‘ one‘ of said
guide members in said guideway, a contactor
slidably mounted- on' the other guide member
having a part depending in said guideway for
engaging said playing piece‘ between it and any
one of said contacts for establishing an electric
circuit, and circuit connections between said
lights, contacts and contactor for connecting the
same to a source of energy, said upper panel
provided with an opening and said contactor pro
vided with a manually engageable part extend
ing therethrough, and spring means urging said
contactor inwardly of the» guideway and towards
said contacts.
5. A game apparatus comprising in combina
tion, a game board‘ including‘v spaced upper and
guide members forming a guideway therebetween
for a-playing piece, a playing, piece in the form‘ of
a metal‘ ball‘, said upper panel provided with en~
trance and outlet openings‘ leading. into the guide
way adjacent opposite ends thereof, a plurality
of lights, a plurality of contacts spaced along one
of said guide members in said guideway, a-manu
lower panels, longitudinally extending spaced
ally‘ engageable contactor movably mounted on 60 guide members between said panels forming a
the other guide member and towards and away
guideway" between said‘ panels, said upper panel
from'sa'id contacts'for engaging said playing piece
provided with‘ entrance‘ and exit openings at
between it and one of said contacts for complet
opposite‘ ends of the guideway and‘ a‘peep open"
ing a circuit, and circuit means for connecting
ing intermediate the ends‘ thereof and in com
said contacts, lights and contactor to‘ a. source" of 65 munication with said guideway, a playing piece
energy‘.
in the form of a metal ball‘, a‘ plurality of lights; a
2'.v A game apparatus‘ comprising in combina
plurality of spaced contacts‘ on‘ one of said guide
tion, a game board including spaced upper and
members in said guideway, a contactor slidably
lower panels‘, longitudinally extending spaced
mounted‘ on the other guide member having a
guide‘ members between said‘. panels forming a
part depending in said guideway for engaging
said playing piece between it and‘ any‘ one‘ of said
guideway‘ between said‘ panels, said upper panel
provided‘ with entrance and' exit openings’ at op
contacts for establishing an electric circuit, cir
posite ends of the guideway‘ and a peep opening
cuit connections between said lights‘, contacts
and contactor for connecting the same to a source
intermediate the ends: thereof and in‘ communi
cation with said guideway, av playing piece‘ in the 75 of energy, said upper panel provided with an
2,426,048
5
6
opening and said contactor provided with a
cuit connections between said lights, contacts
manually engageable part extending there
through, spring means urging said contactor in
wardly of the guideway and towards said con
and contactor for connecting the same to a source
of energy, said upper panel provided with an
opening and said contactor provided with a
tacts, and trigger means engageable with said 5 manually
contactor for holding it against said spring means
and away from said contacts.
6. A game apparatus comprising in combina
tion, a game board including spaced upper and
engageable part extending there
through, spring means urging said contactor in~
wardly of the guideway and towards said con
tacts, and trigger means engageable with said
contactor for holding it against said spring
lower panels, longitudinally extending spaced 10 means and away from said contacts and having a
guide members between said panels forming a
manually engageable part extending upwardly
guideway between said panels, said upper panel
provided with entrance and exit openings at
opposite ends of the guideway and a peep open
ing intermediate the ends thereof and in com 15
munication with said guideway, a playing piece
in the form of a metal ball, a plurality of lights,
a plurality of spaced contacts on one of said
through an opening provided in said upper panel.
JAMES M. PRENTICE'.
REFERENCES CITED
The following references are of record in the
file of this patent:
guide members in said guideway, a contactor slid
UNITED STATES PATENTS
ably mounted on the other guide member having 20
a part depending in said guideway for engaging
Number
Name
Date
said playing piece between it and any one of said
2,177,725
Koci _____________ __ Oct. 31, 1939
contacts for establishing an electric circuit, cir
2,237,122
Swan _____________ __ Apr. 1, 1941