Патент USA US2392174

Jan. 1, 1946. `
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2,392,174v
C. METZ
GAME APPARATUS
Filed Aug. 31, 1943
2 sheets-sheet 1
BY
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Jan. 1, 1946.
c. METZ
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`2,392,174
GAME APPARATUS
Filed Aug. 31; 1943
2 Sheets-Sheet 2
»fromm/5x5
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Patented Jan. 1, 1946
y . 12139221741?
leppinaiioneusust 31, 194s... serai` No .590,601 - Ä
2 claims. _ (on eraf-sr):
K This-'inventionrelates to game apparatus.
make`
the
ball...
oneorThemorestepspreliminary
alleybedß .is provided .withsgutte'rs
tar ‘
It is an object of the invention. to provide a
¿L similar to the guttersi of 'conventional'.bowling
alleys but. terminating atgtheiriarrendsin chu-tes
5,' which serve to preventany ballszwhich slide
bowling .game device of novel character provid
ingf for ,physical exercise for rthel player;` in combination. with elements of both skill and. chance
resulting; in a high recreational value'. . .
`offiinto the guttersirom entering theliplaying'rñel?:
It fis’affurther object of theA inventionv to. pro
videa» game; having exercise value' equal to „that
of howling but not-presenting» complicationsas to
scribed-.vv Thel alley proper terminates '.in„,ar.gate;ßi
Whielrpis urged. toward» .closed position by gravita
and` to return. such _balls ina- manner; laterne-.
scoring and other features such as areginvolved 10 and
in standard bowling games.
»
A._ still further object.v of vthe.4 invention is to
The
ing. in»
gai-«e6
the; .is
return
also slanted.
directionI
.transrersely
.br means. Qff-theallen
of.: .stop
asy Shown- in. Figure-„twas to: stifleanyfica11Min`
turninsand. striking the. Same [email protected] the. adjacent
eliminatethe need for pinv boys or other attendants
in esame -ofithe bowling type,
With~vr these> and. still othervobjects which are 15
playing ñeld- [email protected] sate [email protected] balltentcrs
apparent inthe following f_ull description in mind,
the- invention. consists in the combinations and
the »playing ¿field .2. whichl mayv beef.- any oithe:
very numerous forms~ of pin-ballplayingyáiieldsg.
arrangements of parts and details of construction
The particular.` playing`- iieldY shown comprisesîafv
which will now ñrst be fully described in. connec
tion with the accompanying drawings, and then be
more particularly pointed outin the appended
claims-1
«
curved back-stop 1, side walls 8 and a frontwall
20
9 surrounding the forwardly slantedñoon I0,_do.wn
which the4 balls will roll bygravity‘V lInterspersed
over iioor I0 arethe various _scoring bumpers) I,
Y
In'the drawings :
Figure l is a plan view of a game embodying the
invention in a preferred form;
deflector platesl‘l 2,~_and guards I3 and side bumper, '
I3'. n' bauprop'eued pest thee'ate‘s will uns,
25
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mately> roll. down the floor k[Il to .the return- gutter;
I4 ~and will normally` strike:one„or_v morenof-.the
bumpers,A .deilector 'plates-»and- giliardsf».I'I.,I_'I2;- II
and K-I3’, bouncing »back> and iortlí.. betweenfthèsîe.
elements’and. makingone or more scores infso
doing,V The bumpers I.Iv _may be> spring, mounted»
Figure2 is >'ar/longitudinal >`section alongl the line
offFigurefl:
-
lift so. as ' to permit-` anelito roll past;
as. `.shown in' Físureß, vbut-.is [email protected]
Y e
f
’
_ Y .'",».\¿1re-3-is„a longitudinalsection of the‘gameoi
`Fig}Í1re_.-»l,`î -taken. on «the .» line 3'-.3 kof Figure. 4';
Figure 4 is a cross section taken on. the line 30
ß-rzßrofî?îigvre .12..
or surrounded by rubber o1" other elastic ina-lV
Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5--5 of
Figure 1 and showing a part of a ball return ap
terial so as to bounce the ball back when it strikes
the same and assigned various scoring values, as
paratus;
Figure 6 is a detail section taken on »the line 35 indicated by the numerals in Figure 1.
Each
bumper may be connected to electrical apparatus
6_6 of Figure 1; and
so as to register the player’s score cumulatively
on a'score board, which may be conveniently
placed on the rear wall I5. Inasmuch as the
Figure '7 is a detail section taken on' the line t
'1_-1 of Figure 5.
-
.
The essential feature of the game of the in
vention is that it combines a bowling alley, des
40 specific form of pin-ball playing field used forms
ignated generally by the reference numeral I,
no part of the present invention and the, bumper
which is a full size or substantially iull size alley,
with a large sc‘ale pin-ball playing field 2, so that
boards are in themselves well known, these fea
constructions, electrical apparatus and scoring
tures are not illustrated or described in detail
the recreational features of the so-called pin-ball
games are incorporated together with the exercise 45 herein.
There is provided adjacent the runway 2 a ball
and skill features of the game of bowling. In
rack I6, with which is associated an endless chain
addition, the pin-ball principle employed on the
conveyor I'I (Figures 4 and 5) provided with
gigantic scale of the invention has recreational
scoops I8 for carrying balls upward froml the
features which are not present in small counter
parts.
The layout comprises a. runway 2, similar to
that of a conventional bowling alley, upon which
the player stands, which is level or substantially
level with the alley bed 3 upon which the balls
50
end of a passage I9 and delivering the same onto
a stripper 20 at the head of an incline forming
part of the rack I6. The passage I9 forms, as
best shown in Figure 4, a continuation of the
' return gutter I4 at the front end of the playing
are rolled and long enoughto permit the player» to 55 field and passageways» 2|.í under the »gutters 4
Y2.
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2,392,174
likewise lead into the passage I 9, so that allballs
are ultimately returnedrto the conveyor |'|.
f The construction of the passages 2| is best
shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 6, and as there
shown, any balls in the gutters 4 are receivedY
Within the chute Vhoods 5, to be guided down-l
wardly through openings 22 into the passages
2| below the gutters. VAny balls, .whether re
turning along the passages |4 or 2|, ultimately
' enter the housing 23 for the conveyor |`| and
.are received ytherein by supports -24 «(Figure v’1)1
in position for engagement by the scoops |8. As
‘ 'Y will be understood, a ball restingY upon thesup.- '
,Y ports 24 in the position indicated in Figure „7,v e
Iwill serve to prevent any balls back of lit VVfrom
drawings should be understood »as purelyk illus
trative, as playing ñelds of widely varying shape,y
construction and scoring features may be util
ized and playing fields simulating Vthe scoring
Yfeatures of various games such as base ball, golf
and the like may be utilized Where found at
tractive.
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In order to prevent players 4from entering upon
thelalley past the ’foul line 25 a standard photo
electric‘eye arrangement may be installed a short
distance down the alley, the beam or 'beams run
ning across the alley between a port 26 on one
side of the alleyA and .box 21 on the conveyor
Íhousing 23 on the opposite side of the alley. The
beam may be set so Yas to permit passage of aY
ventering the housing |8 and interfering With-¿the
ball at a 'proper height but to be interrupted by`
>operation of the conveyor |1.
a player entering upon the alley. No special elec
tric circuits are Anecessary in this connection, as
the electric eye mechanism may simply be con
nected' to the score voiding circuit usually em
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Normally the player'will be provided Witl‘l-Y a
'ñxed number of balls Vper game and this may-be.r «
VAcontrolled by an attendant or, Where desired,l by `
Vany suitable coin-actuatedímechanism associated
with the ball rack | 6. The'alleyproper' may con
ployed in games of the pin-ball typeA to ¿avoid
tilting of the table.
,
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veniently be a standard bowling alley modified to
As will be apparent, the gameof the present
the extent indicated, and 'While preferably 'fu1l`
invention combines the best recreational and
widthY and vin `other respects Yidentical
con 25 exercise features 'of bowling and pin-balL’and
/ struction to a. standard bowling alley, the-length
with reference to the latter, retains and increases
0f the alley may Vadvantageously be. abbreviated
the recreational value While, by its very size and in certain instances» Theplayer, in any event,
theskill and physical' elîor-t involved in bowling,
receives precisely the same benefit~as to exercise , the objectionablerfeatures of pin-'ball games are
as in'conventional bowling and the recreational
and skill- elements of the game may be adjusted
` in anydesiredV proportions. In the ñrst place, the*`
player must possess suflicient skill to roll the ball
directly down the alley without entering the gut
eliminated.
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YWhat is claimed is:
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1. Game'apparatus comprising a substantially
-f-ull Width bowling'alley having a bowling bed,
side gutters along the edges ,ofY said bed and a
Secondly, 35 runway for bowlers at one end of said alley,
‘ the score obtained is controlled to a large extent
return chutes for balls entering said gutters, a
ters 4 or he >will not be able to score.
, A.by the position of the .ball widthwise >of the gate ,
` 6 When 'it strikes the same, as well'as by its'
¿ velocity Vand spin. As 'will be clear the game of
. the present invention thus introduces Aprecisely
gate at >the far end of ’said Yalley arranged'ïto _
permit-.passage of`a bowling ballfrom said alley
' but toprevent itsreturn, said return chuteshav-V
ing*r entrances infront of said gatefor receiving
, thé sameielement of skill inV directing the «balls .
*i asis present in the game of conventional bowl
balls -from said gutters, and a giant pin-ball play- '
i ing. j" By varying the various elements having to
Vceive :balls therefrom, the saidV gate forming 'the
VVd_owvith the pin-ball palying ñeld, the elements
ing ñeld adjacent and alongside said alley'to re
entrance to said playingfield.V
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of skill can be intermixed in practically any gde 45 ì 2. Game apparatus „according'tojclaîin ïl, com
` siredv proportions. Experience has sh'ofwnthat
prising. also ball return means _for said-¿playing
l playing >iì'elds should be modified; or changed
field and?elevator` means for delivering balls from
fairly frequently if publicvinterestis to Ybe main
tained, andthe changing of_ theplayingfieldwofY
' the invention from time to time is contemplated,
" Ilipviewiof this, the playing1ieldßhowxlV ìnßhe `
said» Areturnchutes and from` said returnmeans
toa _common location adjacent saidV runway.Y
CHRIs'roP’HalaVr
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