Game

July 16, 1935.

G. N. LAMB

GAME

Filed April 24, 1933

2,008,359

Sheets-Sheet 1

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ATTORNEY.

July 16, 1935.

G. N. LAMB

2,008,359

GAME

Filed April 24, 1933

Sheets-Sheet 2

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INVENTOR.

Geor&amp;5 N. Lam&amp;.

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ATTORNEY.

Patented July 16, 1935

2,008,359

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,008,359 GAME ·. George N. Lamb, St. Charles, Ill. Application April 24, 1933, Serial No. 667,557 5 Claims. (Cl. 273—95)

My invention relates to a; game, comprising a standard provided with a plurality of rings in different positions, through which the players in turn attempt to throw or toss a ball by means 5 of a special playing tool or device. By my invention I also provide an improved system of play and scoring which materially increases, the interest in the game..

More; specifically, my game construction con19 sists.of a vertical standard or column supporting rings on different sides thereof and extending at different angles from the standard, the .rings being large enough so that the ball thrown or tossed at them may easily pass through any. one 15 of the rings, the internal diameter of each of the rings, being preferably several times the external diameter of the ball. The tool employed to toss or throw the ball is preferably provided with a flexible support for the ball which loosely sup80 ports the latter, so that, by a swinging, movement of the tool, its spring portion is. flexed and the ball may be tossed or thrown as desired by the player. By my improved scoring system, the players preferably play on one ring at a time, tS to. constitute, an inning of the play, and the. plays on the rings successively, comprise the successive innings of the game, .each player having preferably a plurality of trials: during each inning, so that if he it unsuccessful on his first trial, he 39 may still have a chance to score during, the inning, my improved scoring system providing that for each unsuccessful trial during the. inning. the score for the inning is reduced, so that a player’s score for the inning is progressively less 35 depending.upon.the number of unsuccessful trials he has had during the inning, until finally, if he has exhausted all of the trials permitted to him for the inning, without passing the ball through the ring being played for that inning, his score 49 for that inning is zero. Furthermore, the- position and relation of the rings, to the standard, present varying amounts of difficulty of play for the several innings, and the. amount of difficulty for any inning, is reflected in the possible score 45 for that inning. .

- My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, in which

Fig, 1 illustrates my standard and rings in side 50 elevation, in use during the play of the game,

Fig, 2-shows in front elevation to an enlarged scale, the standard and the parts supported thereby,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the· structure shown in W Fig. 2, taken along the line 3—3,

Fig. 4 is. κ horizontal, sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 2, taken along the line

Fig. 5 is a horizontal, sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, taken along the line 5—5, 5

Fig. 6: show in side: elevation to an enlarged scale; the playing- tool illustrated in Fig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the playing tool shown in Fig. 6, : .

Fig; 8 shows in plan view a modified form of 10 the playing tool,

Fig. 9-shows in front elevation a form of score board adapted for use with my game, and

Fig.. 10 shows in a view similar to Fig. 9 and to an enlarged scale, the portion of the score 15 boardalloted to-one of the players.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Fig. 1, my game consists of a vertical column, or standard 10 supported at its lower 20 end by a pedestal I I, said column having mounted thereon, at: different heights a plurality of rings A, B, C, D and. E, there being another of these rings, F; as illustrated in Fig. 2, which does not appear in Fig·.1. As. illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, 25 the-ring A is to the left of the column as viewed by the player, and in a horizontal plane; the ring B is above the ring A and is also to the left of the column, and is in a vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the line of play; the ring 30 C is. above the ring B and is ‘also to the left of the column;, and is: inclined somewhat to a horizontal plane, for example, at about 30°, and has its front edge uppermost; the ring D is to the right of the column at substantially the height of 35 the ring G, and is; inclined to a horizontal plane; for example, at about 30° and has its rear edge uppermost; the ring E is in front of the column at about the heighti of : the ring B; and is in/a vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the 40 plane of the ring :B; and the ring F is at substantially;the height of the ring A, and is to the right of the column and in a horizontal plane. A deflecting plate 12 is mounted on the column to the right of the ring E as viewed by the player, 45 and at such an inclination to the plane of the ring E, that when the ball is properly directed against said plate it will rebound from the plate horizontally towards and through the ring E; the inclination of said plate being sub- 50 stantiaUy 4δί tothe- plane of the ring-E, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4. A deflecting plate 13 is supported by the column below the ring F and at a sufficient· : inclination to a horizontal plane, for example about 30°, so ttiat when the 55

2,008,359

29α, 29b, 29c, 29d, etc. depending upon the number of players, which compartments for convenience are given numbers to identify the several players. In Fig. 10, I illustrate to an enlarged scale, one of the players’ compartments on the 5 score board, for example the compartment 29α.

As shown in Fig. 10, the compartment 29α is provided with a plurality of vertical lines one for each of the rings or innings A to F inclusive, and a plurality of horizontal lines having numerals 10 at their left hand ends to designate corresponding scores for different ones of the plays. The small circles 30 illustrate holes formed in the score board in vertical and horizontal rows at the intersections of said vertical and said horizontal 15 lines, to receive scoring pegs, and the double circles 31 illustrate particular ones of the peg holes, in which pegs are placed at the beginning of the play, one for each of the rings or innings A to F inclusive, that is to say at the beginning of the 20 play there will be a peg inserted in the uppermost one of each of the vertical series of peg holes, for use by the corresponding player as the game progresses, and since the same construction is employed for each of the other scoring compart- g5 ments, each of the other players has his scoring pegs similarly located in his compartment. While the number of trials the player may have before he has played out any inning, is an arbitrary matter, I find that it adds considerable interest to 30 the game, if a player may have repeated opportunity to make any particular ring during the corresponding inning of play, for example seven trials. With this number of trials, and assuming the play to be at the beginning of the first inning, if the first trial is a failure, the player moves his scoring peg from the double circle 31 in column A, down to the next hole and makes a second trial. If the trial is successful and the player succeeds in passing the ball through ring A, the 40 peg remains where it is then located and the player’s score is 20 for that inning; if however, other trials are required before the player passes the ball downwardly through ring A, the scoring peg is moved downwardly in column A one hole 45 for each unsuccessful trial. This results in the player’s score for any inning being the amount indicated by the horizontal line through the hole containing his scoring peg at the beginning of his successful trial for that inning. It will be 50 noted that the scoring values decrease downwardly, which has the effect of penalizing the player for each unsuccessful trial, until finally if he has exhausted his: trials without success for any inning, his score for that inning automatically be- 55. comes zero. It will also be noted that for certain of the lettered columns, the double circles are at higher scoring values than for others of the lettered Columns. This is to compensate for different amounts of difficulty involved in scor- 6Q ing: through the corresponding; rings during the play of the game, the scoring System permitting any desired scoring values, any desired premiums for difficult hazards, and any desired penalties for failure in repeated trials, whether the scoring 65 system is employed in connection with the present game or any other desired game. In any event, it is desirable that the number of peg holes in each vertical row, shall be equal to? the number of trials per inning plus one, and that 7Q the lowermost one of each of said vertical rows of peg holes, shall be in the horizontal line marked “0”.

It will be understood that the column and rings described may have any size, proportions and 75 ball strikes the plate 13, it will rebound upwardly through the ring F.

In the play of the game, the following restrictions are preferably imposed, although it will 5 be understood that the number, arrangement and relation of the rings to the column may be changed if desired, and that other rules and restrictions may be employed, as preferred. I find that interest in the game is stimulated by having 10 the rings A to F inclusive correspond to successive innings of play of the game and in the order of the letters, and to effect a score for the corresponding inning, I prefer to require the play of the ball to be downwardly through the 15 ring A, from front to rear through the ring B, upwardly through ring C, downwardly through ring D, from the plate 12 through the ring E from right to left, and from the plate 13 upwardly through ring F.

. As illustrated in Fig. 3, by placing two of the rings at substantially. the same height, I am able to mount both of them, for example the rings C and D, on a sleeve 14 provided with a bore that is a loose fit on the column 10, the sleeve 25 being held on the column at a desired height by a set screw 15. Similarly, as: shown in Fig. 4, the rings B and E are secured to a sleeve 16 which is secured to the column 10 at a desired height by the set screw IT, and the plate 12 is conven30 jently supported by a .bracket 18 secured to the sleeve 16. Similarly as shown in Fig. 5, the rings A and F are secured to. a sleeve 19 which may be held at a desired height on the column 10 by means of a set screw 20. As shown in Fig. 2 the 35 plate 13 is supported, on an arm 21 extending from a sleeve 22 supported at desired height on the column 10 by a set screw .23.

As shown in Figs. 6 and .7, the: tool epiployed to throw or toss the. ball in the play of the: game, 40 preferably consists of a handle 24 from one end of which a . bent wire 25 extends, the outer end of the wire being shaped into a ring 25α of such a diameter that the ball . 26. employed in playing the game , may rest on the ring and extend 45 a small distance through it, without any danger of the ball ,being so. tightly engaged by the ring as to· be retained by it. The. wire 25 .is preferably of resilient material, .for example, spring steel, so that in handling the, ball, a perceptible amount 50 of flexing is imparted to· the wire. This is particularly true when the ball is handled as I prefer to require in the play of the game, consisting first in holding the handle 24 in horizontal position towards the column 10 as illustrated in Fig. 1, 55 with the ball 26 resting on the ring 25α, after which the player’s arm and the tool are lowered, swinging the ball in an arc indicated by the dotted line 2T until the ball is adjacent the ankle of the player, after which the arm and the play60 ing tool are raised to impart the desired movement to the ball, towards the particular one of the rings which at that time is the target for the ball.

If preferred, the playing tool may be con65 structed as illustrated in Fig. 8 by forming the resilient portion of the tool of a double wire 28, both ends of which are inserted in the handle 24α, the piid portion of the wire being bent into ring form as illustrated at 28α so that the ring is of ⁷⁰ substantially the same size as the ring 25α.

In Fig. 9,1 illustrate a score board at 29, which I find to be effective for use in connection with the system of scoring which imparts added interest to the game, said score board being pro⁷⁵ vided with several similar scoring compartments

2,008,359 3 construction, and be of any materials adapted to the purposes described. I find it convenient to have the column about six feet high and to construct it of metal tubing, although any other ma5 terial adapted to the purpose, may be employed if preferred. Again, I prefer to make the rings of metal tubing and to make the internal diameters thereof about 10 inches, although I do not limit myself in these respects, since the rings 10 may be of any other material adapted to the purpose and may have other diameters and shapes if preferred, and the term “rings” is used in the claims in a generic sense to include any size, shape and form of these devices adapted to the 15 purpose, whether they be circular or otherwise, and whether· they be closed rings or otherwise the only requirements being that they shall be visible to the player, of sufficient rigidity so that they cannot be readily or permanently deformed, 20 and that their size and shape, whether circular or otherwise, will readily permit the ball employed, to score by means of them. Again, I find it convenient to employ a tennis ball in playing the game, but obviously any size and kind of 25 ball adapted to the purpose, may be used. I find that the game is more interesting however, if the ball is resilient and lively, rather than dead and sluggish. The player’s tool may be of any desired materials and have any desired size and 30 flexibility, depending upon whether the manner of handling the ball during the play, is as described above, or different therefrom. Furthermore, the seat in said tool for the ball employed, may have any desired conformation that will 35 loosely support the ball, either circular or otherwise.

While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiment, above described, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to this ex40 act construction as I may employ equivalents known to the art at the time of the filing of this application without departing from the scope of the appended claims.