Pocket ball game

June 2, 1936.

2,042,984

J. S. FRITZ

POCKET BALL GAME

Filed Aug. 16, 1935

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Patented June 2, 1936

2,042,984

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,042,984 POCKET BALL GAME Jacob S. Fritz, Zanesville, Ohio Application August 10, 1935. Serial No. 30,581 3 Claims. (Cl. 273—96)

My invention relates to improvements in pocket ball games of the type in which a paddle having an aperture and a depending pocket secured to the paddle and surrounding the aperture, is in5 volved. This type of device usually has a ball attached to a string or resilient cord.

In the ordinary device, as briefly described above, the purpose of the game is to entrap the ball in the basket or net by causing the ball when 10 hit with the paddle to pass through the aperture on the contraction of the flexible cord. The ordinary construction does not permit of a variation of the game, since the basket or net is permanently secured in position about the aper15 ture on one side of the paddle, and the only way that the ball can get into the net is to pass through the aperture.

An object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described, in which the net Or basket 20 may assume a position similar to that already described, so that ⁺he game can be played by passing the ball through the aperture and in which means is provided for shifting the position of the net or basket at right angles, thereby permitting the 25 ball to enter the basket without passing through the aperture as will be hereinafter explained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described in. which the basket is hinged to the paddle so as to be moved from 30 one position to the other with means for holding the frame of the basket in its adjusted position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described having a novel basket holding means of simple construction, this 35 holding means also having the additional functions of a hinge and means for adjusting the tension on the basket frame.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part of this application, in ⁴⁰ which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the paddle with the basket secured thereto in a position at right angles to that of the ordinary de.. vice.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the device along the line 2—2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the device along the line 3—3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the device along the line 4—4 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the basket is used when secured in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, and,

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the posi tion of the basket when it is used in the ordinary manner.

In carrying out my Invention I make use of a conventional paddle 7 of the shape shown in the drawing. This paddle is provided with an aper- 5 ture 8. A ball 9 is secured by a resilient cord, such as a rubber band, 10, to the handle by means of a staple 11, or in any other suitable manner.

The basket or net 12 has a frame member or rim 13 of substantially circular shape, having a 10 flattened portion 13α disposed in engagement with the paddle at a place near the aperture. This portion 13α is secured to the body portion of the paddle 7 by means of bolts 14, outer washers 15, inner washers 16 and winged nuts 17. It will 15 be observed that the outer washers IS are curved as shown at 15α in Fig. 3, to receive the portion 13α of the member 13 and forming, together with its inner washer 16, a hinge socket.

From the foregoing description of the various 20 parts of the device the operation thereof may be readily understood. The frame member 13 is held frictionally by tightening up on the winged nuts 17 so that when the basket is in the position shown in Fig. 1 it will remain in that posi- 25 tion until it is swung to the position shown in Fig. 6, that is to say, it will remain in the position shown in Fig. 1 while the game is being played, but it may be readily changed to play the ordinary game by simply swinging it up, 30 against the friction of the holding members.

In Fig. 5 the ball 9 is struck by the face of the paddle which bears the basket, so that the ball is driven at right angles to the plane of the face, the flexible cord 12 stretching as the ball moves 35 forward. The ball returns owing to the flexibility of the cord, passes the paddle (as shown by the dotted lines), the paddle is turned over into the position shown by dotted lines and is thrust forwardly so as to entrap the ball in the 40 basket. It will be seen that the ball does not pass through the aperture in playing the game in this manner.

While I have shown in Fig. 5 the ball as being struck in the position to drive it in a substantially ⁴⁵horizontal direction, it is obvious that it might be driven in any directon, or it may be driven upwardly or downwardly and the paddle is turned so as to entrap the ball on one of the swings in the direction of the paddle. If the ball is struck ⁵⁰with force it may swing back and forth two or three times and a variation of the game might be to catch it in the basket on any particular swing.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the basket shifted into a position surrounding the aperture 8. In this ⁶⁶

2,042,984 form of the game the ball is struck by the paddle as shown and on the return swing the player endeavors to so place the paddle that the ball will pass through the aperture into the basket. The 5 fact that the basket is hinged enables the player to swing It outwardly on its hinges and recover the ball without the necessity of reaching through the aperture or of trying to shake the ball out of the basket through the aperture. It often hap10 pens that when one attempts to shake the ball from the basket, the resiliency of the fabric of the basket will collapse the latter when the paddle is reversed, thus retaining the ball. As stated above, in my form of the device all that is neces15 sary is to swing the basket away from the paddle and one has easy access to the ball.