Nova Patents
US3661390A

Resilient bouncer device for pin table bumpers

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a bouncer device for pin table bumpers and comprises a resilient metallic substantially concave or cup shaped plate having a plurality of equidistant peripheral slots and mounted with its axis substantially vertical on the stem of a pin table bumper, the peripheral edge of the metallic plate having a greater inclination than the other portions thereof. When struck by a ball, the cup shaped plate deforms elastically and causes the ball to bounce away from the bumper.

US3661390A, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 2

Term

Term ended

Expired 9 May 1989, 37.4 years ago.

  1. Priority
  2. Filed
  3. Granted
  4. Expired
  5. Today

4 claims: 2 independent, 2 dependent

  1. 1
    I claim 1. A bouncer device in combination with a pin table bumper adapted to cooperate with a ball, the bumper being mushroom shaped and including an upper disc-like portion and an upwardly extending stem supporting said disc-like portion and 50 fixed on the pin table, wherein according to the improvement, the bouncer device comprises a resilient cup-shaped element centrally fixed on said pin at a distance from said table and adapted resiliently to deform when struck by the ball and cause the ball to bounce away from the bumper. 55
  2. 4
    A bouncer device in combination with a pin table bumper adapted to cooperate with a ball, the bumper being mushroom shaped and including an upper disc-like portion and an upwardly extending stem supporting said disc-like portion and fixed on the pin table, wherein according to the improvement, the bouncer device comprises a resilient cup-shaped element centrally fixed on said pin at a distance feom said table, said cup-shaped element being of resilient material and having a plurality of equidistant radially extending peripheral slots defining a plurality of resilient sector portions peripherally on said element adapted resiliently to deform when struck by the ball and cause the ball to bounce away from the bumper. * * * * * RESILIENT BOUNCER DEVICE FOR PIN TABLE BUMPERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a resilient bouncer device for pin table bumpers and the like. It is known that such device at present used in pin tables, flippers and the like to ensure that the ball which strikes the bumpers determines the score obtained and is repelled in various directions, generally consist of a spiral spring wound on the stem of the bumper. The devices of the described type are not completely satisfactory since they have the disadvantage of failing to return to the ball in play a relatively large quantity of the kinetic energy absorbed during the impact with the ball so that the ball tends to bounce away from the bumpers with a much slower speed than that with which it strikes them. Another disadvantage of these devices is that during impact with the ball in play the spring tends to surround the ball and sometimes grips the latter, preventing the desired bounce and consequently suspending play. Furthermore the spring does not always give back the 20 kinetic energy possessed by the ball before the impact proportionally in the sense that, in general, a high incident kinetic energy corresponds to a much smaller kinetic energy returned. The possibility of the clamping of the ball in the .. - =----------—spring is then much greater in the case of high speed of the ball 25 energy Possessed by the ball immediately prior to impact. The than in the case of low speed. Λι,„._ι---------The main object of the present invention is that of eliminating in most part the inconveniences indicated above of this known device by providing a resilient bouncer device designed to reduce the loss of kinetic energy at the moment of the bouncing of the ball to a minimum. Another object of the invention is that of providing a resilient bouncer device designed to cause a progressive reaction with the increase of kinetic energy possessed by the ball at the moment of impact. Another object of the invention is that of providing a resilient bouncer device of simple construction low cost and ready fitting. SUMMARY OF INVENTION According to the invention there is provided a resilient bouncer device for pin table bumpers and the like, comprising a substantially cup shaped element mounted with its axis substantially vertical on the stem of a bumper member, the ar- 45 rangement being such that when the bouncer device is struck by a ball it deformes elastically and causes the ball to bounce away from the bumper. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a resilient bouncer device for mushroom shaped bumpers of pin tables and the like, illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:FIG. 1 is a diametral section of the resilient element of the device;FIG. 2 is a view from above of the same element;FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the resilient device according to the invention;and FIG. 4 shows an alternative form of the element shown in FIG. 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to such figures, the resilient bouncer device according to the embodiment comprises a metal element in the form of a substantially cup shaped sheet centrally bored at 2. Advantageously the sheet 2 has a plurality of radial peripheral slots 3 at regular intervals so that a plurality of petal 70 portions or peripheral sectors 4 are formed (see FIG. 4). As is clearly visible in the section of FIG. 1, the element 1 has a central flat portion 5 bounded by portions 6 which have
Independent claims2