Game apparatus.

Application filed February 4,1904, Serial No. 192,052, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, George W. Norton and Jerry March, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of .5 Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a new and amusing to game-board apparatus, and has for its object to provide a game-board having openings formed therein at which the players are to pitch weights, balls, or other objects and the count is made according to the opening in i5 which the balls or weights are thrown or pitched, and one of the openings through the board is made to represent a head or a human being or an. animal, the normal position of the head being with the mouth wide open, so and when one of the weights or balls is thrown into the .mouth the mouth is adapted to close automatically and then open again, the ball or weight passing downward to the lower end of the board.

. With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order , that those skilled in the art to 30 which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction, and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in 35 which—

Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved game-board; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section through the same.

A represents the game-board, which is pref40 erably supported at an angle.

B represents a head formed upon the upper surface of the game-board.

C is the lower jaw of the head, which lower jaw is pivoted at the point O', and this por45 tion representing the lower jaw is so balanced as to normally remain open; but if a weight or ball is thrown into the mouth and strikes the heel end C² of the jaw it will overbalance the portion 0, representing the lower jaw, so that the forward portion of the jaw will be 50 rocked upward, giving the appearance of the closing of the mouth, and then as the ball or weight slides off of the heel end of the jaw the jaw will return to its normal position and the ball or weight will slide down the chute 55 D to the pocket E at the lower end, where the balls or weights may be collected. There may be a number of other openings F formed through the board or connected at the rear to the chute D. If the openings F are connected 60 to the chute D, said chute will be wide enough to include said openings.

. We do not wish to be limited to any particular shape of board or number of openings formed therethrough, as the gist of our in- 65 vention consists in providing a game-board with the representation of a head having a movable lower jaw which is closed automatically as a weight or ball is thrown into the open mouth. Therefore we do not wish to be lim- 7° ited to the exact construction here shown, as slight modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.