Targets Actuated Upon Impact By A Missile

Abstract

An amusement device having a plurality of individually actuatable targets, each operatively associated with a launching device which, in response to the impact of a missile upon its associated target, is actuated to fire a retaliatory shot in the direction from whence the missile came. The device is further capable to initiate return fire of either single shot or volley, depending upon which target is struck.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

This invention relates generally to an amusement device and more particularly to a shooting range-type device which responds to the impact of a missile upon at least one of a plurality of tag g targets by returning single or volley retaliatory fire in the direction from whence the original missile came.

Target devices which return a shot have heretofore been known but such devices were limited to returning only the actual missile which hit the target. Thus, if the shot was deflected or otherwise unable to reach the return mechanism, no return could occur. Further, such devices could only provide a delayed response because of the time required for the missile to travel from the target to the return mechanism.

The present invention is predicated upon my design of a more realistic, quick responding, single or multiple shot retaliatory target device capable of creating a high degree of amusement among young and old and which incorporates a return fire mechanism responsive to each of a plurality of target stands, at least one of which in response to an impact thereupon, is adapted to initiate a sequence of events causing the rapid fire of all such mechanisms.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide an amusement device of the shooting range-type which provides realistic and prompt retaliatory fire in response to the impact of a missile against a target thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an amusement device of the type described in which each of several target stations are preloaded with preselected missiles and are thereafter fired, either singly or in rapid fire sequence, in response to the pattern of missile impact upon a target associated with one of said stations.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an amusement device of the type described in which the operator may control whether the retaliatory fire will be single shot or a sequential volley and in which the retaliation is not dependent upon the location of the impacting missile.

These and still further objects as shall herein after appear are fulfilled by the present invention in a remarkably unexpected fashion as will be readily discerned from a careful consideration of the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, especially when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a fort containing a return-fire target device embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 taken along line II-II thereof and showing the return-fire mechanism in a cocked condition;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the return-fire mechanism of FIG. 2 after the mechanism has been actuated into retaliatory fire in response to a hit on the target associated therewith;

FIG. 4 is a plan view in section of the device of FIG. 1 taken along line IV-IV thereof;

FIG. 5 is a rear view in section of the device of FIG. 4 taken along line V-V thereof showing the device loaded for rapid-fine retaliation;

FIG. 6 is a cross section of the device of FIG. 4 taken along line VI-VI thereof after rapid-fine retaliatory fire has occurred.

FIG. 7 is an isometric showing, fragmented for convenience, of a tool designed to assist in loading the device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is an isometric showing, broken away for clarity, of the tool of FIG. 7 in process of loading my device.

Referring now to the drawing, an amusement device embodying the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 as a fort and identified by the general reference 10.

Each device 10 comprises a base 11 having a plurality of targets 12, which may be of similar size or of diminishing size, as shown at a, b, c, d and e operatively mounted therewith. Each target 12 is independently mounted to a support member 13 which has an upwardly extending arm 14 and a rearwardly extending arm 15 joined in an elbow 16 through which is passed a suitable pivot pin 17 to provide arcuate movement of target 12 thereabout in a manner to be more fully explained.

Associated with each target 12 is a missile 20 such as a ping-pong ball or the like, which rests upon a missile support 21 formed of a pair of substantially parallel inverted U-shaped members 22 mounted on base 12. In a preferred embodiment, the crossbar portion 23 of each inverted U-shaped member 22 is bowed slightly downward to assist in the positioning of missile 18.

Operatively associated with each missile support 21 is a spring means 25 comprising a loop 26 formed of spring steel or other suitable biasable material, and arms 27,28 which are anchored into base 11, as with fasteners 29,30. Loop 26, when urged about the fulcrum provided by fastener 30, is placed under stress and in such condition can be engaged within the retaining notch 32 defined in arm 14 of support member 13, to lock the target assembly in an upright position as shown in FIG. 2. When loop 26 is thus engaged in notch 32 to place target 11 in an upright position, my firing mechanism, as will be described later in detail, is ready for action.

As explained, a similar arrangement is provided in operative relationship to each target 12 and each is associated independently with a missile 20 suitably placed in its corresponding missile support 21.

On base 11 to the rear of targets 12, are mounted upstanding flanges 34,35 which define therebetween a channel 36 which is especially formed to slope from a high point adjacent to the most difficult, that is, smallest target 11e, to a low point adjacent the least difficult, that is largest target 11a.

A plurality of slots 37 are defined in channel 36 transversely of its axis of slope and of sufficient dimension and appropriate location to permit the movement of arm 15 therethrough. The passage of arm 15 through its corresponding slot 37 provides an obstruction transversely of channel 36 as shown in FIG. 2. The purpose of which will be later described.

When the target assembly is in a fired or at rest position, as shown in FIG. 3, arm 15 descends into slot 37 and no longer presents an obstruction to channel 36.

To obtain rapid sequence retaliatory fire, a relatively heavy ring member 41 is disposed in channel 36 at the uppermost portion thereof, that is, adjacent target 12e. Target 12e is loaded, however, prior to positioning ring 41 so that arm 15 thereof protrudes up from slot 37 and presents an obstruction to the movement of ring 41 in channel 36.

In a similar fashion, target assemblies 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d are also loaded, that is, each respective spring means 25 is biased rearwardly until its corresponding loop 26 is engaged within notch 32 of the target 12 associated therewith.

When device 10 is thus loaded and ring 41 is so positioned, the individual firing at the targets such as with a dart arrow or gun, a pellet gun or the like, may obtain either a single retaliatory shot or a rapid fire volley of return fire, depending on which target is hit.

Thus, when device 10 is arranged as described, impact upon any of the targets 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e will cause the target so struck to move in a rearward direction about pivot pin 17 whereupon notch 32 is disengaged from loop 26 and the bias in spring means 25 cause it to snap forward between members 22 of missile support 21 whereupon it strikes missile 20 and propels or otherwise fires it back toward the direction of the original marksman whereupon the sensation of fighting back is obtained.

To obtain rapid return fires, the hit must occur on the more difficult target, in this instance, target 12e. In addition to initiating the return fire of the missile 20 operatively associated with the target so struck, in the manner just described, the action of target 12 in moving to the rear, in response to the impact of the hit, also causes arm 15 to descent into slot 37 whereby the obstruction provided ring 41 is removed. When this occurs, the mass of ring 41 in response to the force of gravity and the slope of channel 36, which is greater than the so-called angle of repose of ring 41, causes ring 41 to roll down channel 36 with sufficient momentum and force that it is able to depress each succeeding arm 15 which it encounters. As each arm 15 is thus depressed into its corresponding slot 37, the arcuate movement of target 12 about pin 17 causes notch 32 to become disengaged from spring means 25 whereupon loop 26 fires its missile 20 just as though the target itself had been hit.

Ring 41 as it completes its downhill course succeeds in firing every loaded target assembly and obtains a rapid sequence retaliatory fire.

To further contribute to the joyousness of the occasion, I provide a flag 43 on the downhill side of the lowermost slot 37 which is mounted to an elongated shaft 44 having an elbow 45 at its lower end thereof which extends through flanges 35 to present an upstanding trigger portion 46 to the path of the rolling ring 41. When ring 41 collides with trigger 46, which had been standing essentially upright from the floor of channel 36, it forces trigger 46 to move to a position along channel 36, that is, it pivots trigger 46 about 90.degree. which movement is translated by elbow 45 into shaft 44 and raises the flag 43 to an upright position as shown in FIG. 6.

In my preferred embodiment, flag 43 will be the white flag of surrender signifying that the fort has exhausted its supply of missiles.

When this condition has been reached, the device 10 is reloaded by successively engaging the several spring means 25 within the notch 32 of their corresponding targets and depositing a missile 20 on each missile support 21.

Once reloaded, ring 41 is returned to the upper portion of channel 36 where it is restrained by arm 15 of adjacent target 12e until it is released. Flag 43 is also rotated back to its "hidden" position, as shown in FIG. 5, which causes trigger 46 to regain its upstanding position in the projected path of ring 41.

When desired, rapid return fire can be temporarily eliminated by removing ring 41 from within channel 36.

One other aspect of my invention involves my design of a convenient tool for cocking the individual targets. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, my tool 48 comprises an elongated body portion 49 having one end in which a pair of transverse notches 50 are cut or otherwise defined.

To use my tool 48, the loop 26 of spring means 25 is engaged in one of the pair of notches 50 and pressed rearwardly until it is engaged by retaining notch 32 of arm 14. The second of the transverse notches 50 is provided to complement arm 14 and permit easier access of loop 26 into notch 32.

From the foregoing it becomes apparent that a new and unique amusement device has been herein described and illustrated which fulfills all of the aforestated objectives in a remarkably unexpected fashion. It is of course, understood, that the embodiments described is presented to illustrate the invention rather than limit it and that such alterations, modifications and adaptations as will readily occur to the artisan confronted with this disclosure are intended within the spirit of the invention, especially as it is defined by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

I claim:

1. An amusement device comprising a base; a target pivotally attached to said base vertically upstanding therefrom and moveable relative thereto between a first and a second position; spring means carried by said base in operative engaged relationship to said target so that said means will normally be latched in a biased condition when said target is in said first position; missile holding means carried by said base and disposed in operative relationship with said spring means and adapted to support a missile thereupon in position for said missile to be engaged by said spring means upon disengagement of said spring means from said target in response to a force applied thereto.

2. An amusement device according to claim 1 in which a plurality of said targets are pivotally attached to said base vertically upstanding therefrom in spaced relationship to each other, each of said targets being moveable relative to said base between a first and a second position; spring means carried by said base in operative engaged relationship to said targets so that said means will normally be latched in a biased condition when said target is in said first position, one with a different one of said targets, missile holding means carried by said base and disposed one in operative relationship with each other one of said spring means and adapted to support a missile thereupon in position for said missiles to be engaged by disengagement of said spring means from its corresponding one of said targets.

3. An amusement device according to claim 2 in which said base has a first and second upstanding flange defining a channel therebetween, and a plurality of slots extending transversely of said channel, said slots being operatively aligned one each with one of said rearwardly extending arms and coactable therewith to permit said arm to move into and out of obstructing relationship with said channel while said target moves from said first to said second position.

4. An amusement device according to claim 3 in which said channel slopes from one end to the other to provide a rolling downhill surface.

5. An amusement device according to claim 3 having a rollable member operatively disposed in said channel in abutting relationship to the uppermost of said obstructing arms and actuatable, in response to the removal of said obstruction therefrom, to roll down said channel and disengage each of said spring means from its corresponding one of said targets thereby simulating a rapid fire sequence of said missiles.

6. An amusement device according to claim 5 in which a flag assembly is pivotally connected to said base said assembly comprising a flag, and shaft and a trigger, said trigger being disposed in said channel in the path of said rollable member and responsive to impact therewith to move said flag and said shaft from a hidden to a visible position.

7. An amusement device according to claim 1 in which said target comprises an upwardly extending arm pivotally attached to said base, said arm having retaining means defined therein for receiving and holding said spring means when said target is in said first position.

8. An amusement device according to claim 7 in which said upwardly extending arm is responsive to a force applied thereagainst to disengage said spring means therefrom.

9. An amusement device according to claim 8 in which said spring means comprises first and second arm portions and a loop portion operatively interposed therebetween, means connecting said arm portions to said base to provide an axis of movement for said loop portion between a stressed position in engagement with said target and an at rest position.

10. An amusement device according to claim 1 in which said target comprises a rearwardly extending arm pivotally attached to said base and responsive to a force applied thereagainst to disengage said spring means from said target.

11. An amusement device according to claim 1 in which said missile holding means comprises a pair of inverted U-shaped members disposed in substantially parallel relationship with each other and spaced to support therebetween a missile disposed thereupon.

12. An amusement device according to claim 11 in which each U-shaped member comprises a crossbar bowed to complement the shape of the missile disposed thereupon.