Game Instructional Apparatus

Abstract

A portable instructional apparatus for visually demonstrating play arrangements on a playing area and facilitating recording the play arrangements. The apparatus comprises a folder having first and second foldably interconnected substantially rectangular sections, the first of which has a playing area printed thereon with a storage pocket therebelow for storing magnetic playing pieces therein. The magnetic playing pieces are adapted to be positioned at various locations on the playing area while being magnetically attracted thereto during the demonstration of various play arrangements. The second section has means for accommodating a pad of paper sheets against the inner face thereof with the lower edges of the sheets spaced from the lower edge of the second section so as to nestingly accommodate the storage pocket therebelow when the folder is closed with the playing pieces positioned in the pocket.

Description

This invention relates to an improved portable game instructional apparatus particularly devised for use by coaches for demonstrating and teaching play arrangements of team type athletic games such as basketball and football.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved foldable game instructional apparatus which is of simple, lightweight construction for use with magnetic playing pieces and having means for accommodating a pad of paper sheets for recording various play arrangements thereon as well as means for storing the playing pieces therein when they are not being used and without distorting the opposing sections of the apparatus or imparting undesirable bulk to the apparatus when the opposing sections are folded together.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a game instructional apparatus comprising a folder which includes first and second foldably interconnected substantially rectangular planar sections, each section comprising an outer panel and an inner panel. A first metal plate means is positioned between the outer and inner panels of the first section with means defining a simulated playing area such as a basketball court or a football field, on the inner panel of the first section. A pocket is formed on the lower portion of the inner panel of the first section below the playing area, and a plurality of magnetic playing pieces are removably stored in the pocket, magnetically attracted against the inner panel of the first section by the plate means, and adapted to be positioned on the playing area. A pad of paper sheets is carried by the second section and positioned against the inner panel thereof, with the lower edge of the pad being spaced from the lower edge of the second section to nestingly accommodate the pocket below the pad when the folder is closed.

Some of the objects and advantages of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the foldable game instructional apparatus with opposing sections thereof occupying open position and showing a simulated playing area in the form of a basketball court on one of the sections of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, of the apparatus of FIG. 1, showing the opposing sections thereof in folded or closed condition;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, on a reduced scale, but omitting the pad of paper sheets therefrom;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the apparatus taken substantially along line 4--4 in FIG. 2 and showing how the pocket in which the magnetic playing pieces are stored is nestingly accommodated below the pad of paper sheets when the folder of the apparatus is closed;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 5--5 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, but showing a modified embodiment of the apparatus wherein the simulated playing area is in the form of one-half of a football playing field.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, with the exception of the type of playing area and the number of playing pieces associated therewith, both embodiments of the game instructional apparatus may be identical. Therefore, only the first embodiment of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1-5 will be described in detail, and like parts of the second embodiment of the apparatus will bear the same reference characters, with the prime notation added, where applicable.

The game instructional apparatus comprises a portable folder 10 including first and second foldably interconnected substantially rectangular planar sections broadly designated at 11 and at 12, respectively. Each folder section 11, 12 comprises an outer substantially rectangular panel 13 and an inner substantially rectangular panel 14 which are preferably formed of pliable plastic sheet material and are fused or otherwise suitably secured together along the perimetrical edges thereof. Adjacent longitudinal edges of the panels 13, 14 of first section 11 preferably are formed integral with the proximal longitudinal edges of the respective panels 13, 14 of second section 12 by interconnecting hinge portions 15 therebetween forming a fold line between sections 11, 12.

Suitable indicia defines a simulated playing area 16, representative of a basketball court in this instance, on the exposed face of the inner panel 14 of first folder section 11, which exposed face may be termed as the inner face of first folder section 11. It is preferred that playing area 16 is printed on the inner face of folder section 11, although it may be applied thereto or engraved thereon in any desired manner.

A plurality of magnetic playing pieces are adapted to be positioned on and manually moved from place to place on the playing field 16 by an instructor or other person so as to demonstrate various play arrangements. The playing pieces may be of any desired size, within reason, and they also may be of any desired configuration. Since the playing pieces may represent opposing basketball teams and a basketball, ten relatively large magnetic playing pieces 20, and one relatively small playing piece 21 are shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 so that half of the playing pieces 20 may represent one team and the other half of the playing pieces 20 may represent an opposing team, while the relatively small playing piece 21 represents the basketball. If so desired, the playing pieces 20 representing one team may be of a different color, shape, or other contrasting appearance relative to the playing pieces 20 of the other team. In order to retain the playing pieces 20, 21 in the desired locations on the playing field 16 while permitting the same to be readily moved about on the playing field, each playing piece 20, 21 may be in the form of a permanent magnet and, if so desired, a suitable plastic, ceramic or other coating may be applied to the visible surfaces of the permanent magnet other than those surfaces thereof which engage the inner panel 14 of first folder section 11. To magnetically attract the playing pieces against the inner panel 14 of first folder section 11, a magnetically attractable means underlies the playing area and a pocket to be presently described. Accordingly, a ferrous metal plate means 23 is snugly positioned between the outer and inner panels 13, 14 of first folder section 11. Plate means 23 should be of such rigidity as to aid in maintaining first folder section 11 in flat substantially rigid condition during use of the apparatus.

To provide for storage of the playing pieces 20, 21 when they are not in use and to facilitate carrying the same from place to place with the folder 10, means are provided forming a pocket 24 on the lower portion of the inner panel 14 of the first folder section 11 below the playing area 16. As shown, pocket 24 is formed by means of an elongate strip 25 of substantially transparent pliable plastic sheet material which extends transversely of the overlies the lower portion of inner panel 14 of first folder section 11. The opposing end edge portions and the longitudinal lower edge portion of pocket strip 25 are fused or otherwise suitably secured to folder section 11, thus providing an open top to the pocket 24 into which any magnetic playing pieces positioned on the simulated playing area 16 may be readily moved simply by the instructor sliding the playing pieces along the exposed face of inner panel 14 of section 11 and into the pocket 24. In this regard, it should be noted that the metal plate means 23 also serves to retain the magnetic playing pieces 20, 21 in the pocket 24 when the playing pieces are stored therein and, since the pocket forming strip 25 is of pliable material, the instructor may eject the playing pieces from pocket 24 simply be pressing his fingers against pocket strip 25 while pushing upwardly against the playing pieces then in the pocket 24.

In order that the instructor may record various play arrangements, second section 12 is provided with means for attaching a pad or tablet 26 of sheets of writing paper to the inner face thereof so that the pad 26 is carried by and positioned against the inner face of section 12 with each sheet or a substantial number of the sheets of the pad 26 also having a simulated playing area 26a printed thereon and corresponding in size and configuration to the playing area 16. To stabilize and removably attach the pad 26 against the inner face of second folder section 12, the upper edges of the sheets of pad 26 are adhesively or otherwise suitably bound together and the inner panel 14 of section 12 is provided with an elongate slot 14a therethrough. Slot 14a extends substantially parallel with and is spaced downwardly from the upper edge of second folder section 12 and is adapted to receive therein the usual relatively heavy back leaf 26b of cardboard or the like on the pad 26 (FIG. 4). Thus, the back leaf 26b is positioned between panels 13, 14 of second folder section 12 to hold the sheets of pad 26 against the exposed face of the inner panel 14 of second folder section 12. Preferably, a substantially rigid stiffening plate 30 of any suitable material, such as cardboard or the like, is snugly positioned between the outer and inner panels 13, 14 of second folder section 12 to also lend rigidity to the second folder section 12.

It is to be noted that the lower edge of pad 26 is spaced a substantial distance above the lower edge of second folder section 12 so as to provide a substantial exposed planar area of inner panel 14 of second folder section 12 below pad 26. Also, the distance between the lower edges of pad 26 and second folder section 12 is greater than the distance from the upper edge of pocket forming strip 25 to the lower edge of first folder section 11 so that, when folder 10 is closed with the pad 26 positioned between folder sections 11, 12, pocket 24 is nestingly accommodated below pad 26 without distorting the foldable opposing sections of the folder and without imparting undesirable bulk thereto.

The second folder section 12 is also arranged for the storing of notes or other small articles at the convenience of the instructor. To this end, the inner panel 14 of second folder section 12 is provided with an additionally elongate slot 14b therethrough which is spaced below and extends in substantially parallel relation with the first-named slot 14a. The additional slot 14b serves as an opening to a second pocket defined between the outer and inner panels 13, 14 of the second section, or between panel 14 and the back leaf 26b of pad 26. It is apparent that the instructor need only lift the lower portion of the sheets of paper of pad 26 away from the inner face of second folder section 12 to facilitate inserting notes and the like in slot 14b as shown, for example, in FIG 6.

As heretofore stated, the second embodiment of the foldable game instructional apparatus shown in FIG. 6 may be identical to the first embodiment and may differ therefrom only in the type of playing field area and in the number of playing pieces being used. Accordingly, it will be observed in FIG. 6 that the innerface of first folder section 11' has indicia thereon defining a playing area 16' representative of one-half of the length of a football playing field, and each or most of the sheets 26a' of the pad or tablet 26' in FIG. 6 also have a simulated football playing field printed thereon which is of about the same size and configuration as the simulated football playing field 16'. Also, the pocket 24' in FIG. 6 may have 23 playing pieces 20' stored therein; 11 playing pieces for each of the opposing football teams, and one playing piece 21' representing the football. In other respects, the second embodiment of the foldable game instructional apparatus shown in FIG. 6 may be identical to the first embodiment and, accordingly, a further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

In the drawings and specification, there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

Claims

That which is claimed is:

1. A game instructional apparatus comprising a folder including first and second foldably interconnected substantially rectangular planar sections, means defining a simulated playing area on the inner face of said first section, magnetically attractable means underlying said playing area, means forming a pocket secured to the lower portion of said first section below said playing area, a plurality of magnetic playing pieces magnetically attractable to said playing area and adapted to be removably stored in said pocket when not in use, and means provided on the inner face of said second section for attaching a pad of paper sheets thereto.

2. A game instructional apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said magnetically attractable means also underlies said pocket to aid in retaining said playing pieces stored therein when not in use.

3. A game instructional apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pocket forming means comprises an elongate strip of pliable sheet material secured along one longitudinal edge and opposing end edges thereof to the inner panel of said first section.

4. A game instructional apparatus comprising a folder including first and second foldably interconnected substantially rectangular planar sections, each section comprising an outer panel and an inner panel, means defining a simulated playing area on the inner panel of said first section, means forming a pocket on the lower portion of the inner panel of said first section below said playing area, a ferrous metal plate means positioned between the outer and inner panels of said first section and underlying said playing area and said pocket, a plurality of magnetic playing pieces stored in said pocket and adapted to be removed therefrom and positioned on said playing area, a pad of paper sheets carried by said second section and positioned against the inner panel thereof, and the lower edge of said pad being spaced from the lower edge of said second section to nestingly accommodate said pocket below said pad when said folder is closed.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said pocket is open adjacent said playing area to facilitate moving said magnetic playing pieces from said playing area into said pocket.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the inner panel of said second section is provided with an elongate slot therethrough extending substantially parallel with one edge of said second section and adapted to receive therein a back leaf of said pad of paper sheets for retaining and stabilizing said pad relative to said second section.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said slot is located below and extends parallel with the upper edge of said second section.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the inner panel of said second section is provided with an additional elongate slot therethrough spaced below and extending substantially parallel with said first-named slot and serving as an opening to a second pocket defined between the outer and inner panels of said second section for storing instructor's notes and the like therein.

9. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said means defining a playing area comprises printed indicia representing the playing area, and sheets of said pad having printed indicia thereon corresponding to said playing area.