Target Cups In Ten Pin Configuration And Projector Having Force Varying Capability

Abstract

An aerial bowling game has a target assembly with open receptacles arranged in a tenpin configuration and an upright backboard behind the receptacles to deflect a projectile into a desired of the receptacles according to the skill of the player. An improved catapult-type projectile launcher tosses the projectile toward the target assembly with a preselected force, the scoring of the game closely following that of bowling. The launching catapult arm is biased to vary the force of launch. An independent biasing element is also supplied to hold the launching arm in place by a trigger member.

Description

This invention relates to an improved target-type game having many of the playing characteristics closely resembling bowling.

A principal object of this invention is to provide novel game apparatus upon which a game resembling bowling may be played in the home and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel game apparatus wherein a plurality of receptacles are arranged in a tenpin configuration and receive a projectile such as a ball which is launched through the air from a point remote from the receptacles with the scoring being based on the skill of the player.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide novel game apparatus including an improved catapult-type launcher for launching a projectile such as a lightweight plastic ball.

In accordance with the present invention in a preferred form there is provided a target assembly including removable cup-like receptacles arranged in a bowling tenpin configuration on a base having an upright deflector plate positioned rearwardly of the receptacles to deflect the projectile into the receptacles, and a catapult-type launcher with an adjustable force applying arm and a one-hand latching feature positioned at a preselected distance and remote from the target receptacle assembly adapted to launch a projectile toward the receptacles.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become more readily appreciated and understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of aerial bowling game apparatus embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the target assembly illustrated with the receptacles removed from the receptacle base and the deflector plate in a partially raised position above the receptacle base, together with a packaging cover shown in an elevated position above the base with a portion broken away to show interior parts;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the target assembly with the receptacles in place thereon;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4--4 of FIG. 3 with only a fragment of the deflector plate being shown;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the target assembly with only a portion of the base being shown;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the catapult-type projectile launcher; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the launcher shown in FIG. 6 with the raised position of the catapult arm shown in dashed lines.

Referring now to the drawings, the game apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is in a position for playing and in general includes a target assembly 11 and a projectile launcher 12 in the same horizontal plane and in alignment with the receptacle assembly adapted to project a ball or other projectile 13 toward the target assembly 11 which may be in a trajectory position represented by dashed lines 14. In the play of the game the scoring is much like that of conventional bowling, as is described fully hereinafter.

The target assembly 11 comprises a base member 20 having spaced upper and lower parallel walls 21 and 22, respectively, held apart by four side walls 23, the inner wall being provided with a plurality of holes or apertures 24 arranged in a tenpin configuration.

A downwardly tapered cup-like receptacle 26 inserts into each hole 24 and is sized to frictionally engage the edges of the top wall defining the hole to be held firmly thereby with the bottom of the receptacle resting on the bottom wall 22 for added support. This allows the receptacles to be removed when the game is ended and be stacked together in a nesting relation to one another. Each receptacle in the hole represents a scoring station and the scoring stations are numbered with numerals from one through ten, inclusive, which correspond with that of the tenpins in a bowling game.

The number one scoring station is in a centered forwardmost position, the two and three scoring stations are in a second row behind the first station, the four, five, and six scoring stations are in a third row behind the second row, the seven, eight, nine and ten scoring stations are in a fourth row. The numbering of the stations is from left to right as viewed from the front of the assembly, as is the case for conventional bowling.

A backboard or deflector plate 27 is pivotally mounted along the back side edge of the upper wall shown as being held by one or more suitable hinges represented by a single hinge at 28. The backboard will pivot from a collapsed horizontal position directly above the upper wall 21 when the receptacles have been removed to an upright or vertical position during the play of the game. It is understood that a plastic-type hinge may be used by making the base and backboard of a molded plastic one-piece construction. A cover lid 29 is shown as positioned above the base which may be used as a cover for the base and for containing the receptacles and rules of play, etc., illustrating how the game apparatus may be packaged for commercial sale.

The launcher 12 comprises a base 31 which is wider at the rear and narrower at the front for stability and provided with rounded corners. A pivotal launching arm 32 is pivotally mounted at its forward end by means of a pair of spaced upstanding lugs 33 and 34 and a pivot pin 35 secured to the arm and extending between and supported by the lugs so that the arm 32 will swing from a horizontally disposed latched position shown in full lines to a generally upright position as represented by dashed lines 32a through an arc of about 90.degree.. The raised position of the arm is limited by an upper cross-pin 36 extending through the upper end portions of lugs 33 and

The catapult arm 32 has a circular dish-shaped member 37 mounted on the upper surface at the rear end thereof which makes it suitable for supporting and releasing the ball-type projectile 13. Ball 13 preferably is hollow and of a relatively lightweight plastic construction. The rear end of the catapult arm is releasably held in a latched position by means of a latching trigger 39. The latching trigger 39 is pivotally mounted on the base by means of a pivot pin 41 supported in a recess 31a formed by spaced parallel wall sections in a central area at the rear of the base. The trigger 39 has a flat horizontally disposed locking edge 42 which engages a flat horizontally disposed locking edge 43 on the catapult arm. The trigger also has an upper rounded cam surface 44 which cooperates with a lower rounded cam surface 45 on the arm permitting the arm to be forced down over the trigger so that the catapult may be set or latched by the player using only one hand. The trigger 39 is resiliently held in a loaded or locked position by means of a rubber band 46 which extends from a slot 47 in the top edge of the trigger forwardly along each side thereof with each looped end being looped around pins 48 fixedly mounted on the base on each side of the arm. Pins 48 incline forwardly to prevent accidental slippage or release of the band. A plurality of the pins 48 are provided lengthwise of the base to adjust the tension in the trigger. The band 46 biases the trigger forwardly to the closed position but allows it to be moved rearwardly to a released position by depressing a flat actuating button portion 49 at the rear upper end of the trigger. The force holding the trigger is adjustable by selecting the size and strength of the rubber band and by providing a number of pairs of pins 48 at intervals along the top of the base.

The force to swing the catapult arm 32 is supplied by a second rubber band 51 which extends from a notch 52 in the top of the lugs rearwardly and under a selected notch 53 in the underside of the arm 32. Several slots 53 are provided at spaced intervals along the arm to provide selective adjustable launching forces. From the foregoing it is apparent that the launcher 12 may readily be made by molding from a plastic material and that the entire apparatus may be made at a moderate cost greatly enhancing the commercial possibilities thereof.

In the preferred play of the game, each player gets the same number of balls 13 as in regular tenpin bowling and uses a score card marked with squares indicating a number of frames which is the same as in bowling. The play may be a single, doubles or teams, etc. The player may shoot all ten frames at once or alternate frames. A preferred arrangement for scoring of the game is to have the player land in scoring station number one to score a strike. If the player lands in a three, seven, or nine, etc., he scores that number for the first ball in that frame. On the second ball the player cannot score a strike but must land in a cup whose number combines with the first ball to equal ten or over to score a spare. For example, if the first ball was number five, the second ball must be a number five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten. A ten on the second ball is automatically a spare. If a four or less is shot, the spare is not counted and the total of the two balls is scored. On a first ball, the number one scoring station is a strike. Scoring station number ten on the first ball is counted as one. On the second ball, the scoring station ten is a spare and the first scoring station is counted as one. A miss on any ball is not shot again.

Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred and alternate forms thereof, it will be appreciated that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. Aerial bowling game apparatus comprising:

a target assembly including a plurality of cup-like receptacles arranged in a tenpin configuration, and a base member, said receptacles being removable mounted in aperatures in the base member and including a deflector plate pivotally mounted on the back of the base member to swing between a horizontal position and an upright position,

a ball-like projectile, and

a catapult-type launcher device positioned a preselected distance from the target assembly and in alignment therewith adapted to toss the projectile through the air toward the target assembly to be deflected from the deflector plate into a desired one of the receptacles, said launcher device including a base, a catapult arm pivotally mounted on the base having trigger means to releasably latch the catapult arm in a horizontal position, and adjustable resilient biasing means to swing the catapult forwardly upon the release of the trigger, said base being wider at the rear and tapers inwardly toward the front, said base having spaced parallel upright lugs at the front with a lower pivot pin for pivotally supporting said catapult arm and an upper cross-pin on the lugs for limiting the forward movement of said catapult arm.

2. Aerial bowling game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the biasing means for the catapult arm is a rubber band.

3. Aerial bowling game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including a rubber band to releasably latch said trigger means.

4. Aerial bowling game apparatus comprising:

a target assembly including a plurality of cup-like receptacles arranged in a tenpin configuration, said receptacles being removably mounted in apertures in a base member and including a deflector plate pivotally mounted on the back of the base member to swing between a horizontal position and an upright position,

a ball-like projectile, and

a catapult-type launcher device positioned a preselected distance from the target assembly and in alignment therewith adapted to toss the projectile through the air toward the target assembly to be deflected from the deflector plate into a desired one of said receptacles, said launcher device including a base wider at the rear and tapering inwardly from the front with upright lugs at the front and a pivot pin adapted to pivotally support a catapult arm to swing between a horizontal and an upright position, a resilient band extending from the lugs and through a selected slot in the underside of the catapult arm to swing the catapult arm forwardly with a desired force, a trigger pivotally mounted at the back of said base, and a resilient band secured in a slot in the top of said trigger and extending forwardly to a point of support on the base to latch the catapult arm in a latched position whereby upon the depression of the trigger the catapult arm is released, said trigger and arm having cam surfaces arranged to permit the arm to be moved down against the trigger and the forces of the resilient band of the trigger to latch the catapult arm with a single downward motion whereby a depression of the trigger will release the catapult arm.

5. Aerial bowling game apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said projectile is a hollow plastic ball.