U.S. patent number 3,809,404 [Application Number 05/295,039] was granted by the patent office on 1974-05-07 for miniature golf game and golfer.
Invention is credited to Alfred E. Fikse.
United States Patent |
3,809,404 |
Fikse |
May 7, 1974 |
MINIATURE GOLF GAME AND GOLFER
Abstract
A miniature golf course is formed by a selective arrangement of
a plurality of panels, each having at least three equally
dimensioned marginal edges. A mechanical golfer, having articulated
joints, is selectively positionable on the miniature golf course.
The golfer advances a miniature golf ball from a tee area and
putting positions toward a cup position in response to manual
release of a triggering system controlling the golfer.
Inventors: |
Fikse; Alfred E. (San Jose,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
23135961 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/295,039 |
Filed: |
October 4, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/317.2;
473/171; 473/162; 273/108.22 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
7/0628 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
7/06 (20060101); A63F 7/00 (20060101); A63f
007/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/87,87.2,87.4,129,34B,176AA,176AB,176E,176F,178B,89 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Pinkham; Richard C.
Assistant Examiner: Strappello; Harry G.
Claims
1. A miniature golf game, comprising:
a plurality of panels capable of being arranged in a common plane
to form a plurality of fairways having individually different
perimeter configurations, said panels each having a playing
surface, said playing surface being covered by a fuzzy material,
one of said panels having a cup formed in its playing surface,
said cup containing panel being provided with a circular member
covered by a fuzzy material forming a green area surrounding said
cup and having its fuzzy surface lying in the plane of the
remaining fuzzy playing surface of said panel,
said circular member being rotatable about its axis,
said cup being eccentrically disposed with respect to the axis of
rotation of said circular member,
at least one of the other said panels having at least one recess in
its playing surface forming a hazard impeding movement of a golf
ball driven toward said cup;
a ball;
at least one golf club having a shaft and a head;
an articulated mechanical golfer including an elongated base
portion and a hollow golfer body portion having a depending hollow
leg portion connecting said body portion to one end portion of the
upper surface of said base portion in upstanding angular upwardly
inclined relation toward the opposite end portion of said base,
said golfer having means for holding the shaft of said golf club
including a golfer arm portion overlying the upwardly inclined
golfer body portion, and, an axle extending through one end portion
of said golfer arm portion and journalled by said golfer body
portion for to and fro relative movement of said golfer arm portion
about the axis of said axle,
the opposite end portion of said golfer arm portion converging
downwardly toward the lowermost plane of said base and having a
golf club shaft receiving socket therein; and,
trigger means for actuating said golfer and driving said ball,
said trigger means inluding a pulley secured to said axle within
said golfer body,
an elongated flexible member entrained, intermediate its ends,
around said pulley,
an elongated resilient member connected at one end with one end of
said flexible member within said base and secured at its other end
to the end portion of said base opposite said golfer, and,
a control knob projecting into said base and connected with the
other end of said flexible member,
2. The miniature golf game according to claim 1 in which
said base is provided with an elongated longitudinally extending
slot in its upper surface terminating in a part circular opening at
the end portion of said base opposite said golfer,
said control knob having a shaft portion loosely received in
longitudinally sliding relation by the slot and having a circular
member coaxially secured to said shaft and releasably contained by
the part circular
3. The miniature golf game according to claim 2 and further
including:
a wedge shaped member having perimeter dimensions coinciding with
said cup containing panel for underlying the latter and disposing
the plane of said
4. The miniature golf game according to claim 2 and further
including:
at least one plug member closely received by a hazard forming
recess in one of said panels; and,
at least one lip member received by another hazard forming recess
in
5. The miniature golf game according to claim 2 and further
including:
a plurality of golf game hazard forming movable members vertically
supported by the upper surface of one or more of said panels and
simulating tree-like configurations.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to games and more particularly to a
miniature golf course and toy golfer for playing a golf game.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Miniature golf games, as shown by the prior patents, have usually
comprised a single section duplicating a fairway, obstacles or
hazards and a cup location on a green and a mechanical figure
operating a golf club replica for advancing a miniature ball, such
as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 1,391,306 while other patents, such
as U.S. Pat. No. 3,054,615, discloses a simulated fairway having
movable obstacles and sectional portions for changing hole or
obstacle locations.
This invention is distinctive over these patents by the provision
of a plurality of planar sections or panels, each having at least
three sides of equal dimensions so that the plurality of panels may
be arranged in a plurality of positions in a common plane forming a
plurality of different perimeter configurations of fairways by
selective arrangement of the planar panels. Certain of the panels
include obstacles and hazards similar to a fairway of a
conventional golf course.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A plurality of planar sections or panels are sized for cooperative
marginal edge engagement and are capable of being arranged in a
common plane to simulate different configurations of a fairway
including a T-area position and a green position. Obstacles, such
as sand traps, a lake area and movable vegetation, are positioned
at selected locations on the respective panels. A mechanical
golfer, having articulated joints, drives a miniature ball toward
the cup position in response to manual release of a trigger means
moving a portion of the toy golfer and a replica of a golf club
held thereby.
The principle object of this invention is to provide a miniature
golf game and mechanical golfer wherein a fairway may be formed by
selective arrangement of a plurality of interengageable planar
panels to provide a successive plurality of fairways including
hazards and obstacles therein and thereon realistically reproducing
a full size golf course wherein the action of a mechanical golfer,
advancing a miniature golf ball, very nearly approaches the action
of a full size golf ball during play.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf fairway formed by panels and
illustrating the miniature mechanical golfer in position for
release and driving a golf ball;
FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are top plan views of the planar golf course
forming panels;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a wedge used in elevating one edge
portion of the green and cup contained panel;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the wedge in panel tilting
position;
FIGS. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 are plan views illustrating a plurality
of golf fairways each formed by selective arrangement of the planar
panels;
FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view, partially in section,
taken substantially along the line 14--14 of FIG. 11 illustrating
the configuration of some of the components;
FIG. 15 is a perspective view, to a larger scale, of the mechanical
golfer, per se;
FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the components
forming the mechanical golfer; and,
FIG. 17 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the trigger
release components operating the mechanical golfer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures
of the drawings in which they occur.
In the drawings:
The reference numeral 20 indicates one example of a fairway of the
golf game formed by a plurality of panels 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30
including a mechanical golfer 32 supported by a tee platform 34.
The five panels 22 to 30 are preferably formed from generally flat
planar lightweight material of a desired thickness wherein the
panels 22, 24, 26 and 28 are preferably square so that they present
marginal edges of equal dimensions. The perimeter of the remaining
panel 30 is substantially trapezoid-shaped wherein one of its
parallel side edges and both of its nonparallel side edges are
equal in dimension with respect to any one side edge of the square
panels 22 to 28. The upwardly disposed surface of each of the
panels is preferably provided with a fuzzy surface simulating grass
31, or the like. Flocked contact paper has been found to provide a
satisfactory playing surface.
A rectangular or square configuration for a golf fairway may be
arranged from the four panels 22 to 28, as illustrated at 36 (FIG.
9). By using the trapezoid-shaped panel 30 other configurations of
golf fairways may be arranged, as illustrated in FIGS. 10 to 13.
Each of the panels is provided with at least one socket 37 in its
respective marginal edge surface in cooperative relation for
receiving one end portion of a pin, such as a dowel pin, not shown,
for preventing movement of the panels with respect to each
other.
Hazards, simulating hazards normally found on full size golf
courses, are formed on some of the panels by forming depressions in
the playing surface, such as a lake-like area 38, formed in the
surface of the panel 22. A substantially elliptical-shaped
depression 40 is also formed in the surface of the panel 22. The
elliptical depression 40 simulates a sand trap with the depressed
surface of the trap provided with a layer of sand paper, or the
like, to form a rough surface 42.
One of the panels, for example the panel 24, is provided with a
circular opening 44 which removably and rotatably receives a
circular disk 46 simulating a golf green having a small depression
or cup 48 formed in its upwardly disposed surface in off-set or
eccentric relation with respect to the center of the green 46. This
off-center position of the cup 48 thus permits the green 46 to be
manually rotated about its axis within the opening 44, in the
direction of the arrows 50 (FIG. 3), for positioning the cup 48 at
a selected position in the green area 46. The panel 24 is similarly
provided with a plurality of elliptical-shaped sand trap forming
depressions 52 in spaced-apart relation with respect to each other
and the green area 46. The panel 26 is provided with at least one
elliptical sand trap 54 and the panel 28 is provided with a pair of
selectively spaced-apart elliptical sand traps 56 and 58. The
trapezoid-shaped panel 30 is characterized by its imperforate
playing surface, however, it may have one or more of the sand trap
depressions formed therein, if desired.
The sand trap depressions 40, 52, 54 and 56 each have their major
and minor axes identically dimensioned with respect to each other,
for selectively receiving a cooperating elliptical-shaped plug 60
which may be positioned in any one of the sand traps so that its
upper surface lies in the plane of the surrounding panel. Obviously
the plug 60, or a similarly shaped member, may be provided with an
upwardly bowed arcuate surface to create a mound, not shown, at the
position of one of the sand traps. Further, the elliptical-shaped
sand trap depressions may be provided with an irregular shaped
member or lip 62 having one edge surface 64 contiguously contacting
a marginal edge surface of the wall defining the elliptical sand
traps and an opposite arcuate shaped surface 66 facing generally
toward the opposite edge of the respective sand trap. Thus, the
plug 60 and lip 62 respectively eliminates one or more of the sand
trap areas or alters the shape of a selected sand trap.
The upwardly disposed surface of each of the inserts, namely, the
plug 60, lip 62 and green 46, are also coated or covered with a
grass imitating material.
Additional hazards simulating other vegetation, such as trees 68
and 70, mounted on suitable supporting bases, are manually
positioned in selected locations on the respective fairway.
Similarly a dead tree 72 (FIG. 1) is positioned on the fairway to
increase the hazards in playing the golf game.
A wedge-shaped unit or section 74 (FIG. 7), having marginal edges
equal in dimension with respect to the square panels, is provided
for supporting the panel 24 on an incline so that the upper surface
of the panel 24 and green 46 slopes in a desired direction, such as
is indicated by the arrow 76 (FIG. 8), to generate a curve in the
path of the ball when putting. The thickness of the wedge-shaped
unit, at its thicker dimension along its edge 78, is at least as
great as the thickness of the section 24. The upper surface 80 of
the wedge merges with the plane of its bottom surface at its edge
surface 82 opposite the thicker edge 78.
Referring more particularly to FIGS. 15, 16 and 17, the mechanical
golfer 32 includes a forwardly and downwardly inclined hollow body
portion 84 and hollow leg portions 86 with the leg portions secured
to or integrally formed on one end portion of a horizontally
disposed hollow base 88. The golfer 32 further includes an arm
portion 90 and a head 92. The golfer's body portion 84, leg
portions 86 and base 88 are longitudinally divided, as at 94, for
ease of assembly and replacement of the components presently
described. The divided golfer and base are normally maintained in
assembled relation by dowel pins 95. The golfer's arm portion 90
includes a socket 96 for removably receiving the end portion of the
handle or shaft of a golf club 98. The end of the arm portion
opposite the club socket 96 is partially disk-like in
configuration, as at 100, and is centrally provided with an axle
102 for mounting a pulley 104 on one portion of the axle. The
golfer body portion 84 is provided with arcuate recesses 106 and a
bearing surface 108 for respectively receiving and journalling the
pulley 104 and axle 102 wherein the disk-like portion of the
golfer's arm portion overlies a flat forward surface 110 of the
golfer's body portion 84 thus permitting the golfer's arm portion
90 to rotate about the axis of the axle 102 and move the golf club
98 in the direction of the arrows 112.
This movement is accomplished by a trigger means 114 (FIG. 17)
which comprises a strand or cord 116 wrapped intermediate its ends
around the pulley 104 with one end of the cord 116 attached to one
end of a resilient member, such as a rubber band 118, within the
base 88, with the other end of the rubber band secured by a screw
120, or the like, to the end portion of the golfer base 88 opposite
the position of the golfer. The other end of the cord 116 is
connected with one end of a strap-like member 122 longitudinally
disposed within the hollow base 88 and having a control knob 124
secured to its other end portion. The inner rearward surface of the
golfer's leg portions 86 forms a bearing surface permitting
longitudinal sliding movement of the cord 116 as presently
explained.
An elongated longitudinally extending slot 126, formed in the upper
wall or top 127 of the base intermediate its ends, coincides with
the base dividing line 94, and loosely receives slidably the stem
portion 128 of the control knob 124. A disk or washer 130 is
interposed between the knob stem 128 and strap member 122 wherein
the washer 130 is cooperatively received by a part circular opening
132 formed in the upper wall 127 of the golf base in communication
with the end of the slot 126 opposite the golfer. The purpose of
the washer 130 and its reception by the circular opening 132 is to
permit a locked position of the trigger means 114 by manually
lifting the washer 130 into the opening 132 after placing a tension
on the cord 116 by manually pulling the knob to the axis of the
opening 132. This action rotates the arm portion 90 of the golfer,
to the left as viewed in the drawings, and the trigger means is in
a "cocked" position. When in "cocked" position, as just described,
the golfer, when released, executes his maximum swing or driving
stroke for driving a miniature golf ball 134 (FIG. 1) toward the
green 46 which is accomplished by manually pushing the knob 124
downwardly to release it so that the tension on the band 118
rotates the pulley 104 and golfer's arm portions 90 to the right,
as viewed in the drawings.
The golfer's head portion 92 is characterized by a neck area 136,
rectangular in transverse cross section and having a pin 138
extending laterally therethrough and projecting at its respective
ends beyond the lateral sides of the neck. This pin 128 is
cooperatively journalled by a pair of spaced-apart ears or
apertures 140 formed on the upper limit of the golfer's body 84 for
forward and rearward tilting movement of the golfer's head about
the axis of the pin 138.
The adjacent surface of the disk portion 100 is provided with a
recess or notch 142 in alignment with the axis of the shaft of the
golf club 98 for receiving a portion of the golfer's neck portion
136 when his head 92 is tilted forwardly, as illustrated in FIG.
15, which locks the golfer's arm portion 90 for ease in installing
or replacing the golf club shaft in its receiving socket 96. After
the golf club 98 is frictionally gripped by the golfer's arm
portion 90 the golfer's head portion 92 is tilted rearwardly to
disengage the neck portion 136 from the locking recess 142.
Obviously the trigger means 114 need not be placed in its above
described fully "cocked" position for the golfer's swing following
his initial drive from the tee position for subsequent drives and
when putting wherein the knob 124 is manually pulled toward the
opening 132, to place a desired tension on the band 118, and then
released to execute the desired stroke.
The golf ball 134 is preferably formed of lightweight material
having a density slightly greater than air, such as an expanded
synthetic resinous material marketed under the tradename Stryofoam,
or the like, to obtain maximum distance in drives. A second ball,
not shown, of dense material, such as metal, is used for
putting.
Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations
without defeating its practicability, therefore, I do not wish to
be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and
described herein.
* * * * *