U.S. patent number 3,829,096 [Application Number 05/134,970] was granted by the patent office on 1974-08-13 for balanced maze game apparatus.
Invention is credited to Charles Ellsworth, Louis M. Gioia, James L. Webb.
United States Patent |
3,829,096 |
Gioia , et al. |
August 13, 1974 |
BALANCED MAZE GAME APPARATUS
Abstract
A game board is supported on a flexible rod and associated base.
Upstanding flanges define a maze path on the game board surface
through which a ball may roll. A plurality of depressions are
provided about the periphery of the game board, and weights
removably positioned in these depressions adjustably tip the game
board on its flexible rod support, causing the ball to roll through
the maze path responsive to the selected position of the
weights.
Inventors: |
Gioia; Louis M. (Danbury,
CT), Ellsworth; Charles (Brookfield Ctr., CT), Webb;
James L. (New Milford, CT) |
Family
ID: |
22465874 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/134,970 |
Filed: |
April 19, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/110 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
7/386 (20130101); A63F 7/041 (20130101); A63F
2250/606 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
7/38 (20060101); A63F 7/04 (20060101); A63F
7/00 (20060101); A63F 9/00 (20060101); A63f
007/16 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/110,109,113,112,115,116,114,145C,154,1R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
767,766 |
|
May 1934 |
|
FR |
|
827,766 |
|
Feb 1960 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Oechsle; Anton O.
Assistant Examiner: Kramer; Arnold W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Mattern, Ware & Davis
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A game apparatus comprising:
A. a game board having a maze path defined on the upper surface
thereof by upstanding flanges, and a game piece movably constrained
within said maze path;
B. resilient means supporting the game board for at least tipping
movement thereon;
C. a plurality of discrete movable weights; and
D. a plurality of weight-retaining means each for retaining one of
said plurality of discrete movable weights at a selected position
removed from the maze path on said game board, the placement of one
of the discrete weights in one of the weight-retaining means
displacing said game board on said resilient support means, thereby
causing movement of the game piece in the maze path.
2. Game apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the upstanding
flanges defining the maze path include at least a peripheral
flange.
3. Game apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said plurality of
weight-retaining means comprise:
A. a first plurality of weight-receiving depressions positioned on
the peripheral flange at a first uniform radius from the center of
the game board and spaced apart from each adjacent depression by an
equal angular distance, and
B. a second plurality of weight-receiving depressions positioned on
other maze path-defining flanges on the game board at a second
uniform radius from the center of the game board.
4. Game apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the resilient
support means comprises a flexible rod and associated base
permitting tipping movement of the game board.
5. Game apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein said base is
provided with an opening for receiving in telescoping engagement
one end of said flexible rod, and wherein said game board is
provided with a boss having an opening formed therein for receiving
in telescoping engagement the other end of said flexible rod.
6. Game apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said game board
further includes game piece retaining means positioned in said maze
path.
7. Game apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the game piece
retaining means comprises one depression centrally located on said
game board.
8. Game apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said means for
retaining weights on the game board comprises a plurality of
depressions positioned at a uniform distance from the center of
said game board and a uniform distance from each adjacent
depression.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a game, and more particularly to a game
comprising a resiliently mounted game board tippable by selectively
positioning movable weights thereon.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the prior art there are many puzzles incorporating tippable game
boards. One of these is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 414,986 to
Motter. His puzzle comprises a circular game board tippably mounted
on the apex of a rigid cone base. The game board has a plurality of
flanges upstanding from the surface thereof to form a maze, and
balls are provided which may roll through the maze. The game is
played by manually tipping the game board to cause the balls to
roll in the maze toward desired points therein.
Another form of tippable game board is shown in U.S. Pat. No.
2,390,458 to Pedersen. A hemispherical base depends from the
underside of Pedersen's game board, which supports the game board
in a tippable manner. The surface of the game board has a series of
depressions therein, and the players manually tip the game board to
cause a ball to roll about this surface. It is an object of the
game to avoid causing the ball to come to rest in some of the
depressions, and to cause the ball to come to rest in various other
of the depressions. A series of depressions about the periphery
thereof, which depressions are used for storing extra balls.
Other devices comprising a game board manually tippable on a
supporting projection depending therefrom are shown in the
following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 996,458 to Coleman; U.S. Pat. No.
1,522,307 to Lewis, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,236,522 to Brown.
A game similar to those described in the above mentioned patents,
but having a resiliently supported game board is the subject of
U.S. Pat. No. 1,768,016 to Walker. This patent shows a game board
having a plurality of prongs depending from the underside thereof,
which prongs are loosely engaged in an equal number of upstanding
coil springs. The surface of the game board is provided with a
series of protrusions and depressions. The player manually tips,
slides, and otherwise manipulates the game board against the
resilient mountings to cause a ball to roll about the surface of
the game board. A similar game wherein the resilient mounting
comprises a rigid rod terminating in a flexible suction cup base is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,492,462 to Caesar.
Yet another game having a resiliently mounted game board is shown
in U.S. Pat. No. 644,209 to Murphy. The game board in Murphy is
secured to a single centrally disposed coil spring, which is in
turn secured to a base. The surface of the game board has a series
of five depressions which receive five balls. The depressions are
arrayed such that the surface of the game board remains in a more
or less level condition with the five balls positioned thereon.
There are also holes formed in the surface of the game board for
receiving the images of soldiers provided with a peg for insertion
in the holes. The object of the game is to place the images upon
the game board without causing the balls to be displaced.
Other games and puzzles discovered in the prior art, but believed
to be of less pertinence to the invention herein, are found in U.S.
Pat. No. 456,826 to Jenne, U.S. Pat. No. 899,949 to Burr, and U.S.
Pat. No. 3,157,401 to Wallach.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The game according to this invention comprises a game board mounted
on a resilient or flexible support and associated base. Flanges
upstanding from the surface of the game board form a maze path
through which a ball may roll toward a centrally located
ball-retaining depression. Separated from the maze path are a
plurality of depressions in which weights may be removably
positioned. The weight-receiving depressions are preferably arrayed
about the periphery of the game board equidistant from the central
ball retaining depression. A second series of weight-receiving
depressions are preferably formed nearer the central ball retaining
depression, and also removed from the maze path.
Players may in turn selectively position weights in some of the
plurality of weight-receiving depressions, thereby tipping the game
board on its resilient mounting, and causing the ball to roll
through the maze path on the surface of the game board. A player
may be designated as the winner by causing the ball to come to rest
in the central, ball-retaining depression.
It will be noted that none of the prior art patents described above
provide for tipping a resiliently or flexibly mounted game board by
means of positioning weights thereon. Also, none of the above
described devices provide a resilient mounting of a game board in
the form of a flexible rod, which resists vertical and rotational
displacement of the game board while permitting tipping thereof. It
will thus be seen that the game according to the invention
challenges the sense of balance and judgment as well as the manual
dexterity of the players in a unique and novel manner.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a
game which challenges the judgment and sense of balance of the
player.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a game which
competitively tests the judgment and sense of balance of the
players.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a resiliently
mounted game board tippable by means of weights.
It is another object of the invention to provide a game of the
above character which is durable and inexpensive to
manufacture.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a game of
the above type which collapses for compact storage.
Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the features,
elements, combinations and operating procedures disclosed in the
following detailed description and shown in the drawings.
DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the surface of a game
board according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the underside of the game
board of FIG. 1, and a flexible mounting rod and associated base
therefor.
FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the assembled game according to
the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 shows the top surface of a generally circular game board 10
according to the invention. Upstanding about the periphery of the
game board 10 is a flange 12. A series of depressions 14 are formed
in the flange 12, and spherical weights 16 may be removably
positioned therein. A second flange 18 also upstands from the game
board 10, and the top surface of flange 18 is also provided with a
series of depressions 20 wherein the spherical weights 16 may be
removably positioned.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the depressions 14
are equidistant from the center of the game board 10 and are
equiangularly arrayed about the peripheral flange 12. The
depressions 20 in flanges 18 and 22 are also equiangularly arrayed
within groupings thereon, and each depression is at a uniform
distance from the center of the game board 10.
Flanges 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 also upstand from the game
board 10. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, some of the
flanges are symmetrical about the central depression 36. Thus
flange 22 is the mirror image of flange 18, and triangular flange
24 is the mirror image of triangular flange 26. There are also two
flanges, not shown, which are the mirror images of flange 28 and
30. Flange 32 is the reverse mirror image of flange 34. It is, of
course, not necessary that this relationship between the various
flanges exist, and any desired array of flanges may be
provided.
The various upstanding flanges define a maze path comprising a
plurality of paths leading from a start position 40 to a
ball-retaining depression 36 formed at the center of the game board
10 between flanges 32 and 34. A ball 42 may roll along the maze
path between and among the various flanges from a start position 40
to the central depression 36.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a flexible rod 50 is telescopingly
receivable in a central opening 54 formed in a boss 52 depending
from the underside of game board 10. The boss 52 is preferably
centered on the underside of game board 10, so that the central
opening 54 therein is immediately below the central ball-retaining
depression 36. The lower end of flexible rod 50 is telescopingly
receivable in an opening 56 of an apertured hub 58. The apertured
hub 58 has three legs 60 radially disposed outwardly therefrom to
comprise a base 62 suitable for supporting the flexible rod 50 and
game board 10 on a flat surface, such as a floor.
The game board 10, flexible rod 50, and base 62 are shown assembled
in FIG. 3. The flexible rod 50 is in a vertical position supporting
the game board 10 in a horizontal position when the spherical
weights 16 are placed in depressions 14 and 20 in a manner that
balances the game board. When the spherical weights 16 are
positioned to unbalance the game board, the flexible rod 50 bends,
and the game board 10 assumes a tipped position, such as is shown
greatly exagerated in the dotted lines of FIG. 3. The tipped
position of game board 10 causes ball 42 to roll in the maze path
defined by the upstanding flanges, the ball coming to rest in a new
equilibrium position determined by the position of the game
board.
The game may be played by having the participants move the
spherical weights 16 to various positions of their selection in
depressions 14 and 20, thereby causing the ball 40 to move through
the maze path. The winning participant may be designated as the one
who causes the ball 40 to come to rest in the central
ball-retaining depression 36.
The game board 10 and flanges thereon are preferably fabricated of
plastic, and the flexible rod 50 may be fiberglass or metal. The
base 62 is also easily constructed of plastic. The ball 42 may be
fabricated of either plastic or wood, and is preferably much
lighter than the weights 16, which may be common steel
ball-bearings. Thus the movement of the ball 42 has a much smaller
effect on the tip of the table than does the position of the
weights.
The flexible rod 50 may be replaced by a coil spring, or other
resilient support means. Any rolling member may be substituted for
ball 42, and various other forms of weights may be provided.
The game is exciting and challenging to play, testing both the
judgment and sense of balance of the participant. The game is
inexpensive to manufacture, and is comprised of durable parts. It
is easily disassembled for flat, compact storage, a desirable
feature in a parlor game.
Since the foregoing description and drawings are merely
illustrative, the scope of the invention has been broadly stated
herein and it should be liberally interpreted to secure the benefit
of all equivalents to which the invention is fairly entitled.
* * * * *