U.S. patent number 3,845,957 [Application Number 05/364,579] was granted by the patent office on 1974-11-05 for shooting gallery apparatus including impact transmitting projector.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Louis Marx & Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to Richard N. Carver, Martin Condry, Mahlon E. Hirsch, Raymond J. Lohr, Maxmillian P. Rogers.
United States Patent |
3,845,957 |
Lohr , et al. |
November 5, 1974 |
SHOOTING GALLERY APPARATUS INCLUDING IMPACT TRANSMITTING
PROJECTOR
Abstract
A shooting gallery type of game enabling the operator to aim a
projectile at a target and control the propelling of the projectile
toward the target. The game of the invention has a transparent,
non-magnetic wall, and a magnetic projectile is situated next to
the wall on one side thereof. A target is situated on the same side
of the wall as the projectile, but at a substantial distance from
the wall. A permanent magnet is adapted to be situated by the
operator on the other side of the wall from the projectile to act
magnetically on the projectile to move the latter along the wall
and locate the projectile at a selected location. A manually
operable impact structure is situated next to the permanent magnet
and cooperates therewith for transmitting an impact through the
permanent magnet and wall to the projectile for projecting the
latter toward the target.
Inventors: |
Lohr; Raymond J. (Erie, PA),
Condry; Martin (Erie, PA), Hirsch; Mahlon E. (Fairview,
PA), Carver; Richard N. (Erie, PA), Rogers; Maxmillian
P. (Erie, PA) |
Assignee: |
Louis Marx & Co., Inc.
(Stamford, CT)
|
Family
ID: |
23435142 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/364,579 |
Filed: |
May 29, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/389; 273/390;
124/44.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
9/0243 (20130101); A63F 2250/028 (20130101); A63F
7/249 (20130101); A63F 7/0088 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
9/02 (20060101); A63f 009/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/95R,101,12R,105.2
;124/41,16,17 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Pinkham; Richard C.
Assistant Examiner: Siskind; Marvin
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Blum Moscovitz Friedman &
Kaplan
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a shooting gallery game, a transparent, non-magnetic wall, a
magnetic projectile situated next to said wall on one side thereof,
a target situated on the same side of said wall as said projectile
at a substantial distance from said wall, a permanent magnet
adapted to be situated by the operator on the other side of said
wall from said projectile to act magnetically on said projectile
for moving the latter along said wall and locating said projectile
at a selected location on said one side of said wall, and manually
operable impact means located next to said permanent magnet for
movement with respect thereto into impact engagement therewith to
transmit an impact through said permanent magnet and wall to said
projectile for projecting the latter toward said target.
2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said manually operable
impact means includes an impact member to be driven into engagement
with said permanent magnet, a spring for urging said impact member
into engagement with said permanent magnet, and manually engageable
means coacting with said impact member for retracting the latter in
opposition to said spring and for then releasing said impact member
to the force of said spring to be driven thereby into engagement
with said permanent magnet.
3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein said impact means has the
configuration of a pistol, said manually engageable means having a
trigger-simulating portion to be engaged and retracted by the
operator, and said permanent magnet being carried by a front end
region of said impact means in alignment with said impact
member.
4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said impact means
includes a hollow housing of pistol-shaped configuration carrying
said permanent magnet for free movement with respect to said
housing when said impact member is retracted, with said permanent
magnet projecting forwardly beyond said housing to engage said
transparent wall, said manually engageable means having a springy
portion which engages and retracts said impact member and said
housing carrying a cam for deflecting said springy portion away
from said impact member automatically when said impact member has
been retracted through a given distance in opposition to said
spring.
5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein a hollow housing has a
front open end closed by said transparent wall, said housing having
a rear wall provided with a front surface directed toward said
transparent wall, said target being situated between said rear wall
of said housing and said transparent wall.
6. The combination of claim 5 and wherein a support means is
operatively connected with said housing for supporting the latter
at an inclined position where a bottom edge of said rear wall is at
an elevation lower than a bottom edge of said transparent wall,
said housing having a bottom wall extending between said bottom
edges, so that the projectile, after being projected away from said
transparent wall toward the target will automatically become
situated at the region of the bottom edge of said rear wall.
7. The combination of claim 6 and wherein said target includes a
rod extending across and carried by opposed side walls of said
housing, and a plurality of target elements swingable on said
rod.
8. The combination of claim 7 and wherein a chute extends along the
inner surface of a side wall of said housing to direct a projectile
back to said retaining means, and a deflecting member carried by
said rear wall of said housing at said front surface thereof for
deflecting a projectile onto said chute to be returned thereby to
said retaining means.
9. The combination of claim 8 and wherein said target includes a
hollow enclosure carried by said rear wall at said front surface
thereof and having an opening through which a projectile can enter
into said enclosure, said enclosure carrying a rotary member which
is rotated by the weight of a projectile entering into said
enclosure.
10. The combination of claim 9 and wherein said enclosure and said
rotary member simulate a clock.
11. The combination of claim 7 and wherein a bell is carried by
said rear wall at said front surface thereof to form an additional
target.
12. The combination of claim 6 and wherein a plurality of
projectiles in the form of magnetic ball members are situated
within said housing, the latter carrying at the region of the
bottom edge of said front wall a retaining means for retaining the
plurality of projectiles in position to be moved one after the
other along said transparent wall by said permanent magnet, so that
after a plurality of projectiles are projected toward the target
the housing may be raised and said bottom wall tilted downwardly
toward the bottom edge region of said transparent wall to return
the projectiles to said retaining means.
13. The combination of claim 12 and wherein said housing has a
springy deflectable wall portion through which projectiles can be
introduced into said housing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to games.
In particular, the present invention relates to a shooting gallery
type of game in which a projectile is capable of being controlled
by the operator in such a way that will be propelled toward a
target.
Games of the above general type are already known. Thus, there are
games where relatively complex structures are provided for
projecting projectiles toward a target. The projectiles are
projected by spring-pressed plungers or the like, for example, with
the projectiles issuing from a tube simulating a gun barrel, for
example, so that the projectiles will travel, for example along the
interior of a housing, toward a suitable target. Such structures
are exceedingly complex. Complications are involved not only in the
structure of the projector but also in the structure for retrieving
the projectiles and returning them to a position where they may
again be projected by the operator. One of the complications
encountered with such conventional constructions resides in the
mounting of the projector which generally must be swivelled so that
it is possible to aim the projectile.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a game
of the above general type which will avoid the complications
encountered with the previously known constructions.
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide
a game of the above general type which is relatively light and
simple in its construction and which at the same time is capable of
providing a high degree of entertainment and testing of the skill
of the operator.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a game of
the above general type which does not require a projector to be
permanently attached to any structure, while at the same time it is
possible to retain the projectiles within the interior of a housing
so that the projectiles cannot become lost.
Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a
game of the above general type with different types of targets
which operate in different ways to increase the entertainment value
of the game as well as the skill which is required.
According to the invention the shooting gallery game has a
transparent, non-magnetic wall, and a magnetic projectile is
situated next to this wall on one side thereof. A target is
situated on the same side of the wall as the projectile at a
substantial distance from the wall. A permanent magnet is adapted
to be situated by the operator on the other side of the wall from
the projectile to act magnetically on the projectile to move the
latter along the wall and to locate the projectile at a selected
location on the one side of the wall where the projectile is
located. A manually operable impact means is located next to the
permanent magnet and cooperates therewith for transmitting an
impact through the permanent magnet and wall to the projectile so
as to project the latter toward the target.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying
drawings which form part of this application and in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of one possible embodiment of
a game according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the game of the
invention taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the
arrows;
FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view of the game of the invention, taken
along line 3--3 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a projector shown
in FIG. 4 in association with a transparent wall and
projectile;
FIGS. 5 and 6 respectively illustrate how the operator manipulates
the game to return the projectiles to their starting position;
FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the game of the invention with part
of the front wall thereof removed;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevation of a side wall of the housing of
the game of the invention as is appears at the exterior;
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 8 in the
direction of the arrows; and
FIG. 10 is a sectional plan view of the structure of FIG. 4 taken
along line 10--10 of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to FIGS. 1-3, the shooting gallery game 20 of the
present invention which is illustrated therein includes a hollow
housing 22 which is of a generally cube-shaped configuration. This
housing 22 has a rear wall 24 as well as a bottom wall 26 and a top
wall 28, the latter walls 26 and 28 respectively projecting
forwardly from the bottom and top edges of the rear wall 24. The
housing 22 has a front open end which is closed by a transparent
non-magnetic wall 30 made of any suitable clear plastic, for
example. The housing 22 is completed by a pair of opposed side
walls 32 and 34.
The front edge of the housing 22 has a rearwardly extending flange
portion 36 extending all around the front periphery of the housing.
At its lower region the flange portion 36 is integrally connected
with a downwardly extending wall portion 38 which forms together
with the lower portion of the flange 36 a support means capable of
supporting the housing 22 in the inclined position shown in FIG. 2
on any suitable support 40, such as a tabletop. Thus it will be
seen from FIG. 2 that the bottom edge of the rear wall 24 is
situated at a lower elevation than the bottom edge of the front
wall 30.
This front wall 30 is formed from a transparent clear plastic sheet
which has also a rearwardly extending peripheral flange 42. The
flange 42 extends over the flange 36, and releasable screws 44 may
be provided for releasably fastening the wall 30 to the front
peripheral edge of the housing 22.
In the interior of the housing 22 are located a plurality of
projectiles 46, in the form of metal ball members made of a
magnetic material such as any suitable ferrous metal. Because of
the spherical configuration, the projectiles 46 will automatically
collect at the region of the bottom edge of the rear wall 24, due
primarily to the inclination of the bottom wall 26, after the
projectiles have been projected in a manner described in greater
detail below.
As may be seen from the lower right region of FIG. 2, the bottom
wall 26 has a front downwardly extending region 48 defining with
the lower region of the front wall 30 a space in which is
accommodated a retaining means 50 capable of retaining the
projectiles 46 in a position to be projected. As is shown most
clearly in FIGS. 1 and 7, the retaining means 50 is in the form of
an elongated rigid member 52 made of any suitable plastic, metal,
wood, or the like, although it is preferred to mold the retaining
means 52 integrally with the remainder of the wall structure of the
housing 22, except for the front wall 30 thereof. This retaining
means 50 takes the form of an elongated portion situated directly
behind the lower region of the wall 30 and formed with a plurality
of upwardly directed notches 54 horizontally arranged across the
front lower region of the housing in a manner shown most clearly in
FIGS. 1 and 7. These notches 54 are large enough so that each notch
can receive only one ball 46, and the depth of the notches 54 is
such that if a ball is located in a notch, another ball can roll
freely across an occupied notch. As a result, after the projectiles
have collected at the bottom edge region of the rear wall, the
operator can simply raise the entire housing 22 and shake it about
and tilt it in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, so as to
distribute the several projectiles respectively in the several
notches 54 preparatory to projecting the several projectiles toward
targets which are situated within the housing 22 between the rear
wall 24 and the front wall 30 thereof.
For the purpose of projecting the projectiles, a permanent magnet
56 is provided. This permanent magnet 56 takes the form of a
cylindrical body having integrally fixed thereto at its right end,
as viewed in FIG. 4, an outwardly directed flange 58 for a purpose
referred to below. The permanent magnet 56 can be moved by the
operator along the exterior front surface of the wall 30, and
because of the magnetic attraction, a spherical projectile will
roll along the interior surface of the wall 30 remaining in
alignment with the magnet 56 in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 2,
4, and 10.
The permanent magnet 56 is carried by an impact means 60 which in
turn is carried and manipulated by the operator. This impact means
60 has the configuration of a pistol, as is apparent from FIGS. 1
and 4. Thus, the impact means 60 includes a hollow plastic housing
62 made, for example, of a pair of outer housing parts which are
mirror images of each other and which are joined together to define
the entire housing 62. The housing 62 supports for sliding movement
in its interior an elongated impact member 64. The impact member 64
extends through openings formed in transverse walls adjacent the
upper region of the housing 62 so as to be guided for movement
toward and away from the magnet 56. A spring 66 surrounds the
elongated impact member 64, pressing at its front end against a
transverse portion 68 of the impact member 64 and at its rear end
against a transverse wall 70 of the housing. The impact member 64
is capable of moving freely through an opening in the transverse
wall 70 back to the dot-dash line position indicated in FIGS. 4 and
10. Forward movement of the impact member 64 beyond the solid line
position thereof shown in FIGS. 4 and 10 is limited by engagement
of the flange 58 with the front end wall of the housing 62.
The transverse projection 68 of the impact member 64 which is
engaged at its rear surface by the spring 66 is engaged in the
position of the part shown in FIGS. 4 and 10 at its front surface
by a retracting projection 72. This retracting projection 72
extends integrally from a springy member 74 which extends over and
is connected at its front end to a trigger-simulating member 76.
Thus it will be noted that the housing 62 has a trigger guard
simulating part 78 which defines with an exterior portion of
trigger-simulating member 76 an opening 80 which can receive the
trigger finger of the operator, while the remainder of the hand of
the operator can engage the pistol grip 82.
The hollow pistol grip 82 fixedly carries in its interior a
transverse pin 84 around which a wire spring 86 is positioned as
indicated in FIG. 4, with one end of the spring engaging the front
wall of the pistol grip 82 and with the top end of the spring
extending into engagement with a tongue 88 projecting from the
trigger-simulating portion 76. This trigger simulating portion 76
extends forwardly to the front end 90 thereof from which the
springy portion 74 extends rearwardly in a manner according to
which the portion 74 can freely deflect downwardly and upwardly
without interference from any other elements.
For the purpose of deflecting element 74, the housing 62 fixedly
carries in its interior a deflecting wall or cam 92. This cam 92
has a front edge situated in the path of rearward movement of an
inclined rear region of the springy part 74.
Thus, when the operator retracts element 76 in opposition to the
spring 66, the retracting projection 72 will act on the transverse
projection 68 of impact member 64 to retract the latter in
opposition to the spring 66. At the same time the front edge of the
cam 92 will engage the springy portion 74 and deflect the latter
downwardly. Just before the projection 72 reaches the front edge of
the cam 92, the tip of retracting projection 72, situated at the
uppermost part thereof, will be displaced below the transverse
projection 68 so as to release the latter to the force of the
compressed spring 66, this spring now driving the impact member 64
forwardly until its front end engages the rear end of the magnetic
member 56.
Thus, with the structure as described above, the operator will
initially place the front end of the magnet 56 in alignment with a
ball member situated in one of the notches 54, and then the
magnetic member 56 will be moved upwardly along the front surface
of the wall 30 to locate the projectile 64 which has been selected
at a desired location. When the operator feels that the projectile
46 which has been raised in this way along the inner surface of the
wall 30 is properly aligned with a selected target, the operator
will retract the trigger-simulating element 76 until the impact
means is released to be driven forwardly by the spring 66 and
strike against the magnet 56. The result is that the impact is
transmitted through the magnet 56 and the wall 30 to the projectile
46 which now is propelled toward the selected target. Thereafter,
the operator will raise another selected projectile in the same way
and will propel it in the same way. Of course, different people may
take turns or any rules may be provided for the shooting gallery
game of the invention.
As is apparent from FIGS. 3 and 7, the side wall 34 fixedly carries
an interior projection 94 which receives a rearwardly directed end
of a rod 96 which extends all the way across the hollow interior of
the housing in front of the rear wall 24 thereof, the opposite end
of the rod 96 extending, for example, through the wall 32 and being
situated at the exterior of the housing between a pair of
reinforcing ribs 98 at the exterior of the housing, as shown in
FIG. 8. The housing is made of a plastic sheet material, as pointed
out above, and as may be seen from FIG. 8, a portion of the wall 32
is formed with an opening 100 partially covered by a springy tongue
102 which leaves in the opening 100 a free space which at all parts
is smaller than the diameter of a projectile 46. In this way it is
possible for the operator to push projectiles past the tongue 102,
letting them drop in the interior of the housing 22, while at the
same time because of the presence of the tongue 102 the projectiles
cannot fall out of the housing.
The horizontally extending rod 96 supports for free swinging
movement thereon a plurality of targets of different shapes such as
the several targets 104 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 7, these targets
carrying, for example, different scores indicative of the
difficulty of striking the targets.
In addition, the rear wall 24 carries at its front surface special
targets which add considerable interest to the game. Thus, at its
upper left region, as viewed in FIG. 7, the rear wall 24 carries at
its front surface an enclosure 106 having at its top region an
opening 108 through which a ball can enter the enclosure, this
enclosure being open at its bottom end. Within the enclosure is
situated a rotary body 110, the construction of which is clearly
apparent from FIGS. 2 and 3, and this body 110 is turnable on a pin
112 which projects forwardly from the rear wall 24. Part of the
rotary member 110 is visible through an opening in the front wall
of the enclosure 106, and this part simulates the front face of a
clock carrying hands, as is apparent from FIG. 7. The rotary member
110 carries at its periphery outwardy extending blades 114, and
behind the opening 108, the wall 24 carries a deflecting member
116. Thus, when a ball enters through the opening 108 into the
enclosure 106, the ball will be deflected downwardly by the front
inclined surface of the deflecting element 116 and will strike one
of the vanes 114 to rotate the member 110 to provide an exceedingly
entertaining effect while at the same time the ball will then fall
out through the open bottom of the enclosure 106 to end its
movement at the region of the bottom edge of the rear wall 24.
An additional target which is carried by the rear wall is in the
form of a bell 118 supported in a recess in the rear wall 24 in the
manner shown most clearly in FIG. 3, this bell providing a loud
ringing noise, particularly when one of the metal projectiles
directly engages the rivet 120 which serves to fix the bell 118 in
the recess at the rear of the housing in the manner shown most
clearly in FIG. 3. The rear wall 24 of the housing is formed with
rearwardly extending portions 122 extending into the hollow
interior of the bell 118 to provide an increased sound effect.
According to a further feature of the invention, the rear wall 24
carries at its upper right region a deflecting element 124 having a
front deflecting surface which is inclined downwardly and
rearwardly. A ball which engages the deflecting element 124 will be
deflected downwardly into a chute 126 which directs the ball onto
another chute 128 which extends along the inner surface of the side
wall 32. In this way a projectile which is deflected to the chute
128 will be returned to the space over the retaining means 50, so
that such a ball may again be projected.
While most of the target members carried by the rod 96 are capable
of freely swinging fully around the rod 96, a pair of the targets
130, in the example illustrated, have rearwardly extending web
portions 132 engaging a stationary projection 134 carried by the
front surface of the rear wall 24 of the housing. This arrangement
is shown most clearly in FIG. 2. Thus, with this construction when
a ball engages a part of a target 130 above the rod 96, the target
130 will not swing. It is only when a ball engages a part of the
target 130 below the rod 96 that the target 130 will swing so as to
become located in a position where the free ends 136 swing into
engagement with the bottom surface of the forwardly projecting wall
134 so that now the portions of the targets 130 shown in FIG. 3
extend vertically and are situated forwardly of the rod 96, to
provide an exceedingly effective and entertaining result. The wall
134 is supported at its opposite ends by a pair of triangular
supports 138.
It is apparent from the above description that the shooting gallery
game of the invention is exceedingly simple and inexpensive. It is
composed of rugged elements which can be operated again and again
over a long period of time without encountering any faulty
operation. Moreover, the structure is light and easy to carry about
and store, as is apparent from FIGS. 5 and 6 which illustrate the
size of the structure with respect to the hands of the
operator.
It is to be noted particularly in connection with FIGS. 4 and 10
that the magnet 56 can be freely moved about to any desired
location along the front surface of the transparent wall 30. As
soon as the impact member 64 is retracted slightly, it is possible
for the magnet 56 to move longitudinally in the opening at the
front wall of the housing 62, so that the operator does not require
a particularly steady hand to maintain the magnet in engagement
with the front wall 30. In other words, even though element 76 is
retracted by the operator, the magnet 56 is capable of remaining in
engagement with the wall 30 at any selected location because of the
freedom of the housing 62 to move longitudinally with respect to
the magnet 56 which remains reliably at a desired location along
the wall 30. While the operator holds the magnet 56 at a desired
elevation, the front end of the magnet 56 remains in engagement
with the front surface of the wall 30 by attraction to the
projectile which is supported at a desired location at the inner
surface of the front wall 30 by the magnet 56, and thus there is no
danger that the magnet 56 will not be directly in engagement with
the wall 30 when the impact member 64 is driven into engagement
with the magnet 56. In this way the force of impact is transmitted
very effectively directly through the wall 30 to the ball member
and the force of the spring 66 is efficiently used to propel a
projectile 46 toward a selected target.
* * * * *