US2010266A - Game device - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 6, 1935. c. w. KEMPER El AL GAME DEVICE Filed July 16. 1934 INVENTORS CHARLES w. KsMPne ATTORNEYS.

Q UNITED STATE Patented Aug. 6, 1935 GAME Charles W. Kemper PATENT oFFicE DEVICE and John T. Kemper,

Hayward, Calif.

" Application July 16, 1934, Serial No. 735,414

14 Claims.

This invention relates to game devices and has for its object a rotary game mechanism of the revolving disk ball-throwing type, to which balls or marbles may be fed one at a time from below the disk and all may be dropped below for replaying, also such a device in which the marbles are always covered by a sheet of glass while playing, also such a device which facilitates the playing of a plurality of games through changing of insignia around the disk. Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and accompanying drawing.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of the rotatable disk and upper part of the device.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross section of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective section of portion of the device as seen from the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. l is an enlarged fragmentary perspective section of portion of the device as seen from the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the inner end of the marble-shooting gun.

Fig. 6 is an end view of Fig. 5.

In further detail, the device comprises a base I on which is a sheet metal housing 2, preferably circular in form and above which is a circular rotatable head portion which includes a rim 3, a relatively wide marginal flange 4, a centrifugal disk 5 having a central aperture up through which the marbles 6 are forced one by one for playing, and a glass disk I spaced above disk 5 sufliciently to permit the marbles to roll freely.

The rotatable head is preferably made of sheet metal and is provided with a central inverted hub 8 revolvably fitting over a fixed tube 9 and resting on a grooved type step ball bearing .ID in turn supported on a fixed pedestal ll secured within the housing 2, while centrally within the pedestal H is a ball or marble duct 9 taking the form of a vertical tube with its lower end l2 curved to align with and receive marbles from the inner end of a spring plunger gun I3 provided with an operating knob l4 outside of the housing 2 and which knob is on the outer end of the gun plunger I5 so that it may be drawn outward against the pressure of a spiral spring Hi to permit a marble 6' to fall from the marble gravity return chute l1 through a side opening into the gun for ejection up the tube and, due to the limited movement provided by the plunger,

to eject one marble at a time from the upper end of the ductto fall over onto the disk 5.

The standing column of marbles in the duct is prevented from falling-when the gun plunger is drawn outwardly, by reason of a pair of spring jaws H3 at the inner end of the gun resiliently drawn toward one another as by springs Ill-20 to slightly close behind each ball as it is urged forward through the jaws by the gun plunger.

The chute IT is of spiral form running around the inside of housing 2 and open on top to receive any number of marbles from the periphery of the disk 5 above upon opening a peripheral shutter or ring 2| which is apertured at spaced points 22 to correspond with apertures 23 in the disk when the shutter is shifted in a rotary direction as by a small handle 24 projecting from the side of rim portion 3. Also around the periphery of the disk 5, are spaced stalls for the marbles to find'rest, formed of triangular blocks or members 25 and under which the openings 22 of the shutter 2i move when the shutter is moved to closed position shown in the drawing. The blocks are provided on their inner apices with small notches 26 large enough to catch or stop a marble under extraordinary conditions only. The-stalls or pockets between the blocks are numbered from I to- I2 in sequence on the disk 5, as indicated, and the disk is also preferably radially'sectioned oil in color as indicated at 21. A feature of the disk of considerable importance is its form seen in vertical section as in Fig. 2 and wherein it is lowest at the extreme edge at 5 and raised within that point at 5" and gently lowered at 5". This makes the marbles hesitate on the revolving disk, roll back and forth, hesitate, and then finally go over the high portion 5" in an erratic way without increasing the speed of the disk.

To provide for playing several games with the device the rims is apertured at spaced points 28 and beneath it is a revolvable sheet metal ring 29 provided with a little extending finger grip or knob 30 with which it may be circumferentially shifted to thereby bring to view in the peripheral openings 28 of the flange 4 any of several sets of game indicia, printed, painted, or pasted on the're'volvable ring 29, such for instance as a lot of dice faces, 3|, or playing card faces, take and an -"instructions, or prize numbers, as indicated in dotted lines 32 under flange 4, or any other insignia desired to govern any special game which can be played on a chance marble-throwing device of this kind.

In playing a game on the device, the players may each choose a pocket by its number opposite the indicia desired, and the one into which the most marbles fall when the disk is spun and. the gun operated will win, each player to get a certain number of shots, or one player at a time may take several shots to build up totals against the next player, or results to abide the particular exposed indicia against which the marbles are found when the disk is stopped. There may be ten or more marbles in the chute in addition to the standing column, and any desired rules may be used in playing any of the games provided .Ior by the indicia on the marginal ring, also for such special event as a marble lodging in one. off the small notches 26.

The revolvable portion is twirledby handand.

will continue to revolve for a long time, yet is easily stopped by placing a hand upon the'glass, and it makes an extremely fasoinatinggame as the result depends somewhat on the violence of the ejection of the marble, and the speed of-ro tation, as the erratic movements of the marbles on the disk before going over the high placei are influenced thereby.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A game device comprising a base, a head portion supported on said base in a manner for revolving in a horizontal plane, said head portion including a disk witha central aperture, pockets around the periphery of the disk, and means for projecting balls upwardly through said aperture onto the disk for centrifugally flinging into said pockets as the head portion and its disk are spun.

2. A game device comprising a base, a head portion supported on said base in a manner for revolving in a horizontal plane, said head portion including a disk with a central aperture, pockets around the periphery of the disk, and means for projecting balls upwardlythrough said aperture onto the disk. for centrifugally flinging into said pockets as the head portion and its disk are spun, said disk being slightly raised adjacent said pockets so that the balls will remainin place when the head portion isstopped.

3. A game device comprising a base, ahead portion supported on said base in a manner for revolving in a horizontal plane, said head portion including a disk with acentral aperture, pockets around the periphery of the disk, means for projecting balls upwardly through said aperture onto the disk for centrifugally flinging into said pockets as the head portion and its'disk are spun, and means for dropping the balls from said pockets to the ballprojecting means.

i. A game device comprising a base, a head portion supported on said basein a manner. for revolving in a horizontal plane,.said head portion including a disk with a central aperture, pockets around the periphery of the disk; means for projecting balls upwardly through said aperture onto the disk for centrifugally flinginginto said pockets as the head portion andits disk are spun, and a glass sheet carried by said head portion spaced above saiddisk to permit free rolling. of the balls beneath.

5. A game device comprising a base, a head portion supported on said base in a manner for revolving in a horizontal plane, said head portion including a disk with a central aperture, pockets around the periphery of the disk, means for projecting balls upwardly through said aperture onto the disk for centrifugally flinging into said pockets as the head portion and its disk are spun, and means for dropping the balls from said pockets to the ball projecting means comprising a ring-like shutter movable about the center of said disk and having spaced apertures arranged to match spaced apertures in said disk as the shutter is turned.

6. In a structure as specified in claim 5, a spiral chute leading the balls to a lower point in single file to the ball projecting means.

7. In a structure as specified in claim 3, said ball projecting means comprising a plunger gun mountedbelow said disk arranged to receive and force the balls upward as a standing column through the center of the disk.

8. In a structure as specified in claim 3, said ball projecting means comprising a plunger gun mounted below'saiddisk arranged to receive and force the balls upward as a standing column throughthe center of the disk, and means holdingthe standing column of balls in place when the gun. plunger is retracted.

9. In a game device of the character described, a disk arranged to revolve in a horizontal plane, means for guiding. marbles to the center of said disk. for throwing outward by centrifugal force, pockets spaced around the disk to receive the marbles, said pockets defined by separating walls, smaller pockets on the free ends of the walls of a size adapted to catch a marble under specially favorable chance conditions only.

10. In a game device of the character described, a disk arranged to revolve in a horizontal plane, means for guiding marbles to the center of said disk for throwing outward by centrifugal force, pockets spaced around the disk to receive the marbles, a marginal flange projecting outwardly beyondthe pockets with spaced openings formed therearound, and a relatively shiftable ring under said flange bearing game-playing indicia adapted to be selectively shifted to position under said openings.

11. In a structure as specified in claim 10, said relatively shiftable ring bearing indicia adapted for the playing of a, plurality of games with said game device.

12. In a game device of the character described, a disk arranged. to revolve in a horizontal plane, means for guiding marbles to the center of said disk for throwing outward by centrifugal force, pockets spaced around the disk to receive the marbles, and a glass sheet revolvable with said disk spaced above the same a distance to permit free rolling of said marbles.

13. In a structure as specified in claim 3, said ball projecting means comprising a plunger gun mounted below said disk arranged to receive and force the balls upward as a standing column through the center of the disk, and a springactuated jaw past which said balls are forced one by one by the plunger of said gun to prevent fall of said standing column of balls.

14:. In a structure as specified in claim 10, said spaced openings being in number equal to said pockets and each opening aligned with a pocket.

CHARLES W. KEMPER. JOHN T. KEMPER.

Images