US3009452A - Gun baseball game - Google Patents

Description

NOV- Z1, 1961 H BARBER ETAL 3,009,452

GUN BASEBALL GAME Filed Jan. 13, 1958 I f t fr n I Ik im M, ff

lIIHI l f {g Y 35 INVENTORS Patented Nov. 21, 1961 3,009,452 GUN BASEBALL GAME Herbert L. Barber, Woodland Hills, Calif. (507 Irving Drive, Thousand (laks, Calif.); George F. Russell, 13144 Huston St., Sherman Oaks, Calif.; and Daniel H. iRussell, 4142 Mary Ellen Ave., North Hollywood, Ca if.

Filed Jan. 13, 1958, Ser. No. 703,435 3 Claims. (Cl. 124-27) This invention relates to a gun baseball game and to an actuator or gun-like pitching device employed in the same.

Many toys and games are designed so as to utilize certain basic features or principles involved in adult equipment or games. This is because children generally desire to imitate various adult things or pastimes in their play. Thus, for example, toy pianos which are essentially imitations of adult pianos find very wide sale.

A basic object of the present invention is to provide a new type of baseball game which may be played by several children and which is designed so as` to reproduce the essentials of play involved in a conventional baseball game. A further object of this invention is to provide a baseball game which may be easily and conveniently manufactured at a comparatively nominal cost and which effectively simulates the features of the adult game of baseball. Another object of this invention is to provide a toy baseball game in which a pitching device of a socalled gun variety is used so as to simulate the action of an actual pitcher in a real game of baseball. An object `of this invention is also to provide a new and improved spring loaded toy gun type of structure which may be used as an actuator so as to project a small ball or similar projectile with varying amounts of force.

Because of the nature of this invention, it is not considered necessary to set forth in this specification a further long list of various objects and advantages of it. Such other objects and advantages of the invention itself will be fully apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a detailed examination of the remainder of this description including the appended claims and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View lof a complete toy baseball game of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken at line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the gun-like actuato-r employed as a pitching device with this game; and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken at line 5--5 of FIG. 4 ofthe drawing.

In all figures of the drawing like numerals are used to designate like parts wherever convenient for purposes of illustration and explanation. 'It is to be understood that this invention is not to be taken as being limited by the accompanying drawing inasmuch as a number of different structures may be readily designed and built which operate utilizing the principles or features herein explained and described.

As an aid to understandin-g this invention it may be stated that it concerns toy baseball games which involve a horizontal surface which is built so as to simulate a conventional baseball diamond having a home plate and foul lines extending therefrom. Around the periphery, surface walls are placed which simulate the conventional walls or fences extending around a baseball park. Adjacent to these walls in the portion of the surface corresponding to right and left fields of the baseball diamond various pockets are located which are adapted to receive a baseball during the use of this game so as to indicate the extent of various hits. Further, within the portion of the surface representing the in-eld of the baseball diamond, means are located which are adapted `to simulate a fielder in a conventional baseball game and which are designed so as to engage and hold a projectile simulating a baseball. Upon the portion of the surface immediately adjacent to the home plate means corresponding to batters boxes are provided and a small simulated batter is rotatably mounted so that as a projectile simulating a baseball is pitched toward home plate from the periphery of the surface corresponding to center field, this batter may be rotated in order to strike this projectile in order to drive it in much the manner in which a conventional baseball is hit. The periphery yof the surface immediately in back of home plate is preferably provided with a swinging back stop which is designed to stop the motion of such a projectile in the event that it is not hit by the simulated batter and with a plurality of pockets which are designed to hold such a projectile in order to indicate whether a strike or a ball has been pitched. In using the apparatus of the present invention a projectile simulating a baseball is propelled toward home plate by means of a gun-like actuator or pitching device which is formed in such a manner that an amount of force used to propel this projectile may be varied as desired. Further, this gun-like actuator may be moved to any of several positions as desired in order to effectively simulate the manner in which a conventional baseball pitcher may vary his delivery of a baseball.

In order to understand this invention more fully it is considered necessary to refer directly to the accompanying drawing where there is shown a complete gun baseball game 10 of the present invention. This game is built about a flat horizontal surface 12 such as, for example, the top of a table or the like. If desired, the surface 12 may be supported upon various types of legs, etc. (not shown) or the game 10 may be designed so as to be placed upon the top of -a conventional card table or the like. The surface 12 itself is formed by printing or similar techniques so as to effectively simulate the appearance of a conventional baseball field having a home plate 14, a first base 16, a second base 18, a third base 20, foul lines 22 extending from along the first and third bases and a batters box 24. Also this surface 12 preferably includes a pitchers box 26, and an `in-field 28 and a right and a left field 30 and 32 respectively.

Walls 34 -are mounted on the outside edges of the surface 12. These walls 34 are designed so -as to effectively simulate the walls surrounding a conventional baseball park. Thus, for example, they may be printed or otherwise covered with various indicia indicating terms as dugouts, bleachers, etc. vIf desired, these walls 34 may be pivotally mounted upon the surface 12 so as to facilitate storage of the game 10. At the end of the surface 12 corresponding to the portion of the surface indicating a center field 36, a small connecting wall 38 is carried between two of the walls 34. This wall 38 may also be pivotally mounted and printed so as -to simulate a part of a baseball park as desired. In the bottom of the wall 38 there is provided an elongated slot 40 which is adapted to receive a portion of a gun-like actuator 42.

The actuator 42 is designed so as to simulate a pitching device and to be used in propelling a projectile such as a small ball 44 formed so as to simulate a baseball as indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawing. Preferably the actuator is formed out of two substantially bilaterally symmetrical sections 46 which are adapted to be fitted together through the use of an adhesive o-r the like so as to define various passages, barrels, etc., as hereinafter indicated. If desired, these sections 46 may be conveniently formed by known injection molding techniques out of styrene or other equivalent materials at a very nominal cost.

Within the actuator 42 the sections 46 define what may be considered a barrel 48 into which the ball 44 is adapted to be placed. For convenience of inserting the ball 44 the walls of this barrel 48 may be sloped slightly from an open end 50 of it toward a small retaining ridge 52. The interior of the barrel itself terminates at the ridge 52; this ridge 52 is adapted to limit the motion of a ball, such as the ball 44 toward the interior of the actuator. This ridge 52, thus marks the dividing line Within the actuator 42 between the barrel 48 and an enlarged bore 54 which in effect constitutes an extension of the barrel 48.

From the end of the bore 54 remote from the barrel 48 there extends through the actuator 42 a passage 56 of smaller dimension than the bore 54. This passage is intersected intermediate to its length by means of an enlarged slot 58 which is in communication with a retaining cavity 60 through a comparatively small passage 62. This passage 62 and the slot 5S are aligned with an opening 64 leading from an end of the retaining cavity 60 to the top of the actuator 42. As indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawing the retaining cavity 60 extends along the length of the bore 54 and opens into the barrel 48 immediately adjacent to where this barrel and the bore 54 are connected. Those skilled in the art will realize that the walls of the parts 54, 56, S8, 60, 62 and 64 are all defined by the sections 46 when these sections are secured together.

A plunger 66 having a shank 68 extending therefrom and an enlarged head 70 formed thereon is located so that this head 70 is free to slide within the bore 54 and so that the shank 68 is free to slide within the passage 56. A coil spring 72 located so as to resiliently bear against this head 70 and against the end of the bore 54 surrounding the passage 56, is used so as to propel a ball, such as the ball 44, from the position indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawing out of the barrel 48.

In the actuator 42 a small handle 74 attached to the shank 68 projects through a slot 76 within one of the sections 46. In using the actuator 42 this handle 74 is pulled so as to increase the compression on the spring 72. As this occurs an edge 78 on a frame-like latch member 80 is propelled toward the top of the actuator 42 by means of a coil spring 82 so as to latch within any one of several notches 84 formed in the shank 68. From a consideration of the drawing it may be realized that this latch member 80 is located so as to be capable of sliding with the slot 58 and that the shank 68 extends through the center of this latch member 80. The spring 82 is located in a small retaining passage 86 defined by the sections 46 so as to normally bear against the latch member 80 and urge it toward the top of the actuator 42 so as to lock the plunger 66 in a cocked position.

From the latch member 80 there extends a shaft 88 carrying an enlarged head 90; this shaft 88 extends through the passage 62 and an end of the retaining cavity 60. The head 90 terminates generally within this retaining cavity 60 and extends through the opening 64 to the top of the actuator 42. By pushing upon this head 90 the latch member 80 can be caused to move away from the shank 68 releasing the plunger 66 so that the spring 72 will cause the head 70 of this plunger to hit against a ball, such as the ball 44, driving this ball from the barrel 48.

In order to retain a ball, such as the ball 44, within the barrel 48 after the actuator 42 has been cocked by moving the handle 74 as indicated, a small retaining lever 92 is pivotally mounted upon a pin 94 extending through the retaining cavity 60. This retaining lever is provided with a curved end 96 which is adapted to fit against a ball, such as the ball 44, when the actuator 42 is in such a cocked position. It is also provided with a bifurcated end 98 fitting around the shaft 88 between the head 90 on the shaft and a small pin 100 extending through it.

With this type of construction whenever the actuator 42 is cocked the retaining lever 92 is in the position shown in FIG. 4. When the head is pushed so as to shoot a ball, such as the ball 44, from the actuator 42 before the shank 68 on the plunger is released the small amount of motion tending to release this shank first serves to rotate the retaining lever 92 to the position shown in phantom in FIG. 4 of the drawing so that a ball, such as the ball 44, is free to travel from this actuator. Movement of the latch member 80 to a cocked position automaticallyl returns the retaining lever 92 to the position shown.

An important feature of the present invention lies in the fact that a plurality of notches 84 are located within the shank 68 so that the handle 74 may be pulled against the pressure of the spring 72 to varying extents. Thus, the plunger 66 may be latched in position with the spring 72 under varying degrees of compression. Depending upon the extent to which the spring 72 is compressed, a ball, such as the ball 44, will be projected from the actuator 42 with varying amounts of force.

Thus, a child using the game 10 may employ the actuator 42 so as to pitch balls, such as the ball 44, at varying rates of speed corresponding to fast and slow balls delivered by a pitcher in a conventional baseball game. Since the position of the actuator 42 may be adjusted within the confines of the slot 40 at various angles, etc., a child or other individual holding this actuator 42 can effectively simulate ball pitching styles such as are employed by pitchers in the real game of baseball.

During the use of the game 10 when a ball, such as the lball 44 is propelled from the actuator 42 this ball is normally directed over home plate 14. As the ball moves another individual playing the game 10 can rotate a shaft 102 so as to cause an attached simulated batter 104 to hit this ball in various directions, corresponding to different positions with respect to the `baseball playing iield reproduced on the surface 12. It is noted that the batter 104 carries a conventional appearing bat 10S ot circular cross-sectional configuration. lf desired the batter 104 may be formed so that bats of different sizes and shapes may be substituted for one another. As a ball or projectile, such as the ball 44, is hit by the simulated batter 104 this ball may impinge against certain of the walls 34 and go into any of a series of pockets 106 designating diierent types -of hits corresponding to the hits in a conventional baseball. Also as a ball or projectile, such as the ball 44, which is hit may go into any of a series of catching means 108 which are adapted to simulate players in the conventional game of baseball and which may vbe used to indicate outs Such catching means may be formed as essentially spring-like steel clips attached to the surface 12 so as to have resilient upper walls 110 which are adapted to clamp against a ball, such as the ball 44, propelled into them as indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The interiors of these walls of these catching means 108 are preferably provided with a sand paper or other similar coating in order to aid in holding balls. Preferably the catching means 108 all face home plate 14. Similar clips 114 arc located along the `foul lines passing first base 16 and third base 20 so as to indicate that foul balls have been hit.

In the event that the simulated batter 104 operated by a player of the game 10 fails to hit a ball pitched by the actuator 42 the ball impinges against a rotatably mounted backdrop 116 which stops the motion of this ball and dellects it into any one of a series of pockets 118 which indicate that either a strike or a ball has been pitched through the use of the actuator 42 If desired, the backdrop 116 may be painted so as to simulate a catcher. As indicated in the drawing it is mounted upon two of the walls 34.

Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains Will realize that the complete game 10 may be modied in a number of diterent ways without changing the manner in which this game operates. They will further realize that the actuator or pitching `device may =be termed a gun, and that this gun or actuator may be employed for a wide variety of diierent purposes and that various details of its construction may be altered without changing the manner in which it operates. For these reasons the present invention is to be considered as being limited only by the appended claims forming a part of this disclosure.

We claim:

1. A device for shooting projectiles which includes: a barrel having a bore formed therein leading from one end of said barrel, said barrel being formed so as to enclose said bore except at said end whereby a projectile may ibe introduced into said bore only through said end; plunger means movably mounted within said bore remote from said end; spring means for moving7 said plunger means toward said end of said bore; latch means for holding said plunger means away from said end of said bore, said latch means extending to the exterior o-f said barrel; separate projectile retainer means extending into said barrel intermediate said plunger means and said end and being engaged by said latch means, said retainer means being positioned by movement of said latch means so as to hold a projectile within said bore remote from said end when said plunger means is held with said spring means under compression by said latch means and being capable of moving out of said b-ore so as to simul- Land wherein said retaining lever means extend-s into said bore so as -to hold said ball against said shoulder means when said plunger means is held by said latch means.

3. A device as dened in claim l wherein said retainer means comprises a lever pivotally mounted on said device, one end of said lever projecting into said bore, the other end of said lever being engaged by said latch means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 299,436 Stockman May 27, 1884 472,608 Rand Apr. l2, 1892 937,078 Laundermilch et al. Oct. 19, 1909 2,462,526 McNair Feb. 22, 1949 2,631,578 Laughlin Mar. 17, 1953 2,652,822 Griith Sept. 22, 1953 2,682,409 Irwin June 29, 1954 2,775,457 Galbos Dec. 25, 1956

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