US3498615A - Pinball game with player controlled scoring area - Google Patents

Description

- March 3, 1970 .T. TOUTOUNDJIS PINBALL GAWE WITH PLAYER CONTROLLED SCORING AREA 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 8, 1968 INVENTOR w/aM/ys- 7'0u700/vDJ/5 BY H ATTORNEY March 3, 1970 "r. TOUTOUNDJIS PINBALL GAWE WITH,PLAYER CONTROLLED SCORING AREA Filed March 8, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR TWO/Vii 'raurouA/pJ/y BY W ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 3, 1970 3,498,615 PINBALL GAME WITH PLAYER CONTROLLED SCORING AREA Thomas Toutoundjis, 3086 47th St., Astoria, NY. 11103 Filed Mar. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 711,551 Int. Cl. A63d 3/02; A63f 7/10 US. Cl. 273120 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pinball game board with a player control area that allows changes in a remote scoring area. The scoring area is a selectively rotatable disc with pinball receiving depressions and the player controls its rotation by turning a steering wheel. A control system of pulleys and a belt interconnects the steering wheel and the scoring disc at their lower ends. Gears may be attached to this belt intermediate the scoring area and control area and act to rotate vertical shafts attached to movable ball retarding walls on the playing surface. The pinball rolls down an inclined surface by gravity between the retarding walls until it encounters the movable score area.

This invention relates generally to pinball game devices.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a pinball game having self-controlled means for manually manipulating a scoring area so that a player may attempt to present a highest scoring element thereof to a pinball advancing toward the area.

Another object is to provide a pinball game wherein the scoring area comprises a revolvable, circular platform having scoring positions located around the periphery thereof.

Yet another object is to provide a pinball game wherein the scoring platform is remotely controlled by control means located in the vicinity of the player placed at an opposite end of the game to the scoring area.

Yet another object is to provide a pinball game wherein the pinball travels along a tortuous path which can be manually controlled to alter its course while the pinball travels therethrough.

Other objects are to provide a pinball game that is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily apparent upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a modified form of the present invention; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view of the movable retarding wall of FIGURE 4.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and more particularly to FIGURES l to 3, inclusive, the reference numeral represents a pinball game apparatus according to the present invention wherein there is a housing 11 of rectangular character and having a longitudinal, inclined runway 12 between upstanding vertical side walls 13; the upper end of the runway being adjacent a playerscontrol area 14 and the lower end of the runway being adjacent a scoring area 15.

The runway includes a plurality of stationary, upstanding, retarding walls 16 that obstruct a straight travel of a pinball 17 along the runway, the walls 16 extending diagonally from both of the side walls 13 and the ends thereof, overlapping so that the pinball is obliged to travel the tortuous path 18 indicated by the dotted line in FIGURE 1.

The scoring area 15 includes a circular disc 19 having a peripheral edge 20, the upper corner of which is flush with the upper corner of a circular opening 21 of a downwardly dished panel 22 which thus urges a pinball arriving thereupon to roll upon the disc 19. A cylindrical crown 23 is centrally mounted upon the disc so as to arrest a pinball from travelling across the disc, the peripheral area of the disc being divided by radially extending sec tions 24, each of which is of a different color, each of the sections 24 having three depressions 25 formed therein, into which a pinball may finally come to rest. The sections as well as the depressions thereof may be made to represent various score values, certain of which will accordingly be more desirable for a player to attain.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the disc 19 is centrally mounted upon the upper end of a vertical shaft 26 supported rotatably free within bearings 27 of a bearing block 28. A pulley 29 is mounted upon shaft 26, the pulley engaging an endless belt 30 extending longitudinally within the housing 11 to the control area 14, where the belt engages a second pulley 31 mounted upon a vertical shaft 32 journalled within a bearing block 33 stationarily integral with housing 11. The upper end of the shaft 32 extends outward of the housing, and a steering wheel 34 is secured thereto providing a manual means for rotating the disc 19.

A trough 35 is provided at the players control area 14 for storing a plurality of pinballs within convenient reach.

In operative use, a player places a pinball at the upper, adjacent end of the runway and then grasps the steering Wheel 34. The pinball rolls by gravity along the runway toward the scoring area. Meanwhile the player is controlling the rotation of the disc with the intention of placing the most favorable scoring position to face the approaching pinball. Not knowing quite where the pinball will arrive upon the panel 22, the player is obliged to be alert and quick in responding with the rotation of the disc. The pinball finally rolls off the runway upon panel 22 and then upon the disc 19, dropping into one of the depressions 25 thus making a score.

In a modified construction, shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, a pinball game apparatus 40 is shown which is of like construction as the above described game apparatus 10, but wherein there are a plurality of movable, upstanding, retarding walls 41 which may be manually controlled. In the present construction, each of the walls 41 is pivotable about a shaft 42 journalled within the housing, the shaft 42 having a gear 43 engaging the teeth of a rack 44 formed on the belt 45 that transmits power from steering wheel 34 to the disc 19. Thus a player, in addition to controlling the disc position, is able to also control the course of a pinball throughout its travel along the runway, thus hoping to control the arrival position of the pinball upon the platform 22 for better transfer therefrom to the disc so as to improve his score.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it is understood that such changes will be with in the spirit and scope of the present invention as is defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

1. In a pinball game apparatus, the combination of an elongated housing having a players control area at one longitudinal end thereof, a scoring area at the opposite longitudinal area, and a runway intermediate the said players control area and the scoring area, manual mens to permit a player to attempt control of a score obtainable within said scoring area, said housing includes a pair of side walls, an end wall at each longitudinal end, and a 3 horizontally positioned downwardly dished panel between said side Walls at the said scoring area, an inclined panel between said side walls to form said runway, said inclined panel being downwardly inclined toward said scoring area, said walls and panels enclosing a compartment containing a mechanism inter-communicating between said control area and said scoring area, said runway includes a plurality of retarding walls for obstructing the normal travel of a pinball along said runway, said scoring area includes a circular disc Within a circular opening within said dished panel, said disc having a raised central crown, a peripheral area around said crown divided into a plurality of radially extending sections, each of which is of different color, and each said section having a plurality of depressions therein to selectively receive 'said pinball, said sections and depressions being designated with various different score values, said disc is mounted upon a vertical shaft rotatably free Within a bearing block secured on said housing, said shaft having a pulley secured thereto, an endless belt around said pulley and around a second pulley mounted on a vertical second shaft supported rotatably free in a bearing block secured at the control area of said housing, said second shaft having an upper end thereof extending outward of said housing and having a steering wheel secured thereto so to provide manual control for selectively rotating said disc, each of said retarding wall is mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft rotatably supported by said housing, the lower end of said shaft having a gear secured thereto, said gear engaging a toothed rack on said belt so that said steering wheel transmits pivotal movement to said retarding walls for controlling the retarding direction thereof against said pinball, said retarding walls being arranged in a pair of rows each of which is powered by an opposite leg of said endless rack, said retarding walls powered by one leg of said rack being alternately positioned between retarding walls powered by the opposite leg of said rack.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,103,865 7/1914 Caler 273 1,454,173 5/1923 Keiner 273120 2,195,718 4/1940 Culp 273123 2,199,327 4/1940 Ahrens 273120 FOREIGN PATENTS 251,061 4/ 1926 Great Britain.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner T. ZACK, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 273-127

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