Amusement devices: games – Aerial projectile game; game element or accessory therefor... – Hooking or draping projectile and target therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-18
2001-10-30
Graham, Mark S. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Aerial projectile game; game element or accessory therefor...
Hooking or draping projectile and target therefor
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308956
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention resides in the field of games involving the tossing of an article toward an object in order to score points by having the article engage one or more appendages or supports of the object.
The basic concept of tossing an article toward an object is the game of horseshoes, or a later modification, quoits. This involves the throwing, or tossing, of a ring or horseshoe to engage an upright stake anchored into the ground. The stake may be anchored at a perpendicular angle to the surface of the ground, or at any other angle suitable for a variant of the basic game. The object of the game is to encircle the stake with the horseshoe or ring, the ring being the more difficult due to a lack of an opening.
Other articles have been utilized to be tossed at objects, i.e., targets, such as beanbags and weights tied at the ends of short cords. However, in most instances, these articles are used with targets which require the placement of the article within the target, rather than around or hanging from the target. The present invention relies upon the latter, the use of balls tied at the ends of short cords, for tossing at a series of parallel bars arranged one above the other with scoring being gauged upon the skill difficulty of tossing the tied balls onto or over a designated bar.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a series of substantially horizontal bars, arrayed one atop the other having an adjustable space between each set of the bars, such that one or more sets of tethered balls can be tossed toward any of the bars to be engaged over or onto a selected bar.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide supports which hold the array of bars such that the available length of any of the bars can be altered, shortened or lengthened, in accordance with the varying of the shape of the supports so that the target areas are, likewise, shortened and lengthened.
It is another object of the present invention to allow for the placement of the bars in one vertical array and permit the adjustment of the placement of the bars into another vertical array utilizing the same supports in order to vary the distance between the bars to increase or decrease the level of skill and difficulty in engaging the tethered balls over or onto the one of more horizontal bars.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a tethered ball toss game in which a number of tethered balls arranged at both ends of a series of cords and secured to the ends of the cords by knots are tossed from a prescribed distance toward a number of horizontal bars position between upright supports which are retained in perpendicular angularity to the underlying support surface by bottom supports. Each of the horizontal bars are relocatable in a vertical direction along the side supports to other pre-determined points for engagement with the side supports by engaging a retractable latching member into a cooperating hole so that the bar is secured in the desired position. In this fashion the distance between the bars can be altered to vary the difficulty and skill levels of the game.
Alternative embodiments of the game are also contemplated where the length of the bars is varied such as by changing the shape of the side supports to accommodate shortened horizontal bars. This different array of bars can be progressively shorter from bottom to top, or vice versa, or have shorter bars at the middle of the vertical distance.
A ball toss game for throwing tethered balls at a target is described comprising a pair of upright side supports retained in perpendicularity to an underlying support surface by respective bottom supports, a plurality of bar tossing members positioned between said upright supports which are removeably engaged at pre-determined points in a vertical direction along said side supports, said bar tossing members being releasably engaged by one or more retractable latching members in like dimensioned latching member receiving apertures located at the pre-determined points along the side supports and a pair of spheroids arranged at each of the ends of a plurality of elongated flexible cords and secured to said ends of the respective cords by passing the cords through a centrally located aperture in each spheroid and knotting the cords on either side of each spheroid tethering the pair of spheroids to each other with a pre-determined length of cord therebetween. With this equipment, the plurality of tethered spheroids are tossed from one or more prescribed distances at the bar tossing members in order to temporarily secure the tethered spheroids over said bar tossing members scoring points for those tethered spheroids remaining temporarily secured over said bar tossing members at the end of a series of tosses by a number of players.
The length of the bar tossing members between the side supports may be varied to increase or decrease the level of difficulty and skill in temporarily securing the tethered spheroids over the bar tossing members. One such example may be the bar tossing members arranged in progressively shorter lengths from bottom to top, or the bar tossing members arranged in progressively longer lengths from bottom to top. Another example may be the bar tossing members arranged with shorter lengths at the middle of the vertical direction along said side supports, or the bar tossing members arranged with longer lengths at the middle of the vertical direction along said side supports.
Further, the distance between the bar tossing members may be varied to increase or decrease the level of difficulty and skill in temporarily securing the tethered spheroids over the bar tossing members. Other variations of the game will be described more fully hereinafter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2797924 (1957-07-01), Stewart
patent: 3701531 (1972-10-01), Bowers
patent: 3717348 (1973-02-01), Bowers
patent: 4487419 (1984-12-01), Welbourn
patent: 5165694 (1992-11-01), Kraushaar
patent: 5522597 (1996-06-01), Hanks
Graham Mark S.
Piltch Sanford J.
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