Amusement devices: games – Surface projectile game; game element – Simulated game
Patent
1996-07-02
1997-08-12
Pierce, William M.
Amusement devices: games
Surface projectile game; game element
Simulated game
27310851, 2733173, 446330, A63F 706
Patent
active
056557671
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to board game apparatus including game boards requiring playing members to be moved over the surface of the boards by control rods.
A variety of board games are known which require a number of playing pieces to be moved about the playing surface of the game board, often by means of some mechanical control mechanism such as a movable rod. In many of these games, the playing members are colored or otherwise designed to represent two different teams of playing members. A well known game board of this type simulates the game of ice hockey and, in this particular game, there are five regular playing members on each team plus a goalie member that can be moved to protect the goal net from an incoming shot. In this game a small puck-like disc can be used and is movable around the board by the playing members.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,734 issued Sep. 10, 1991 to Klas I. Laine illustrates a table hockey game wherein each playing member can be moved along a slot by means of a control rod or actuator shaft. In this known game, two of the hockey players on each side are movable to and from positions behind the goal nets. This is because their slots are curved and bend about 90 degrees near one corner of the playing surface. As in previously known games of this type, the playing members can be rotated about a vertical axis by rotation of the actuator shaft about its longitudinal axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,303 issued Dec. 24, 1974 to Tudor Games, Incorporated describes a game apparatus designed to simulate a basketball game. It also has a plurality of playing pieces that are movable along the playing surface by push rods slidably disposed under the game board and adapted to be operated at each end of the board. A basket-like device is arranged at each end of the board and is elevated above the playing surface. Small ramps are arranged on the board and these are used in conjunction with the playing pieces to raise the ball upwardly from the board in the general direction of the basket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,434 issued Dec. 11, 1990 to Stiga Aktiebolag describes a table game apparatus designed to simulate a baseball game. This game includes a number of playing figures mechanically rotatably arranged on the playing surface for catching and forwarding a ball to base areas. There is disclosed in this patent specification a playing member that can be rotated by means of a rotation of a control rod that is enclosed by an axially movable control tube that extends through a hole in the side wall of the game board. The tube is used to operate a bell crank lever which is biased to a desired position by means of a spring. By pivoting the bell lever one is able to swing a rocker body inwardly, thus allowing a ball to be caught between the arms of the body and held there by a magnet.
According to one aspect of the invention, a board game apparatus comprises a game board with a generally flat, upwardly facing playing surface, a number of game playing members adapted to manipulate a small object for movement over and above said surface, each playing member including a body portion that extends upwardly from said playing surface and an object manipulating portion pivotally connected to said body portion, means for pivoting said manipulating portion relative to said body portion, vertical shaft means extending from each of the body portions and down through the playing surface for rotatably mounting the respective body portion on the playing surface, a number of substantially horizontal rod means provided for moving said playing members along respective slots formed in the playing surface, means for engaging each rod means with a respective vertical shaft means so that rotation of each rod means about its longitudinal axis causes a corresponding rotation of the shaft means engaged therewith, and means for rotatably supporting each rod means below the playing surface, the apparatus characterized by each rod means comprising a rotatable hollow tube and the pivoting means including an elongate member extending through the tube
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Francis Geoffrey V.
Pendry Stephen W.
Pierce William M.
Vision Games, Inc.
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