CA1131268A - Shooter board game - Google Patents

Abstract

SHOOTER BOARD GAME

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A shooter board game includes a board member having an upper planar surface, a pair of upright sides, and one upright end, wherein a target area is disposed on the supper surface adjacent the one upright end there-of. A shooter assembly is positioned off of the board member at the other end thereof, wherein one of a plurality of playing pieces is shot from the shooter assembly at the target area. The shooter assembly is allignable with the marginal edge of the board adjacent the other end to increase the accuracy of aiming the playing pieces. A pair of scor-ing tracks are included for monitoring the progress of the game by each player.

Description

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This invention relates to apparatus for playing games and sports of a recreational nature.

A number of United ~tates Patents relate to variously designed shooter type board games but these are non-related to the game of my present invention which has an improved shooter assembly, an improved scoring system, and a set of rules which are unique and novel thereby improving the uni-versal appeal of the game, These United States Patents are:
1,600,62~ to DeBoer; 1,9~2,2~0 to Fohmann; 2,0g3,540 to Armstrong, and 3,~65,377 to Cooper, et al, One of the problems of apartment living is that the choice of entertaining games is limited to the "sit downt' type of games such as checkers, chess, cards, etc.. Recreation room games such as billiards, pool, shuffleboard and others are too large or too noisy or awkward to set up in apartments and this is unfortunate as many people like to play these more active games, An object of the present invention is to provide a recreation room type of game for apartments that would make apartment living more agreeable and at the same time be easy to put away, quiet to play and universally appealing to most age groups, ~L3~2~i~

Briefly, the present invention comprises a board member having an upper planar surface, a pair of sides, and a pair of ends, one of which has an upright tail or sides. A target area is disposed on the upper surface at one end thereof adjacent the upright side or flange. A shooter assembly is positioned off of the other end of the board member, wherein one of a plurality of playing pieces is shot from the shooter assembly at the target area. A pair of scoring tracks are provided for mounting the progress of the game by each player.
Thus according to the present invention, there is provided a shooter board game, which comprises:
(a~ a board member having an upper planar playing surface, a pair of sides, and a pair of ends, and flange members secured to said pair of sides and one of said pair of ends extending upwardly from said planar surface, the other side of said pair of ends extending along a straight line;
(b) a target area disposed on said upper surface of said board member adjacent said one end thereof;
(c) a shooter assembly selectively positionable away from touching engagement with said board member and in touching engagement with said board member at said other of sald pair of ends, said shooter assembly including a cross-shaped element, said cross-shaped element having a first elongated arm, a second elongated arm, said second arm joined to a lower surface of said first arm, said first arm having a straight marginal edge, a block member slidably disposed on said first arm, wherein said one of said playing pieces is projectable intermediate said flange members disposed at said pair of sides of said planar surface and towards a portion of said flange members disposed at said one of said pair of ends of said planar surface where said straight ~ lL3~2~
marginal edge is selectively located adjacent to said other of said pairs of ends, and a V-shaped element disposed on a surface of said block member, said one of said playing pieces being disposed within said V-shaped element, and a first elastic band member communicating between one said block and one end of said second arm, and a second elastic bank member communicating between said block and another end of said second arm, and a pair of stop members extending upwardly from said second arm, said pair of stop members being aligned parallel to said straight edge, said stop members engaging said elastic bands thereby restricting forward motion of said block member;
(d) two sets of a plurality of disc shaped playing pieces, one of said playing pieces at a time removably received onto said shooter assembly to be forwarded pro~ected across said upper surface towards said target area;
(e) two scoring tracks, each said track including an elongated bar member having a plurality of longitudinally aligned apertures disposed in its upper surface, said apertures disposed in its upper surface, said apertures being numbered from a minus numerical indicia at one end to a positive numerical indicia at another end of said bar each of said two scoring tracks located at said flange members disposed at said pair of sides of said planar surface;
(f) four first colored pegs, two of set pegs removably received in said end apertures of each said track; and (g~ two second colored pegs, one of said second pegs removably received in said apertures of each of said bars between said first colored pegs.
A specific illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

- 2a -FIGURE 1 illustrates a top planar view of a shooter board game;
FIGURE 2 illustrates an enlarged top planar view of one of two scoring tracks of the game;
FIGURE 3 illustrates a perspective view of a playing piece of the game; and FIGURE 4 illustrates a perspective view of two scoring pages of the game.
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, Figure 1 shows a board game 10 which includes a board member 12 having a planar upper surface 14, a pair of ends 16, 1~ and a pai.r of sides 20, 22 wherein the sides 209 22 taper inwardly at an acute angle near end 1~ such that rear ~nd 1~ is shorter than front end 16. An upwardly extending flange 24 is secured perpendicularly secured to end 16 and sides 20, 22, wherein the inner surface of flange 2~ has a rubberized coating 26 disposed thereon. A geometrically shaped target area 2~ is disposed on upper surface 14 at end 16, wh~rein a plurality of circular shaped indicia 30 are disposed within area 2g, Indicia point values 30 are numbered from two to six. A pin element 32 is disposed at the center of each indicia 30 and extends perpendicularly upwardl~ from the upper surface 14, A concaved penalty line 34, as aligned towards front end 1~, is disposed trans~ersely on upper surface 1~ between area :~ 2~ and rear end lg. A shooter assembly 36 is positioned off of board member 12 at rear end 1~ thereof, The shooter assembly comprises a cross-ahaped member 3g having an ejector guide arm ~0 and a cross arm 42 which is disposed under ejector guide 40.
The cross arm 42 at its juncture with stem 40, is spaced apart therefrom by a spacer 44. The upper surface ~ of the ejector ~ 3 ~

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guide ~0 extends from the front end 52 to the rear end 55 of guide 40, A block member 54, used as an ejector, is slidably disposed on upper surface 4~ on ejector guide 40 wherein a V
shaped element 69 is disposed on the surface of block 54. A
pair of elastic band members 56, 5~ are joined to tha block member 54, wherein one of the band members 56, 5~ is joined to each side of block 54. The free endsof each band members 56, ~ are anchored by staple means to teach end 60,62 of the cross bar 42, A pair of stop members 6~, 66 are perpendicularly on the upper surface of cross bar 42, wherein one member 64 is disposed on one side of juncture 44 and the other member 66 is disposed on the other side of juncture 44. A plurality of playing pieces 67 are provid0d as shown in Figures 1, 3 which are shot by shooter assembly 36 at target area 30, There are two sets of seven playing pieces 67 provided, wherein one set is color coded by a first color and the second set is color coded by a second color. At the paper portion of each side 20,22 are affixed tray elements 6~, 70, wh~rein the tray elements 6~, 70 extend linearly outwardly from sides 20, 22.
Tray element 6~ holds one set of playing pieces 67 thereon and tray element 70 holds the other set of playing pieces 67 thereon. A pair of score tracks 72, 7~ are provided, wherein tracks are affixed to and extend linearly outwardly from the longitudinally aligned portions of sides 20,22 wherein each track 72, 74 is an elongated bar member 76 having a plurality of longitudinally aligned apertures 7~ in its upper surface as sho~n in Figures 1, 2, These are 150 apertures 7~ in each bar member 76,~,~herein each aperture 76 is assigned a numeral indicia gO of from mimls fifty to plus one hundred such that the minus aperture 7~ is disposed at the rear end ~2 of bar member 76 and the plus one hundred aperture 7~ is disposed at the front end ~4 of bar member 76. Figure 4 shows a pair of ~ ~ 31 ~ 6 ~

peg members ~6 which are removably received into the apertures 7~ of each track 72, 74 for indicating the scoring progress of the game 10. There are provided four black pegs, two yellow pegs, and one white peg. One yellow peg ~6 is inserted into the zero aperture 7~ of each track. The black pegs g6 are inserted into the minus fifty and plus one hundred apertures 76 of the two tracks 72, 74. A starter hole ~ is disposed in the upper surface of each bar member 7~ at the rear end g2 thereof, wherein the white peg ~6 is used in the score track.
The player places a playing piece 67 on upper surface 4~
of stem 4~ and pulls back block 54 with piece 67 positioned in element 69 as he pushes downwardly on near end 54 of stem 40 causing the playing piece 67 to slide raarwardly on guide 40 against block 54. The stem 40 is rotated left or right and then stem ~O is aligned horizontally. The block 54 is re-leased causing piece 67 to be shot forwardly The elastic band members 56, 5~ are stopped by stop members 64, 66.
The adjacent side of cross arm ~2 may be located in touching engagernent with end 1~ of board member 12. Alterna-tively, the entire shooter assembly 36 may be displaced away from touching engagement with board member 12 O~viously, when the shooter assembly 36 is aligned by engaging the board 12 open end, at edge lg, the alignment of cross arm 42 is assured. Stop members 64 and 56 are aligned axially with the edge of cross arm 42 that engages edge 1~ of board member 12, thereby permitting block 5~ hen released to travel perpen-dicularly to edge 1~. This enhances the ability of the player ~o ensure that band members 56, 5g are contacting stop members 64 and 66 when the stop members are parallel to edge 1~.
Further, block 54 is fitt~d to arm 40 loosely, such as by utilizing an over3ized notch in the lower surface of block 5~, larger than the width Or arm ~O. In this manner, a twisting force can be applied to Block 5~ just before it is released, ~ ~ 3~2 ~ ~

thereby setting up a built in turning motion to projectile or playing piece 67 on its release. Engagement of cross arm ~2 to open edge 1~, being a straight line, not only aligns cross arm 40 in a preferred direction of travel~ but allows the shooter assembly to be positioned closer to board member 12, Straight edge 1~ and straight edge of arm 42 provide a visual alignment area for the shooting player,thereby enhancing the abilit~ to set up a twisting force on projectile 67, as described, for those instances that the shooter assem-bly is positioned away from touching engagement with board member 12.
The game is played as follows, wherein the objective of the game is to score enough points such that the yellow peg ~6 of one player exceeds the upper desired point value as indicated by a black peg ~6 or the yellow peg ~6 of a second player diminishes below the minus point value as indicated by black peg ~6. The game is divided into ends. wherein each end in cludes six turns by each player For the first end the block pegs are set at -50 and +100; for the second end at -40 and +90, for the third end at -30 and +~0, and so forth. Player continues until one of the players exceeds the positive point value or falls below the negative point value.
A typical end is played in the sequence as follows:
1) The first player shoots his seven men, trying to put them on the target area.

2) After shooting his seven men he is penalized seven points for each of his men left outside the target area, This is done by moving his scorepeg (yellow) backwards the required number of holes.

3) Then he (first player) takes five of his men off the board, leaving the t~o most strategically placed men and places the five he has removed on his tray.

3~ ~ 8 ~ ) Now the second player shoots his men (seven), trying to move one or both of the first player's men out of the target area, at the same time trying to keep his own men in, 5) After shooting his seven men he is penalized seven points for each of his men left outside the target area.
6) He (second player) then removes five of his own men and places them in his tray, He leaves two of his men in the target area. This finishes the seven set, so called because each player uses seven men. Now each player has five men left to shoot and so the next set is the five set, 7) The first player now shoots his remaining five men, g) After he shoots them he is penalized five points for each of his men left outside the target area.
9) Then he removes four of his men from the board.
10~ The second player now shoots his five men, 11) After he does he is penalized for each of his men left outside the target area.
123 He removes four of his men from the board, This finishes the five set, Each player now has four men left to shoot and so the next set is the four set, 13) The first player shoots his four men, 14) He is penalized four points for each of his men left outside the target area after he finishes shooting~
15) He removes three of his men.
161 The second player repeats (13), (14), and (1~), This finishes the four set. Each player has three men left and so the next set is the three set, 17~ The first player shoots his three men, lg) He is penalized three points for each of his men left outside the target area after he finishes shooting, 19) He removes two of his men, 20) The second player repreats (17), (1~), and (19), ,~ Z6~

This finishes the three set. Each player has two men left and so the next set is the two set 21) The first player shoots his two men.
22) He is penalized two points for each of his men left outside the target area after he finishes shooting.
23) He removes one of his men.
24) The second player repeats (21), (22), and (23).
This finishes the two set. Each player has one man left and so the next set is the one set.
25) The first player shoots his one man.
26) The second player shoots his one man.
27) The first player is penalized five points for any men left out of the target area.
2~) The second player is penalized five points for any men left out of the target area.
29) The players receive plus points for each piece 67 landing in an indicia 30 that remain on the conclusion of each end.
; 30) At the finish of the end, the next end is started by movement of the black pegs ~6.
~ 1) If a player allows the shooter to engage the board, as by allowing the aligning edge of the cross arm to engage the straight edge at the open ends of the board, he is penal-ized a number of points agreed upon by the players in advance of each use of the shooter assembly, when so aligned.
Since obvious changes may be made in the specific e~bodiment of the invention described herein, such modifica-tions being within the spirit and scope of the invention claimed, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Claims (4)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A shooter board game, which comprises:
a. a board member having an upper planar playing surface, a pair of sides, and a pair of ends, and flange members secured to said pair of sides and one of said pair of ends ex-tending upwardly from said planar surface, the other side of said pair of ends extending along a straight line;
b. a target area disposed on said upper surface of said board member adjacent said one end thereof;
c. a shooter assembly selectively positionable away from touching engagement with said board member and in touching engagement with said board member at said other of said pair of ends, said shooter assembly including a cross-shaped element, said cross-shaped element having a first elongated arm, a second elongated arm, said second arm joined to a lower surface of said first arm, said first arm having a straight marginal edge, a block member slidably disposed on said first arm, wherein said one of said playing pieces is projectable intermediate said flange members disposed at said pair of sides of said planar surface and towards a portion of said flange members disposed at said one of said pair of ends of said planar surface where said straight marginal edge is selectively located adjacent to said other of said pairs of ends, and a V-shaped element disposed on a surface of said block member, said one of said playing pieces being disposed within said V shaped element, and a first elastic band member communicating between one said block and one end of said second arm, and a second elastic bank member communicating between said block and another end of said second arm, and a pair of stop members extending upwardly from said second arm, said pair of stop members being aligned parallel to said straight edge, said stop members engaging said elastic bands thereby restricting forward motion of said block member;
d. two sets of a plurality of disc shaped playing pieces, one of said playing pieces at a time removably re-ceived onto said shooter assembly to be forwarded projected across said upper surface towards said target area;
e. two scoring tracks, each said track including an elongated bar member having a plurality of longitudinally aligned apertures disposed in its upper surface, said apertures being numbered from a minus numerical indicia at one end to a positive numerical indicia at another end of said bar each of said two scoring tracks located at said flange members disposed at said pair of sides of said planar surface;
f. four first colored pegs, two of set pegs remov-ably received in said end apertures of each said track; and g. two second colored pegs, one of said second pegs removably received in said apertures of each of said bars between said first colored pegs.

2. A game according to Claim 1, further including a plurality of geometrically shaped indicia disposed within said target area, each said geometrically shaped indicia being assigned a point value.

3. A game according to Claim 15 further comprising a pair of tray elements affixed to said sides of said board, each said tray element removably receiving one of said sets of said playing pieces therein.

4. A game according to Claim 1, further including a penalty line disposed on said upper surface between said target area and said other end of said board member.