US1903480A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

April. 1.1, 41933. H E RYAN 1,903,480

GAME APPARATUS Filed NOV. 9, 1929 L P 67/\ y \\.ZJ` .ZQ\3

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RST mmm BASE BASE I ,Y @NEB/15E Z 0R BUNT Fgegva Two-BASE THREE-BASE H 1T H T Fol/@sms HIT jd@ m Home mm Patented pr. 11, 1933 UNITED STATES HERBERT E; RYAN, or' CLAYTON, Missoultr GAME APPARATUS Application med' 'November 9, 1929. seran No. 405,890.

This invention relates to game apparatus, and more particularly to a golf putting cup and the arrangement of such cups in the playr ing of games and their adaptation thereto.

It is especially adapted for practice in putl ting a golf ball.

As is well known, cups are at present use-d to line the puttingrholes in golf courses or links, the cups being sunk into the sand or o ground below the level thereof. The present invention contemplates the provision of a golf putting cup that will serveits purpose when placed on a flat playing surface, thereby obviating the necessity for forming holes in the ground or surface to receive the same,

and enabling the cup to be used indoors on the Hoor or carpet, as well as outdoors and on concrete or other hard playing surfaces.

A further object of the invention is the provision of aV putting cup adaptedfor use in small spaces.

A further object is thevprovision of a portable putting cup embodying obstacles or traps 'or the like, so that the latter need not be especi-ally prepared in the sand an-d which can be carried away and set up elsewhere intact wherever desired, indoors as well as outdoors7 thereby enabling a player to practice wherever convenient and in all kinds of weather to acquire skill in the art of putting.

A further object is the provision of means for indicating to a player divers characteristics of the m-otion of the ball, thereby aiding him to become proficient'by reason of the teaching of such indications.

`A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel game involving the use of golf putting cups.

Other objects, advantages, and desirable features of the invention will appear in the course of the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the spirit thereof.

In the -accompanying drawing forming Vpart of this specification, in which like numbers 4of reference denote like parts wherever theyv occur, p

Figure l is a plan view of a putting cup embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fr-ont elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional viewtaken l on the line 3 3 in Figure 1; and

Figure 4: is aV diagram v exhibiting an arrangement of such golf putting'vcups ona field to simulate a base ball diamond.z `Y

The Putting Cup may be cast or "otherwise formed of any suitable material preferably wear-resistant and weather-proof or incor-- rodlble, such, for instance, as an aluminum tauy ClCSCQIltshaped formation kin plan view, the substantially semi-circular recess 2 opening laterally or forwardly betweenl the horns or extremities 3 of the crescent 4, the

said recess 2being preferably of the same 5; diameter as 4that ofthe regular golf cup, and

Vthe opening or mouth 5 of said recess being preferably substantially equalto, saidrdiameter. The vbottom 6 is such thatthe cup. rests Y firmly and solidly onan even floor or playing surface,the marginal edge( ofthe bottom preferably lying in one plane so as: to engage a level floor at all points, andthe inner portions of the bottom face 6 being and maintain the castingsubstantially uni' form in thickness'throughout.A The outer form'of a flange 9,V whose upper face 10 inclines upwardly from the extremities 3 to ,j

marginal portion of the crescentrises in the the middle thereof.V VA minor recess orvgolfy hole 11 is formed in the upper face 12 of the cup behind the major semi-circular recess 2, and preferably centrallyfwith relation to the outer edgeflof the flange 9. The hole t. l 11 is preferably substantially'equal in diameter to the golf ball. The upper face 12inclines radially in all directions from the edge 14 of the laterally opening semi-circular ma. jorrecess 2 and extendsto the steeper incline or bunker 15 that surrounds the hole or pit of, and to the portions of the flange 9 intermediate the extremities 3fand the extremities ofthe prominencey 16,V Theedge 14 is preferably as thin as it is possible to cast it.:Y

casting.v The cupi 1 is preferably ofsubstanpreferably recessed as at' 8 to reduce weight 7.725 Y The edge 17 of the golf hole 11 inclines fromk Y at their rniddle points directly behind the .Y

golf hole 11, and slope down gradually therefrom in opposite directions toward their eX-` tremities, the extremities of the bottom of the groove 20, however, being higher than 15 the extremities of the top of the ridge 16 to enable a ball to roll down the groove to the end thereof and then over the extremity of the ridge 16 thereat and down the inclined surface 12 to the recess 2. If desired, the eX- 20 Agolf hole 11 and the remainder of the crescent being done in contrasting colors, "such, for instance, as-black paint for the 'golf hole and* red paint for the surrounding portion, thereby enabling the golf .hole to bejrnore readily'distinguished in playing. Y

A plurality of cups made n accordance with this invention, usually nine or eighteen, as determined by the rules of the game, are distributed to suitable points on the green vor lawn, or the floor or carpet in the home, as desired, in lieu of the golf holes or the Vregulation golf cups that are sunkinto' the ground or sand on golf links in the well known manner. The cup of this invention is especially, useful in confined and limited courses or indoors for simulating the game of golf'in miniature or on a miniature scale las far as putting orlimited pitching may be holes, bunkers and traps of the cup being especially useful in connection with a golf ball andk putter in practicing 'kputtingand aidingin the acquisition of Vskill in the art of putting a'golf ball. The bunker or incline 15 andthe hole11, and the trap groove 2O function as means for `indicating divers Vcharacteristics kof the motion of' a ball directed'to the cup. The point in the cup on which the ball'lands'is, of course, indicative v'of the 'force with which thejball is pitched. ,'When a ball rolls up the incline 12 and bunker 15 and lands in the golf hole11, a straight or direction or forward roll is indicated, sincethe yball will ascend the bunker 'p15 and land in the hole 11 only when it rolls in a forward direction, that is in a direction that is clockwise as'viewedl in Figure 8. When the ball rotates counterclockwise, or has what is'V known as a lback spin, it will either not ascend the incline or bunker 15, or else itwill hop over the hole 11 and enter the trap groove 20 or pass over the flange 9 and alight 'behind the cup, depending upon es' the momentum of the bau. if the bau fails posed surfaces o-f the cup may be p-ainted, the i considered in the game, the various inclines,

to ascend the bunker 15, it will roll back down the inclined surface 12 into the recess 2 and perhaps back to the player, a rolling back to the right indicating what is known as a slice in the pitching, and a return roll to the left revealing a pull in pitching, while a return through the middle indicates a straight course inl pitching toward the golf rhole.4 A. straight course to the golf hole is,

pitching and putting as revealed by the said indications, the player is enabled to make compensation and correction therefor in successive trials with greater accuracy than is possible without the use of a cup embodying the indicating conformations of the present invention.

The present invention, also, contemplates Y arranging the cups 1 on a field in positions to simulate a base ball diamond, as shown in Figure il, to play a game that is believedv to be novel, and original withrthe present inventor. The other adjuncts are a golf ball and a golf putter; and the game may be played Vin miniature on the carpet in the home or onthe green or lawn, in twoV different ways: yThe player may place a golf ball the length of the head of the putter from one ofthe horns or points 3 of the crescent 4 of the home' plate cup 1 and then play or putt either for an infield hit, a two base hit, a three base hit or a four base hit, which is a home run, using on-e putt or stroke only ;s or he may play or putt for first base and the other 'bases in succession, in which case he will have three strokes or putts to hole out, providing that the stroke or putt is up to the cup 1 or strikes and bounces o the outside of the cup. If the Yputt or stroke rolls over the cup or is trapped by the groove 20 and rolls down the Vincline and returns to the player, the player.

is automatically out.' The player is in if the ball lands in the golf hole 11, inclined surface 12, or the recess 2. To holeV out means to play or putt the ball within the semi-circular recess 2, the anterior limit of which consists ofanv imaginary straight line connecting the tips or horns 3 of the crescent l, in one stroke, if the game is played the i'irst way, or in two eXtra strokes or a total of three, one for each base,y if the game is played the second Way. If short of the hole the player is automatically out, following the well known golf maxim that a'ball is never up, never in. lf the ball is played or y putted into thesmall golf hole 11 in a con-I tinuous stroke or putt, this counts for an eXtra or stolen base. If, however, the player overshoots and goes into the trap 20 and is trapped and rolls out or goes over, the player is out. The small golf hole successfully played in one stroke from the preceding cup counts for a stolen base and the player advances two bases instead of one, if the game is played the second way. This does not, however, apply if the player elects to play the rst way. The game can be played by one person, by two persons (a twosome), by three persons (a threesome), by four persons (a foursome), or by sides of nine players each as in baseball, following the usual rules and usages of golf and baseball as far as they are applicable to the use of the cups 1.

It will be understood and appreciated that the use of the term cup in the specification and claims is intended to be broad and comprehensive, and to include devices of any shape, whether of strictly true cup form or not, that serve the purpose of a golf cup.

Having thus fully described this invention, I hereby reserve the benet of all changes in form, arrangement, order or use of parts, as it is evident that many minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A portable golf putting cup having a substantially crescent-shaped upper face that inclines from the edge of the recess formed between the extremities of the crescent, said face having, a golf hole defined by an inclosing circular ridge behind said recess, and an upwardly presented flange that is co-extensive with the outer margin of said upper face, the extremities of the crescent being equidistant from a line passing through the center of the golf hole.

2. A portable golf putting cup having a substantially crescent-shaped upper face that inclines from the edge of the recess formed between the extremities of the crescent, said face having a golf hole defined by an inclosing circular ridge behind said recess, a crescent-shaped bunker having its medial portion tangent to the rear portion of said rid-ge, and a flange rising from, and co-extensive with, the margin of the said face, said bunker and flange defining a groove declining in opposite directions from a medial point behind y 4. A golf putting cup having a golf hole, a

concentric circular ridge inclosing said hole and rising higher at the rear of the hole and third ridges being spaced to define a groove, the bottom of saidgroove declining toward the right and left, and arms extending'anteriorly of the hole at opposite sides of the cup and equidistant from a center line of the hole.

6. A golf putting cup having a golf hole, a

concentric circular ridge surrounding said hole, a second ridge extending behind the hole tangent to the first mentioned ridge, the second ridge being higher at its point of tangency than the fore part of the first-` mentioned ridge, a third rid-ge behind the second ridge and higher than the latter, said second and third ridges being spaced to define a groove, the bottom of said groove declining toward the right and left, and arms extending anteriorly of the holeat opposite sides ofthe cup and equidistant from a center line of the hole.

7 A portable golf putting cup having a substantially crescent-shaped upper face that inclines from the edge of the recess formed between the extremities of the crescent, the said face having a golf hole defined by an inclosin-g circular ridge behind the said recess, the extremities of the crescent being equidistant from a line center of the golf' hole.

8. A portable golf putting cup having an upper face that presents a circular Vridge passing through the forming the edge of a golf hole, and arms' extending anteriorly of the hole at oppositeV` sides of the cup and equidistant Vfrom a medial line radiating from the center of the golf hole.

. In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

HERBERT RYAN.

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