US2452817A - Toy bombing game - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 2, 1948. J. VAN H. WHIPPLE ET AL TOY BOMBING GAME 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed NOV. 22, 1944 lNVENTOfiS Jack VC-UZH Whipple Arg/wnyfi. CT Paiazzo fla (2141;; ATT RNEYS a J. VA-N H.WHIPPLE ETAL I 2,817

-No v. 2, 1948.

' TOY BOMBING GAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 22, 1944 RS ppZe 13.6. a azz W I Jack Wzn Adi/2on7 M7 ATTO NEYS Patented Nov. 2, 1948 TOY BOMBING GAME Jack Van H. Whipple and Anthony B. C. Palazzo, New York, N. Y.

Application November 22, 1944, Serial No. 564,617

3 Claims. 1 (Cl. 273-95) This invention relates to board game apparatus, and is intended primarily to provide a target game wherein the elements of luck and skill are combined.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide a target game the playing of which involves on the part 01"- the players the elements of both skill and luck, as well as a certain degree of manual dexterity. Another object is to provide a game attractive to young and old, but yet of such The characteristics of the playing area ll of simplicity as not to overtax the abilities of the the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the drawing, wherein one form of the game is shown,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the game;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary Vertical section of the game apparatus; and y I Figure 3 is an enlarged plan View of a typical target area on the game board.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the various views of the drawing.

Before describing the game in detail, we might note that essentially it is of the target type, wherein a missile releasing device is manoeuvered in accordance with the rules of the game relative to suitable targets on the game board, for the purpose of hitting the target with the missile upon release thereof. Thus in one form of the game the missile-releasing device may take the actuation releasing, a pointed dart or other missile, so as to hit a target on'the board in relation to which the airplane has been manoeuvered. Thus hitting of the target depends on the skill of the player in manoeuvering the airplane. It is, of course, to be understood that the specific form of the game board is not of the essence of our invention.

More specifically, the game includes a board ID which may be of any suitable size, but desirably is somewhat smaller than the top of a conventional bridge table. Thus the game may be conveniently played on a card table, by any suitable number of players comfortably seated thereabout.

A form of an airplane capable of holding, and'upon board it! may be varied in accordance with the type of game the particular players may desire to play. The playing area H accordingly may be a removable inset carried in a shallow depression formed in board l0. Thus the game as a unit may include any desirable number of playing areas or insets H, from which the players may select as desired. Illustrativelyinset II in Figure I is provided with a number of targets l2, each of which may comprise a plurality of con-' centric rings, the inner of which forms a bullseye, If desired, of course, targets I2 may be formed to simulate bombing targets, such as factories, airfields, etc.

Manoeuverableover the playing area ll of the board is a sighting and missile dropping device, generally indicated at I3 comprising a base M, a supporting rod [5 and a toy airplane i6. As shown in Figure 2, the lower end of shaft [5 is reduced and is provided with a key I! so that when the shaft is inserted into a suitable hole l8 in base l4, key I1 may fit into a keyway (not shown) which properly positions or orients supportin shaft l5. The upper end of shaft I5 is also reduced and is also provided with a key [9, this end of the shaft being adapted to extend into a hole- 20 formed in airplane l6, key l9 fitting into a keyway (not shown) formed in the airplaneto orient the airplane relative to base I for a purpose to be described hereinafter. Base i4, rod l5 and airplane 16 are preferably readily detachable to facilitate initial packaging thereof and. later use and storage. Through the provision of keys l1 and 19 it is impossible to assemble the parts in improper relationship.

Base l4 (Figure 1) is bifurcated in form and accordingly includes a body 2! from which extend legs 22 and 23. The bottomsof these legs are rabbeted adjacent the inner portions thereof, the rabbeting extending along the bottom edge of body portion 2| so as to receive an apertured sighting device 24 which is preferably made of any suitable transparent material. In the specific form of the game shown, the sighting device may be considered a bomb sight, and in any event is provided with suitable reference lines suchas lines 25 and 26 which may simulate cross hairs, the intersection thereof lying within the aperture 24a and defining a sighting point. Theselines are preferably continued on the legs and body of base I4, the legs accordingly being provided with cutouts such as cutout 21, a cutout 28 being formed in body portion 2i, lines 25 and 26 being extended through the cutouts. Thus the sighting or reference lines are readily visible to the player who can estimate the position of the sighting point in aperture Zea by reference thereto. As shown in Figure 2, ti e body and legs of base 2! have secured thereto at suitably spaced intervals felt pads 29 or the like which space the base as well as sighting device 24 a suitable distance from the top or inset- 1E l.on ..b.oard 1,53,..thus rendering manoeuyelihg oftheqa-irplane and-"sight easy-land precluding damage to the inset top. Thus proper positioning of the aiming point demands skill on the part of the player for two reasons; first, the sighting point is merely a point in space 'and indicated only by lines 25 and 2%; and second, because the sighting point defined by the intersection-10f} lines 25 and 26 lies above the level of playing area.

ll resulting in parallax wliichnia-kes it'di fiicult accurately to register the sighting pointlwithathetarget when the player seated at one side of board Ill. v

.Airpla'ne" liiiFi'gure 2) is provided with a tube 30;.whichextends through the fuselage Ilia of thehirpl'ane and is open at'the top aswell as the b ottdm,.in order to receive andrelease a dart 3| initheforni ofa bomb. .The: axis of tube 3% coincides cxactlyfwith the point of intersection of sighting lines 25 and 26 (Figure 1) so that if the ihtersectionof these sighting lines is properly registered on a target 12,.th'enthe axis of tube 30passes1throughthe center of the target. Under such.conditions,,a"dart'3i when released will hit theltargetdead center. Thus tube 30 might be said "to be. bore sighted in relation to the intersection of'the'si'ghting'1ines25 andTZG, and this relationship remains. undisturbed from continued disassembly and assembly of base 14; red l5 and missile support "i6" by reason ofithe provision of keys ll, anclll 8 which always effect properjrelativ'e orientation 'ofthe "parts upon. assembly thereof.

A. target holding and releasing" device is generally indicated 'a't32 .inliligure 2, and includes-a pair of bearings 33' and as secured in any suitable Iliehner'toj'the bottom of; airplane l6. Recipro'c'ablyidisposed in these" bearing'slisxa pin" 35 having fastehed' thereto a washer"35' against which one end of a sprln'g'S'i presses. The other end .ofthis' spring-"bears againstbearing 34 and accordi ly pin '3 51s under a' bias "to the left, as .vi'ewed'firij'thisifigure; The left-hand end -f 'pin T35 carries. a stop? '38"*which projects throughan oi ilehing".39"into"the path of dart" 35 to hold the dart and upon retractionrelease it.

."To"thefl'right' handend of pin 35' is-fastened a cord"49""which'is' threadedthrough a screw eye Horthe likefasten'e'd to the bottom of airplane J6 and ledj'downwardly along supporting shaft Tl5towhereits bottom end is attached to ar'elease MWhichtakesjthe form of a' slide reciprocably mounted 'on' shaft "l5: It may now be seen that .wherfthe finger*piece"3 of slide 42 is pressed .pointedehfd em willstick' into insetii. If the" sighting device and accordingly the airplane have be nfiproperly' manoeuvered relative toa selected ta,- et'a'rea. the dart will ,piercethe center of the ,forin anyj'eventfwill 'piercethatpoint' on that get which lies "in'the'a'xis "of tube 30.

I In..F1 gure"; 3 we have shown :one' .of the target ..ai:eas;lj2."Thi.1s atypical targetarea may'compine albullseye 4 3, premium areas fiand Q6 and penalty areasfi'l. and 48; Itsh'ould be noted that pressure and penal'tyareas team 41- preferably -:he is rewarded or penalized on a chance basis,

since it is difiicult for him to foretell on which side ofthe target his miss will lie.

It should of, course, be understood that different types of targets may be provided. The target may be designed entirely on a skill basis in which nearness'to the center gives the entire score. The

targetmay be used entirely on a chance basis in which the center point of the target is only a point and in which the various sectors surroundin it carryhumbers which are keyed to desired penalties ,orlpremiums. Or again, the targets may be used asdirect indicators so that the player moves ina direction indicated by an arrow in the sector wherein a dart happens to fall. Target shown in Figure 3, is aco-mbination of the various types mentioned, as a small area in the center, when hit, gives a high reward. this small area being surrounded by sectors variously characterized as premiums, penalties or directions.

One manner in which the illustrative specific form of the game may be'played is as follows, it being first understood that the object of the game is-to-be .the first to complete the series of target missions requiring a circuit of the entire board. and to return to the home airport H successfully. Each player selects one of several bombs or darts BLwWhich may be variously colored for identification, and the first player inserts his bomb in tube 30. This player then manoeuvers the sighting device, and with it the airplane, until he believes that-he-has located the center of the target at the intersection of the sighting lines 25 and 25. Thereu-poni-the bomb release slide 52 is depressed andthe bomb 3! is released. If it hits the bullseye, the player then proceeds to the next mission. :IfEthe; bomb hits outside the bullseye, but inside of the penalty ring 48, he is either penalized or given a;-premiu-m, or in the event that specific directions are printed in these areas, he follows such directions. If the bomb hits in the penalty areaddtheplayer returns to a designated area inaccordance with whatever instructions may be printedi inthis area. If the players dart hits entirely-outside of the target area, he tries again :on hisnext turn.

Preferably the rules of the game are as follows: before the actual play begins, each player drops his bomb on what we have called a special mission chart fiiliFigure 1) having a number of irregular areas of difierent value marked out thereon. The player hitting the highest numbored-area on chart at starts the game and the rest of the players follow in accordance with the numbers they hit on chart 39. Each player is allowed only one chance at a target, unless otherwise specified at a particular target area. However, when his bomb falls on the inner bullseye 44 (Figure 3), he immediately proceeds to the neXt -target. If he misses the bullseye, he places hi's'bomb on one of a suitable number of charts 5| (Figure 1) provided adjacent the edges of board l0. Chart 5! thus serves as a score board and a=1so a reminder to the player of the target proper place when it is next his turn.

Targets i2 have been made to simulate lifelike conditions, thus being divided into hazards and rewards close to the objective. The outer circle or ring may indicate a flak area, and when hit require the player to return to a repair base. The player may not then resume his mission until his next turn and until the repair base target has been hit. After hitting the repair base target, the player resumes his play on the same target where he failed. This same procedure may be followed for hospital 52, prison camp 53, bail out 5 3, etc.

It may be seen from the above that a variety of games may be arranged, some requiring nothing but skill on the part of the players, others involving purely chance, and still others as eX- emplified by the specific form disclosed hereinabove, involving a combination of skill and chance.

Accordingly, we have provided a game which attains the objects set forth hereinabove in a thoroughly practical and efficient manner.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention, and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanyin drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A game comprising, in combination, a board having one or more target areas thereon, a device including a base adapted to be slid over said board, a missile retaining and discharging member, means supporting said member above said base and in fixed relation thereto, and means associated with said member and operable to discharge a missile held therein, whereby said member may be positioned over said board in respect of one of said target areas and a missile dropped on said target area with a degree of accuracy depending upon the skill of the person manoeuvering said member, said device having associated therewith means forming an aiming point for assisting the operator of said device to adjust it accurately relative to one of said target areas, said aiming point means comprising an apertured element underlying said missile retaining and discharging member, the aiming point being located in said aperture and bang determined by reference marks carried by said means.

2. A game comprising, in combination, a board having one or more target areas thereon, a device including a base member adapted to be supported by and to be slid over said board, said base member including a sighting device having reference marks indicative of a sighting point adapted to be registered with the target to be hit, amissile retaining and discharging membe including a tube in which the missile is received, means supporting said member above said base and in fixed relation thereto so that the axis of said tube passes through said sighting point, and means associated with said tube and operable to release a missile held therein.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the base comprises a bifurcated element between the legs of which said sighting device is disposed, said legs lying on opposite sides of the axis of said tube.

JACK VAN H. WHIPPLE. ANTHONY B. C. PALAZZO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,374,991 Dratschke' Apr. 19, 1921 1,453,396 Leggatt May 1, 1923 1,924,261 Thompson Aug. 29, 1933 2,060,405 Widmeier Nov. 10, 1936 2,145,434 Rubin Jan. 31, 1939 2,286,151 Miller June 9, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 412,410 Great Britain June 28, 1934

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