US2500683A - Table game - Google Patents

Description

March 14, 1950 s. H. HOSMER ,683

TABLE GAME Filed May 20, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3.

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Patented Mar. 14, 1950 UNITED, .STATES PATENT for-rice 2 .niaims.

This invention relates to table games, and pertainsmore particularly to a game similar in some respects :to" lawn "or table tennis and adapted to be played on a table or other flat 'support, either indoorsior outdoors.

Theprin cipal purpose of the-invention is to provide game apparatuswhich is simple and easy to manufacture and may be packed in acompact box or package, and which affords an interesting and enjoyable contest requiring skill and accuracy in activeplay without appreciablephy'sical "effort.

The several novel features "of the improved game will be apparentfrom the following descrip 'tion of therecommendedembodiment ofthe in- "vention "shown in the accompanying drawings,

but it will be understood: that'the -struc'tur'al' details of the devices herein "illustrated and :-described'may be variedt-osuit particular tastesor purposes, without departing from the essence of the invention as defined in the-appended-claims.

' In the drawings,

, Fig.1 isa plan view 'oi' the-playing surface of the game, with aportable net erected across the center of the surface;

Fig. 2 is side view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation'of-Fig. 1, showing the playing surface resting on .a .flat support;

Fig. 4 is a side view of a striking implement or bat used iniplayingcthe'gam Fig. 5 is an end view of the bat, looking to the left of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a top view of a propellable object or missile which is struck by the bat in playing the game;

Fig. "7 is a sideview-ofthe'missile; and

Fig. 8 is an end view of the missile.

In theparticular-embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration, the novel game apparatus comprises a playing surface H, a net l2 adapted to be supported across the center of the playing surface between posts or standards l3 mounted in base members M which may be removably placed at opposite margins of the surface H, a striking implement or bat l5, and a missile l6 adapted to be struck by the bat and propelled over the net from one end portion of the playing surface to the other end portion thereof. The net divides the playing surface into two identical courts H.

The playing surface preferably consists of a strip of felt suitably printed, stenciled or otherwise marked to designate the court areas, so that the felt strip may be compactly rolled up for shipment or storage and may be unrolled onto a table or other flat surface, represented by the support 55 '28 ."(Fig.' 3), when the game-is to be played. it will be obvious, howeven' -that the playing-surface may consist ofctherilexible material, or of rigid materialisucl'i as fibreboard, light wood or metal, 5 or thin plastiamadeeitherin :one piece "or in hinged or connectable sections.

""Each' court area 11 isdivided'into a plurality of blocks .or'scoring zones '1 8 "which-may be substanxtially square-shapedareasmarkedpn the surface "H, as shown. The -zonesare arranged in parallel rows longitudinally and transversely of "the table, with an equal "number on each Side of the center or net l ine", and the respective zones on "each side of'the netaare numbered to designate l5 the scoring value of theiindividual squares. The

valuesare': assessed according tothere'lative simplicity of returning a tennis ball landing in the "correspondingcourtareas, inthe regulation games of lawn ortable tennis. For example, the outer 20 cornersof the court are given the highest value (shown-as fi in Fig.1"), because a tennis ball landing in those corners isseldom returnable; whereas the center court zones are given the lowest value (shown as "Tin Fig. -1),*-because .25 tennis shots landing-in'thoseareas are relatively easy to return. 'Hence, the' score or a contestant playing my table game will depend upon his skill in placing his shotsin the high-scoring zones "which correspond "to most favorableplacement areas in lawn-tennis.

The net 12 may be madeof stringer twine in a conventional manner, or'may consist of "a fabric or paper strip with the representation-of a net printed or otherwise reproduced'thereon. The

posts-l3 and their bases, which maybe separable if desired, may be made 'of wood-or plastic, and the net ends may be attached to 'theposts by any suitable-means.

The implements actually used in play consist 40 of the bat l5 and the missile or rocket [6, both of which may be made of hard wood, plastic or relatively hard rubber. The use of metal orof soft, resilient rubber is undesirable; but certain types of such materials may be employed.

The bat has a handle portion l9 and a head 20 having opposed striking edges. One striking edge of the head preferably presents a broad, flat striking surface 2 l whereas the opposite edge is beveled and pointed at 22 to provide an alternate, rela- 0 tively narrow striking surface. Thus, either edge of the head may be used in strikingthe missile, as indicated by the two arrows shown in Fig. 4, according to the position of the missile or the preference of the player.

The missile or rocket is shaped to provide a relatively long, narrow and flat top surface 23, and an inclined bottom surface 24 at one undercut end, at least, of the piece. Preferably, the bottom surface is beveled or inclined at both undercut ends of the missile, as shown in Fig. 7, so that either end of the top surface may be struck by the bat when the rocket rests upon the curved central portion of its base (Fig. 7), or upon one of the [beveled bottom surfaces 24. The proper striking points may be indicated by small circles 25, as indicated in Fig. 6, at both ends of the surface 23. It will be appreciated, however, that a missile or rocket having but one undercut and in clined end may be satisfactorily used in playing the game, as hereafter explained.

The novel game may be played by two or four contestants, as in lawn tennis, each player, or each pair of partners, keeping separate scores as It will be apparent from the foregoing that the improved table game is interesting and exciting to play, and may be quickly learned by juvenile as well as more adult participants; that judgment in positioning the missile or rocket and in selecting the striking edge of the bat, as well as skill in execution of the stroke, is necessary for maximum scoring on each shot; and that the game may be played by physically handicapped contestants, without requiring the strength, stamina or physical capabilities necessary for playing the regulation game of table tennis.

I claim: I

1. For use in a table game comprising a playing surface adapted to be placed upon a flat support and having scorin zones marked thereon, and a net for centrally dividing said surface into two courts, a missile adapted to be propelled the points are made during play. The player who serves or opens the game places the rocket at the baseline or end of the court, preferably at the space marked Start in Fig. 1. The rocket is rested in its rounded bottom, or one one of its undercut bottom surfaces, and with one of the undercut ends pointed toward the net. The top surface of said forward pointing end is then struck sharply with the bat, using either the thick and flat edge 2|, or the thin and pointed edge .22 of the head 20, as preferred by the player, thereby causing the rocket to jump end over end toward the net.

The object of the game is to so strike the rocket that it jumps over the net and lands on the opposite court of the playing surface, preferably upon one of the high-scoring zones. The length of the rocket is preferably a little greater than the sizes of the squares l8 marked on the playing surface, the views of Figs. 6-8 being enlarged for clarity of illustration as compared with the scale of Fig. 1 which is substantially reduced from actual size. If the rocket finally lands upon two squares of the court, the player scores the value of the higher-scoring square or zone on which a part of the rocket comes to rest.

The opposing player then places the rocket in striking position at the spot where it has come to rest, and returns the shot'by striking the forward end with the bat, as aforesaid. If the first shot or play, or any succeeding shot, propels the rocket out of the court or into the net, no score is credited to the player, and the opposing player places the rocket at the Start position of his court. If agreed by the contestants, each player may have a second shot from the same position, in the event that the first shot does not land somewhere in the opposite court. The game continues until one player, or one set of partners, has scored twenty-five points, or such other total as may be determined.

from one court to the other, said missile consisting of a fiat-sided and flat-topped rigid object, at least one end of said object having anundercut inclined bottom surface extending from said flat top co-extensive with the flat sides of the object to the bottom thereof, substantially midway of the length of the object, whereby an impact on the fiat top adjacent the undercut end of the object resting on its bottom will cause the missile to jump end over end.

2. For use in a table game comprising a playing surface adapted to be placed upon a flat support and having scoring zones marked thereon, and a net for centrally dividing said surface into two courts. a missile adapted to be propelled from a fiat sided and fiat-topped rigid object having at its opposite ends undercut and inclined surfaces co-extensive with the fiat sides of the object and extending to the bottom thereof, said bottom having an arcuate surface disposed between said inclined surfaces and substantially in the longitudinalcenter of theobject, whereby the missile rocks on its arcuate bottom and whereby an impact on the top of the missile, at either end portion thereof will cause the missile to jump end over end.

GEORGE HAMMOND HOSMER.

" EFERENCES cr'rnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Welna Mar. 30, '1937

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