US2511048A - Mechanical baseball game - Google Patents

Description

June 13, 1950 D. B. CLARK MECHANICAL BASEBALL GAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 10, 1946 June 13, 1950 D. B. CLARK MECHANICAL BASEBALL GAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 10, 1946 Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates generally to improvements in surface projectile game apparatus, and more particularly to improved baseball game apparatus, the primary object of my invention being to provide apparatus of this character wherein the cost of manufacture is reduced through simplification of construction without sacrifice of attractiveness of form.

Another important object of m invention is to provid in such apparatus, improved ball pitching and batting mechanism, characterized by greater simplicity and ruggedness, and :adaptibilityto low cost volume production.

Otherimportant objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein merely for illustration a preferred embodiment of my invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top'plan view.

Figure 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view on an enlarged scale, showing details of the projector mechanism.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designates the rectangular frame of my improved baseball game apparatus, which may consist of two end members 6 and two side members I, which may consist of light wooden boards or of any suitabl stiff fabricated material, such as heavy cardboard, of inexpensive nature;

Mounted within the frame 5 at a suitable distance below the top of the frame is the horizontal playing surface 8, which consists referably of a single plate of material like that employed in the frame 5. The edges of the playing surface "8 may be set intothe side-and end members of the frame, as shown in Figure 2, or secured thereto in any other suitable manner.

The base-9, which supports the frame 5 on any suitable horizontal surface, such as a table (not shown) may be integral with the frame 5, with side members and end members similar to the side and end members of said frame, or the base its end edges incleats l5 and I6 secured to the end members II and I2, respectively. A rela tively large access. opening I! is formed in the front end member I2 just above th depressed end of the ball return.

To thetop of th playing surface 8 with a do lineation l8. of a baseball. diamond, displaced somewhat toward the front of the playing surface, and just rearwardly of the first to second baseline, and the second to third baseline, are positioned two pairs of tubular cylindrical ball traps l9 and 2 0, and 2| and 22, respectively. In the outfield area of the playing surface beyond the diamond l-8 are three equally transversely spaced tubular. cylindrical ball traps, 23, 24v and 25, corresponding to right, center and left fields. Behind the batters box corner of the diamond and adjacent to the front end of the playing surface I 8 is a catcher balltrap 26, and a pitcher ball trap 21 ispositioned at the center or pitchers box of; the diamonds Th ball traps are all suitable material tubes fixed in conforming holes formed in the playing field I8 and set at various heights and angles, with their lower ends projecting below the playing field, as seen in Fiugure2.

The outfield ball traps 23, 24. and 25 are set higher than the infield traps but like. the infield traps lean forwardly and have their tops 28' out 01f substantially squarely with the lower edges flush with the top of the playing surface.

Th catcher ball trap 26 leans rearwardly and has a step-cut top 29, while the pitcher ball trap ill lgans forwardly and has a slightly angulated The ball pitching, and batting mechanism comprises the pitcher 3|, and the batter 32, and their operating connections. so arranged that the ball 33, preferably a rubber ball, is pitched by the pitcher 3| toward the batter 32, after being deposited by hand in the pitcher, and after the batter has been retracted and released by hand, so that the pitched ball arrives in position to be struck by the batter as the batter swings toward the ball.

The pitcher 3| comprises a generally horizontal tube 34, open at both ends, and provided in its top with a ball receiving hole 35, through which the ball 33 is fed by hand to the pitcher. The rear. end of the tube 34 has on its bottom an enlargement or lug 36: traversed by a transverse pivot 31, such as. a bolt, which supportably traverses a pair of bars 38 located at opposite sides of said lug, with their'lower ends resting upon the playing surface, and connected together by a cross bar 39. A bolt 40 traverses the cross bar, the playing surface 8, and a reinforcing plate 4|, secured to the under side of the playing surface. The tube 34 is substantially longitudinally aligned with the batters box corner 42 of th diamond |8 but can pivot with limited freedom on the axis of the pivot 31.

A plunger 43 loosely mounted through the rear end of the tube 34 has a bifurcation 44 traversed by a pivot 45 connecting thereto the upper end of a lever 45 which extends rearwardly and downwardly through a slot 4'! in the playing surface 8 and plate 4| behind the pitcher 3|, whose edges are projected by a grommet 48.

The lower end of the lever 46 has a bolt or pin 49 extending through a longitudinal slot 50 in the adjacent end of a pitman thereby forming a pivotal and sliding connection with the pitman.

The batter 32 comprises a vertical cylindrical post 52 located to the left of the batters box 42 and having below the upper end a fixed collar or enlargement 53 rotatably bearing upon a washer 54 resting on the top of the playing surface 8. The post 52 is journalled in an opening formed in the playing surface 8 and a reinforcing plate 55 secured thereunder, the part of the post therebelow having a collar 55 and washer 5'! bearing against the bottom of the plate 55 to retain the post in position.

The bat 58 consists of a wire coil loosely circumposed on a flexible arm including the coil retaining head 59 and the bifurcated terminal 60. This arm is pivotally mounted on lugs 5| by means of a bolt 62 which can be loosened and retightened to adjust the angularity of the bat 58 with respect to the playing surface 8. The said lugs 5| are terminals of a clamping ring 63 embracing the upper part of the post 52 and which is tightened thereon by means of the bolt 62. When the bolt 52 is loosened the bat 58 may be adjusted around the post 52 to a desired starting position for its swing.

The lower end of the post 52 is traversed by a bar 64, one arm of which is arranged to strike a stop 65 depending from the plate 55 to determine the starting position of the bat 58 and to limit its recoil upon release to such position.

A spring 66 is stretched between the plate 55 and the remaining arm of the cross bar 64, which is stretched when the bat 58 is retracted by the player's hand, and which supplies the bats ball propelling force when released, and returns the bat to its starting position.

The outer end of the last-mentioned cross bar arm is pivoted in a bifurcation 68 on the adjacent end of the pitman 5| by a bolt or pin 61.

A spring 69 is stretched between a rearward part of the reinforcing plate 4| and a point near the lower end of the plunger operating lever 46 of the pitcher, to supply the forward ball-driving force for the plunger 43, which drives the ball 33 out of the tube 34 toward the batter 3 I, when first the plunger is retracted so as to stretch the spring 69 and suddenly released.

In operation, the bat 58 in being pulled back by the player, turns the post 52, so that the spring 66 is stretched and the pitman 5| is drawn forwardly, so that the rear end of the slot 50 in the rear end of the pitman abuts the lever pin 49, and pushes it forwardly so that the plunger operating spring 59 is stretched and the plunger 43 retracted.

Upon release of the bat 58, the spring 66 contracts, pushes the pitman 5| rearwardly at the same time that it swings the bat 58 toward the 4 pitcher 3|. Because of the arrangement and length of the slot 55 in the rear end of the pitman 5|, the early rearward movement of the pitman thus produced is sufficient to permit the spring 69 to actuate the plunger 43 and propel the ball 33 to the region of the batter 32 before the bat 58 completes its swing, so that on meeting the ball the bat can propel the ball over the playing surface 8.

A batted ball can pass into one of the various ball traps in front of the batter, or drop through the out slot across the rear of the outfield,

or a foul ball or a passed ball can pass into the ball trap behind the batter, or a batted ball can come to rest at some other place on the playing surface 8, and any desired scoring significance may be given thereto in accordance with agreement among the players or an established set of rules.

I claim:

1. In ball game apparatus involving a plate providing a playing surl'ace, a batter pivotally mounted on a vertical axis above said plate and having a lateral arm for striking a ball and serving as a handle for manually retracting the batter, first spring means connected eccentrically to said batter for pivoting said batter in ball batting direction when said batter is manually retracted in the opposite direction by means of said handle against the resistance of said first spring means and is then manually released, a pitcher comprising a ball propelling plunger positioned above said plate, a link pivoted at its upper end to said plunger and fulcrumed intermediate its ends on a portion on said plate, second spring means connected to said link at its lower end for projecting said plunger, an operating pitman eccentrically pivoted at one end to said batter, the opposite end of said pitman having a longitudinal slot and the lower end of said link having a pin engaging therein whereby manual retraction of said batter by means of said handle produces retraction of said plunger against the resistance of said second spring means and whereby manual release of said batter from retracted position permits free movement of said plunger in ball propelling direction by said second spring means independently of said batter and of said first spring means.

2. In ball game apparatus involving a plate providing a playing surface, a batter pivotally mounted above said plate and having a lateral arm for striking a ball and serving as a handle for manually retracting the batter, first spring means connected eccentrically to said batter for pivoting said batter in ball batting direction when said batter is manually retracted in the opposite direction by means of said handle against the resistance of said first spring means and is then manually released, a pitcher comprising a ball propelling plunger positioned above said plate, a link pivoted at its upper end to said plunger and fulcrumed intermediate its ends on a portion on said plate, second spring means connected to said link near its lower end for projecting said plunger, an operating pitman eccentrically pivoted at one end to said batter, and a lost motion connection between the opposite end of said pitman and the remaining end of said link, whereby manual retraction of said batter by means of said handle produces retraction of said plunger against the resistance of said second spring means and whereby manual release of said batter from retracted position permits free movement of said plunger in ball propelling direction by said second spring means independently of said batter and of said first spring means, said lost motion connection comprising a slot formed longitudinally in said pitman and a pivot pin on the said other end of said link operatively engaged in said slot.

3. In a ball game apparatus involving a plate providing a playing surface, a batter pivotally mounted on a vertical axis above said plate, first spring means arranged to pivot said batter in ball propelling direction when said batter is manually retracted in the opposite direction against the resistance of said first spring means and released, a pitcher comprising a ball propelling plunger positioned above said plate, an operating link pivoted at its upper end to said plunger and loosely fulcrumed intermediate its ends on a portion of said. plate, second spring means connected to said link below its fulcrum point whereby said plunger is moved in ball propelling direction when said plunger is retracted against the resistance of said second spring means and released, a rigid pitman pivoted at one end to an eccentric point on said batter and having a longitudinal slot at its opposite end, a pin on the lower end of said link engaged in said slot, said slot being positioned longitudinally in said pitman whereby said pitcher is retracted upon manual retraction of said batter and whereby said plunger is released for operation by said. second spring means independently of operation of said batter by said first spring means upon release of said batter from retracted position.

4. In ball game apparatus involving a horizontal plate providing a playing surface, a batter pivotally mounted on a vertical axis through said plate having a radial bat above said plate and a radial arm below said plate, a first spring streched between said radial arm and said plate to pivot said batter in ball propelling direction when said batter is manually retracted in a direction against the resistance of said first spring 6 andreleased, a ball pitcher comprising a horizontal tube loosely mounted on the top of said plate, a plunger working in said tube, a link pivoted at its upper end to said plunger and depending through an opening provided in said plate, said opening providing edge portions against which an intermediate part of said link can fulcrum, a second spring stretched between the lower part of said link and said plate to pivot said link in a direction to move said plunger in said tube and project a ball therefrom toward said batter, a pitman pivoted at one end to the outer end of said batter arm and formed at its opposite end with a longitudinal slot, and a pin on the lower end of said link engaging said slot, said slot being positioned in said pitman whereby said pitcher plunger is retracted upon manual retraction of said batter by means of said bar and whereby said plunger is released to be moved by said second spring to project a ball independently of pivoting of said batter by said first spring means upon release of said batter from retracted position.

DON B. CLARK.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 685,006 Peck Oct. 22, 1901 861,843 Heitmann July 30, 1907 1,093,764 Brown Apr. 21, 1914 1,508,327 Higgins Sept. 9, 1924 1,595,185 Granger et al. Aug. 10, 1926 1,609,247 Hanley Nov. 30, 1926 1,680,077 Allender Aug. 7, 1928 1,759,128 Marx May 20, 1930 1,793,969 Simmons Feb. 24, 1931 1,942,429 Jacobs Jan. 9, 1934 2,233,729 Brink Mar. 4, 1941

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