US3297325A - Spring type pistol-bagatelle - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 10, 1967 G. LERNER l-:TAL

SPRING TYP E PI STOL-BAGATELLE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 17, 1964 Jan, l0, 1967 G. LERNER ETAI. 3,297,325

SPRING TYPE PISTOL-BAGTELLE Filed Feb. 17, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS C/EORGE LERNER JULJUS ELLMAN ATTORNEY.

Jam 10, 1967 G. LERNER ETAL SPRING TYPE PISTOL-BAGATELLE Filed Feb, 17, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet l5 ERNER O JUL/U5 ELLMAN A T TORHE Y.

United States Patent O 3,297,325 SPRING TYPE PISTOL-BAGATELLE George Lerner, 12 Prospect Court, Freeport, N.Y. 11520, and Julius Ellman, 1672 E. 7th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11232 Filed Feb. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 345,322 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-101) This invention relates generally to toys and games, and is especially concerned with a unique toy or game of the bagatelle type.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a bagatelle-type toy or game which is capable of employing many different fields of play, so as to provide a device of interest to `a variety of users and for great duration.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a bagatelle-type toy or game which is extremely simple to operate, even for young children, requiring only a pistol-grip squeeze action.

lt is still another object of the .present invention to provide a bagatelle-type toy or game having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, wherein a simulated gun is provided with an attachment thereto affording a field of play, and wherein operation of the gun effects propulsion of pellets to the field of play for movement thereabout in the manner of a bagatelle game.

Still a further object of the present invention resides in the provision of la toy or game of the type described, which is extremely simple in operation and construction, durable and reliable throughout a long useful life, and which can be economically manufactured for sale at a reasonable price.

Other objects of the invention will 'become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which -form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will 4be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will lbe indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a side elevational view showing a bagatelle-type toy or game constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, partly broken away for clarity and conservation of drawing space, and illustrating an initial stage in operation.

FIGURE 2 is a partial side elevational view similar to FIGURE l, showing a slightly later stage in operation.

FIGURE 3 is a partial side elevational view similar to FIGURE 2, showing a later stage in operation.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view similar to FIG- URES 1-3, and showing still a later stage in operation of the instant device.

FIGURE 5 is a partial transverse sectional View taken generally along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the pistol-like device shown in FIGURE 4, partly broken away.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of one-half of the pistol-like device, the other half being removed to expose the working parts, partly in section and showing one stage of operation.

FIGURE 8 is a View similar to FIG. 7, but showing the other half of the pistol-like casing with the reverse side of the same working parts in the position they assume at a later stage of operation.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a gun-simulated casing is there generally designated 10, and carries a hollow body 11 in the nature of a bagatelle field of play, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

Patented Jan. 10, 1967 "ice The casing 10 includes an elongate barrel part 12, illustrated as extending horizontally, and a handgrip part 13 depending transversely from .the barrel part.

The elongate barrel part 12 has its forward end region 15 provided with an opening extending both upward and longitudinally forward or outward to the left, as seen in FIGURES l and 4. As best seen in FIGURE 6, the forward 'barrel end region 15 includes a bottom wall 16, and longitudinally extending, laterally spaced upstanding side walls 17, the front end vand upper side of the forward barrel region 15 being open. At least one of the side walls 17 may Ibe formed, adjacent to the forward end, with an upstanding resiliently deectable detent ear 1S having a protrusion 19. There may also be provided a vertically elongate formation or rib 20 on one side wall 17 spaced from the forward end thereof, see FIGURE 6.

The rearward region of the barrel 12 is generally designated 22 and may include a top wall 23, from opposite sides of which depend side walls 24. The top wall 23 may be longitudinally slotted, as at 25 in FIGURE 6.

Depending obliquely downward and outward from the rearward barrel region 22 is the gripping part 13. The gripping part 13 may be defined by laterally spaced, facing side Walls 27, dependent extensions of respective side walls 24, and which may be provided with meeting edge anges. The gripping part 13 is thus hollow and communicates upward with lthe immediately upwardly rear 'barrel part region 22.

The cas-ing 10 may thus be molded or otherwise formed of a pair of essentially similar, complementary sides or parts, and further includes a hollow web part 30 extending between the gripping part 13 and underside of barrel part 12, which web part is formed with a linger-receiving opening 31.

The hollow body 11 may be of any desired configuration, being illustrated as having a pair of parallel spaced walls 33 and 34 of generally congruent configuration and provided with -a Ibounding wall 35 extending between the facing walls along the periphery thereof. As best seen in FIGURES l and 4, the hollow body 11 upstands from the forward barrel part 15, and the bounding wall 35 is open or removed for interengagement of the forward barrel part and lower region of the hollow body, providing communication therebetween. Suitable formations may be provided on at least one of the hollow-body walls 33, 34 for detachable intertting engagement with the ` barrel formations 19 and 20, whereby the hollow body 11 is removably secured in position on the forward barrel region 15. Interiorly of the hollow body 11 may be provided suitable members or walls 36 of any desired coniiguration, to provide obstacles, receptacles, and the like for pellets projected into the hollow body, as will appear presently. Further, one region of the hollow body 11, .the lower rearward region as shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIGURES 1 and 4, is formed with an outlet opening 37 communicating with an intermediate region of the barrel part 12 for returning pellets 38 to the barrel part, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

Mounted interiorly of the rear barrel-part region 22 is pellet-propulsion means, generally designated 40. The propulsion means includes an elongate hollow plunger or housing 41 disposed longitudinally within the rear barrel-part region 22 and reciprocable therealong. Interiorly of the hollow plunger 41 is a coil compression spring 42 having its forward end in bearing engagement with the forward end wall of the plunger.

Means for supplying energy to the spring 42, 'as by compression thereof, is generally designated 44 and includes a lever 45 mounted intermediate its ends interiorly of the gripping part 13 by a transverse pivot `or pin 46. The lower region of lever 45 normally projects forwardly from the gripping part 13, being provided with lingerreceiving formations 47, if desired. The upper end of the energy-input lever 45 is engageable with the rearward end of spring 42 for compressing the latter `against the forward-end wall of housing 41, as by counterclockwise rotation of lever 45 between the positions of FIGURES 1 and 4. One wall 24 of the rear barrel-part region 22 may be formed with an arcuate cutout or slot 48, and a transverse projection or pointer 49 may be carried by the upper end of lever 45 projecting laterally through slot 48. Suitable indicia or markings 50 may be provided externally along the slot 4S for indicating the location of pin 49, as shown in FIGURE 4, which location corresponds to the degree of compression of spring 42.

Mounted interiorly of the hollow web 30 of casing 10, and depending into the finger opening 31, may be a trigger or arm 52. That is, the upper end of trigger or arm 52 is pivoted, as by pin 53 extending transversely across and mounted in the web part 30. Projecting forwardly from an upper region of trigger arm 52 may be a pawl or dog 54. A stop arm 55 is disposed within the web part 30 and extends generally forwardly from the upper end of trigger arm 52, -having its forward end mounted by a pivot pin 56. The rearward region of the stop part 55 is provided with a rearwardly opening cutout 57 receiving the dog 54 and permitting of limited relative swinging movement between the trigger arm 52 and stop arm 55. EX- tending upward from the rearward region of stop arm 55, directly below hollow-body opening 37, is an upwardly facing pellet seat 58, While the rear region of seat 58 carries an abutment 59 for engagement with the forward end of hollow plunger 41.

Mounted in the casing 10, between the trigger arm 52 and lever 45 may be a torsion or sear spring 60, being mounted on a transverse pin 61. Opposite ends 62 and 63 of the spring 60 may respectively engage the trigger arm 52 and lever 45 to urge lboth in the clockwise direction, as seen in FIGURE 1. The trigger arm 52 is thereby swung to .a limiting position, as determined by the interengaging configurations of pawl 54 and cutout 57, to swing the stop arm or catch 55 counterclockwise to a limiting upper position with its abutment 59 located in the path of movement of plunger 41.

Also mounted in the rear barrel part 22, above the plunger 41, is an elongate feed member 65, mounted for longitudinal reciprocation into and out of closing relation with respect to the hollow-body opening 37. An actuating member or lug 66 may upstand from the feed member 65 through the elongate slot 25 of barrel-part top wall 23. The upstanding lug 66 thus provides means for manually reciprocating the feed member 65 for gravitationally feeding one pellet 38 at a time to a position on seat 58. j

In operation, with a selected hollow body 11 of the desired playing-field configuration snap-engaged on the forward barrel-part region 15, it will be apparent that the assembled hollow body and casing may -be manipulated to roll the several pellets 38 into position over the opening 37. As shown in FIGURE 1, the feed member 65 is in its forward position to close the opening 37 and retain the pellets in position thereabove.

Rearward movement or retraction of lug 66, see FIG- URE 2, shifts feed member 65 rearward to pass a single pellet 38 into position received on seat 5S. The lever 45 may then be swung .counterclockwise, as by .a manual squeezing operation,'to locate the pin or indicator as desired, along the scale or markings 50, see FIGURE 3. This serves to charge or impart potential energy to the spring 42 by compression thereof. The trigger arm 52 is next swung rearward or counterclockwise to shift stop arm 52 downward, the position shown in FIGURE 4. Abutment or stop 59 is thereby shifted downward out of the path of plunger 41, whereby the plunger shoots forward to propel a pellet from seat 58 forward out of the barrel 12 into the yhollow body 11. The Various movements of the propelled pellet in the hollow body may determine score, or otherwise provide the basis for game p V3i/'hen all of the pellets have thus been propelled, the game may `be prepared for repetition by manipulation of the device to return the pellets to the feed position shown in FIGURE 1.

From the foregoing, it is seen that Ia unique bagatelletype game device is provided which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is Well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture yand use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of t-he appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A bagatelle toy comprising a casing having an elongate barrel part and a transverse grip part, said barrel part having one end-region open for discharging a pellet, its other end-region having compressible resilient propulsion means releasable for propelling a pellet from said one end-region, trig-ger means carried by said grip part for releasing said propulsion means, and a hollow body configured to define a game field, removably and replaceably carried by said -barrel and having an inlet opening communicating with said barrel end-region for receiving a propelled pellet, and having an outlet opening communieating with an intermediate region of said barrel part for passing pellets to said barrel part in position to be propelled, energy-input means carried by said casing and operative to compress said propulsion means prior to release thereof, and comprising `a lever pivoted to said gripping part, and having one end extending from said gripping part for movement by an operator and having its other end extending into said other barrel end-region for compressing engagement with said propulsion means, a stop mounted in said casing for movement into and out of said barrel for restraining yand releasing said propulsion means, and being located proximate to the outlet opening of said hollow body for receiving a pellet from said body, and having a seat for supporting -a received pellet in position to be propelled, said trigger means being operatively connected to said stop for actuating the latter, and cooperating interfitting formations on said barrel part and on said hollow body for releasably securing the latter to the former.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,287,197 12/1918 Blackshear 125--50 X 1,470,5 07 11/ 1923 Obermaier. 2,170,221 8/ 1939 Stanley 124-29 3,026,644 3/ 1962 Raider. 3,117,787 1/1964 Stutzke 273-101 3,196,861 7/1965 Yano 124-27 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. W. R. BROWNE, Assistant Examiner.

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