US3578329A - A wire loop amusement game - Google Patents

Abstract

An amusement device including a base element, a wirelike guide element supported by said base element and extending upwardly therefrom, the guide element having a downwardly extending loop. A compressible resilient means surrounds the guide element and rests on the base element, said resilient means supporting selectively a plurality of weighted members which slide on the guide element, whereby depending upon the degree of compression of said resilient element, upon release, one or more of said weighted members are urged past the downwardly extending loop portion of the guide element.

Description

United States Patent [72] lnventor Louis Biedny 27 Patton Drive, Somerset, NJ. 08873 [21 Appl. No. 827,629 [22] Filed May 26, 1969 [45] Patented May 11, 1971 [54] A WIRE LOOP AMUSEMENT GAME 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 273/119, 46/43 [51] Int. Cl A63t 7/00 [50] Field of Search 273/l,97, 119, 108, 118; 35/19 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 334,475 l/1886 Shaw 273/97X 1,141,389 6/1915 Gerding (273/108UX) 1,620,912 3/1927 Okel 273/1 19 2,577,309 12/1951 Carwile 35/19X 3,072,409 1/1963 Petraske 27 3/ 1 08X 3,204,956 9/1965 Ames 273/1 Primary Examiner--Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro Attorney-Victor M. Helfand ABSTRACT: An amusement device including a base element, a wirelike guide element supported by said base element and extending upwardly therefrom, the guide element having a downwardly extending loop. A compressible resilient means surrounds the guide element and rests on the base element,

said resilient means supporting selectively a plurality of I weighted members which slide on the guide element, whereby depending upon the degree of compression of said resilient element, upon release, one or more of said weighted members are urged past the downwardly extending loop portion of the guide element.

A WIRE LOOP AMUSEMENT GAME This invention relates generally to the field of amusement devices, and more particularly to one involving a question of skill on the part of the operator.

it is among the principal objects of the present invention to provide an amusement device in which a plurality of weighted members are supported in juxtaposed position upon a guide element, the guide element also supporting a manually compressible resilient means and having a curved portion associated therewith over which one or more weighted members may pass, depending upon the degree of compression of the resilient means, and the number of weighted members positioned thereabove at the time of release.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an amusement device the operation of which depends to a substantial degree upon the skill of the user.

Yet another object of the invention lies in the provision of an amusement device of the class described, in which the cost of fabrication may be of a reasonably low order, thereby permitting consequent wide sale, distribution and use.

A feature of the disclosed embodiments lies in the fact that the device may be constructed either as a hand held device, or for support by a table or other horizontal surface.

These objects and feature, as well as other incidental ends and advantages, will more clearly appear in the progress of the following disclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claims.

in the drawing, to which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a similar view in elevation of the first embodiment, showing certain of the component parts in altered relative position.

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation of a second embodiment of the invention.

HQ 4 is a second view of the second embodiment, showing certain of the component parts in altered relative position.

In accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character 10, comprises broadly: a base member 11, a wirelike guide ele ment 12, a resilient element 13, and a plurality of weighted members 14.

The base member 11 may be of any suitable material, provided that it is possessed of sufficient weight to assure stability during operation. As seen in FIG. 1, it is bounded by an upper surface 17, a lower surface 18 which can rest upon a table or other support (not shown) as well as a cylindrical side surface 19. A centrally disposed vertical bore extends between the upper and lower surfaces 17 and 18, and communicates with a lower recess 21.

The guide element 12 is formed preferably of flexible steel wire, and includes a lower threaded end which penetrates the bore 20 to be secured by a nut disposed in the recess 21. Extending upwardly from the base member 11 is a vertical portion 26 connected to an upper downwardly curved portion 27 and a second vertical portion 28 having a hooked portion 29 which prevents passage of the weighted members 14 thereby.

The resilient element 13 includes a coil spring 32 disposed on the vertical portion 26, a lower end 33 of which contacts the upper surface 17, and an upper end 34 of which engages a slidably mounted finger-engageable member 35. The upper surface 36 of the member supports the lowermost weighted member 37, each succeeding weighted member resting upon the lower one.

The weighted members 14 may be hollow balls of synthetic resinous material each having a bore penetrated by the guide element 12. Although illustrated as being of spherical shape, they may also be any convenient decorative shape desired.

Operation of the device is commenced by placing all of the weighted members 14 in the position shown in FIG. 1 followmg which the finger-engaging member 35 is depressed a suitable distance and released, resulting in the transfer of energy from the spring 32 to the weighted members. With proper degree of compression, enough inertia will be imparted to just permit the uppermost weighted member to pass from the vertical portion 26 over the upper curved portion 27 to the second vertical portion 28. If too much compression is involved, more than one weighted member will pass, and if insufi'rcient compression has been made, none of the weighted members will pass.

0n the next operation, it is necessary to compress the spring 32 slightly less, so that, as in the case of the first operation, the uppermost weighted member will pass from the vertical portion 26. However, owing to the face that there are now fewer weighted members to place in motion, the degree of inertia to be imparted to them is correspondingly reduced, so that the degree of compression employed on the previous strokes is no longer applicable. Considerable practice is necessary to determine and apply the proper degree of compression which is relatively critical, and must be separately determined for each succeeding compressive action.

In the second embodiment of the invention, generally indicated by reference character 40, the construction has been varied by forming the base element 41 in the form of a hand grip, which permits the device when used to be placed in other than a completely vertical orientation, thereby varying the amount of force required to propel the weighted members up the correspondingly angularly disposed guide element 42. It will be appreciated that when using the second embodiment in other than a totally vertical condition, the mass of the weighted remains the same, but the effective force of gravity to be overcome is correspondingly varied.

In addition, the guide element 42 is provided with not only a vertical portion 43 corresponding to the vertical portion 26 in the first embodiment, but a plurality of energy dissipating curved portions 44, 45, 46 and 47, as well as a second vertical portion 48 corresponding to the vertical portion 28 in the first embodiment. An end portion 49 is interconnected with the lower end 50 of the base element 41 to provide for retention of the weighted members.

1 wish it to be understood that 1 do not consider the invention limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

lclaim:

1. An amusement device comprising: a base element, a wirelike guide element supported by said base element, and extending upwardly therefrom, said guide element including a first portion of substantially rectilinear configuration, adjacent said base element, and a downwardly curved section connected to said first portion, a compressible resilient element carried by said guide element, and a plurality of weighted members carried by and confined to said guide element and selectively resting upon saidresilient element; whereby upon manual compression of said resilient element and subsequent release thereof, one or more of said weighted members will be urged to pass up said rectilinear portion and onto said curved portion.

2. Structure in accordance with claim 1, said curved portion of said guide element having weighted-member-retaining means connected therewith.

3. Structure in accordance with claim 1, said base element having means for manually grasping the same.

4. Structure in accordance with claim 1, said base element having a horizontal lower surface for being supported upon a horizontally-disposed support.

Claims (4)

1. An amusement device comprising: a base element, a wirelike guide element supported by said base element, and extending upwardly therefrom, said guide element including a first portion of substantially rectilinear configuration, adjacent said base element, and a downwardly curved section connected to said first portion, a compressible resilient element carried by said guide element, and a plurality oF weighted members carried by and confined to said guide element and selectively resting upon said resilient element; whereby upon manual compression of said resilient element and subsequent release thereof, one or more of said weighted members will be urged to pass up said rectilinear portion and onto said curved portion.

2. Structure in accordance with claim 1, said curved portion of said guide element having weighted-member-retaining means connected therewith.

3. Structure in accordance with claim 1, said base element having means for manually grasping the same.

4. Structure in accordance with claim 1, said base element having a horizontal lower surface for being supported upon a horizontally-disposed support.

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