US3700241A

US3700241A - Apparatus for passing a ball through a series of concentric containers

Info

Publication number: US3700241A
Application number: US112114*A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles H Tracy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-01-03
Filing date: 1971-01-03
Publication date: 1972-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-24

Abstract

The game includes a plurality of transparent containers located one within the other. The containers may be rectangular, spherical or of any other suitable shape. The containers are so mounted that adequate passages are provided between the inner surfaces of one container and the outer surfaces of an adjacent container. Openings of suitable size are provided in the inner containers at different locations. The game may consist in moving one or more play pieces located within the outer container. The play pieces may be spherical, round, oval or of any other suitable shape. Obviously they must be of a size which will enable them to pass along the passages and through the openings. The game may be varied by providing play pieces of different colors and shapes and by different arrangements of the openings.

Description

United States Patent Tracy [54] APPARATUS FOR PASSING A BALL THROUGH A SERIES OF CONCENTRIC CONTAINERS [72] Inventor: Charles H. Tracy, 53 East Main Street, Earlville, NY. 13332 22 Filed: Jan. 3, 1971 21 Appl.No 112,114

[52] US. Cl. ..273/95 R, 273/113 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63b 72/04 [58] Field of Search ..273/95 R, 109, 113

OTHER PUBLICATIONS Playthings, 8/61 Advertisement by Milton Bradley. Sidney A. Tarrson Co. 3/ 10/65.

[ Oct. 24, 1972 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind AttorneyRichards & Geier [5 7] ABSTRACT The game includes a plurality of transparent containers located one within the other. The containers may be rectangular, spherical or of any other suitable shape. The containers are so mounted that adequate passages are provided between the inner surfaces of one container and the outer surfaces of an adjacent container. Openings of suitable size are provided in the inner containers at different locations. The game may consist in moving one or more play pieces located within the outer container. The play pieces may be spherical, round, oval or of any other suitable shape. Obviously they must be of a size which will enable them to pass along the passages and through the openings. The game may be varied by providing play pieces of different colors and shapes and by different arrangements of the openings.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTED 0m 24 m2 INVENTOQ. CHARLEfi H. 722,4cy

Q I A7702MY5 APPARATUS FOR PASSING A BALL THROUGH A SERIES OF CONCENTRIC CONTAINERS This invention relates to a game.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a game which may be played by one or several players and which will require and/or develop a certain amount of dexterity, concentration, handling skill and other qualities in the player or players.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of the objectives of the present invention it was found desirable to provide a game consisting of a single unit which is of light weight and easy to handle. This unit consists of a plurality of transparent containers located one within the other and spaced one from the other so that suitable passages are provided between the containers. Any suitable means which do not interfere with the passages may be used to hold the containers one within the other. The containers may be cubes, elongated rectangular boxes, spheres or of any other suitable shape. They may be made of this transparent plastic or any other light but sufficiently firm material. Preferably the containers are located at uniform distances from each other and/or the central axis of the outer container.

The game is played by the use of play pieces which may have the shape of spheres, round pieces, oval pieces or the like. The purpose of the game is to introduce these pieces into openings provided in the inner containers. Obviously, the outer container will have no openings so as to prevent the play pieces from falling out. The openings must be of a size adequate for the passage of the play pieces. One feature of the game is that the openings can be provided upon different cations of the inner containers so that a play piece which has penetrated through an opening into an inner container will have to be moved along a passage before it reaches an opening in a container enclosed by said Obviously, other suitable means may be used to hold the inner boxes securely within the outer box and yet not to interfer with passages extending between the individual boxes.

The construction is preferably such that all the boxes are uniformly spaced in all directions one from thethe position shown in FIG. 1, the opening 16 may be inner container. When the game is played by several players, it may be enhanced by using play pieces of dif ferent colors and/or shapes.

The invention will appearmore clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing showing by way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view ofthe game shown in FIG. 1.

The specific construction illustrated in the drawing is a unit 9 which includes an outer rectangular box 10, an inner box 1 1 and an innermost box 12. The three boxes are all made of a suitable light transparent material. The inner boxes 11 and 12 are supported within the outer box 10 by thin pegs l3, l4 and 15 which engage the inner surfaces of the outer box and the outer surfaces of the inner boxes.

located upon the lower surface of the box 11 while the opening 17 may be located upon; the upper surface of the box 12.

In the example illustrated, the game is played by means of a ball 18 shown as being located in a passage between the outer box 10 and the inner box 11. Obviously the openings 16 and 17 must be of such size that the ball 18 will be able to pass through them and the passages between the boxes must allow free movement of the ball. The player or players will manipulate the unit to cause the ball 18 to first enter the box 11 through the opening 16 and then enter the box 12 through the opening 17.

As already stated, various changes may be made in the disclosed construction. In addition to changing the shape and the number of the boxes, the shape of the play piece 18 may be changed and several play pieces of different colors may be used by the players. Then the object of the game may be to place a play piece of one color in one particular box and to place a play pieceof a different color into another box. The shape of the play pieces may be such that they will pass through the openings in only one specific position. These and similar variations must be considered to be included to be within the scope of the present invention.

Iclairn:

1. A game, comprising an outer cubical transparent container, a middle cubical transparent container located within the outer container, an innermost cubical transparent container located within the middle container, means supporting the middle container within the outer container and supporting the innermost container within the middle container and providing uniform passages between the containers, and a ball movable in said passages, said middle container having a surface provided with an opening through which said ball can pass, said innermost container having a differently located surface provided with an opening through which said ball can pass.

2. A game in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means consist of pegs engaging some of the inner surfaces of the outer container and some of the outer surfaces of the middle and innermost containers.