US973799A - Game device. - Google Patents

Description

P. J. MOKINLEY. GAME DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21 190B.

' 73,79 Patented 001:.25, 1910.

Wha I y I Invenfor THE uomus PETERS cm, WASHINGTON, n. a

PA RICK S- KINLE or, DENVER, COLORADO- AME D V E- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

Applic tion fil d. November 21, 1908- se ial N 463,761.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK Jos. MOIQIN LEY, citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of- Denver 'and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates. to games devices, and its objects are to provide a game apparatus of novel construction which may be employed to interest and amuse; to furnish a device of the character stated that may be readily attached to an ordinary table, and that may be readily detached and reduced to a comparatively small compass, and thus adapted to be easily transported or stored when not in use.

Further objects of this invention are, to provide a simple and durable game device; to supply means for securely and removably attaching the apparatus to a table without marring or injuring the support, and to provide a game apparatus the use of which will be readily understood, and that can be quickly set up in operative position by an unskilled person, and in addition, can be manufactured economically and thus placed upon the market at a comparatively small cost.

The apparatus generally described, consists of one or more wires stretched horizontally above a suitable table or support, a plurality of balls or counters slidably arranged on each of said wires, an indicator arranged adjacent to each wire, and means for varying the tension of the stretched wires; said means being also employed as a reel to wind up the wires when not in use.

I accomplish the desired results by employing the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this application, the details of construction being disclosed in the following views Figure 1 is a top plan view of a table with my improved game apparatus attached thereto in operative position; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the appliances shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an end View, enlarged, of the reel, with one of the bearings broken away to disclose the ratchet and detent pawl.

Referring to the details of the drawing the numeral 5 indicates the legs and 6 the top of an ordinary table. Above the upper surface of the table are arranged in parallel seriesa plurality of suitable wires 7, which preferably extend the entire length of the table, and are attached at one end to coiled springs 8, secured by suitable fastenings 9, to the upper side of a support consisting of a block or bar 10, mounted on spring clips 11, which have resilient curved portions 12 adapted to clasp the margin 13 of the table, the ends of the clips bearing against the under side of the table top 6, as indicated at 14. The extremities 15 of said clips are bent downwardly to facilitate the introduction of the table edge when setting up the device. The opposite ends of said wires 7 are secured in any suitable manner to a roller or reel 16 having gudgeons 17 at each end to form journals which are rotatably mounted in brackets, or ears 18, formed integral with or attached to spring clips 19, similar to the previously described clips 11, and adapted to removably engage the opposite margin of the table in the same manner. The said wires 7, when attached at each end, as described, are stretched, or rendered sufiiciently tense to maintain a position approximately parallel with the face of the table, by turning the roller or reel in the direction of the arrow 20, so as to wind any surplus portions of the wires thereon, as indicated at 21. The reel is held in adjusted position by means of a spring pawl 22, fixed to one of the brackets 19, at the point 23, and extending beneath a ratchet wheel 24 mounted on the reel, a tooth 25 on the pawl engaging teeth 26 cut in said wheel 24.

Upon the wires 7 are slidably mounted balls or counters 27. These counters may be formed of wood, hard rubber, or other suitable material and made in disk form or spherical and are arranged to slide easily on the wires upon which they are threaded. I prefer to employ three of these balls or counters for each wire, although any other number may be employed. Below the Wires adjacent each end of the board are arranged indicators in the form of cards 28 laid upon the table or secured thereto if preferred. There are two indicating cards for each wire, placed adjacent the ends and each card is divided by suitable lines marked thereon into spaces 29, extending in linear series corresponding with the direction of the wire. The said spaces 29 are given arbitrary values, and are impressed with numerals to express such values. For convenience the said numerals are arranged in two columns, the characters in each column being reversed relatively to the other column, thus permitting them to be read With equal facility from opposite ends of the table.

The manner of operating my improved game apparatus is as follows: The wires 7 having been placed as illustrated in the drawing and the cards 28 laid beneath in the manner and relation shown in Fig. 1, the wires are given a suitable tension by grasping the roller 16 with the hand and turning it in the direction of the arrow 20, as previously mentioned, the pawl 22 serving to prevent backward movement. To remove the device, the ratchet is released by pressing down upon the free end 31 of the pawl 22, and when the wires have been sufficiently slackened the bar 10 and clips 11 are removed. The pawl 22 is then allowed to resume its operative position, and the wires entirely wound upon the roller, after which the reel is removed by slipping the clips 19 from their engagement with the table margin.

The apparatus is used in playing a game as followsAny number of persons may join in a game but it is preferable to have two players for each wire. The opponents take their places at each end of the wire, and each player in turn impels or shoots the waves balls along the Wire by striking them with a cue or snapping them with the finger, the object being to shoot the counters with sufficient force to carry them to some point above the indicating cards at the opposite end of the board, the numeral vertically beneath each ball where it comes to a rest, being counted in favor of the player. Any desired number, such as 100, having been arbitrarily chosen as game, that player wins whose total of tallies or counts first equals the number chosen.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, is

In a game apparatus, the combination of a table, a plurality of parallel wires arranged horizontally above said table, a support for one end of said Wires, means for removably attaching the said support to the table, coiled springs connecting the wires with said support, a reel supporting the opposite ends of the wires, and having the wires wound thereon, a detent for preventing unwinding of the reel, counters slidably mounted on said wires, and indicating cards arranged below said wires, said cards having numerals thereon to denote values.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK J OS. MCKINLEY. VVit-nesses A. D. MAYER, Miss A. L. LORD.

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