ROLLING BALL GAME APPARATUS

• US 3,711,094 A
• Filed: 04/20/1971
• Issued: 01/16/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gordon E. Coffman
• Original Assignee: Gordon E. Coffman
• Inventors: Coffman, Gordon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oechsle, Anton O.
• Application Number:
  US05/135,624
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 273/86C,12R,12A,121R,121A,122R,122A,124R,124A,125R,125A 46/43
• US Class Current: 463/69
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/025 Pinball games, e.g. flipper games

Abstract

An inclined game board having a start opening near its upper end which is wide enough to pass several game balls at a time, a finish opening near its lower end which passes only one game ball at a time, and rubber band deflectors positioned between the start and finish openings to deflect the game balls for a random order finish. One or more deflectors near the finish opening are positioned to cause the balls to enter the finish opening one at a time.

Claims

1. A rolling ball game apparatus comprising an inclined game board having a ball entry near its upper end for several game balls at a time and a finish opening near its lower end which is wide enough to pass only one game ball at a time, means for releasing several game balls simultaneously at said ball entry, a pair of elongated resilient upper deflectors spaced below said ball entry on the game board and extending downward and laterally in opposite directions for respectively deflecting the game balls rolling down simultaneously from the ball entry laterally outward in opposite directions, opposite side deflectors extending down along the game board laterally outward from the upper deflectors for deflecting laterally inward the game balls which bounce off sAid upper deflectors so as to cause multiple random collisions among the game balls, a pair of bottom end walls which incline downward and laterally inward respectively from the lower ends of said side deflectors to said finish opening, and a resilient lower deflector which extends laterally inward and downward from one side of the game board and across said finish opening, said lower deflector having its upper end spaced from the side deflector at said one side of the game board by more than the width of a single game ball, and said lower deflector being spaced above said finish opening on the game board by more than the width of a single game ball and throughout its entire extent being spaced above both bottom end walls on the game board by more than the width of a single game ball.

2. A game apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising an upstanding post on the game board below said lower deflector and substantially centered above the finish opening, said post being spaced from the lower ends of both bottom end walls at the finish opening by slightly more than the width of a single game ball.

3. A game apparatus according to claim 2, and further comprising a second resilient lower deflector extending laterally inward and downward from the opposite side of the game board, said second lower deflector being disposed completely on said opposite side of the finish opening and having its upper end spaced from the side deflector at said opposite side of the game board by more than the width of a single game ball, said second lower deflector throughout its entire extent being spaced above the bottom end wall on said opposite side of the finish opening by more than the width of a single game ball, and said second lower deflector having its lower end spaced from the lower end of said first-mentioned lower deflector by more than the width of a single game ball.

4. A game apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said upper deflectors have adjoining upper ends substantially centered below said ball entry on the game board.

5. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of said upper deflectors has its upper end substantially centered below said ball entry on the game board, and the other of said upper deflectors has its upper end adjoining the lower end of said one upper deflector toward one side of the game board, and said other upper deflector extends down along the game board and laterally past the upper end of said one upper deflector and toward the opposite side of the game board.