Marble race game

• US 4,713,038 A
• Filed: 07/05/1985
• Issued: 12/15/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Discovery Toys LLC
• Original Assignee: Discovery Toys LLC
• Inventors: Wichman, William J., Troup, deceased, Edward M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Application Number:
  US06/752,420
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 446/168, 446/169, 446/170, 446/171, 446/172, 446/173, 446/89, 446/117, 273/86 C, D21/143
• US Class Current: 446/168
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2007/3662 modular, e.g. with connections between modules
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/02 using falling playing bodies or playing bodies running on an inclined surface, e.g. pinball games bagatelle or similar games A63D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/3622 Specially shaped rolling boards for the balls, e.g. ball tracks

Abstract

A marble race game includes a number of different, interconnected marble race toys so that a marble passes from the exit of one to the entrance of another, downstream race toy. All the toys keep the marble moving fast enough along their paths to be visually appealing and yet increase the time it takes to course the toy paths compared with conventional marble race toys. Several different marble race toys are used, including a funnel toy, a zig-zag toy, a J-loop toy, a paddle wheel toy, a serpentine toy and a pin deflect toy.

Claims

1. A modular marble race game made of a number of marble race toys comprising:

entrance columns each having upper and lower ends, a top entrance at the entrance column upper end and a side exit;

exit columns each having upper and lower ends, a side entrance and a bottom exit at the exit column lower end, the side exit positioned at a higher elevation than the side entrance;

the upper ends of the entrance and exit columns of one of said toys sized for mating engagement with the respective lower ends of the exit and entrance column of another of said toys;

a zig-zag channel connecting the side exit of a first entrance column with the side entrance of a first exit column to constitute a zig-zag toy, the channel including a number of channel segments positioned at angles to adjacent channel segments to define a zig-zag marble path;

a J-channel connecting the side exit of a second entrance column with the side entrance of a second exit column to constitute a J-channel toy, the J-channel including a first, elongate portion extending from the second entrance column side exit and a second, spiral portion circumscribing a substantial portion of the second exit column and opening into its side entrance;

a paddle wheel channel connecting the side exit of a third entrance column with the side entrance of a third exit column;

a rotatable paddle wheel mounted to the paddle wheel channel to constitute a paddle wheel toy, the paddle wheel having an outer surface positioned adjacent a portion of the paddle wheel channel to engage the marble as the marble rolls along the paddle wheel channel to rotate the paddle wheel, the outer paddle wheel surface having a scalloped shape;

a serpentine channel connecting the side exit of a fourth entrance column and the side entrance of a fourth exit column to constitute a serpentine channel toy, the serpentine channel including a plurality of alternating right and left helical segments defining arcs of substantially greater than 180°

while maintaining a generally constant downward slope;

a wide, pin-deflect channel connecting the side exit of a fifth entrance column and the side entrance of a fifth exit column constituting a pin-deflect toy, the pin-deflect channel having a bottom, a sidewall and a plurality of upwardly extending pins mounted to the bottom, a first bottom portion at the fifth entrance column side exit and a second, laterally contracting bottom portion at the fifth exit colunn side entrance, at least a portion of the sidewall having an irregular inner sidewall surface to deflect the marble away from the sidewall as the marble rolls along the channel;

4. The game of claim 1 wherein the funnel surface include a conical surface portion above a vortex surface portion.

2. a funnel member having a sidewall defining an inwardly and downwardly tapering inner funnel surface extending between an upper rim and a lower funnel end, the lower funnel end being at a downwardly opening funnel exit, the sidewall having a funnel entrance towards the upper rim;

3. a funnel toy channel connecting the side exit of a sixth entrance column to the funnel entrance to constitute a funnel toy, the funnel toy channel defining a generally tangential funnel entrance path along which the marble rolls as it enters the funnel;

and

the lower funnel end of the funnel member sized for mating engagement with upper ends of the entrance columns of at least one other of said toys.

6. The toy of claim 3 wherein the first portion is straight.

7. The toy of claim 3 further comprising:

a rotatable paddle wheel, mounted to the first channel portion, having an outer surface positioned adjacent the first channel portion to engage the marble as the marble rolls along the first channel portion to rotate the paddle wheel, the outer paddle wheel surface sized to accept a single marble.

10. The toy of claim 7 wherein the arcs are about 270°

.

5. A marble race toy comprising:

an entrance column having upper and lower ends, a top entrance at the entrance column upper end and a side exit;

an exit column having upper and lower ends, a side entrance and a bottom exit at the exit column lower end, the side exit positioned at a higher elevation than the side entrance;

the upper ends of the entrance and exit columns of said toy sized for mating engagement with the respective lower ends of the exit and entrance columns of another toy having the same exit and entrance column lower end structure; and

a J-channel connecting the side exit with the side entrance, the channel including a first, elongate portion extending from the side exit and a second, spiral portion circumsribing a substantial portion of the exit column and opening into the side entrance.

8. The toy of claim 5 wherein the first channel portion includes first and second sub-portions, the first sub-portion extending from the side exit and having a steeper slope than the second sub-portion.

9. A marble race toy comprising:

an entrance column having upper and lower ends, a top entrance at the entrance column upper end and a side exit;

an exit column having upper and lower ends, a side entrance and a bottom exit at the exit column lower end, the side exit positioned at a higher elevation than the side entrance;

the upper ends of the entrance and exit columns of said toy sized for mating engagement with the respective lower ends of the exit and entrance columns of another toy having the lower same exit and entrance column lower end struture; and

a serpentine channel connecting the side exit and the side entrance and including a plurality of alternating right and left helical segments defining arcs of substantially greater than 180°

while maintaining a generally constant downward slope.

12. The game of claim 9 wherein the inner sidewall surface has a scalloped shape.

13. The game of claim 9 wherein the bottom is generally diamond-shaped.

16. The game of claim 12 wherein the vortex shaped surface portion is defined by the following formula:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">d=K [(R/r).sup.2 -1]

where;

R=maximum radius of the entire vortex curve at the highest point on the vortex curve;

r=radius at given depth d along axis below the highest point; and

K is a constant for a chosen entrance velocity.

17. The game of claim 12 wherein the conical surface portion is inclined about 20°

to the horizontal.

18. The game of claim 12 wherein one of said upper and lower portions of said entrance column comprises a stepped cylindrical outer surface, and the other of said upper and lower portions comprises a cylindrical inner surface sized for mating engagement with said stepped cylindrical outer surface.

11. A marble race game including marble race toys comprising:

entrance columns each having upper and lower ends, a top entrance at the entrance column upper end and a side exit;

exit columns each having upper and lower ends, a side entrance and a bottom exit at the exit column lower end, the side exit positioned at a higher elevation than the side entrance;

the upper ends of the entrance and exit columns of one of said toys sized for mating engagement with the respective lower ends of the exit and entrance columns of another of said toys;

a J-channel connecting the side exit of a first entrance column with the side entrance of a first exit column to constitute a J-channel toy, the J-channel including a first, elongate portion extending from the side exit of the first column entrance and a second, spiral portion circumscribing a substantial portion of the first exit column and opening into the side entrance of the first exit column; and

a wide, pin-deflect channel, connecting the side exit of a second entrance column and the side entrance of a second exit column constituting a pin-deflect toy having a bottom, a sidewall and a plurality of upwardly extending pins mounted to the bottom, a first bottom portion at the second entrance column side exit and a second, laterally contracting bottom portion at the second entrance column side entrance, at least a portion of the sidewall having an irregular inner sidewall surface to deflect the marble away from the sidewall as the marble rolls along the channel.

14. A marble race game including marble race toys comprising:

entrance columns each having upper and lower ends, a top entrance at the entrance column upper end and a side exit;

exit columns each having upper and lower ends, a side entrance and a bottom exit at the exit column lower end, the side exit positioned at a higher elevation than the side entrance;

a J-channel connecting the side exit of a first entrance cclumn with the side entrance of a first exit column to constitute a J-channel toy, the J-channel including a first, elongate portion extending from the side exit of the first entrance column and a second, spiral portion circumscribing a substantial portion of the first exit column and opening into the side entrance of the first exit column; and

a funnel member having a sidewall defining an inwardly and downwardly tapering inner funnel surface extending between an upper rim and a lower funnel end, the lower funnel end being at a downwardly opening funnel exit, the sidewall having a funnel entrance towards the upper rim;

the funnel surface including an upper conical surface portion and a lower vortex shaped surface portion;

15. a funnel toy channel connecting the side exit of a second entrance column to the funnel entrance to constitute a funnel toy, the funnel toy channel defining a generally tangential funnel entrance path along which the marble rolls as it enters the funnel;

and

the upper ends of the entrance and exit columns of one of said toys sized for mating engagement with the respective lower ends of the exit and entrance column of another of said toys.

19. The game of claim 21 further comprising a spacer column including stepped cylindrical outer surface and an axial slot extending from an upper end of the spacer column to a point past said stepped cylindrical outer surface.

20. A marble race game including marble race toys comprising:

entrance columns each having upper and lower ends, a top entrance at the entrance column upper end and a side exit;

exit columns each having upper and lower ends, a side entrance and a bottom exit at the exit column lower end, the side exit positioned at a higher elevation than the side entrance;

a serpentine channel connecting the side exit of a first entrance column and the side entrance of a first exit column to constitute a serpentine channel toy, the serpentine channel including a plurality of alternating right and left helical segments defining arcs of substantially greater than 1800, while maintaining a generally constant downward slope;

a funnel member having a sidewall defining an inwardly and downwardly tapering inner funnel surface extending between an upper rim and a lower funnel end, the lower funnel end being at a downwardly opening funnel exit, the sidewall having a funnel entrance towards the upper rim;

the funnel surface including an upper conical surface portion and a lower vortex shaped surface portion;

a funnel toy channel connecting the side exit of a second entrance column to the funnel entrance to constitute a funnel toy, the funnel toy channel defining a generally tangential funnel entrance path along which the marble rolls as it enters the funnel; and

the upper ends of the entrance and exit columns of one of said toys sized for mating engagement with the respective lower ends of the exit and entrance column of another of said toys.