Ball rolling game

• US 5,465,962 A
• Filed: 10/14/1993
• Issued: 11/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Franklin R. Hiserman
• Original Assignee: Franklin R. Hiserman
• Inventors: Hiserman, Franklin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiu, Raleigh W.
• Application Number:
  US08/136,532
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 273/108, 273/118 R, 33/756, 33/770
• US Class Current: 273/118.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 63/00 Targets or goals for ball games golf cups A63B57/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/002 Games using balls, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 67/068 Devices used therewith for measuring distance or difference in distance

Abstract

The instant invention discloses a ball rolling game of moderate skill enjoyed equally by children and adults. At each end of a short court a stake is located, and a circle is inscribed around it as a scoring zone. Players roll balls at the stake, and points are scored based on ball(s) closest to the stake within the scoring zone. Two, three, four, six, or eight players may participate in the game based on individual or team play. The court surface may be wet packed sand, clay, dirt, grass, or artificial.

Claims

1. The method of playing a ball rolling game for at least two players having:

a court area, said court area having a playing surface,

a pair of circular areas, said circular areas being spaced a predetermined distance from one another within said playing surface,

a pair of roll lines, each of said pair of roll lines bisecting and extending beyond said circular areas, said roll lines being approximately parallel to one another,

a pair of stakes, said stakes having a first end and a second end, said stakes being placed in the center of said circular area,

a plurality of pairs of balls, each said pairs having the same color and each of said pairs of balls having contrasting colors to said other pairs of balls,

a pair of measuring means, having;

a collar portion, said collar portion having a first end and a second end, said first end containing a circular hole portion, said circular hole portion having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said pair of stakes, and said second end containing a string receiving portion,

a length of string, said length of string having a first end, a second end, said length being equal to the radius of said circular area,

a marking means, said marking means having a point and a string receiving area,

said first end of said string being affixed to said string receiving portion of said collar portion and said second end of said string being attached to said string receiving area of said marking means,

setting up the court area comprising the steps of;

i) determining the court area,

ii) placing a first stake approximate the first end of said court area,

iii) placing said collar of said measuring means over said stake,

iv) extending said string to its maximum length and scribing a circle around said stake using said marking means,

v) placing a second stake approximate the second end of the court area,

vi) repeating steps iii and iv,

playing the ball rolling game comprising the steps of;

a) choosing a pair of identical colored balls,

b) said players standing behind said roll line of the first circular area,

c) the first of said players rolling the first of said pair of balls toward said stake in the second circular area, attempting to cause said ball to stop close to said stake,

d) repeating step c by each player,

e) the first of said players rolling the second of said pair of balls toward said stake in the second circular area, attempting to cause said ball to stop close to said stake,

f) repeating step e by each player,

g) said players proceeding to said second circular area,

h) measuring the distance between the closest balls and the stake using said measuring means,

i) determining if any player'"'"'s ball is within one ball width from said stake,

j) if a player has a ball within one ball width of said stake, awarding said player two points,

k) if no player has a ball within one ball'"'"'s width of said stake, determining which player'"'"'s ball is closest,

l) awarding the player whose ball is the closest to the stake with one point,

m) said players standing behind said roll line of the second circular area,

n) the first of said players rolling the first of said pair of balls toward said stake in the first circular area, attempting to cause said ball to stop close to said stake,

o) repeating step p by each player,

p) the first of said players rolling the second of said pair of balls toward said stake in the first circular area, attempting to cause said ball to stop close to said stake,

q) repeating step p by each player,

r) said players proceeding to said first circular area,

s) measuring the distance between the closest balls and the stake using said measuring means,

t) determining which, if any, player'"'"'s ball is within one ball width from said stake,

u) if a player has a ball within one ball width of said stake, awarding said player two points,

v) if no player has a ball within one ball'"'"'s width of said stake, determining which player'"'"'s ball is closest,

w) awarding the player whose ball is the closest to the stake with at least one point,

x) repeating steps b-w until one player has a predetermined number of points.

2. The method of playing a ball rolling game for at least two players having:

a court area, said court area having a playing surface,

a pair of circular areas, said circular areas being spaced a predetermined distance from one another within said playing surface,

a pair of roll lines, each of said pair of roll lines bisecting said circular areas, said roll lines being approximately parallel to one another,

a pair of stakes, said stakes having a first end and a second end, said stakes being placed in the center of said circular area,

a plurality of pairs of balls, each ball of said plurality of pairs of balls having the same color and each of said pairs of balls having colors different from said other pairs of balls,

a pair of measuring means, having;

a collar portion, said collar portion having a first end and a second end, said first end containing a circular hole portion, said circular hole portion having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said pair of stakes, and said second end containing a string receiving portion,

a length of string, said length of string having a first end, a second end, said length being equal to the radius of said circular area,

a marking means, said marking means having a point and a string receiving area,

said first end of said string being affixed to said string receiving portion of said collar portion and said second end of said string being attached to said string receiving area of said marking means,

setting up the court area comprising the steps of;

i) determining the court area,

ii) placing a first stake approximate the first end of said court area,

iii) placing said collar of said measuring means over said stake,

iv) extending said string to its maximum length and scribing a circle around said stake using said marking means,

v) placing a second stake approximate the second end of the court area,

vi) repeating steps iii and iv,

playing the ball rolling game comprising the steps of;

a) choosing a pair of identical colored balls,

b) said players standing behind said roll line of the first circular area,

c) the first of said players rolling the first of said pair of balls toward said stake in the second circular area, attempting to cause said ball to stop close to said stake,

d) repeating step c by each player,

e) the first of said players rolling the second of said pair of balls toward said stake in the second circular area, attempting to cause said ball to stop close to said stake,

f) repeating step e by each player,

g) said players proceeding to said second circular area,

h) measuring the distance between the closest balls and the stake using said measuring means,

i) determining if any player'"'"'s ball is within one ball width from said stake,

j) if a player has a ball within one ball width of said stake, awarding said player a first predetermined number of points,

k) if no player has a ball within one ball'"'"'s width of said stake, determining which player'"'"'s ball is closest,

l) awarding the player whose ball is the closest to the stake with a second predetermined number of points,

m) said players standing behind said roll line of the second circular area,

n) the first of said players rolling the first of said pair of balls toward said stake in the first circular area, attempting to cause said ball to stop close to said stake,

o) repeating step p by each player,

p) the first of said players rolling the second of said pair of balls toward said stake in the first circular area, attempting to cause said ball to stop close to said stake,

q) repeating step p by each player,

r) said players proceeding to said first circular area,

s) measuring the distance between the closest balls and the stake using said measuring means,

t) determining which, if any, player'"'"'s ball is within one ball width from said stake,

u) if a player has a ball within one ball width of said stake, awarding said player said first predetermined number of points,

v) if no player has a ball within one ball'"'"'s width of said stake, determining which player'"'"'s ball is closest,

w) awarding the player whose ball is the closest to the stake said second predetermined number of points,

x) repeating steps b-w until one player has a third predetermined number of points.

3. The method of playing the ball rolling game of claim 2 wherein said court area is a permanently marked surface having ball retaining means along the periphery of said court.

4. The method of playing the ball rolling game of claim 3 wherein said ball retaining means are troughs, said troughs having a width sufficient to cause a moving ball to drop into said trough and a depth sufficient to retain said ball.

5. The method of playing the ball rolling game of claim 4 wherein said troughs further comprise force absorbing means along at least a portion of said troughs.

6. The method of playing the ball rolling game of claim 2 wherein said first end of each of said pair of stakes has a tapered end and the second end of each of said pair of stakes has a flat end.

7. The method of playing the ball rolling game of claim 2 wherein said first end of each of said pair of stakes has a weighted base.