Return Course Patents (Class 273/124R)
  • Patent number: 5553851
    Abstract: Gaming apparatus in which a ball is traveled onto a revolving surface has a plurality of rings of differing diameters which jointly form the revolving surface. The rings are centered on a vertical axis of rotation and may rotate in opposite directions or in the same direction at different speeds. The rings have winning apertures and losing apertures through which a rolling ball may drop through the ring. The rings, other than the final ring along the path of travel of the ball, also have pass zones at which a ball may roll on to the next ring without dropping into an aperture. Progressively higher score values may be assigned to the winning apertures of the successive rings along the path of ball travel. In the preferred form, the apparatus includes a ball launcher and detectors for counting balls which drop through winning apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Quick Silver Development Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Alex Malavazos, Gregory Malavazos, Constantine Malavazos
  • Patent number: 5029863
    Abstract: Apparatus including a multi-sectioned trough like organization directing impacted croquet balls from a starting position defined by a series of aligned recesses. Guide plates direct a struck croquet ball through a medial section of the apparatus and directs such croquet ball into one of a matrix of apertures overlying a return chute. Replaceable impediments are provided in the organization to include resilient bumpers defined as semi-cylindrical arcuate members mounted upon the surface of the organization to be selectively replaced by deflector rods and or deflector plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Inventors: Tadeusz Krawczyk, Betty M. Krawczyk
  • Patent number: 4190250
    Abstract: A game apparatus for the enjoyment of both young and old alike. The game is played on a sloping table wherein a ball is bounced off a launch board at one end of the table on to a portion of carpet for reducing the velocity of the ball. If the ball is accurately thrown, the ball bounces off the carpet and contacts a plurality of rectangular shaped tilted bumpers which carom the rolling ball down a row of staggered bumpers forming a scoring lane on one side of the table and against a score hole bumper and into a score hole. If the ball is inaccurately thrown, the ball rolls down the table and into a return hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1980
    Inventor: Norman J. Grifhorst
  • Patent number: 4190251
    Abstract: A bump board game for finger propelled marbles including a walled enclosure having a flat sloping playing surface with spaced marble scoring holes therein and bump guide deflecting members arranged thereon. A dump board underlies the playing surface to retain marbles in the scoring holes and is hinged rearwardly with the front end being free and supported by a resilient pad so as to be depressible therewith to swing the board downwardly for releasing marbles from the scoring holes for return to the front of the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1980
    Inventor: Raymond M. Hall
  • Patent number: 4148486
    Abstract: A pinball toy including an inclined playing surface having a plurality of holes through which a ball rolling on the playing surface can fall. Beneath each hole is a ball-ejecting member spring biased upwardly but held down by a latch. As a ball falls through a hole, the ball operates a latch release allowing the spring to pop the ball-ejector upwardly through the hole so as to push the ball upwardly through the hole and back on to the playing surface. Each latch release operates independently only in response to a ball falling through its respective hole, and a manually operated member is provided to simultaneously depress all the ball-ejectors to their latched down positions. A striker carried by each latch hits a bell each time the latch is released. Flippers in the lower region of the playing surface are pivotally movable in a plane parallel to the playing surface in response to moving a flipper actuator toward the playing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1979
    Inventor: Sidney Tepper
  • Patent number: 3961793
    Abstract: An educational and recreational game having a case-like rectangular basic structure including an outer support structure and an interior frame with interchangeable principal transparent playing elements and insertable underlying complementary transparent elements which upon insertion change the style of recreational play and introduce various mathematical relationships represented by lines on the elements into the game. The complementary elements or inserts singularly and collectively form a series of mathematical figures which are used in basic and advanced mathematics and are used in the game for instructional purposes. There are several circular openings in the principal playing surfaces with associated arch-shaped, cylindrical targets and stops located atop the principal playing surfaces. Structure is provided for retrieving the balls which roll upon the principal playing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1974
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1976
    Inventor: Willie M. Zanders
  • Patent number: 3941381
    Abstract: An amusement game apparatus has a guide surface, a playing surface and a deflecting surface, and a freely movable player piece moved or propelled along the guide surface is directed by the deflecting surface onto the playing surface. The deflecting surface is curved and the shape varies in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the player piece thereby varying the location where the player piece lands on the playing surface. The game includes a plurality of indicia-bearing elements such as cards for selective placement on the playing surface at different times whereby several different types of games, for example hockey, basketball, baseball and football, can be played at different times on the same apparatus. A manually-operable player element is movably connected to the playing surface for blocking or directing movement of the player piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1974
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1976
    Inventor: Nicholas D. Trbovich