US3207515A - Simulated fish catching game - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 21, 1965 E. J. MIREIDER SIMULATED FISH CATGHING GAME 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 8, 1965 EDWARD d. MIREIDER 14.772260? Sept. 21, 1965 E. J. MIREIDER 3,207,515

SIMULATED FISH GATCHING GAME Filed March s, 1965 2 sheets-sheet 2 j e 87 N.

IN VENTOR.

EDWARD d. Ml REIDER BY United States Patent O 3,207,515 SIMULATED FISH CATCHING GAME Edward J. Mireider, 268 Genesee Ave., Staten Island, N.Y. Filed Mar. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 263,880 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-101) This invention relates to the art of amusement devices and particularly concerns an amusing and entertaining game of skill.

According to the invention there is provided on a game board, a hollow fish-like figure. A spring tensioned plunger is located at one end of the game board. A player operating the plunger can drive a playing ball through the fish-like figure into a net. The net is pivotally mounted on a stand Which carries a spring biased lever. A playing piece in the form of a fish is supported on the lever. The lever is released when the ball lands in the net and the playing piece is thrown into a second net held by the pivotable arm of a figure simulating a fisherman. The arm of the fisherman operates a switch when the playing piece lands in the second net to close an electric circuit including a pair of lamps. The lamps are mounted as eyes on the hollow fish-like figure and light up 'to indicate that the fish-like playing piece has been caught by the fisherman. If the ball misses the first net, the ball lands in a trough and is guided back to the plunger.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a game of skill in which a player tries to catch a fishf A further object is to provide a game of skill in which a player drives a ball into a first net by releasing a spring actuated plunger, and the net serves to release a spring biased lever which throws a playing piece into a second net.

Another object is to provide a game of skill as described wherein lamps light to indicate the catch of the playing piece in the second net.

Other objects are to provide a game of skill as described wherein a hollow fish-like figure is employed as a ball guide; wherein a trough is used to catch and return a ball missing the first net; wherein the indicating lamps are arranged as eyes of the fish-like figure; and wherein the first net has a supporting arm including catch means to prevent actuation of the lever until the ball lands in the first net.

Still other objects are to provide an inexpensive game assembly which will amuse player and spectators; which requires some skill to obtain a successful catch of a fish, which retains the interest of players over sustained periods; and which is relatively simple in construction.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a top plan veiw of the game with parts shown in position ready for play.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the game showing the parts as positioned at the end of a cycle of play.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of the electrical circuit employed in the game.

Referring to FIGS. l-3, there is shown a fish game or game assemlby including a flat game board or runway 12. At one end of the board is an elongated tubular casing 14 open at its inner end and having a wall closure 16 at its outer end. A plunger 18 is movably disposed in the casing. Attached to the plunger is a shaft 19 on which is a coil spring 20. The shaft 19 extends outwardly of hole 22 in wall 16 and terminates in a knob 24. A

playing ball 25 is freely disposed in the casing and can be struck by the plunger 18 to drive the ball outwardly of the casing along the board 12.

At the other end of the board is a hollow fish-like figure 26. This figure has a wide forward head 27 with a wide mouth opening 28. The figure 26 has a curved, tapered, hollow fishtail 30 including two opposing tapered walls 32, 34 and vertical side walls 31. The walls taper from a larger opening 33 communicating with the hollow head 27 of the figure. The shtail has a narrow opening 35 at its ends located above the head 27 of the figure 26.

Mounted on top of the head is a figure 36 simulating a fisherman. The fisherman figure 36 is hollow. Inside the fisherman figure is a stationary switch contact 38 and a movable switch contact 40. Contact 40 is carried by a shaft 42. The shaft extends through opposite shoulders 43 of the fisherman. An arm 44 is secured to the shaft at the right side of the fisherman. Arm 44 is integral wtih handle 45 of a net frame 46. The frame supports a net 48. A coil spring 49 is secured between the outer end of arm 44 and the right shoulder of the fisherman and normally holds the arm 44 and net 48 elevated as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Located between opposite ends of the board 12 is an upright post or stand 50. Near its lower end the post has an opening 51 in which is fitted a tapered trough 53. Another opening 52 is located below opening 51. The trough is inclined downward toward the casing 14. The rear upper end of the trough is located below a net 54 having a handle 56 pivotally carried by a shaft 58. Shaft 58 is mounted in opening 60 near the upper end of the post or stand. Opening 60 has slanted top and bottom edges 61, 63. The handle has a stub end 64 carrying a finger 66 which extends forwardly of the post 50.

Finger 66 engages in a recess 67 of a leaf spring 68. The spring '68 is held by pin 70 on the post. The free end 69 of the spring 68 is bent forwardly and engages a catch finger 72 carried by a lever 74. The lever is connected to end 75 of a coil spring 76 by staples 78. The other end 79 of the coil spring is secured by staples 80 to post 50. The end 79 of the coil spring extends beyond staples 80 and is inserted in the central passage 82 in the spring. The spring end 79 serves as a support for the lever 74 in addition to end 69 of the spring.

A playing piece 84 in the form of a simulated fish is freely supported on the free forward end of horizontal lever 74 when the game is in playing position as shown in FIGS. l and 2.

Inside the fish figure 26 at mouth opening 28 is a spring bracket 85 removably supporting a battery 86. The battery has its negative terminal contacting bracket 85 which is connected by wire 87 to two lamps 88 as indicated in FIG. 4. The positive terminal of the battery contacts spring clip 93 connected by wire 89 to movable switch contact 40 normally open from fixed switch contact 38. Switch contact 38 is connected by wire 41 to the lamps 88. Lamps 88 are carried by sockets 90 on inner sides of the figure 26 and are exposed in openings 92 to simulate eyes of the fish-like figure 26.

To play the game, the playing piece or fish 84 is placed on lever 74 which is elevated horizontally and its catch finger 72 is engaged by the end of catch spring 68. The net 54 is rotated to a horizontal position so that finger 66 engages in spring recess 67. Ball 25 is located at plunger 18 as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The net 48 is elevated to horizontal position since spring 49 is contracted. Switch contacts 38 and 40 are open and the lamps 88 are extinguished.

When the player pulls knob 24 outwardly or forwardly, spring 20 is contracted. The player then releases the knob and the plunger strikes ball 25 as the spring 20 expands.

` tapered walls of the fishtail 30.

The ball follows the dotted line path P indicated in FIG. 2. It passes through opening 52 in post 50 and through mouth opening 28. The ball is then guided by the curved, The ball is diverted by curved wall 34 and passes out of opening 35. The ball lands in net S4 if the ball 25 was initially struck with sufiicient force. If the ball overshoots the net, it strikes post 50 and falls into trough 53. If the ball has not been struck with enough force to reach the net 54 it will fall directly into the trough 53. Y The ball which lands in trough 53 rolls down the trough and falls on the board 12 near plunger 18.

V If the ball lands in net 54 the net is rotated downwardly until handle 56 engages top and bottom ends 61, 63 lof post opening 60. Then finger 66 is disengaged from spring recess 67 and the spring retracts toward the post.' This disengages spring end 69 from catch finger 72 and the lever 74 is rotated by the coil spring 76. The lever 74 strikes the top of the post as the'fish 84 is thrown rearwardly in path P into net 48. The net then descends due to the weight of fish 84 as shown in FIG. 2, and contacts 38, 40 close to energize and light the lamps 88. This indicates that a fish has been caught by the fisherman 36. If the ball 25 missed net 54, the fish 84 will not be thrown and the fish net 48 will remain elevated while lamps 88 will remain unlit.

The game thus involves considerable skill to obtain the desired result of catching a fish. With practice, the player can improve his dexterity to catch a fish quite often. This will provide entertainment and amusement to players and spectators alike.

The game can be assembled from inexpensive metal and plastic parts. The board 12 can be made of metal, wood or plastic or even heavy cardboard. The game has a simple, rugged construction and will withstand repeated use over a long period of time. The battery 86 can easily be replaced when exhausted.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the s-cope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.`

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent A simulated fish catching game, comprising a game board, a spring actuated plunger at one end of said board for driving a ball, a hollow fish-like figure at the other end of said boar-d, ysaid fish-like figure having a large hollow head with a mouth open to said plunger, said figure having a tapered hollow tail' open to said head at its wider end, said tail curving upwardly and forwardly over said head and opening in a narrow end toward said one end of the board, said figure providing a guide for said ball to direct the same toward saidkone end of the board, a post on said board located between opposite ends thereof, a first net pivotally supported by said post to catch the ball passed out of the narrow end of said tail, a spring biased rotatable lever carried by said post, catch means on said prost detachably engaging both said lever and said net, said lever providing a support for a fish-likel playing piece when the lever is engaged by said catch means, a second net disposed to catch the fish-like playing piece when thrown Iby the'lever upon lrelease from said catch means, a simulated fisherman on said head of said fishlike figure, said simulated fisherman having a hollow body providing a pivotal mounting for said second net, nor mally open electrical switch means in said body, lamps and a power supply carried by said fish-like figure in circuit with said` switch means, whereby said lamps light when the fish-like playing piece lands in the second net to pivot the same and close said switch means, said catch means including a leaf spring, said leaf spring having a bent end and a recess adjacent to said bent end, said first net having a handle with a first finger engageable in said recess of the leaf spring, said lever having another finger engageable with said bent end of the leaf spring, whereby disengagement of the first finger from the leaf spring permits the leaf spring to disengage said other finger to release said lever, and a trough carried by said post `to catch the ball and return the same. to said plunger when the ball misses the first net, said power supply comprising a battery, said circuit including a spring bracket in said head supporting the battery, said bracket making contact with one terminal of the battery, said circuit further including a spring clip contacting another terminal of the battery and wires connecting the spring bracket and spring clip with said lamps and said switch means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 948,565 2/10 Munshaw 273-101 1,628,364 5/27 Hiea. 1,681,682 s/zs Mcvey 273-101 v3,072,409 1/63 Petraske 273-138 3,092,387 6/63 wagner 273-101X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,124,700 7/56 France.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner.

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