Feb. 7, 1939.
JELEIZFIGJ. WM
W. F. LIPCHOW BASEBALL GAME Filed Jan.
9, '19s? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TRIKE INVENTOR W. F. YLIPCHOW ATTORNEYS Feb. 7', 1939. w F UPCH W 2,146,636
BASEBALL GAME Filed Jan. 9, '1937 2 SheetsSheet 2 FIG. 4.
INVENTOR W. F. L PCHOW ATTORNEYS Petented Feb. 7, .1939
UNITED STATES AT NT OFFICE 2 ,146,36 aasansurcsmn Walter F. Lipchow, Milwaukee, Wis. Application January 9,- 1937, Serial No. 119,809 1 Claim. (01. 213-105) This invention appertains to games and game apparatus, and more particularly to a novel game embodying the elementsfof baseball, and one in which the skill or marksmanship of a player forinsan important part. v
One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a game-board having the simulation of a baseball field thereon toward which counters are adapted to be tossed by the players, the game-board having a series of pockets or openings therein for the counters, the counters, when entering the pockets or openings or when hanging on the walls thereof, constituting certain plays ot-baseball, whereby a realistic parlor game of baseball will be had in which the physical skill of the players forms an important feature. Another salient object of the invention is to provide a baseball game embodying a game-board having a series of counting openings therein, and
2 a series of pockets below the openings for the reception of the counters, when the counters are not played in the openings the pockets also counting certain plays of baseball, such as fouls, a 1n strikes. K
A further object of the invention is theprovision of a chute for receiving the counters played in the openings, and manual means. for permitting the counters played in the pockets to fall in the chute, whereby all of the counters can be .10 conveniently recovered after a player has had his A still further object oftheinvention is to provide a baseball game of the above character, 'of simple and-durable construction, which can be manufactured and placed upon the market at a reasonablecost; I
With. these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will be .40 hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, a
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhichdra'w ings:
Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of the improved game-board.
Figure 2 is a fragmentary, detail sectional view illustrating the manually operated gate for perrhit'ting the-counters played in the pockets at' the bottom of the board toiall in the receiving chute.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the novel game-board, taken substantially on the line 3-4 of Figure l,looking in the direction of the arrows. a
e 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of a game-board showing the lower end thereofand the lower or front edge of theplaying board 5 and illustrating the means for manually operating the gate. a V
Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts through the several views, the a letter B generally indicates the novel game-board, which forms an important feature of the present invention.
This game-board B comprises atop playing board 5 on which is adapted to be painted or 10- otherwise ailixed the simulation of a baseball field. Hence, the outer surface of the playing 7 board. has formed thereon .a diamond 6, the four corners of which represent bases, and the board in the four comers has openings 1 formed there- 15 1 in. The lines forming the lower sides of the diamond are continued to simulate foul lines I. The infield defined by the diamond has formed therein a plurality ofopenings 9, which can'ibe of difi'erent sizes, and the outfield defined byi'the m diamond has also formed therein a pluralityof openings III, which are also of diiferent sizes. The part of the board inward or below the'diamend andfoul lines 8 has also formed therein a plurality of openings H, which can be of different' sizes. a I n Suitable top and side walls I! and 14 are provided for the playing board, and the top wall can carry a backstop or sign plate l5, which can carry the rules of the game or the plays which the various openings represent.
Connected to the sidewalls I 4 in spaced relation to theplaying board 5 is a front wall ll,
apart of which, at least,is formgd of glass or other transparent material. The pace between the front wall It is normally closed by a hinged flap or gate l1.
A series of'equidistantly, spaced partitions vll are disposed in rear of the wall It, so as to form in conjunction with the wall It, the gate l1- and a part of theplaying board 5, a series ofpockets 19.
In rear of theplaying board 5 is a guide board 4 2., which forms a chute for guiding counters II 3 played through the openings in the board toward the front lower end of the board, andthe front edge 'of theguide wall 20 can be angled forwardly and downwardly below the gate ll.
Counters played in the pockets I! can be automatically dropped into the chute or.onto the guide wall after a player has finished his turn by manualh operating the gate. Any desired means can be provided for operating or tripping the gate, and, as illustrated, a bell-crank lever 22 is provided, and the same is pivoted at its angle to the game-board, as at 23. The lower short arm of the lever has its forward end pro- .vided with apin 24, which extends through anarcuate slot 25 formed in the game-board. This pin is connected to the gate adjacent to the forward end thereof, and a contractile coil spring 28 is employed for normally holding the short arm of the lever, and consequently the gate in a raised position. The terminals of thecontractile coil spring 26 are connected respectively to the pin and to the game-board.
The outer end of the long arm of the lever has secured thereto a pull cord 2?, and obviously by pulling upon this cord the bell-crank will be actuated for lowering the gate l1 against the tension ofthespring 26.
The playing board can have marked thereon above each opening suitable indicia, so as to indicate to a player what a .counter constitutes when the same is thrown through an opening or hangs on the wall of the opening. Likewise, the board can have marked above the pockets iii the plays which the pockets represent, or the plays a counter represents when the same hangs onthe walls of the pockets.
In Figure 1 initials have been placed above the openings and pockets to indicate the various plays, and by referring to the schedule below, the meaning of the initials can be easily determined:
Ball goes through Ball hangs High fly'out Single on error.
Triple Out at third. Other runners score. Triple steal (bases must Runner trying score is out be loaded). at home.
H. R'. =Home run FoulStrike.
H. R Home run Out at home.
8. 2 Steals second base (only if Cut at second base.
man is on first base).
D. B Steals home and second Out at homesaie at (man on first and man second. on third only). v
S. F Sacrifice fly-batter out- Out-no advancement ior runner advance one runner on base.
. base.
D Double Out.
'1. P Triple play Twotmen nearest home are on r L. D. Line drive--out Out.
L. S Long singleru'nners ad- Runners on bases advance vance two bases. only one base,
8. H Steals home Caught at home-out.
L. D'..- Long double-all runners Runners on base advance on base score. only two bases.
D. P Double play-two outs One guttonly. Batter safe on IS D' Double Fielders choice-one out.
Single-runner on second Runner on second does not sleeping." advance but is safe.
8. 3 Steals third (only 1! ma Out at third.
on second).
S. S Short single Out.
F. F Foul fly Out.
D. B .Double steal (man on Runner out at home.
third to home and man on second to third).
P. 0 Popout Out.
8. 1-----. Squeeze play (only a Runner out at home.
man on third). Batter sale on first. Out at second trying to 4 stretch." D. S"-..- Double steal (runners to Runner out at third.
' second and third safe).
W. P Wild pitch-All runners Baika1l runners adadvance one base-if no Vance one base-if no runners on base-out. runners on basebatter goes to first on error.
P. urpcse y pass runner a on onthird only).
P, I" 'Purposaly passed (runners Batter out.
on first and second).
Ball goes through Ball hangs B. B Sacrifice hunt (at least one No advance it man is on base must be loaded). first-force-out. B Built-battersafe on first No advance-1i no runner on base, hatter out. W. T- Wild throw. All runners Batter out.
advance one bwe. P. P"- Purposely pmsed-run- Batter out. ners on second and third.
P. P- Purposely passedrun- Batter out.
here on first and third. B Bunt (ii runner on third-- Runner back sale on elm-batter safe. thirdbatter out. B. H Batter hit (runner on third Popout.
caught trying for home).
The counters 2| are in the nature of small bags filled with granular or powdered material, such as blasting sand, and obviously ii the counters are not properly played th'e same will hang on the walls of the openings and pockets.
All of the openings are so arranged that groups of openings constituting strikes, flies, etc., will be around an opening counting base hits and the like. Thus, a player whose aim is not perfect and who tosses for a particular pocket which constitutes a run or a hit is liable to have his counter enter an opening which constitutes a fly, a'strike, or a putout. Thus, this adds considerable interest to the game.
s In playing the game, it is desirable that sides be chosen, and any number of persons can play on the sides. In order to more closely simulate a regular baseball game, it is proposed that there be nine players on each side. The players take their turns in regular order, and the counters are tossed underhand toward the playing board. The players can stand any desired distance from the board, say, about twenty-five feet.
As all of the plays in the game of baseball are represented on the playing board, the game can be played in exactly the same manner as a regular game ofbaseball.
It is preferred to have a person not taking part in the actual playing of the game to act as the umpire, and this person can keep account of the .plays and the score and can also actuate the ate i'l.
Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:
A game apparatus comprising, a playing board arranged at an angle to the vertical, having the simulation of a baseball field thereon and a series of openings therein, a backboard extending .entirely under the playing board and arranged in spaced parallel relation to the playing board defining a runway in conjunction therewith, counters adapted to be tossed toward the board and played into the openings, the' backboard guiding the counters played through said. openings toward the lower front end of the playing board for re-' the openings, the bottoms of the pockets being open and disposed above the backboard, a pivoted gate normally closing the bottom of all of said pockets, and manual means for operating the gate at a point remote from the p y ng board for permitting the discharge of centers from said pockets into the runway and on the backboard, WALTER F. LIPCHOW.