Recreational apparatus

Claim 2

A recreational apparatus comprising an inclined rotatable shaft having a longitudinal axis, retaining means attached to and extending from said shaft, an object to be struck connected to said retaining means, means mounting said shaft for rotation about its said axis so that said object will return to a position of rest by gravity under the influence of its own weight, means for limiting the rotation of the shaft to an arc of less than approximately 180* whereby said object, when struck, will be impelled along an upwardly inclined arc to a position spaced from said position of rest and, thereafter, said object will return toward said position of rest along a downwardly inclined arc, and cushioning means for cushioning return movement of said shaft as said shaft returns toward said position of rest.

Claim 3

A recreational apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the limiting and cushioning means include relatively movable piston and cylinder elements, one of the elements being anchored to a relatively fixed structure and the other connected eccentrically to the shaft on the side opposite the direction in which the object is to be struck, whereby the rotation of the shaft produces relative movement between the piston and cylinder in one direction during the initial part of the flight of the object and then in the opposite direction as the object approaches the limit of its flight.

Claim 4

A recreational apparatus as set forth in claim 2 including an adjustable bleeder valve in the cylinder for adjusting the cushioning effects thereof.

Claim 5

A recreational apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said retaining means comprises an arm extending outwardly from said axis of rotation of the shaft; said arm having an outer end; said object being mounted on said outer end of said arm; and further comprising means for repositioning the arm relative to the shaft so that the weight of the object will carry said object in a direction opposite to said one direction to a position of rest and move the eccentric connection to the opposite side of the position of rest of the object so that the object can be struck in the opposite direction.

Claim 6

A recreational apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which the outer end of the arm extends at an angle relative to the remainder of the arm to support the object at a position which facilitates striking the object.

Claim 7

A recreational apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which the arm is made of a resilient material to absorb part of the impact.

Claim 8

A recreational apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for limiting the rotation of the shaft includes resilient means acting on the shaft for cushioning the rotation of the shaft as said shaft reaches the limit of its rotation and for initially accelerating the return rotation of said shaft.

Claim 9

A recreational apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising means for adjusting the height of said object.

Claim 10

A recreational device comprising: a rotatable support member; retaining means connected to said support member and adapted to retain an object to be struck; said rotatable support member mounting said retaining means for movement in a first direction through an arc which lies in an upwardly inclined plane; and means for limiting rotational movement of said support member in said first direction to an arc of less than approximately 180*; whereby said object-retaining means will return in a direction opposite to said first direction to an initial starting area after such object has been struck and impelled along said arc to a position spaced from said initial starting area; said means for limiting rotational movement of said support member including resilient means operatively associated with said support member and operative in response to rotational movement of said support member in said first direction through a significant, predetermined arc to resist further rotational movement of said suppOrt member in said first direction, and means rendering said resilient means ineffective to resist rotational movement of said support member until said support member has moved through said significant, predetermined arc.

Claim 11

A recreational device comprising: a rotatable support member; retaining means connected to said support member and adapted to retain an object to be struck; said rotatable support member mounting said retaining means for movement in a first direction through an arc which lies in an upwardly inclined plane; and means for limiting rotational movement of said support member in said first direction to an arc of less than approximately 180*; whereby said object-retaining means will return in a direction opposite to said first direction to an initial starting area after such object has been struck and impelled along said arc to a position spaced from said initial starting area; said means for limiting rotational movement of said support member including resilient means operatively associated with said support member and operative in response to rotational movement of said support member in said first direction through a significant, predetermined arc to resist further rotational movement of said suppOrt member in said first direction, and means rendering said resilient means ineffective to resist rotational movement of said support member until said support member has moved through said significant, predetermined arc.

Claim 12

A recreational device comprising: an inclined support member having a longitudinal axis; means for mounting said inclined support member for rotational movement about its said longitudinal axis; object-retaining means connected to said support member; an object to be struck attached to said retaining means in spaced relation to said longitudinal axis of said support member; said object having an initial position of rest; and means for limiting rotational movement of said inclined support member to an arc of less than about 180*; whereby said object, when struck and impelled in a first direction to a position spaced from its said initial position, will return to its said initial position of rest, through a direction opposite to said first direction, under the influence of gravity.

Claim 13

A recreational device comprising: an inclined support member having a longitudinal axis; means for mounting said inclined support member for rotational movement about its said longitudinal axis; object-retaining means connected to said support member; an object to be struck attached to said retaining means in spaced relation to said longitudinal axis of said support member; said object having an initial position of rest; and means for limiting rotational movement of said inclined support member to an arc of less than about 180*; whereby said object, when struck and impelled in a first direction to a position spaced from its said initial position, will return to its said initial position of rest, through a direction opposite to said first direction, under the influence of gravity.

Claim 14

A recreational device comprising: a base member having a fixed structure thereon; an inclined support shaft having a longitudinal axis, an upper end and a lower end; said lower end of said support shaft being mounted in said fixed structure of said base member for rotational movement about its said longitudinal axis; means located between said upper and lower ends of said support shaft for confining movement of said shaft to rotational movement about said longitudinal axis of said shaft; object retaining means connected to said support shaft; an object to be struck attached to said retaining means in spaced relation to said longitudinal axis of said support member, said object having an initial position of rest; and means for limiting rotational movement of said support shaft to an arc of less than about 180*; whereby said object, when struck and impelled in a first direction to a position spaced from its said initial position, will return to its said initial position of rest, through a direction opposite to said first direction, under the influence of gravity.

Claim 15

A recreational device comprising: a base member having a fixed structure thereon; an inclined support shaft having a longitudinal axis, an upper end and a lower end; said lower end of said support shaft being mounted in said fixed structure of said base member for rotational movement about its said longitudinal axis; means located between said upper and lower ends of said support shaft for confining movement of said shaft to rotational movement about said longitudinal axis of said shaft; object retaining means connected to said support shaft; an object to be struck attached to said retaining means in spaced relation to said longitudinal axis of said support member, said object having an initial position of rest; and means for limiting rotational movement of said support shaft to an arc of less than about 180*; whereby said object, when struck and impelled in a first direction to a position spaced from its said initial position, will return to its said initial position of rest, through a direction opposite to said first direction, under the influence of gravity.

Claim 16

In a recreational device having a base member, an elongated support shaft mounted in said base for rotational movement about its longitudinal axis; and means adapted to support an object-to-be-struck at positions spaced from said longitudinal axis of said support shaft, the improvement comprising: a piston-and-cylinder unit connected between said support shaft and a fixed structure on said base member; said piston-and-cylinder unit comprising a cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder and a spring disposed between said piston and one end of said cylinder.

Claim 17

In a recreational device having a base member, an elongated support shaft mounted in said base for rotational movement about its longitudinal axis; and means adapted to support an object-to-be-struck at positions spaced from said longitudinal axis of said support shaft, the improvement comprising: a piston-and-cylinder unit connected between said support shaft and a fixed structure on said base member; said piston-and-cylinder unit comprising a cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder and a spring disposed between said piston and one end of said cylinder.

Claim 18

A recreational device comprising: a base member; a generally upstanding support member having a longitudinal axis; means mounting said support member in said base member for rotation about its said longitudinal axis; object-retaining means connected to said support shaft and spaced radially from said longitudinal axis thereof for retaining an object-to-be-struck; spring means operatively associated with said support member and operative in response to rotational movement of said support shaft in one direction through a predetermined arc for resiliently resisting further rotational movement of said support member in said one direction and for urging said support member to rotate in the opposite direction; and cushioning means comprising a cylinder having a fluid chamber and a piston slidably disposed in said chamber, one of said piston or said cylinder being connected to said support member and the other of said piston or said cylinder being connected to said base member.

Claim 19

A recreational device comprising: a base member; a generally upstanding support member having a longitudinal axis; means mounting said support member in said base member for rotation about its said longitudinal axis; object-retaining means connected to said support shaft and spaced radially from said longitudinal axis thereof for retaining an object-to-be-struck; spring means operatively associated with said support member and operative in response to rotational movement of said support shaft in one direction through a predetermined arc for resiliently resisting further rotational movement of said support member in said one direction and for urging said support member to rotate in the opposite direction; and cushioning means comprising a cylinder having a fluid chamber and a piston slidably disposed in said chamber, one of said piston or said cylinder being connected to said support member and the other of said piston or said cylinder being connected to said base member.

Claim 20

A recreational device according to claim 13 wherein said spring means comprises a spring disposed in said cylinder adjacent one face of said piston.

Claim 21

A recreational device comprising: an inclined support member having an inclined longitudinal axis; said inclined support member having an upper end; a generally radially extending aRm having an inner end pivotably connected to said upper end of said support member for permitting pivotal movement of said arm in a substantially vertical plane; said arm having an outer end spaced radially from its said inner end; an object mounted on said outer end of said arm; said arm being bent at a point intermediate said inner and outer ends thereof to maintain said object at a position which facilitates striking of said object without striking said arm.

Claim 22

A recreational device comprising: an inclined support member having an inclined longitudinal axis; said inclined support member having an upper end; a generally radially extending aRm having an inner end pivotably connected to said upper end of said support member for permitting pivotal movement of said arm in a substantially vertical plane; said arm having an outer end spaced radially from its said inner end; an object mounted on said outer end of said arm; said arm being bent at a point intermediate said inner and outer ends thereof to maintain said object at a position which facilitates striking of said object without striking said arm.

Claim 23

A recreational device of the type which supports an object in a position in which it may be struck by a player, comprising: a base member; an upstanding support shaft having an upper end, a lower end, and an inclined longitudinal axis; means rotatably mounting said lower end of said support shaft in said base, whereby said support shaft may rotate about its said inclined, longitudinal axis; a generally radially extending arm having in inner end connected to said upper end of said support shaft, and an outer end spaced radially outwardly from its said inner end; an object-to-be-struck mounted on said outer end of said arm; and a psiton-and-cylinder unit connected between said base member and said rotatable support shaft for limiting and cushioning rotational movement of said rotatable shaft when said object has been struck to cause rotation of said shaft; said piston-and-cylinder unit including a spring member disposed between said piston and one end of said cylinder for resiliently cushioning rotational movement of said support shaft when said piston approaches said one end of said cylinder and for initiating rotational movement of said support shaft in the opposite direction.

Claim 24

A recreational device of the type which supports an object in a position in which it may be struck by a player, comprising: a base member; an upstanding support shaft having an upper end, a lower end, and an inclined longitudinal axis; means rotatably mounting said lower end of said support shaft in said base, whereby said support shaft may rotate about its said inclined, longitudinal axis; a generally radially extending arm having in inner end connected to said upper end of said support shaft, and an outer end spaced radially outwardly from its said inner end; an object-to-be-struck mounted on said outer end of said arm; and a psiton-and-cylinder unit connected between said base member and said rotatable support shaft for limiting and cushioning rotational movement of said rotatable shaft when said object has been struck to cause rotation of said shaft; said piston-and-cylinder unit including a spring member disposed between said piston and one end of said cylinder for resiliently cushioning rotational movement of said support shaft when said piston approaches said one end of said cylinder and for initiating rotational movement of said support shaft in the opposite direction.