Launcher and targets having overload mechanism

Claim 2

A game apparatus comprising: a plurality of projectiles; J means defining a scoring area including a plurality of goals, each goal having means capable of receiving a given number of projectiles and each goal having overload means for automatically releasing a previous one of said given number of received projectiles from said goal whenever the number of projectiles received therein is greater than said given number; a launching station spaced from said scoring area for supporting a projectile thereat; and a launcher for launching projectiles from the launching station toward the goals at said scoring area.

Claim 3

The game apparatus of claim 1 wherein each projectile has different indicia associated therewith whereby the object is to launch a given combination of projectiles having given indicia into the goals.

Claim 4

The game apparatus of claim 1 including a prize receptacle adjacent said scoring area for receiving those projectiles released by said overload means.

Claim 5

A game apparatus comprising: a substantially vertical housing; a plurality of projectiles which can be selectively introduced into the housing; means formed in said housing defining a scoring area including a plurality of compartments capable of receiving a given number of projectiles therein, each compartment having overload means for automatically releasing the first received of projectiles in a compartment from said compartment whenever the number of projectiles received therein is greater than said given number; a launching station formed in said housing spaced from said scoring area for supporting a projectile thereat; and a launcher for launching a projectile from the launching station toward the goals at said scoring area whereby the given number of projectiles may be received in said compartments.

Claim 6

A game apparatus comprising: a substantially vertical housing; a plurality of projectiles which can be selectively introduced into the housing; means formed in said housing defining a scoring area including a plurality of compartments capable of receiving a given number of projectiles therein, each compartment having overload means for automatically releasing the first received of projectiles in a compartment from said compartment whenever the number of projectiles received therein is greater than said given number; a launching station formed in said housing spaced from said scoring area for supporting a projectile thereat; and a launcher for launching a projectile from the launching station toward the goals at said scoring area whereby the given number of projectiles may be received in said compartments.

Claim 7

The game apparatus of claim 4 wherein said housing has two vertical walls and a horizontal ground engaging base joining said walls at the bottom thereof, one of the walls being transparent for observation into the housing and having an opening for the introduction of a disc therein adjacent the launching station.

Claim 8

The game apparatus of claim 5 including a support sheet mounted within the housing wherein said compartments are formed between said support sheet and transparent wall, the compartments being open at the top and bottom thereof, and said overload means including means to hold one projectile in said compartment at one time.

Claim 9

The game apparatus of claim 6 including guide means formed on the support sheet between the launching station and scoring area for guiding a launched projectile to the scoring area.

Claim 10

The game apparatus of claim 6 wherein each overload means includes two members, one member rockably mounted on one side of a compartment and the other rockably mounted on the other side of the compartment, said members assuming a normal holding position wherein a projectile will be held within a compartment so that it will not drop downwardly out of said compartment, said members assuming a releasing position whenever a second projectile is introduced into the compartment thereby causing said members to rock allowing the bottom projectile to fall downward while capturing and holding the second projectile where the previous projectile had been held.

Claim 11

The game apparatus of claim 4 wherein said projectiles are discs having different indicia printed thereon.

Claim 12

The game apparatus of claim 4 wherein said launcher is capable of propelling a projectile one at a time toward said scoring area and including spring means operatively connected to said launching station and crank means operatively connected to said spring means for biasing said spring means.

Claim 13

The game apparatus of claim 4 including a prize receptacle formed in said housing below the scoring area for receiving projectiles released by said overload means, and means formed in the transparent wall of the housing for opening the receptacle allowing removal of said projectiles received therein.

Claim 14

A game apparatus comprising: a plurality of discs having different indicia printed thereon; a substantially vertical housing having two vertical walls and a horizontal ground engaging base joining said walls at the bottom thereof, one of said walls being transparent for observation into said housing and having an opening for introduction of a disc therein; a support sheet mounted within said housing; means formed between said support sheet and said transparent wall defining a scoring area including a plurality of vertical slotted compartments open at the top and bottom, each compartment being capable of receiving a plurality of discs therein and having overload means for holding one disc in the compartment and for automatically releasing said disc downwardly whenever a second disc is received in said compartment; a launching station spaced from said scoring area formed in said housing for supporting a disc thereat adjacent said housing opening; and a launcher adjacent said launching station for propelling one disc at a time toward said scoring area, said launcher incluDing spring means operatively connected to said launching station and crank means operatively connected to said spring means for biasing said spring means whereby a disc is launched into one of said compartments.

Claim 15

A game apparatus comprising: a plurality of discs having different indicia printed thereon; a substantially vertical housing having two vertical walls and a horizontal ground engaging base joining said walls at the bottom thereof, one of said walls being transparent for observation into said housing and having an opening for introduction of a disc therein; a support sheet mounted within said housing; means formed between said support sheet and said transparent wall defining a scoring area including a plurality of vertical slotted compartments open at the top and bottom, each compartment being capable of receiving a plurality of discs therein and having overload means for holding one disc in the compartment and for automatically releasing said disc downwardly whenever a second disc is received in said compartment; a launching station spaced from said scoring area formed in said housing for supporting a disc thereat adjacent said housing opening; and a launcher adjacent said launching station for propelling one disc at a time toward said scoring area, said launcher incluDing spring means operatively connected to said launching station and crank means operatively connected to said spring means for biasing said spring means whereby a disc is launched into one of said compartments.

Claim 16

The game apparatus of claim 12 wherein said launcher includes a sliding elongated vertical member captured in a slot formed in the transparent side of the housing immediately below said launching station, said sliding member being supported by gravity over said spring means.

Claim 17

The game apparatus of claim 13 wherein said crank means is an L-shaped member having a handle grasping leg outside the housing and a horizontally disposed leg rotatably mounted about its longitudinal axis inside the housing, said inside leg having cam means formed thereon for contact with said slidable member, said inside leg being rotatable from an initia first position wherein said cam means rests against said sliding member so that the spring means is not biased, to an intermediate second position wherein said cam means presses against said sliding member biasing said spring means, to a third position wherein the cam means slips out of contact with said sliding member releasing the biased spring means causing the launching of the disc from the launching station.

Claim 18

The game apparatus of claim 14 wherein said launcher includes reload means for rotating said inside member from said third position to said first position.

Claim 19

The game apparatus of claim 12 including a prize receptacle formed in said housing below the scoring area for receiving discs released by said overload means, and means for opening the receptacle allowing dispensation of said discs received therein.

Claim 20

The game apparatus of claim 12 including guide means formed on the support sheet between the launching station and scoring area for guiding a launched disc to the scoring area.

Claim 21

The game apparatus of claim 12 wherein each overload means includes two members, one member rockably mounted on one side of a compartment and the other rockably mounted on the other side of the compartment, said members assuming a normal holding position wherein a disc will be held within a compartment so that it will not drop downwardly out of said compartment, said members assuming a releasing position whenever a second disc is introduced into the compartment thereby causing said members to rock allowing the bottom disc to fall downward while capturing and holding the second disc where the previous disc had been held.

Claim 22

A simulated slot machine game apparatus comprising: a plurality of discs having different indicia printed thereon; a substantially vertical housing having a front wall, a back wall, two sidewalls and a horizontal ground engaging base joining said walls at the bottom thereof, at least a portion of said front wall being transparent for observation into said housing and having an opening for the introduction of a disc therein; means within said housing simulating a slot machine including three vertical slotted compartments open at the top and bottom wherein a disc may freely drop therethrough; overload means associated with each compartment for holding one disc in the compartment and for automatically releasing said disc allowing the first disc to drop whenever a second disc is received in said compartment; a launching station spaced from said compartments formed in said housing for supporting a disc thereat adjacent to said housing opening; a launcher including a handle rotatably mounted on the sidewall of the housing for propelling one disc at a time toward said compartments and prize means including a receptacle formed in the housing below the scoring area for receiving discs released by said overload means, means for opening the receptable allowing dispensation of said discs received therein and means for actuating the overload means to release the discs that are held in the three compartments whenever the receptacle is opened.

Claim 23

A simulated slot machine game apparatus comprising: a plurality of discs having different indicia printed thereon; a substantially vertical housing having a front wall, a back wall, two sidewalls and a horizontal ground engaging base joining said walls at the bottom thereof, at least a portion of said front wall being transparent for observation into said housing and having an opening for the introduction of a disc therein; means within said housing simulating a slot machine including three vertical slotted compartments open at the top and bottom wherein a disc may freely drop therethrough; overload means associated with each compartment for holding one disc in the compartment and for automatically releasing said disc allowing the first disc to drop whenever a second disc is received in said compartment; a launching station spaced from said compartments formed in said housing for supporting a disc thereat adjacent to said housing opening; a launcher including a handle rotatably mounted on the sidewall of the housing for propelling one disc at a time toward said compartments and prize means including a receptacle formed in the housing below the scoring area for receiving discs released by said overload means, means for opening the receptable allowing dispensation of said discs received therein and means for actuating the overload means to release the discs that are held in the three compartments whenever the receptacle is opened.

Claim 24

The game apparatus of claim 19 wherein said overload means includes a holding member rockably mounted on one side of a compartment and a releasing member rockably mounted on the other side of the compartment, said holding member being capable of holding a disc within a compartment so it will not drop out of said compartment, said releasing member being rotatably movable to act on said holding member in response to the introduction of a second disc into said compartment whereby the first disc is allowed to fall downward while capturing and holding the second disc where the previous disc had been held.

Claim 25

The game apparatus of claim 19 wherein said launcher includes a sliding elongated vertical member captured in a slot formed in the front wall of the housing immediately below said launching station, spring means operatively associated with said vertical member and crank means connected to said handle operatively associated with said vertical member for biasing said spring means whereby a disc at the launching station is launched by the vertical member into one of said compartments.

Claim 26

The game apparatus of claim 21 wherein said crank means includes a horizontally disposed shaft joined at one end to the handle rotatably mounted about its longitudinal axis inside the housing, said shaft having cam means formed thereon for contact with said slidable member, said shaft being rotatable from an initial first position wherein said cam means rests against said sliding member so that the spring means is not biased, to an intermediate second position wherein said cam means presses against said sliding member biasing said spring means, to a third position wherein the cam means slips out of contact with said sliding member releasing the biased spring means causing the launching of the disc from the launching station, said crank means including reload means for rotating said shaft from said third position to said first position.