Baseball type game apparatus

Claim 2

In a baseball game including a simulated baseball, a playing surface on which the ball is rollingly supported having a simulated baseball diamond thereon, batting means mounted near home plate to hit the ball, pitching means to launch the ball toward the batting means, figures simulating baseball players which are mountable on the diamond, means to propel the figures around the diamond and safe/out means for determining whether a hit ball resulted in a hit or an out, the improvement in said safe/out means comprising: indicating means associated with at least one of said bases including a ball engaging portion, a figure engaging portion which is adapted to engage said figure only when a ball engages said ball engaging portion, and a sign having indicia thereon indicating when a player is out, said sign being movable in response to said figure engaging said figUre engaging portion between a normal safe position and an out position wherein said out indicia is displayed.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 including means dividing said playing surface into an accessible area wherein a ball may be retrieved by a player and an inaccessible area wherein a ball cannot be retrieved by a player, and means associated with said inaccessible area for moving said ball onto said accessible area after it has been in the inaccessible area.

Claim 4

The device of claim 2 wherein said inaccessible area generally includes an outfield portion of said playing surface and said accessible area generally includes an infield portion of said playing surface whereby said ball, after being hit, moves from said accessible area to said in accessible area and back to said accessible area.

Claim 5

The device of claim 3 wherein said outfield portion is generally inclined downwardly toward the infield portion to provide said moving means as the ball moves thereover by gravity.

Claim 6

The device of claim 3 wherein said inaccessible area includes a shield mounted over said outfield portion preventing access to a ball thereunder.

Claim 7

The device of claim 3 including ball impeding means in said inaccessible area for increasing the length of time a ball is in said inaccessible area.

Claim 8

The device of claim 1 including a baseball catching device for selectively holding and releasing a baseball and bringing a held ball into engagement with said indicator.

Claim 9

In a baseball game including a simulated baseball, a playing surface on which the ball is rollingly supported having a simulated baseball diamond thereon, batting means mounted near home plate to hit the ball, pitching means to launch the ball toward the batting means, figures simulating baseball players which are mountable on the diamond, means to propel the figures around the diamond and safe/out means for determining whether a hit ball resulted in a hit or an out, the improvement in said safe/out means comprising: an indicator associated with at least one of said bases, including a ball engaging portion, a figure engaging portion which is adapted to engage said figure only when a ball engages said ball engaging portion, and a sign having indicia thereon indicating when a player is out, said sign being movable, in response to said figure engaging said figure engaging portion, between a normal safe position and an out position wherein said out indicia is displayed; said playing surface being divided into an accessible infield area wherein a ball may be retrieved by a player and an inaccessible canted outfield area wherein said ball cannot be retrieved, said outfield area including impeding means for increasing the length of time the ball is in the outfield and a shield mounted over said outfield so that a ball may move thereunder; and a baseball catching device for selectively holding and releasing a baseball and bringing a held ball into engagement with said indicator.

Claim 10

In a baseball game including a simulated baseball, a playing surface on which the ball is rollingly supported having a simulated baseball diamond thereon, batting means mounted near home plate to hit the ball, pitching means to launch the ball toward the batting means, figures simulating baseball players which are mountable on the diamond, means to propel the figures around the diamond and safe/out means for determining whether a hit ball resulted in a hit or an out, the improvement in said safe/out means comprising: an indicator associated with at least one of said bases, including a ball engaging portion, a figure engaging portion which is adapted to engage said figure only when a ball engages said ball engaging portion, and a sign having indicia thereon indicating when a player is out, said sign being movable, in response to said figure engaging said figure engaging portion, between a normal safe position and an out position wherein said out indicia is displayed; said playing surface being divided into an accessible infield area wherein a ball may be retrieved by a player and an inaccessible canted outfield area wherein said ball cannot be retrieved, said outfield area including impeding means for increasing the length of time the ball is in the outfield and a shield mounted over said outfield so that a ball may move thereunder; and a baseball catching device for selectively holding and releasing a baseball and bringing a held ball into engagement with said indicator.

Claim 11

The device of claim 8 wherein said diamond includes a diamond-shaped slot forming the base path for a figure and wherein said figure includes a downwardly depending pin positionable in said diamond-shaped slot and wherein said propelling means includes a rotatable disc mounted beneath the surface underlying said diamond-shaped slot, said disc having pin receiving means formed therein for receiving the bottom of the depending pin extending through said diamond-shaped slot so that the figure moves in said diamond-shaped slot in response to the rotation of said disc and manually operable means for rotating said disc.

Claim 12

The device of claim 9 wherein said figure engaging portion is mounted beneath said surface and includes a cam surface for engagement by said pin whereby said sign is moved from its safe to its out position.

Claim 13

The device of claim 8 wherein the impeding means comprises a plurality of upwardly protruding deflecting ribs.

Claim 14

In a baseball game including a simulated baseball, a playing surface on which the baLl is rollingly supported having a simulated baseball diamond thereon, batting means mounted near home plate to hit the ball, pitching means to launch the ball toward the batting means, figures simulating baseball players which are mountable on the diamond, means to propel the figures around the diamond and safe/out means for determining whether a hit ball resulted in a hit or an out, the improvement comprising: means dividing said playing surface into an accessible infield portion wherein a ball may be retrieved by a player and an inaccessible outfield portion wherein a ball cannot be retrieved by a player, and means associated with said inaccessible outfield portion for moving said ball onto said accessible infield portion after it has been in the inaccessible outfield portion, whereby said ball, after being hit, moves from said accessible infield portion to said inaccessible outfield portion and back to said accessible infield portion.

Claim 15

In a baseball game including a simulated baseball, a playing surface on which the baLl is rollingly supported having a simulated baseball diamond thereon, batting means mounted near home plate to hit the ball, pitching means to launch the ball toward the batting means, figures simulating baseball players which are mountable on the diamond, means to propel the figures around the diamond and safe/out means for determining whether a hit ball resulted in a hit or an out, the improvement comprising: means dividing said playing surface into an accessible infield portion wherein a ball may be retrieved by a player and an inaccessible outfield portion wherein a ball cannot be retrieved by a player, and means associated with said inaccessible outfield portion for moving said ball onto said accessible infield portion after it has been in the inaccessible outfield portion, whereby said ball, after being hit, moves from said accessible infield portion to said inaccessible outfield portion and back to said accessible infield portion.

Claim 16

The device of claim 12 wherein said outfield portion is generally inclined downwardly toward the infield portion to provide said moving means as the ball moves thereover by gravity.

Claim 17

The device of claim 12 wherein said inaccessible outfield portion includes a shield mounted thereover preventing access to a ball thereunder.

Claim 18

The device of claim 12 including ball impeding means in said inaccessible outfield portion for increasing the length of time a ball is in said inaccessible outfield portion.