Game With Chance Shot Dictating Pieces

This invention relates to a pool-type game apparatus having a novel feature involving play cards dictating "shots" correlated to playing ball positions on a playing surface of the game apparatus.

Pool-type game apparatus have enjoyed popularity with children and adults for many years. As the game progresses, certain "shots" of varying difficulty are encountered during the play of the game. With the present invention, a pool table or playing surface is provided with playing positions indicated on the playing surface for positioning playing balls thereat. A cue ball is provided along with a cue ball propelling device for rolling the cue ball over the playing surface away from the ball propelling device into contact with the play balls or rail means surrounding the playing surface. Play cards are provided for dictating a particular shot correlated to the play ball positions on the playing surface so as to propel one or more of the play balls into one or more pockets in the playing surface. Some of the cards have "single shot" indicating means for propelling a single ball into a particular pocket, with award indicating means on the card should the player be successful in performing the dictated shot. Other cards have "trick" shots requiring the player to propel the cue ball off of the rail means or one or more of the play balls in order to propel one of the play balls into a particular pocket. Money cards are provided for awarding a player should the player successfully perform the "shot" as dictated by the play cards.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partially fragmented top plan view of the game apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken generally along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken generally along line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken generally along line 4--4 of FIG. 3; PG,3

FIG. 5 is a fragmented perspective view of the propelling device shown in FIGS. 1 and 3;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of several "trick shot" cards correlated to the game apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of two "single shot" cards of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a plan view of two "money" cards of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the pool-type game apparatus of the present invention includes a base structure, generally designated 10, which defines a hexagonally shaped playing surface 12 having pockets 14 at the apexes of the hexagonal playing surface. As seen in FIG. 3, the pockets 14 extend downwardly from the playing surface 12 to define feet for supporting the game apparatus on a support surface such as a table, or the like. The playing surface 12 has position indicating means 16 which are numerically indicated for purposes described hereinafter.

The playing surface 10 is surrounded by bumper rail means generally designated 18 (see FIG. 2), which span the gaps between the pockets 14.

One or more play balls 20 (FIGS. 1 and 3) are provided for positioning at the numerical position indicating means 16.

A propelling device, generally designated 22 (see FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5), is provided alongside of a simulated human pool player defined by a housing 24. The propelling device comprises a cue stick 26 which is spring loaded by a coil spring 28. The cue stick has a flange 30 (FIG. 5) which is positionable within a slide 32 which rides within a horizontally opening channel-shaped guide 34. The cue stick 26 also has a U-shaped guide 36 for maintaining horizontal directional movement with the channel 34.

A cue ball 38 is provided for striking by the cue stick 26 when the cue stick is cocked in the direction of arrow A (FIG. 1) and released so that the forward end of the cue stick 26 strikes the cue ball 38 so as to ricochet off of one or more play balls 20 or the bumper rails 18 in accordance with the dictates of play cards described hereinafter.

More particularly, referring to FIG. 7, certain play cards 40 are provided with indicating means 42 thereon which are correlated to one of the positions 16 on the playing surface. In addition, each play card 40 includes indicating means 44 thereon for rewarding a player should he successfully make the "shot" as dictated by the cards 40. The cards 40 are "single shot" cards and dictate that a player must shoot the cue ball 38 against a ball placed at one of the positions 16 (such as the position "26" as indicated on the righthand card shown in FIG. 7) and if the player successfully propels the ball at that position into a pocket he will be rewarded money as indicated at 44 on the particular "single shot" card by means of money cards 46 (FIG. 8).

In addition, referring to FIG. 6, "trick cards" are provided which have indicating means thereon correlated to the position 16 on the playing surface 12 to dictate that a player must shoot the cue ball 38 and ricochet off of one or more of the play balls 20 or the rail means 18 and propel a particular ball placed at one of the positions 16 in a selected pocket 14 about the playing surface 12. Each "trick card" 48 also has indicating means 50 and 52 which award a successful player by completing the dictated shot on a first try, indicating means 50, or a second shot, indicating means 52. Should a player be successful on either shot, he will be awarded the indicated monetary amount by means of the money cards 46.

In order to terminate the game, various schemes can be devised as by setting a maximum amount of money collected by a particular player by successfully completing shots dictated by the "single shot" cards 40 or the "trick shot" cards 48 during the play of the game.

With the correlated combination of the present invention including the structure of the playing surface 12, propelling device 22, cue ball 38 and one or more play balls 20 in combination with the structurally correlated play cards 40 and 48, various alternative schemes of play are contemplated by the present invention.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.