Abstract:
A new style of a bowling game where the ball can be maneuvered as it is rolling by force of gravity across the lane and toward the targets. The lane is divided into two parts that are connected to each other in a way that allows one part to be rotated and/or lifted while the other part that contains the targets can remain stationary.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a game apparatus that resembles a bowling game where a ball is used to roll across a surface and knock down targets that resemble bowling pins. 
         [0002]    In the past, bowling style games have been made where some sort of device is used to shoot a ball across a surface referred to as a lane in order to knock down targets that resemble bowling pins. A player will usually line up the shooting device on the end of the lane opposite the bowling pins and then in some manner release the ball from the device. Once the ball leaves the shooting device, the ball cannot be maneuvered by the player. These games involve a single stationary lane where the bowling pins are set up at one end of the lane. Examples of this in prior art U.S. patents include the Livick U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,862 where a marble shooting device is used to shoot marbles across the lane and toward the bowling pins. In the Breslow et. al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,136 a ball propulsion device comprising an elastic band is used to shoot a ball across the lane. In the Maeda U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,598 a bowler figure with a spring arm is used for propelling a ball across the lane. 
         [0003]    The present game relates to a new bowling style game where the ball can be maneuvered by the player as it is rolling across the lane and toward the targets. In this game, the lane is divided into two parts. One part of the lane remains stationary during game play and contains the targets that resemble bowling pins, and the other part of the lane can be rotated and/or lifted by the player. To make this possible, the two parts of the lane are connected to each other with a hinge in a way that allows one part of the lane to be rotated and/or lifted while the other part of the lane can remain stationary. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    A game apparatus has a housing that can be folded when not in use. In the open position, the game contains two flat surfaces aligned and connected to each other with a hinge that allows one of the flat surfaces to be rotated and/or lifted while the other flat surface remains stationary. The two surfaces that are joined together resemble a bowling lane with targets that resemble bowling pins set up on the surface that can remain stationary during game play. 
         [0005]    To play the game, a ball is placed in a holding position on the surface that can be rotated and/or lifted. Next, the player will use the handles provided to get the ball rolling by force of gravity by moving the handles up and down. Moving the handles in opposite directions of each other, by moving one handle up and one handle down, will cause the surface to rotate, while lifting both handles up at the same time will cause the surface to be lifted. The player can continue to maneuver the ball by rotating and/or lifting the lane by use of the handles until the ball falls off the surface that can be rotated and/or lifted or is directed onto the surface that contains the targets. The object of the game is to try and knock down as many of the targets as possible with the ball. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  shows a front elevated view of the game apparatus of the present invention in the folded closed position when the game is not being played. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  shows a front perspective view of the game of  FIG. 1  in the folded closed position. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  shows a front elevated view of the game of  FIG. 1  in the unfolded open position ready to be played. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  shows a portion view of the side of the game of  FIG. 1  in the unfolded open position after the part of the lane that can be rotated and/or lifted has been rotated. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  shows a front perspective view of the game of  FIG. 1  in the unfolded open position ready to be played. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  shows a front perspective view of the game of  FIG. 1  in the unfolded open position after the part of the lane that can be rotated and/or lifted has been rotated. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  shows a front perspective view of the game of  FIG. 1  in the unfolded open position after the part of the lane that can be rotated and/or lifted has been rotated and lifted. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    As can be seen in  FIG. 1  of the drawings, with the game in the folded closed position, a game apparatus  1  is shown having a housing member  2 , a housing member  3 , a hinge  4 , a handle  5 , a handle  6 , a screw  7 , a screw  8 , and a screw  9 . As shown more clearly in  FIG. 2 , the housing member  2  is attached to housing member  3  with the hinge  4 , with the hinge  4  tightly attached to housing member  2  with the screw  7  and the screw  8 , while the hinge  4  is loosely attached to housing member  3  with the single screw  9 . There should be enough room between the hinge  4  and the bottom of housing member  3  so that the hinge  4  can easily rotate around the screw  9  when the game is being played. 
         [0014]    In  FIG. 3 , with the game in the unfolded open position ready to be played, a flat surface  10  can be seen on housing member  2 , and a flat surface  11  can be seen on housing member  3 . In  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  a recessed area  14  can be seen that extends around the sides and back of the flat surface  11 . As shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 , the handle  5  and the handle  6  are loosely attached inside a hole  15  that extends through the front of housing member  2 , therefore allowing the handles to easily slide inward and outward from the hole  15  as needed. As shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  a ball holding element  12  is attached on and near the front of surface  10  of housing member  2 . When the game is unfolded to the open position as shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  the flat surface  10  and the flat surface  11  become aligned so that a ball  16 , as shown in  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  can easily move by force of gravity from surface  10  onto surface  11 . The hinge  4  is attached in a position on housing member  2  so that the hinge  4  does not extend above the flat surface  10  when the game is in the unfolded opened position. The head of the screw  9  has enough thickness so that when the game is fully opened in the ready to play position the hinge  4  stops in a position that makes the front of housing member  2  that contains the handle  5  and handle  6  higher than the back of housing member  2  where the hinge  4  is attached. 
         [0015]    To use the game of  FIG. 1 , the game is set up to the fully unfolded open position ready to be played as shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 , with the housing member  2  in a level position and handle  5  and handle  6  extended outward from the hole  15 . As seen in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  a plurality of targets  13  that resemble bowling pins are placed in an upright position on surface  11  of housing member  3 . As seen in  FIG. 5 , a ball  16  is placed and held by gravity in a holding position in front of the ball holding element  12  on housing member  2 . To start the ball  16  moving by force of gravity, the housing member  2  is rotated by moving handle  5  and handle  6 . Once the ball  16  moves out and past the ball holding element  12  the ball  16  can continue to be maneuvered as it is moving by force of gravity across surface  10  by rotating and/or lifting housing member  2 . Moving the handles in opposite directions of each other, by moving one handle up and the other handle down, will cause the housing member  2  to rotate. Lifting both handles up at the same time will cause the housing member  2  to be lifted from the front.  FIG. 6  shows housing member  2  being rotated by moving handle  5  up and moving handle  6  down, causing the ball  16  to move out and past the ball holding element  12 .  FIG. 7  illustrates housing member  2  being rotated and lifted, by moving handle  5  down and handle  6  up, and then moving handle  5  and handle  6  up at the same time. Since the hinge  4  is tightly attached to housing member  2  with two screws and loosely attached to housing member  3  with a single screw, the housing member  2  can be rotated and/or lifted while the housing member  3  remains stationary, as shown in  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 . The object of the game described is to knock down as many of the targets  13  as possible with the ball  16 . 
         [0016]      FIG. 4  illustrates the movement of housing member  2  as it is being rotated, and shows the ball  16  that has already moved from surface  10  onto surface  11  and is heading toward the targets  13 .  FIG. 7  shows how the ball  16  is being maneuvered toward the middle of surface  10  by moving handle  5  down and handle  6  up. 
         [0017]    A hinge is preferred to be used to connect housing member  2  and housing member  3  together, since a hinge allows the game apparatus to be folded and closed when not in use, as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . There are other ways of connecting housing member  2  and housing member  3  together without a hinge, that would still allow housing member  2  to rotate and/or lift while housing member  3  remains stationary. Therefore, the game should not be limited to the elements as shown, and the drawings should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. 
         [0018]    It should be clear at this time that a new style of a bowling game has been taught where the ball can be maneuvered as it is moving across the lane.