Washer projecting game apparatus

A washer game includes a playing board of a generally rectangular configuration having side and end surfaces extending upwardly above the plane of the playing board surface. Pocket means adjacent, but spaced from each end of the game board playing surface is provided which pocket means include openings of a predetermined size and configuration adjacent but spaced from each end of the game board playing surface. Washer shooter means are provided for mounting adjacent each end of the game board surface with spring tensioned washer support means whereby a washer may be placed on the support means and the support means pulled against the spring and thereafter released so that the tension in the spring throws a washer on the surface of the game board surface in any of various predetermined angles in relation to the game board surface to try to place the washer in one of the pocket means on the game board surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a game board surface and more particularly 
to a game board surface having pocket means including openings arranged on 
the game board surface for receiving washers which are thrown onto the 
game board surface in an endeavor to place the washers in the pocket 
means. A shooter means is provided for removable positioning adjacent 
either or both ends of the game board surface so that a player may place a 
washer on a washer support means carried by the washer shooter means and 
the washer support means then activated in an endeavor to throw the washer 
at a selected angle or position in relation to the game board surface and 
into one of the pockets thereon. 
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent 
from a consideration of the following description and drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Attention is first directed to FIG. 1 of the drawings wherein the washer 
game of the present invention is referred to generally by the numeral 5. 
It is shown as including a playing board surface means referred to 
generally at 6 having sides 7 and ends 8 which project upwardly above the 
plane of the surface 6a of the playing board means 6 as shown in the 
drawings to assist in keeping the washers from going off of the board 
during play. 
The playing board surface means 6 is preferably flat and rectangular shaped 
as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings with pocket means 9 preferably 
arranged as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The pocket means 9 include a 
plurality of openings 9a in the surface 6a of the playing board surface 
means 6. It will be noted that one of the openings 9a is more remote from 
each of the ends 8 than the other two openings 9a. Also, the openings 9a, 
as shown in the form of the invention illustrated, are arranged so that 
their relationship form generally an equilateral triangular on the surface 
6a of the playing board means 6 with one of the openings 9a being at the 
apex of the triangle and the other two openings 9a being respectively at 
the base angles of the triangle. 
Also, the opening 9a which is at the apex of the triangularly arranged 
openings is somewhat larger in diameter as illustrated more clearly in 
FIG. 4 for purposes that will be described. 
Each of the openings 9a is provided with a receptacle 9b formed of any 
suitable material such as cloth, leather, metal or the like which extends 
below the nether side 6b of the playing surface and provides a means for 
receiving the washer W when it moves into the opening 9a, and also 
provides a means whereby the washer may be retrieved after each player has 
taken a turn at shooting the washer W onto the playing surface 6a. 
Guide surface means referred to generally at 12 are provided on the playing 
surface 6a and extend upwardly therefrom. As shown, four of such guide 
surface means 12 are provided and are arranged at an angle relative to the 
opening 9a which forms the apex of the triangularly arranged openings so 
that a player during use of the game of the present invention may attempt, 
if desired, to throw a washer onto the playing board surface 6 and strike 
one of the guide surfaces 12 at the opposite end from the shooter means at 
which the player is positioned in a manner so as to guide or bank the 
washer into one of the openings 9a. 
Washer shooter means referred to generally by the numeral 10 are provided 
for mounting adjacent each of the ends 8 for propelling or throwing a 
washer W onto the game board surface means 6 and into one of the pocket 
means referred to generally by the numeral 9. 
The washer shooter means 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in greater detail 
includes support means referred to generally at 15 formed by a generally 
vertically extending plate member 16 for abutting the surface 8b of the 
end 8. A forwardly extending portion 17 at the upper end 16' of plate 16 
has a downwardly extending portion 18 spaced from the plate member 16 to 
provide an arrangement so that the shooter means 10 may be hung in 
position on the end 8 of the playing surface means 6 as shown in the 
drawings and may be readily removed therefrom when the game is not in use. 
Spaced upper and lower extensions 19 and 20 project rearwardly from the 
plate member 16 and each extension 19 and 20 is provided with a vertical 
opening 21 therein. 
Bracket means referred to generally by the numeral 23 are pivotally 
supported by the extensions 19 and 20 of the support means 15. The bracket 
means 23 includes a generally vertically extending member 24 which extends 
between the projections 19 and 20 with each end of the member 24 fitting 
in the openings 21 for pivotally supporting the bracket means 23 so that 
the bracket means 23 may be moved in a plane laterally relative to the 
longitudinal axis of playing surface 6a for propelling or throwing a 
washer onto the playing surface at any of several desired angular 
relationships in relation to a plane through the longitudinal axis of the 
playing surface 6a. 
The bracket means 23 also includes an upper channel shaped member generally 
referred to at 27 that is mounted adjacent the upper end of the vertical 
member 24 and extends rearwardly and laterally relative to the vertical 
member 24 as shown in the drawings. The upper channel shaped member 27 
includes the sides 28 and 29 extending rearwardly relative to the vertical 
member 24 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. 
The bracket means 23 further includes a lower member referred to generally 
at 30 which is secured adjacent the lower end of the vertical member 24 
and extends rearwardly and laterally of the member 24 in generally the 
same vertical plane as the upper channel shaped member 27. The lower 
member 30 is provided with spaced members 30a and 30b at its rear end to 
form a yoke. 
The bracket means 23 further includes a movable member 32 pivotally 
connected adjacent its lower end between the members 30a, 30b by suitable 
pin means as illustrated at 33 in FIG. 2. The movable member 32 extends 
upwardly from its pivotal connection with the member 30 in generally the 
same vertical plane as the rod 24. The member 24 projects or extends 
between the sides 28 and 29 of the upper channel shaped member 27 to 
terminate at a point above the upper channel or U-shaped member 27 as 
shown more clearly in FIG. 2. 
Washer support means referred to generally at 31 is provided for enabling a 
washer W to be supported by the washer shooter means 10 and to be thrown 
or propelled onto the surface 6a of the game board 6. 
The washer support means 31 includes a seat 34 mounted on the upper end 32a 
of the movable member 32. The seat 34 is preferably circular in plan view 
for receiving a washer W thereon as shown in dotted line in FIG. 2. An 
arcuate back support 35 is mounted on the rear portion of seat 34 and 
extends upwardly therefrom to aid in retaining a washer W in position on 
the seat 34 when it is thereon and as the member 32 is actuated to throw 
the washer W onto the surface 6a. 
An enlargement 36 is provided adjacent the upper edge of the seat 35 to 
enable the washer support means 31 including the member 32 to be manually 
engaged and moved rearwardly against the tension of the spring S which is 
connected at one end 38 to the vertical member 24 and its other end 39 by 
any suitable means as represented at 39b to the upwardly extending and 
movable member 32 of the washer support means to enable the washer W to be 
thrown onto the surface 6a when it is pulled against the tension exerted 
by spring S thereafter released as will be described in greater detail. 
Stop means referred to generally at 25 are provided to limit the pivotal 
movement of the shooter means 10 about to the vertical axis of the member 
24. The stop means 25 is formed by the extensions 25a, 25b extending from 
upper channel member 27 and flaring outwardly away from each other as seen 
more clearly in FIG. 3. The flared members 25a, 25b extend forwardly of 
the vertical member 24 into the space between the vertical member 24 and 
plate member 16 to limit the amount of pivoting of the bracket means 23 
about the vertical axis of the member 24. 
Additional means are provided to vary the angle of throw or discharge of 
the washer W in relation to the horizontal plane of the playing surface 
6a. The additional means to vary the angle of throw of the washer in 
relation to the horizontal plane of the surface 6a includes an additional 
channel shaped member referred to generally by the numeral 40 which is 
supported by the upper channel shaped member 27. The additional channel 
shaped member 40 is provided with sides 41, 42. They are joined at their 
outer ends by the threaded socket 41a in which handles 41b and 41c may be 
connected. If desired, the outer end portion of the sides 41, 42 may be at 
an angle relative to the portion of the sides 41, 42 that are adjacent the 
sides 28, 29 of the upper channel member 27, as shown in the drawings. 
Slots 41' are provided in each of the sides 28 and 29 of the upper channel 
shaped member 27. A pin 40' extends through an opening 41a, 42a in each of 
the sides 41 and 42, respectively, of the additional channel member 40, as 
well as through the slot 41' in each of the sides 28 and 29 of the upper 
channel shaped member 27. This arrangement accommodates positioning of the 
additional channel shaped member 40 longitudinally relative to the upper 
channel shaped member 27 in a desired manner, as will be described. 
More particularly, it will be noted that the additional channel shaped 
member 40 has secured to the upper edges of the sides 41 and 42 thereof a 
pin 44 which not only connects and maintains the sides 41 and 42 in spaced 
relation but which projects beyond the sides 28, 29 of the upper channel 
shaped member 27 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. If desired a 
seat of elastomer as referred to by the letter E may be provided on the 
forward edge of the member 32 to impinge against the pin 44 when the 
member 32 is pulled back and then released to throw the washer W. 
Also, at least a pair of spaced notches 50, 51 of preferrably semicircular 
shape are provided in the upper edges of the sides 28 and 29 of the upper 
channel shaped member 27 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The 
tension in the spring S is such that when the pin 44 is in the notches 50 
in 28 and 29, there is some force tending to urge the member 32 against 
pin 44, but not as much as when the pin 44 is moved from the notched 50 
and then seated in the notches 51 in the upper edges of the sides 28, 29. 
To accomplish such movement, the additional channel shaped member 40 may be 
manually grasped and pivoted upwardly about pin 40' so that the sides 41, 
42 are lifted upwardly relative to the sides 28, 29 of the upper channel 
shaped member 27 which lifts the pin 44 out of the notches 50. The 
additional channel shaped member 40 may be moved or pulled rearwardly 
relative to the upper channel shaped member 27 so as to align and seat the 
pin 44 with the notches 51 in each side 28 and 29. This places additional 
tension in the spring S acting on the member 32 and also positions the 
member 32 at a different angle relative to the horizontal plane of the 
surface 6a. 
Thereafter, a washer W may be placed on the seating surface 34 and abutted 
against the back surface 35 and the enlargement 36 manually engaged so as 
to pull the member 32 rearwardly between sides 41, 42 and against the 
force of the spring S. When the member 32 is released, it will move 
between the sides 41, 42 toward the playing surface 6 until it strikes the 
pin 44 which suddenly stops movement of the rod 32. This causes the washer 
W to be thrown onto the playing surface 6a at an angle generally defined 
as shown in FIG. 2, which is the angle of the plane of seat 34 in relation 
to the plane of the surface 6a of the playing surface means 6 as shown in 
FIG. 2 of the drawings. 
It is to be also noted that the angle of the seat 34 in relation to the 
surface 6a is different when the pin 44 is in the recesses 50. 
Since the bracket means 23 including washer shooting means 10 can be 
pivoted laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of the playing surface 
6a, the angle of throwing the washer W in relation to the longitudinal 
axis of the playing surface 6a may be varied. Further the angle of 
throwing the washer W on the surface 6a in relation to the horizontal 
plane of the surface 6a may be varied, by the position of pin 44 in 
notches 50 or 51. Also, the combination of the above angles of throwing 
the washer W onto the playing surface 6a may be determined by the player 
before each washer is thrown. 
In using the game of the present invention, various points may be assigned 
to each of the holes 9a as desired. For example, if the washer is thrown 
into either of the larger holes 9a more remote from the end 8a, this may 
count for five points or three points or any points that the players may 
wish. On the other hand, a different number of points may be assigned to 
each of the openings 9a on either side of the larger opening 9a and closer 
to the ends 8 of the playing surface. 
In addition, the player may aim the washer W at one or more of the guide 
surface 12 in an effort to bank it into one of the openings 9a. 
If the game of the present invention is to be employed where twenty-one or 
bust is played, the line referred to by the letter L is employed. The line 
L is adjacent but rear of the two openings 9a and may be positioned 
approximately ten inches from each end 8. During the play of twenty-one or 
bust, where a player must get exactly twenty-one points or if he exceeds 
this number, then he is reduced to zero and must start over, any washers 
between the line L and the end 8 at each end of the playing surface means 
6 may not be counted. Also, if a washer does not go beyond the line L' 
when it is thrown onto the playing surface 6', it may be replayed, that 
is, rethrown. 
It can be appreciated that a shooter can be positioned on each end of the 
playing surface means 6 and the playing surface means 6 may be provided 
with legs if desired as shown at 5 to position it in a desired vertical 
position above a floor or other support surface. One, two, three or four 
people may play the game with each taking turns and scoring as desired and 
by way of example in the manner as described herein. 
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative 
and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape, and 
materials as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be 
made without departing from the spirit of the invention.