Patent GB-1185598-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for Playing a Competitive Indoor Ball Game
Inventor: BICKNELL REGINALD GEORGE
IPC: A63F7/06
Filed: 1968-07-19
Abstract: 1,185,598. Indoor ball game. REVIS EXPORT GENERAL Ltd. 19 July, 1968, No. 34589/68. Heading A6H. Apparatus for playing a competitive ball game comprises a horizontal playing surface 5 and a plurality of members 13a to 13e and 17a to 17e each mounted on a tube 53 extending downwardly through the playing surface, each adapted to emit a jet of air for moving a ball over the playing surface and some at least of the members being rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the playing surface to vary the direction in which the jet of air is emitted, by means of chain sprockets 51 secured to respective tubes of the members, the chain sprockets being driven by a chain which also passes over a further sprocket rotatable by a player, rotation of the further sprocket being effective to rotate a plurality of the members simultaneously (Fig. 8, not shown). The volume of air emitted by selected members can be varied. Suitably, the tubes 53 extend into containers; which containers may be tubular and form part of the chassis of the apparatus, and which in use contain air at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. As shown, the game simulates association football. Suitably, five members may be provided for each of two opposing teams, (13a to 13e and 17a to 17e), three members of one team (13c, 13d, and 13e), being rotatable by control 35, the remaining two members 13a and 13b, being rotatable by control 33. Similarly 17c, 17d, and 17e, are rotatable by control 39 and 17a and 17b are rotatable by control 37. Each team suitably includes a goal keeping member 15, or 19, one movable by control 25 and the other movable by control 27 selectively to obstruct portions of the apertures forming the home goals of their respective teams. Apertures may also be provided for the emission of a jet of air adjacent each of the corners 183, 185, (controlled by controls 45, 47) and 187 and 189 controlled by controls 41, 43. Ball retrieval apparatus may be provided (Figures 10 and 11 not shown), so that when the ball passes through either goal it can roll down ramp (191) into tube (193) and can pass to ball lift tube (197). Ball lift conveyor (199) is driven by electric motor (201) in the direction indicated in Fig. 11 and has projections (203) thereon which can pass through a slot provided in the adjacent face of the ball lift tube (197). Automatic scoring may be provided, tripped by the ball passing down one or other of the tubes (193). Side walls 11 bounding playing area 5 may be translucent and fluorescent tubes (207) may be provided behind the side walls to light the playing area. The apparatus may be controlled by a coin-accepting mechanism which energises the motor driving the compressor for a predetermined period under the control of a time switch. The controls 35 and 33 may be also adapted to exert a downwardly directed force upon opposite ends of a rockable bar (171) (Fig. 7, not shown), a flexible tube (163) supplying air to the members rotatable by control 35 passing under the end of bar (171) acted upon by control 33 and a flexible tube supplying air to members rotatable by the control 33 similarly passing under the end of bar (171) acted upon by control 33, so that depression of the control 33 is effective to restrict the air supply to the members rotatable by the control 35 and thereby to boost the supply of air to the members rotatable by control 33 and vice versa. Controls 39 and 37 may be similarly adapted. Where the form of apparatus is used in which the containers are tubular and form part of the chassis of the apparatus, an O-ring seal 141 may be provided on each tube 53 at a position adjacent that at which the tube enters a respective part of the tubular chassis, a spacing collar, e.g. 137, provided on said tube to position the O-ring seal, being formed as a length of tubing of a plastics material which is a sliding fit on said tube. (see Figure 9.) Player figures (61) (Fig. 2 not shown) surmount the air jets 55, which jets are suitably covered by cowls 59 (Fig. 3 not shown). In play, a person operating control panel 31 endeavours to move the ball by means of jets of air issuing from a player 17 through the goal protected by goalkeeper 15. Likewise the person operating control panel 29 endeavours to move the ball by means of jets of air from players 13 through the goal protected by goalkeeper 19. If the ball approaches, e.g. corner flag 187 the person operating control panel 31 can operate button 45 to cause a jet of air to issue from flag 187 to blow the ball across the mouth of the goal protected by goalkeeper 15 so that jet of air from one of the players 17b, 17d or 17e can blow the ball into the goal.