Patent Publication Number: US-3970311-A

Title: Impact gun with pellet positioning lever

Description:
REFERENCE TO PRIOR ART 
     The game disclosed herein constitutes an improvement over U.S. Pat. Nos. 142,625 to Nelson, 2,636,738 to Abagosf, U.S. Pat. No. 2,830,569 to Sakuta. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide an improved game. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a target game that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and simple and interesting to play. 
     With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. 
    
    
     GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the target game according to the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of the game. 
     FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the game according to the invention. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the lever or handle for lifting the pellet according to the invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a view, partly in cross section of another embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     Now with more particular reference to the drawings, a target game is made up generally of a box-like structure 10 having a front wall 11 made up of a resilient clear plastic sheet. The front wall 11 may be thin plexiglass, any suitable transparent sheet or other transparent material. The box may be a closed container. The rear wall 22 supports the rotating target 20 on the axle 21. The target is so constructed that it will spin or rotate when it is impacted by the pellet 12. The target could be supported on an axle oriented parallel to the lateral or longitudinal axes of the box, knock down, bell, counting or registering, or could be a target of any other form, depending on the taste of the designer. 
     Where a magnet is used on the wand, the pellet 12 is made of a ferrous material, when the wand of FIG. 4 is used, the pellet 12 could be plastic, brass or other material. The pellet normally rests on the bottom 13 of the box, which is inclined toward the front so that the pellet always rolls down, toward the front of the box by gravity. 
     The wand or lever 16 has a handle 15 and the lever 16 can project down through an opening 23 in the top wall 24 of the box. The lever is sufficiently long to reach the pellet 12 resting on the bottom of the box. 
     The operator can move the lever down until the bifurcated legs 19 of the lever are spread laterally sufficient to engage the pellet 12 between the ends 17 and 18. The pellet is then held by friction between the ends 17 and 18 and can be lifted to the position shown in FIG. 3, with the pellet 12 in contact with the sheet 11. The gun 25 can then be aimed at a particular point on the target supported on the spinning wheel 20 and when the trigger of the gun is pulled, a rod 26 inside the gun will be propelled forward to give a sharp rap against the clear plastic sheet 11 directly opposite the pellet 12. The pellet will thus be projected toward the target and, if properly aimed, it may strike the intended point on the target. 
     The gun 25 will be of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,957 or any other suitable gun having a suitable projectile like member that can strike the clear plastic material. The box is preferrably supported on front legs 27 and rear legs 28 which may be supported on a suitable surface. 
     The lower legs 19 of the lever 16 may be molded integral with the lever of a suitable plastic material such as polyethlene, vinyl polystyrene or any other suitable plastic materials or it could be made of wood or metal. The ends 17 and 18 will be of suitable contour to lightly grasp the pellet 12 and hold it in position. The spinning target 20, supported on the axle 21, could be supported on an angle disposed at 90° to the axle shown. The axle can extend from one side of the inside wall 30 of the box to the other side wall 31. It could be supported from the rear wall in an L-shape, according to the taste of the designer. 
     In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5, a lever is shown with a hand engaging part 115 and a permanent magnet 118 supported in the bottom of the lever. The magnet 118 can be inserted in the hollow 131 in the lever or otherwise supported. The magnet will be provided with north and south poles, which could be oriented in any desired manner that would project a magnetic field to support the pellet. 
     The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modifications withing a range or equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.