# US 4,395,041 A · Ball transfer and capture game and method

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- Number: US 4,395,041 A
- Document ID: US4395041A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/233,463
- Filed: 1981-02-11
- Granted: 1983-07-26
- Earliest claimed: 1981-02-11
- Assignees: Adolph E. Goldfarb
- Inventors: Adolph E. Goldfarb; Emil H. Von Winckelmann
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4395041A

## CPC

- A63F 7/0076: {the playing bodies having the function of playing pieces, imitating a board game}
- A63F 7/04: using balls to be shaken or rolled in small boxes {, e.g. comprising labyrinths}
- A63F 9/0819: {with rotatable non-concentric discs, e.g. gear games}
- A63F 2009/2482: {Electromotor}
- A63F 2009/2494: {Battery, e.g. dry cell}
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A game-playing method and apparatus, which includes a frame, one or more sets of balls, and a series of at least three wheels rotatably mounted adjacent to each other on the frame in a common horizontal plane. Each wheel includes a plurality of peripheral ball-carrying pockets having outwardly facing openings. A mechanism mounted in the frame effects continuous rotation of the wheels automatically circulating the balls from wheel to wheel in continuous movement. In particular, the balls are retained in the pockets of a rotating wheel except at transfer zones to adjacent wheels. A ball tends to move out of its pocket whenever it comes to a transfer zone and to pass through that zone to a receiving pocket on the adjacent wheel. If the receiving pocket is already occupied by another ball, no transfer occurs. A manually-actuated stop-gate enables a player to directly control the transfer of balls by blocking or unblocking at least one transfer zone. During the course of a typical game, the balls continuously travel along a path around the wheels and from wheel to wheel, and a player attempts to capture and retain certain balls in particular wheels by selectively opening and closing stop-gates.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A competitive multi-player game-playing apparatus, comprising:
a frame means;
a plurality of sets of balls, each set distinctively marked for association with each player;
at least three wheels, mounted in the frame means such that each wheel is adjacent to at least one other wheel and is rotatable about a vertical axis, including at least one wheel associated with each player, and at least one wheel intermediate the player-associated wheels, each wheel including a plurality of peripheral pockets, each proportioned and arranged so as to receive and carry a ball and permit a ball to pass outwardly;
motor means mounted in the frame means for effecting simultaneous rotation of all of said wheels, each at a rate of rotation which generates sufficient centrifugal force such that the balls tend to move out of the pockets, and wherein the rates of rotation of the wheels are syncronized and the respective sizes of the wheels, and the proportions and arrangements of the pockets are designed such that a space is formed between pockets in adjacent rotating wheels through which a ball tend to transfer;
means on the frame means for confining the balls in the pockets in the rotating wheels other than at the transfer spaces, so that a ball will move through a path about the periphery of the rotating wheel between transfer spaces; and
means mounted in the frame means for controlling transfer of balls through at least one transfer space, said control means being operable by each player.

### Claim 2

A competitive multi-player game-playing apparatus, comprising:
a frame means;
a plurality of sets of balls, each set distinctively marked for association with each player;
at least three wheels, mounted in the frame means such that each wheel is adjacent to at least one other wheel and is rotatable about a vertical axis, including at least one wheel associated with each player, and at least one wheel intermediate the player-associated wheels, each wheel including a plurality of peripheral pockets, each proportioned and arranged so as to receive and carry a ball and permit a ball to pass outwardly;
means mounted in the frame means for effecting rotation of the wheels at a rate of rotation which generates sufficient centrifugal force such that the balls tend to move out of the pockets, and wherein the rates of rotation of the wheels, the respective sizes of the wheels, and the proportions and arrangements of the pockets are designed such that a space is formed between pockets in adjacent rotating wheels through which a ball tends to transfer;
means on the frame means for confining the balls in the pockets in the rotating wheels other than at the transfer spaces, so that a ball will move through a path about the periphery of the rotating wheel between transfer spaces; and
means mounted in the frame means for controlling transfer of balls through at least one transfer space, said control means being operable by each player,
the controlling means comprising a plurality of gates, at least one gate associated with each player and including a vertical blocking plate, movable relative to a transfer space responsive to manual actuation so as to block or unblock the transfer space.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The game apparatus of claim 2 in which each gate further includes a manually-operable button, a lever arm interconnecting the manually-operable button and the vertical blocking plate, and a fulcrum in the frame about which the lever arm is pivoted.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The game apparatus of claim 3 in which the distance along the lever arm from the fulcrum to the manually-operable button is substantially less than the distance along the lever arm from the fulcrum to the vertical blocking plate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The game apparatus of claim 2, in which the gate is biased so as to normally block a transfer space.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The game apparatus of claim 5, in which the biasing means comprise a resilient member, interconnected between the gate and the frame.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The game apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary collector means that includes an exit gate for collecting balls from the wheels; and a container in the frame means into which the balls may be selectively fed through the exit gate.

### Claim 8

A game playing apparatus controlling movement of a plurality of balls along predetermined paths which intersect at two or more junctions, comprising:
a frame;
a wheel means mounted on said frame and including a plurality of wheels, each mounted for rotation in a common horizontal plane and with each wheel adjacent to at least one other wheel across a transfer zone, for moving said balls along circular paths around the wheels and from wheel to wheel, and including at least one wheel different in diameter from the other wheels;
ball-holding means including a plurality of peripheral pockets sized and shaped to hold a ball and for releasing said ball through a transfer zone to an empty pocket of an adjacent wheel;
guide means on said frame for confining the balls in said pockets of said rotating wheels other than at said transfer zones;
motor means mounted on said frame means for simultaneously rotating all of said wheels, each at a constant speed which is synchronized with the speed of the other wheels and which is sufficient to tend to automatically move a ball out of said peripheral pockets and through said transfer zones to an empty pocket on an adjacent wheel, the different sizes of the wheels being such that pockets in adjacent rotating wheels are not aligned in the same pairs upon each complete rotation of a wheel; and
manually actuated gate means in at least one of said transfer zones for blocking passage of any ball through such transfer zone.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The game apparatus of claim 8 in which adjacent wheels rotate in opposite directions.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The game apparatus of claim 8 in which each of said pockets is proportioned so as to receive and hold not more than one ball.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The game apparatus of claim 8, further including a contoured path in the frame means, for accelerating movement of the balls towards each transfer zone.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The game apparatus of claim 8, in which the wheels themselves include gear means for directly synchronizing their rotation at a constant rate.

### Claim 13

A game playing apparatus controlling movement of a plurality of balls along perdetermined paths which intersect at two or more junctions, comprising:
a frame;
a wheel means mounted on said frame and including a plurality of wheels, each mounted for rotation in a common horizontal plane and with each wheel adjacent to at least one other wheel across a transfer zone, for moving said balls along circular paths around the wheels and from wheel to wheel, and including at least one wheel different in diameter from the other wheels;
ball-holding means including a plurality of peripheral pockets sized and shaped to hold a ball and for releasing said ball through a transfer zone to an empty pocket of an adjacent wheel;
guide means on said frame for confining the balls in said pockets of said rotating wheels other than at said transfer zones;
drive means mounted on said frame means for rotating each of said wheels at a constant speed which is sufficient to tend to automatically move a ball out of said peripheral pockets and through said transfer zones to an empty pocket on an adjacent wheel, the different sizes of the wheels being such that pockets in adjacent rotating wheels are not aligned in the same pairs upon each complete rotation of a wheel; and
manually actuated gate means in at least one of said transfer zones for blocking passage of any ball through such transfer zone, the wheels themselves include gear means for directly synchronizing their rotation at a constant rate,
the wheels each including gear teeth on its outer periphery which are directly meshed with gear teeth in adjacent wheels, and wherein the vertical distance between the wheel gear teeth and the bottom of the wheel path is greater than the diameter of a ball.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The game apparatus of claim 8, in which the frame includes floor means under the circular paths of the balls and adjacent the guide means; and wherein the wheels each include a plurality of radially extending arms defining side walls of the pockets to form with said floor means each ball carrying pocket.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The game apparatus of claim 14 wherein the side walls of the pockets are formed into an outwardly tapered U-shape to permit and assist the balls in entering to or exiting from said transfer zones.

### Claim 16

A game playing apparatus, for directing movement of a plurality of balls, comprising:
a frame member including upper means forming a series of at least three overlapping circular recesses having generally horizontal floor means and upstanding outer guide wall means for defining a ball raceway path such that each adjacent pair of recesses forms a figure-eight;
at least three wheels, each mounted in one of the adjacent circular recesses for rotation about generally vertical axes, each wheel including a plurality of peripheral ball-carrying pockets for rolling the balls along said raceway, each pocket including an outwardly facing opening for discharging or receiving a ball passing through a transfer zone at the junction points on said figure-eight raceway path;
a drive mechanism including a motor means mounted on said frame means for effecting simultaneous rotation of all of said wheels, each at a rate of rotation which generates sufficient centrifugal force such that the balls tend to move automatically out of said peripheral pockets and through a transfer zone to pockets on adjacent rotating wheels; and
gate means mounted in said frame means in at least one transfer zone between adjacent rotating wheels, and including a manually actuated button member actuating the gate means to block the transfer of any balls through such transfer zone.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The game apparatus of claim 16 in which the outer guide wall means includes a pair of inwardly projecting corners at side boundaries of each transfer zone for diverting balls into and out of the transfer zone without jamming the rotation of the wheels.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The game apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a contoured path in the portion of the floor means leading into the transfer zone for guiding and accelerating movement of the balls.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The game apparatus of claim 18, wherein said contour means includes a decline at the entrance of the transfer zone.

### Claim 20

A method of moving a plurality of balls unidirectionally along a figure eight route having a first circular path, a second circular path and a junction therebetween, including the steps of:
automatically by use of a motor and continuously directing certain of said balls in a linear sequence around the first path one at a time past the junction;
automatically by use of a motor and simultaneously and continuously directing certain others of the said balls in a linear sequence around the second path one at a time past the junction;
transferring to a different path automatically any ball passing the junction when another ball is not already occupying the different path at the junction; and
selectively blocking the junction point during different spaced time periods to prevent any ball from going through said junction to a different path.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20 wherein said directing steps include directing balls around the first and second paths in different directions, respectively.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20 wherein the time for a ball completing one complete cycle around the first path is greater then the time for completing one complete cycle around the second path.