Ball target game with air-operated guns

Abstract

A ball game includes a target area, at least one gun responsive to an operator for firing balls into the target area, and a device for feeding balls in sequence to the gun. This device includes an opening disposed beneath the target area for receiving balls that fall by gravity from the target area, and a turret positioned beneath the opening and having a circumferential array of peripheral openings each sized to receive one of the balls. The turret is rotated about its axis such that balls that fall by gravity onto the turret are urged by centrifugal force toward the peripheral openings. An accelerator has a ball inlet disposed beneath the turret at a position for alignment with each of the peripheral openings in sequence as the turret rotates, and an air inlet connected to a source of air under pressure. The accelerator is so constructed that flow of air under pressure through the air inlet assists force of gravity in drawing balls into the accelerator ball inlet from the turret peripheral openings, and accelerates the balls during passage through the accelerator toward the accelerator outlet. The accelerator outlet is connected to one of the guns so as to feed to the gun balls accelerator in sequence by the accelerator.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.