US2900188A - Dart board with integral scoring means - Google Patents

Description

g- 13, 1959 G. E. LEMON 2,900,188

DART BOARD WITH INTEGRAL SCORING MEANS Filed Sept. 17, 1956 A He. 3

-INVENTOR RGE E. LEMON ATTORNEY DART BOARD WITH INTEGRAL SCORING MEANS George E. Lemon, Youngstown, Qhio Application September 17, 1956, Serial No. 610,317

7 Claims. (Cl. 273-102) The present invention relates to a new and novel target structure for darts or the like and has as its primary object the provision of a dart board with integral scoring means whereby the player or players may keep an accurate visual record of the score in a game.

A further object of the invention is to provide scoring means for dart boards which facilitates quickness of scoring and allows the players to determine the state of the game at any time by a casual glance at the dart board and scoring means associated therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dart board with integral scoring means wherein the scoring means not only records the score but also retains replaceable and detachable target panels in proper position. It will be appreciated that the target portion of the dart board becomes quite worn and damaged by the continuous impingement of the darts thereon and it has heretofore been proposed to provide replaceable target panels which may be replaced without discarding the entire dart board. The provision of the removable target panels also allows the dart board to be used for more than one game as one panel may be marked with one type of game and other target panels with different indicia representing other dart games. By utilizing the new and novel scoring means for securing the removable target panels it is possible to provide a dart board of the utmost simplicity in construction and manufacture. In this manner various springs or other like detent means utilized in the prior art for retaining the target panels and having no utility other than retaining the panels are completely eliminated.

Another object of the present invention is to provide scoring means for dart boards or the like which is characterized by its versatility in being able to record the score of the players. By providing proper scoring indicia and scoring blocks it is possible to record almost any type of dart game with the scoring means of the present invention.

Yet a further object of the invention is toprovide an improved dart board having integral scoring means which is characterized by its extreme simplicity in construction and operation. As will be more readily apparent, the scoring means of the present invention is easily utilized by the players without special skills or experience.

These, as well as other objects and advantages of the invention, will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed specification and accompanying drawing wherein there is described and shown certain illustrated embodiments of my invention. It should be understood that these embodiments are exemplary only in order that the invention may be more clearly understood.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a dart board with integral scoring means constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the dart board shown in Figure 1; and 1 United States Patent 2,900,188 Patented Aug. 18, 1959 Figure 3 is a front elevational view of another form of dart board embodying the scoring means of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and initially to Figures 1 and 2 thereof, the reference numeral 10 designates a permanent body portion or back board which may be suspended from any suitable support by a pair of spaced eye-hooks 11 along the upper edge thereof. Secured to the front face of the back board 10 near the bottom edge thereof is a longitudinally extending panel retaining member 12 which is of less length than the back board 10. The member 12 is downwardly beveled or notched along its upper edge as at 13 to receive a replaceable target panel 14. The back board 10 and panel retaining member 12 may be formed from any suitable material, such as wood for example, which will retain its shape and these members may be decorated in any conventional manner to provide a pleasing appearance as desired. The target panel 14 may be marked with any desired permanent markings such as the bulls-eye 15, for example, and is preferably constructed from material which is easily impregnated by darts or the like having relatively low momentum.

The eye-hooks 11 and the panel retaining member 12 of the dart board serve also as guiding means for the improved scoring means of the present invention. A string or cord 16 is entrained through the eye-hooks 11, down the face of the back board 10 and below the panel retaining member 12 while the ends thereof are joined by a band of elastic material 17. The arrangement is such that the string 16 is always under tension thereby causing a plurality of scoring markers 1821 to remain in any preset position, the use of which will be hereinafter more fully explained. Each of the scoring markers comprises a small block of wood or other material having an aperture running the length thereof so that it may be slidably moved along the string 16.

The target panel 14 is positioned on the back board 10 in the manner shown whereby the same is retained by the member 12 along its bottom edge and the string 16 and elastic band 17 along its upper edge. In this manner the target panel 14 is restrained against any undue movement but yet is easily removed and replaced as is readily apparent.

In accordance with the teachings of the present in- Wention a plurality of scoring indicia as at 22 and 23 are provided on the face of the back board 10 on each side of the removable target panel 14. As shown, each of these scoring indicia may comprise two vertical rows of numerals arranged in side-by-side relation including the digits zero to nine arranged in ascending and descending sequence on both sides of the string 16. Thus the vertically movable scoring markers 18 and 19 straddle the two rows of numerals in each of the scoring indicia 22 and 23.

The scoring markers 18 and 19 shown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention are marked with the numerals zero, ten, twenty and thirty and with small arrows pointing either up or down the face of the back board 10. In this manner it is possible to record a total score of up to thirty-nine for any one player on the board. As an example, the scoring marker 18 in Figure 1 of the drawing represents a score of two while the scoring marker 19 indicates a total of twelve. At the start of a game each player would place his marker at the bottom of the rows of numerals with the scoring markers turned so that the zero and upwardly pointing arrow are visible. To score any number from one to nine the scoring marker is moved upwardly to a position opposite the correspondnig numeral on the left row of numerals and for a score of ten the block is moved opposite the zero and turned so that the ten and down arrow face outwardly. The total scores of eleven through nineteen are indicated by moving the scoring marker downwardly to the position desired on the right hand row of numerals and adding ten as indicated on the scoring marker. Other scores up to and including thirty-nine may be recorded in a like manner.

Also mounted on the outer face of the target panel retaining member lid is reference indicia 24 having two series of numerals from zero to three for the scoring markers 2d and 21. This part of the scoring means for the dart board may be utilized to indicate the total number of games won by each of the two players. The marl ers 20- and 21 may also have the faces thereof numbered from zero to three and utilized in the same manner as the markers 18 and 19. Thus the player represented by the marker 20 has won five games while the player using the marker 21 is shown to have won one game in Figure l of the drawing.

It should be understood that the illustrated reference indicia are meant to be exemplary only since almost an infinite number of scoring arrangements could be utilized with the scoring means of the present invention. It is also contemplated that the rows of numerals comprising the various reference indicia and the numbers on the scoring markers will be of different colors to facilitate recognition and manipulation of the scoring markers.

As hereinbefore indicated the string 16 is always under tension and this provides sufficient force to hold the scoring markers in any position, even if the dart board is suspended in the vertical position. However, the clastic band provides enough resilience so that the markers are easily moved from one position to another.

In Figure 3 of the drawing there is shown a modified dart board embodying the scoring means of the present invention. In this embodiment scoring indicia 25 and 2d are mounted on the removable target panel 27 instead of the back board it The target panel 27 is retained in its proper position by the member 12 and the vertically extending portions of the string 1.6. This arrangement has the advantage that the scoring indicia are changed with each change of the target panel so that a scoring system adapted for any given game shown on the target panel is available.

It should thus be apparent that I have accomplished the objects initially set forth by providing a new and novel dart board with integral scoring means. The scoring means itself is well adapted for such uses and serves the additional purpose of retaining the removable target panels. The score of a game of darts, or the like, is instantly determinable by the players since the scoring means is closely adjacent the target area. In addition, the scoring means also provides a means for holding the removable and replaceable target panels in position.

It should be obvious that many changes may be made in the illustrated embodiments without departing from the invention. As an example, the string and elastic band could be replaced by a piece of material which is inherently elastic and the string might be entrained around the side edges of the back board instead of down and across the forward face thereof. Reference should therefore be had to the following appended claims in determining the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A target structure for thrown missiles having integral'scoring means comprising a back board, a target retaining member mounted on the face of said back board near the bottom edge thereof, yieldable means normally under tension entrained below said retaining member and having a pair of spaced and generally parallel portions extending generally from said retaining member to the top portion of said back board, a plurality of scoring markers slidably mounted on said yieldable means, a removable target panel, said yieldable means passing over said target panel and with said retaining member holding said target panel against said back board, and reference indicia adjacent at least said spaced parallel portions of said yieldable means whereby said scoring markers may be utilized to record the score of a game.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further characterized in that target structure further comprises reference indicia on said retaining member, and additional scoring markers for use therewith.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 further characterized in that said target retaining member comprises an elongated piece of material fastened to said'back board, and the upper edge thereof being formed to nestingly receive the bottom edge of said removable target panel.

4. A target structure for thrown missiles having integral scoring means comprising a back board, a target retaining member mounted on said back board near the bottom edge thereof, at least a pair of spaced vertically extending and generally parallel scoring rails on said backboard, said scoring rails being resilient and normally under tension, a removable target panel, said scoring rails passing over said target panel and with said retaining member holding said target panel in position scoring means slidable on said rails, and reference indicia adjacent said rails.

5. A target structure for thrown missiles having integral scoring means comprising a back board, a removable target panel, means for retaining said removable target panel in position on said back board, yieldable means under tension entrained on said back board, at least a portion of said yieldable means forming scoring rails, scoring means slidably mounted on said yieldable means, reference indicia adjacent said scorin rails, and said yieldable means comprising at least a portion of said means for retaining said removable target panel.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized in that said retaining means further comprises an elongated member mounted near the bottom of said back board, and the top edge of said member being formed to receive the bottom edge of said removable target panel.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 further characterized in that said target structurecomprises spaced suspending means along the top of said back board, and said yieldable means is entrained between said suspending means, across the face of said back board and below said elongated member.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 378,242 Drude and St. Arnauld Feb. 21, 1888 764,648 Wehner July 12, 1904 2,075,134 Reimann Mar. 30, 1937 2,618,484 Bishop Nov. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 285,507 Switzerland Dec. 16, 1952

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