Did You Know...
...that in the early 1940s GE engineer James Wright was charged with a task of utmost importance to the war effort: develop a cheap substitute for rubber that could be used to produce tires, gas masks and a whole host of military gear. Wright tackled the task diligently -- and wound up inventing Silly Putty.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7334541 | Animal behavior shaping device A device for shaping the behavior of an animal using a behavior marking and reward delivery system is provided. The compact behavior shaping device includes a battery, a trigger assembly, a receiver, a spring assembly, and a bore assembly, and is capable of storing ... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7213724 | Table tennis ball delivery device A table tennis ball delivery device adapted to be secured to or adjacent the side of a table tennis table for directing a ball to a player upon the activation of a switch by the player. The device includes a chamber for carrying a supply of table tennis balls, a bal... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7201373 | Pinball trough repair sleeve and method A pinball repair sleeve for repairing the damage bottom surface of a pinball trough has a first section having a flat, smooth upper surface. Extending from the first section are two elongated arm components forming a V-configuration. The inward edges of the upper su... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7198572 | Slot driven video story A gaming system includes a network server connected to a plurality of gaming devices that are adapted to provide a video payout on each play based on a set of payout parameters. Memory at each gaming device stores payout parameters that correspond to each possible g... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7192352 | System and method for facilitating play of a video game via a web site A method and system for operating a video game or video game tournament (e.g., via a Web site) is disclosed. In accordance with the method and system a bonus is provided to a player playing the video game or participating in the video game tournament. In some embodi... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7131647 | Casino pinball game A gaming unit having a pinball game and a casino game. Once a predetermined score is reached by playing the pinball game, the casino game is initiated. During the casino game, the player has the opportunity to win a monetary bonus. The pinball game continues, during... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7127933 | High speed resiliometer An apparatus and method for testing the physical properties of a material is disclosed. Preferably, the physical properties that may be tested include, but are not limited to, the COR of a material. Accordingly, the apparatus includes a projectile that may be capabl... | 10/31/2006 |
| 7040619 | Game machine A game machine comprises a display section that displays a gaming image thereon, and a game board that is formed to be capable of having gaming parts fixed thereto, and is disposed on a front side of the display section, such that game balls are movable on a front s... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7034490 | Motor positioning servo loop using oversampling bitstream DAC A Hard Disk Drive VCM positioning servo loop comprises an oversampling bitstream Digital to Analog converter. The oversampling DAC is a sigma-delta converter which yields higher resolution and lower noise than Nyquist-rate DACs. This allows driving the VCM with fine... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7032741 | Conveyor system having a speed control chute A package sorting conveyor apparatus comprising: a conveying track; a conveyor chute downstream from said conveying track; a speed control device for controlling the speed of packages in said chute; and at least one unloading station downstream from said conveyor ch... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7004837 | Cashless gaming apparatus, system, and method of use The invention comprises methods and apparatus for modifying or converting a gaming machine to permit fully cash-less or optional cash-less transactions in a manner which avoids changing the existing firmware or software of the gaming machine. In an optional cash-les... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6641136 | Sports pinball amusement device A sports game pinball amusement device for playing a sports game. The playing field contains a plurality slots with sensors for determining the activity in a game and a multiplicity of slots with sensors representing the final. The game is played by launc... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6419226 | Drop slot game machine The present invention is a game machine comprising a playing field having an upper interior edge and a lower interior edge with at least one drop zone deflector located adjacent to the upper interior edge of the playing field. The present invention also h... | 07/16/2002 |
| 6390470 | Card game pinball amusement device A card game pinball amusement device for playing a card game. The playing field contains four slots with sensors for determining the suit of the cards and at least 12 slots with sensors representing the value of the cards. The game is played by launching ... | 05/21/2002 |
| 6311975 | Combination two player pinball machine and remote control therefor A two-player pinball machine with a remote control unit for a second player. The invention includes a pinball machine having a play field including a plurality of spaced scoring bumpers and pinball striking members mounted on the play field. A pinball pro... | 11/06/2001 |
| 6299164 | Floating/dropping ball game table structure Floating/dropping ball game table structure including a ball game table and a seat compartment. The ball game table includes a serve section, a lane section and a pocket section. A starting point is disposed on the serve section for the floating/dropping ... | 10/09/2001 |
| 6279904 | Pinball machine with sloping playing field The present invention provides a pinball machine having downward and side sloping playing field and a plurality of slots at the bottom of the playing field. The slots have sensor which can be selectively activated to detect the presence of a ball so as to... | 08/28/2001 |
| 6257573 | Device for supplying/retaining/checking balls for labyrinth-type games of chance The board game (1), with the conventional pivots (2) determining the labyrinth-type course for the ball, is framed by a circumferential channel (5) in which there is a ring (8) provided with at least one lateral, internal opening (12) so that, upon the ro... | 07/10/2001 |
| 6149153 | Automatic propelling feature for pinball games An automatic propelling feature for a pinball game having a playfield supporting a rolling ball and a plurality of targets thereon, comprises a propelling member, mounted to the playfield, for propelling the ball toward the target; a ball guide for guidin... | 11/21/2000 |
| 6059288 | Retractable ball cage for a rolling ball game A ball locking device includes a plurality of posts arranged to retract into or extendabove apertures in the game playfield. In the extended position, the posts form a cage which confines a game ball therein. The posts are arranged, for example, in a circ... | 05/09/2000 |
| 6047962 | Amusement game with pinball playfield and combined flipper/four-way switch An amusement game includes a number of elements in a cabinet defining pinball play, including a playfield and flippers for propelling a ball onto the playfield. At least one control device operates the flippers and other features of the amusement game. Th... | 04/11/2000 |
| 5992848 | Vertically displaceable ramp A pinball machine having a vertically displaceable ramp play feature. The ramp moves between an upper position in which it does not interfere with gameplay, and a lower position in which the lower edge of the ramp rests on the playfield. When the ramp is ... | 11/30/1999 |
| 5944309 | Illuminable ramp assembly for a pinball game An illuminable ramp assembly for a pinball game having a playfield supporting a rolling ball thereon comprises an elongated molded plastic housing and a ball ramp extending alongside the housing. The housing encloses a power supply, a gas tube, protective... | 08/31/1999 |
| 5938195 | Serpentine ramp for a pinball game A serpentine ramp is rotatable about a horizontal axis between its center and its upper end to lift a pinball from a lower play surface to an upper play surface. A ball is directed from the lower surface into a ball receiving portion in the lower end of t... | 08/17/1999 |
| 5924690 | Drop target for a pinball game A drop target for a pinball game includes a movable target element operably connected to a target driver. The target driver is controllably movable in response to energizing pulses from a game controller. A releasable latching mechanism moves in cooperati... | 07/20/1999 |
| 5915693 | Jump rope play feature for a pinball game A game ball cradle is positioned upon the playfield of a pinball game. A player-controlled solenoid plunger mechanism "pops" a ball positioned within the cradle into the air. A wire form jump rope is rotatably connected to an electric motor. The jump rope... | 06/29/1999 |
| 5913516 | Multimode target with variable trajectory ball ramp A play feature for a pinball game features a multimode target with a variable trajectory ball ramp. The multimode target features a pair of distinct targets mounted upon the playfield of the pinball game in a rotating fashion. The multimode target may be ... | 06/22/1999 |
| 5890715 | Linkable pinball machine A pinball machine which can be electrically linked to other pinball machines to allow the machines to communicate. Features on the pinball machines are synchronized to make gameplay more attractive to players. Cooperative or competitive gameplay can be pr... | 04/06/1999 |
| 5833236 | Wrecking ball play feature for a pinball game A wrecking ball play feature for a pinball game includes a crane disposed upon the playfield of the pinball game. A wrecking ball is suspended from the crane by a cable so that it may be impacted by a game ball rolling upon the playfield. After being stru... | 11/10/1998 |
| 5806851 | Interactive play for a pinball game An interactive play feature for a pinball game includes a shooting position on an inclined playfield and a target spaced apart from the shooting position. A shooting mechanism is responsive to input from a player for propelling a game ball from the shooti... | 09/15/1998 |
| 5797600 | Multiple ball feed unit for pinball machine A pinball machine comprises a frame which carries a playfield, a chute and a driver for launching balls onto the playfield through the chute. A spent ball-receiving aperture in the playfield communicates with a sloped trough positioned under the playfield... | 08/25/1998 |
| 5772206 | Amusement game having a solenoid operated play feature An amusement game having a solenoid operated rotating play feature. The solenoid comprises a bobbin having a bore around which is disposed electrical windings for use in creating an electromagnetic force and a plunger disposed within the bore. The plunger... | 06/30/1998 |
| 5772205 | System to detect inoperative switches in an amusement device A system for determining switch condition in an amusement device having at least one triggering switch is provided. The system comprises a first circuit for generating a first reference electrical signal, a second circuit linked to the at least one trigge... | 06/30/1998 |
| 5707059 | Pinball game having novice play mode A pinball game is provided with a control system which enables a game player to choose between a novice mode of play and a normal mode of play. In novice mode, game play proceeds for a predetermined time, regardless of the number of game balls played and ... | 01/13/1998 |
| 5700008 | Amusement device integrating games of skill and chance A game of skill, such as a pinball game is integrated with a game of chance, such as a simulation of a board game. A micro-processor based control system permits play of the game of chance when a player achieves game objectives in the skill game. The game... | 12/23/1997 |
| 5697612 | Jet bumper for a pinball game The jet bumper of the invention consists of a body mounted to the playfield. A solenoid actuator and rebound ring are mounted on the body. An eddy current sensor is disposed about the body to detect the approach of a ball. Upon detection of the ball, the ... | 12/16/1997 |
| 5673913 | Pinball game with electromagnet A pinball game in which an electromagnet is positioned on or below the playfield. A computer-controlled circuit is connected to the electromagnet and is operable to detect and control the pinball in response to changes in the magnetic field of the electro... | 10/07/1997 |
| 5664777 | Rotary ball storage and discharge device for a pinball game A play feature for a pinball game permits the storage of a number of game balls and release of the balls at high speed and in quick succession back onto the playfield for multiple ball play. A rotor element having a plurality of vertical vanes is disposed... | 09/09/1997 |
| 5664775 | Ball-shooting game machine A ball-shooting game machine includes a vertical game board having a front side with a vertical partition member mounted thereon for dividing the game board into a game zone and a ball guide zone. The partition member has a distal upper end which is space... | 09/09/1997 |
| 5632482 | Vertically disposed multi-level pinball game The invention comprises a multilevel, vertically oriented pinball game arranged in a cabinet that occupies a minimum of floor space. Because the smaller game cabinet limits the depth of the playfield, a single horizontal playfield would not provide the pl... | 05/27/1997 |
