Did You Know...
...that while attempting to develop a super strong glue, 3M employee Spencer Silver accidentally developed a glue that was so weak it would barely hold two pieces of paper together? However, his colleague Art Fry needed the glue. Fry sang with his church choir and marked the pages of his hymnal with small scraps of paper that often fell out. He used Silver's glue to hold the papers in place. Today we call this invention Post-it Notes.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7270332 | Activity sets A play activity set including a target at which objects may be directed, a plurality of objects for throwing at the target, the plurality of objects including at least a first object with a first opening therethrough and a second object with a second opening thereth... | 09/18/2007 |
| 6669195 | Magnetic gaming device having predetermined outcomes which appear to be random A pachinko-style game wherein one or more game pieces are invisibly directed to traverse a predetermined winning or non-winning path. Unlike traditional random pachinko games, the present invention only appears to be random. By strategically subjecting a ... | 12/30/2003 |
| 6491296 | Arcade game with spinning wheel bonus An arcade game including a progressive bonus apparatus connected to a plurality of individual game units. The progressive bonus apparatus receives score contributions from each game unit to increase a progressive score. When players achieve a predetermine... | 12/10/2002 |
| 6164646 | Ball game machine To provide a ball game machine which can prevent unevenness of the drawing result by improving a way of allotting property to each of the ball holding portions provided on a wheel device, the ball game machine includes: a wheel device rotatable along a ci... | 12/26/2000 |
| 5743523 | Multi-game system with progressive bonus An arcade game including a progressive bonus apparatus connected to a plurality of individual game units. The progressive bonus apparatus receives score contributions from each game unit to increase a progressive score. When players achieve a predetermine... | 04/28/1998 |
| 5700007 | Ticket redemption arcade game An arcade game including a progressive bonus apparatus connected to a plurality of individual game units. The progressive bonus apparatus receives score contributions from each game unit to increase a progressive score. When players achieve a predetermine... | 12/23/1997 |
| 5667217 | Roll-down arcade game An arcade game including an inclined playing surface and a coin directing mechanism. A coin hopper forces multiple coins through the coin directing mechanism and onto the playing surface for each activation of a button by the player. The player can direct... | 09/16/1997 |
| 5634639 | Ball game apparatus with a plurality of different balls and winning pocket portions A ball game apparatus has a plurality of balls, a spiral rail for automatically delivering the balls, a field portion on which the balls delivered by the spiral rail can roll with a given degree of freedom, winning pocket portions and invalid pockets form... | 06/03/1997 |
| 5607155 | Pivoted player-tiltable games table This invention comprises a games apparatus on which a game involving strength, skill and agility is playable by two or more opposing players who, in playing the game, must struggle against one another as they attempt to score points by directing a playing... | 03/04/1997 |
| 5509655 | Flipped ball game apparatus The present invention includes a ball shooting mechanism for shooting a PACHINKO ball into a play field, a variable display apparatus capable of variably displaying a plural kinds of identification information, and a starting condition determining means f... | 04/23/1996 |
| 5492325 | Math game device A game device has a flat, circular bottom wall with a plurality of ball-receiving wells formed in it and a transparent dome-shaped cover that captures a plurality of balls within the device. Some of the wells have a number shape, and each of those wells a... | 02/20/1996 |
| 5443259 | Game apparatus including basketball, pinball, and target bowling A game apparatus combines pinball, target bowling and basketball games in a single combined assembly, with a common scorekeeping and control system. The game apparatus includes a basketball rim and backboard support post that rotates between an upright, p... | 08/22/1995 |
| 5409225 | Arcade game An arcade game including a progressive bonus apparatus connected to a plurality of individual game units. The progressive bonus apparatus receives score contributions from each game unit to increase a progressive score. When players achieve a predetermine... | 04/25/1995 |
| 5375829 | Magnetic ball flipper for a rolling ball game The player controlled play feature consists of an area on or associated with the playfield which is partially confined by a plurality of bumpers. At least one target is provided in this area and an entrance is provided such that a pinball can enter the ar... | 12/27/1994 |
| 5356141 | Roulette scoring device The play feature for a pinball game of the present invention comprises a roulette scoring device mounted above the playfield which includes a horizontally rotating wheel having a plurality of apertures arrayed around its periphery. A different point value... | 10/18/1994 |
| 5350174 | Below the playfield ball delivery system for a pinball game The ball delivery system of the invention consists of a ramp located beneath the playfield where the ramp leads from an inlet accessible by the ball in play to at least one play feature to be loaded. At least one ball is stored in the ramp at each play fe... | 09/27/1994 |
| 5314181 | Timing and talking marbles game toy A timing and talking game toy includes: a board casing have a plurality of baffles and lanes irregularly formed in the casing for running a ball in the lanes as guided or limited by the baffles from a starting point to a finishing point, a plurality of la... | 05/24/1994 |
| 5292127 | Arcade game An arcade game including a progressive bonus apparatus connected to a plurality of individual game units. The progressive bonus apparatus receives score contributions from each game unit to increase a progressive score. When players achieve a predetermine... | 03/08/1994 |
| 5158291 | Ball accelerator for rolling ball games A ball accelerator mechanism employs one or more electromagnetic coils in combination with sensor elements to accelerate a rolling ball made of ferro-magnetic material. As a ball approaches the coil, it operates the sensor applying a DC current pulse to t... | 10/27/1992 |
| 5131655 | Flipped ball game apparatus A flipper ball game apparatus includes: a ball shooting mechanism for shooting a ball into a playfield; starting condition determiner for determining satisfaction of game starting conditions satisfied by operation of a start button by a player under such ... | 07/21/1992 |
| 5074558 | Matrix address decoder for pinball games A matrix address decoder for rolling ball games performs decoding of a sequential identification number and a base address into an offset address corresponding to a memory location containing status information for playfield features or switches. The matr... | 12/24/1991 |
| 5039099 | Chip game apparatus An apparatus including a planar smooth playing surface, including a pocket formed at each corner of the playing surface, wherein a pocket is provided access by use of a displaceable door underlying each pocket. A predtermined number of cylindrical disks a... | 08/13/1991 |
| 5014991 | Amusement game The poker amusement game includes five rubber balls and a playing field with twenty-five openings in which the rubber balls may reside. A microprocessor has inputs connected to a plurality of switches for determining the location of the five balls, a plur... | 05/14/1991 |
| 5004238 | Ball-shooting game machine In a ball shooting game machine, such as a pachinko game machine having winning holes, controls for permitting the player to obtain winning balls regardless of his skill, wherein the controls effect a first state disadvantageous to the player and then a s... | 04/02/1991 |
| 4981298 | Ball diverter playfield feature for pinball machines A ball diverting playfield feature for pinball games employs a pair of abutting surfaces disposed on or above the playfield, which can be separated to create an alternate ball path. A solenoid mechanism controls the positions of the surfaces.... | 01/01/1991 |
| 4893821 | Scoring system for game apparatus A game apparatus receives tokens pitched toward it and provides a score corresponding to the number and location of tokens it receives. The apparatus includes a box-like frame (20) that carries a horizontally disposed target board (22). The target board (... | 01/16/1990 |
| 4838550 | Pneumatic ball amusement game A pneumatic call amusement game is provided and consists of players rolling balls across playing tables in which the balls are pneumatically propelled into hoppers spaced back from and elevated above the table until one of the players places a predetermin... | 06/13/1989 |
| 4630822 | Game employing top and platform A top and platform game having a platform with a plurality of cavities in an upper surface thereof, and a number value specified adjacent each of the cavities. A plurality of spherical members are positionable on the platform, and a top adapted to be spun... | 12/23/1986 |
| 4611809 | Golf putting practice apparatus A golf putting practice range apparatus includes a shooting area, a putting surface and a golf ball target hole at the down-range end of the putting surface. The golfer stands on the shooting area and hits a ball over the putting surface in an attempt to ... | 09/16/1986 |
| 4448418 | Surface projectile and target game Balls with lead or steel shot, weights, liquid or the like are pitched or rolled towards a board such as a crokinole or naughts and crosses board and remain relatively stationary once they have landed. The board is upwardly inclined and contains dividers ... | 05/15/1984 |
| 4426081 | Drop target apparatus The drop target apparatus includes a frame for attachment to the underside of the playfield board of a pinball game. A frame carries a target member which is vertically movable between a raised position above the playfield board and a retracted position. ... | 01/17/1984 |
| 4355802 | Billiard table A billiard table having a playing surface, a plurality of pockets associated with the playing surface, ball collecting mechanism below the playing surface for transferring balls entering the pockets into a common channel, circuitry including an electrical... | 10/26/1982 |
| 4311311 | Reprojector apparatus for pinball machines In a first embodiment, a steel ball traveling along the playing surface of a pinball machine may selectively drop through apertures into one of several aligned cups resulting in movement of the cups by gravity, the closing of a circuit for scoring and the... | 01/19/1982 |
| 4212465 | Pinball game with plural re-projectors actuable by single solenoid acted upon by single switch A pinball game in which several rear re-projectors are actuatable by a single solenoid which is acted upon by a single switch for re-directing the ball toward the back of a playing surface. Each movable element includes a lost motion connection, whereby w... | 07/15/1980 |
| 4142725 | Pneumatic game with fabric interengaging elements A pneumatic game of skill in which a spherical member is propelled by means of a stream of air emitted from a small handheld air motor along a tortuous channel formed in the surface of the game board. The spherical member is covered with a special fabric ... | 03/06/1979 |
| 4017085 | Golf game A golf game is disclosed in which each player uses a standard golf putter for striking a golf ball towards a designated one of three scoring holes provided near one end of a playing surface simulating part of a golf course. Hazard holes which are non-scor... | 04/12/1977 |
| 4002339 | Poker pool game A game of skill and strategy embodying a playing surface having corner pockets and two pair of side-pockets and a plurality of balls. A cue stick and cue ball are used to strike the balls and shoot for a particular poker hand. All of the pockets have an e... | 01/11/1977 |
