...that on Dec. 15, 1836, the Patent Office was completely destroyed by fire? Lost were some 7,000 models, 9,000 drawings, and 230 books plus all records of patent applications and grants.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7182704 | Automated ball game training and playing system A ball game system for training and/or play comprising a one or more playing areas suitably large to accommodate running and jumping players, each playing area including adjacent surface areas forming a court and having distinctly different properties, such as a fir... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7156760 | Movable goalie An automated goalkeeper assembly includes a track having a length; a goalie structure; and a base that supports the goalie structure on top of the track. The base has wheels and a motor cooperating with at least one of the wheels for moving the goalie structure alon... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7134662 | Washer game with an upright tube A washer game with an upright tube has two targets spaced apart to test people's skill at throwing washers. The targets are round with concentric rings upon a flat base within a perimeter wall. Score value increases as ring diameter decreases. The centermost ring ha... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7131887 | Card interactive amusement device The present invention provides an amusement device having a body, wherein the body has features, at least one motor for powering the device and at least some of the features, and an information receiving structure for receiving information from an information carryi... | 11/07/2006 |
| 6698441 | Collapsible structures A collapsible structure has a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel. Each panel has a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a fabric material covering portions of the frame member to form the panel when the frame... | 03/02/2004 |
| 6481451 | Vertically stacked collapsible structures Collapsible structures are provided having at least one lower panel, each panel having a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a fabric material substantially covering the frame member to form the panel when the frame mem... | 11/19/2002 |
| 6267696 | Basketball foul-shot return apparatus Disclosed herein is a basketball foul-shot return apparatus for use with an elevated basketball goal assembly. The apparatus includes (a) an elongated, rigid structure adapted for being adjacently positioned against the face of the backboard to receive th... | 07/31/2001 |
| 6082386 | Vertically stacked collapsible structures Collapsible structures are provided having at least one lower panel, each panel having a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a fabric material substantially covering the frame member to form the panel when the frame mem... | 07/04/2000 |
| 5842699 | Basketball game apparatus A collapsible playing section is removably attached to a player console and include casters as a stand alone amusement unit. A background includes three vertically aligned hoops, the medially one being rotated in a plane periodically out of alignment with... | 12/01/1998 |
| 5722446 | Collapsible structures Collapsible structures are provided that include arcade-styled games for the fun and entertainment of both adults and children. These collapsible structures can be easily and quickly folded and collapsed into a compact configuration. The collapsible struc... | 03/03/1998 |
| 5692976 | Collapsible support unit for basketball basket A collapsible support unit for basketball basket which allows the ball to return to the player after a shot is made at the basket so that the player needs not to run about in order to take back the ball after making a shot. It also allows the ball to be c... | 12/02/1997 |
| 5595387 | Toilet bowl arcade game The invention relates to an arcade type amusement game in which contestants compete to be the first to get a set number of balls in 15, the opening of a replica of a toilet bowl while a toilet-like seat is rising and falling. The invention provides a mean... | 01/21/1997 |
| 5556106 | Soccer training device and method of training A soccer training device that permits soccer kicking practice from one or more kicking locations and includes a generally vertical screen that is adapted to receive and absorb the kinetic energy of the soccer balls kicked into the screen. A trough is loca... | 09/17/1996 |
| 5480147 | Basketball game adjustment apparatus An arcade basketball game which has a transparent enclosure (20) with basketball hoops (40) and a miniature basketball (28) inside. A pair of inclined playing surfaces (30) join together in a peak with transparent vertical barrier (34) on top, allowing th... | 01/02/1996 |
| 5431410 | Ball target game with air-operated guns 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 bal... | 07/11/1995 |
| 5393049 | Indoors miniature basketball practice apparatus A basketball practice system comprising a backboard made of a rigid or semi-rigid material and having a generally a planar configuration is disclosed. A frame structure is secured to the backboard and helps to support a guiding net configured and dimensio... | 02/28/1995 |
| 5368293 | Pitcher training apparatus A housing is provided having multiple openings in its front wall each opened and closed by a closure positioned by a pneumatic cylinder. Each closure, when retracted from its opening, provides a target for the pitcher. A programmable controller in the hou... | 11/29/1994 |
| 5358254 | Toy gun and target set A toy gun and target set includes a carrying case having a curtain and a folding back board on the case cover thereof and a bottom chamber to carry toy guns, two target conveyers inside the carrying case and driven by a sliding rack through a clockwork & ... | 10/25/1994 |
| 5330175 | Basketball assembly with rotable and linearly displaceable hoop An automated game assembly for use by at least one player, the assembly of the type having a basketball hoop mounted to a backboard, the basketball hoop and the backboard being mounted on a vertical support, the game assembly comprising means for rotating... | 07/19/1994 |
| 5271616 | Pitching target apparatus A pitching device for training pitchers including a pitching target suspended within a retaining chamber with a collecting means located in the lower portion of the retaining chamber and a gravity return from the collecting means back to the pitchers. The... | 12/21/1993 |
| 5257780 | Football game apparatus Balls thrown at a target are returned to a player by a combination of a moving belt and an inclined delivery surface. The belt is out of reach of the player and, when stopped, collects the balls on its upper surface, stopping the game. A timer controls mo... | 11/02/1993 |
| 5251906 | Fireball amusement game A new and innovative game for the amusement industry comprises a gun which players use to guide a stream of balls to an intended target or objective. A revolving turntable feeds a plurality of balls one at a time into a tube where a motorized pinch wheel ... | 10/12/1993 |
| 5246225 | Foldable arcade game apparatus and method A portable arcade-type foldable game apparatus upon which games may be played using a ball or other such object is provided, having a framework with a support portion and an extended portion pivotally connected to the support portion so that the extended ... | 09/21/1993 |
| 5183253 | Basketball retrieval and return device A basketball retrieval and return device for use as a teaching device with a conventional basketball goal and conventional basketballs which randomly directs the returned basket-balls to a group of players circled about the basketball goal, the distance o... | 02/02/1993 |
| 5133546 | Foldable basketball game apparatus and method An arcade-type foldable basketball game apparatus upon which games may be played using a basketball is provided, having a framework with a support portion and an extended portion pivotally connected to the support portion so that the extended portion is m... | 07/28/1992 |
| 5031920 | Shot pattern checker A shooting range that has a target chamber position at the target end. A camera on the chamber transmits an image of the target to the shooting end where it is displayed on a screen of a video micrometer. The video micrometer has cross hair reticles that ... | 07/16/1991 |
| 4805917 | Basketball game An arcade type basketball game comprising a framework and basket and a gate for controlling access to the balls. The gate is mounted to a shooting window having an opening for passage of the balls. A gate bar is moveable to a position blocking the opening... | 02/21/1989 |
| 4699386 | Soccer practice machine A soccer practice machine (10) has a planar surface (14) and a delivery tube (20) configured and positioned to deliver a soccer ball (24) proximate to the planar surface (14). A blower (26) provides sufficient air in the tube (20) for ejecting the soccer ... | 10/13/1987 |
| 4667957 | Basketball retrieval apparatus A portable apparatus having a funnel-like ball collector for disposition generally circumjacent a mounted basketball hoop on a basketball court and including a diverter mechanism beneath the collector for receiving successive basketballs from the collecto... | 05/26/1987 |
| 4478420 | Soccer training and practice device A soccer training and practice device that comprises a trampoline forming a playing surface in communication with a rebounder, and elastic ball-retaining cords, supported by collapsible safety poles, enclosing the playing surface. The rebounder's sides ca... | 10/23/1984 |
| 4424972 | Game apparatus A new game apparatus including a shooting device for shooting a ball and a target when the shooting device is loaded, balls are either shot automatically by the shooting device, or by a trigger operated by the user. The shooting device includes a pressuri... | 01/10/1984 |
| 4297807 | Toy game bank A toy game bank which may be used an an amusement and educational apparatus for children, and a conversation piece for adults. The toy game bank includes a supporting base member which contains an interior chamber for coins, a vertical wall member which i... | 11/03/1981 |
| 4291885 | Ball recovery system A modified basketball game that can be played by a person confined to a bed or a wheelchair. The player throws a reduced size basket ball at or through a basket ball hoop. The ball is returned to the player by a recovery device consisting of a net deploye... | 09/29/1981 |
| 4272078 | Game ball target return apparatus and method An improved ball return mechanism for a game like golf which includes a pressurizable ball receiving chamber for receiving a ball once played through a hole in a target area, a conduit extending between the hole and the chamber, a door separating the cond... | 06/09/1981 |
| 4226423 | Game having illustration-bearing projectile A game apparatus is disclosed including a generally vertically extending playing surface including front and back walls, a projectile launching station, and a projectile receiving station. The front wall of the apparatus bears partial or incomplete illust... | 10/07/1980 |
| 4225140 | Target-type shooting toy A target-type shooting toy having a target area in the rear of a housing and a transparent front wall having a swivel socket in the lower portion to mount swivelly a projectile guide member including a barrel and a projectile return channel, a handle and ... | 09/30/1980 |
| 4215867 | Targets and gated firing guns for propelling balls thereto An arcade amusement gun of the type which pneumatically shoots a rubber ball toward a hollow target with each pull of the trigger is gated by a master control so that its firing rate is the same as the other arcade amusement guns in a grouping of such gun... | 08/05/1980 |
| 4213612 | Shiftable game target and projectile launching device for actuating same A competitive action game includes a playing field which is inclined downwardly from its center to first and second player stations at opposite ends. Shooting assemblies are positioned at the player stations to shoot projectiles at one of two targets moun... | 07/22/1980 |
| 4190250 | Game apparatus A game apparatus for the enjoyment of both young and old alike. The game is played on a sloping table wherein a ball is bounced off a launch board at one end of the table on to a portion of carpet for reducing the velocity of the ball. If the ball is accu... | 02/26/1980 |
| 4185824 | Ball launcher with finger spin loading An arcade amusement gun for pneumatically shooting rubber balls toward a hollow target from which the balls are automatically returned to the gun, including apparatus for automatically loading one ball at a time from beneath the gun into the gun breech an... | 01/29/1980 |