Water target amusement device

Abstract

There is disclosed a water target sport amusement device. The device consists of a target supported by an upright, the target being pivotally mounted relative to a support housing. The opposed players are positioned on either side of the target and throw projectiles at the target. The support housing contains a pair of angularly disposed opposed nozzles which are connected to a water source. The support housing also includes spray nozzle occluding means which alternate between an open and closed position relative to each spray nozzle. The movement of the occluding means corresponds to the movement of the target which is struck by a projectile. The target includes a control bar which moves the occluding means to alternate between open and close positions. If a player is successful in striking the target, the target pivots, opens the spray nozzle and sprays the opposing player. The spray will continue until the opposed player strikes the target with a projectile to move the target into a reverse pivoted position to close the one spray nozzle and open the spray nozzle onto the opposed player.

1 . A water target game for two or more players of the type including a target for receiving contact from a projectile thrown by a player facing the target and a source of water which will spray water on one player on one side of the target when the opposed player strikes the target and will remain spraying until the sprayed player throws a projectile to strike the target and move the target in the opposed direction to alter the water sprayed to the opposed player, comprising in combination, 
 a vertical upright having a top end and a bottom end and being at least partially hollow throughout its length,    a support housing secured to said top end of said upright and being horizontally disposed relative thereto,    a support base at the bottom of said upright for holding said upright in a vertical disposition,    a water pipe extending up through said upright and having an upper end terminating in a pair of spray nozzles angularly disposed in opposed outward directions, and a lower end at the bottom end of said upright,    a source of water for interconnection to said water pipe at the lower end thereof thereby to provide water for said spray nozzles,    said support housing having spray nozzle occluding means associated with each of said spray nozzles and said spray nozzle occluding means being pivotally mounted to be movable between a spray nozzle occluding position and a spray nozzle open position,    a target pivotally mounted on said support housing and provided with opposed strike surfaces for receiving striking contact from a thrown projectile,    said target further provided with control means operationally carried thereby for controlling the pivotal movement of said spray nozzle occluding means in response to the pivotal movement of said target when struck on one of its opposed strike surfaces by a thrown projectile,    whereby a projectile striking said target will cause a pivotal movement of said target in the direction of the thrown projectile causing a concomitant pivotal movement of said control means to move said spray nozzle occluding means to open the nozzle facing the direction of the thrown projectile and remain in that position until the target is struck on its opposed strike surface and cause a reverse pivotal movement and reverse the pivotal movement of the control means and a concomitant reversal of the occluded nozzle with the opposed open nozzle thereby creating competition water sport for players playing the water sport game on opposed sides of the target.    
     
     
         2 . The water target game as set forth in  claim 1  above, wherein said spray nozzle occluding means comprises a pair of rocker arms pivotally mounted on said housing, 
 each of said rocker arms having a front end and a back end,  
 each front end of each of said rocker arms provided with spray nozzle occluding inner surface which operate to occlude a corresponding spray nozzle in the normal rest position and pivot to an open position in response to the pivoting movement of the target,  
 and each of said back of ends of said rocker arms provided with control receiving means positioned to operate in conjunction with said control means when said target is struck by a thrown projectile thereby to pivot and move said target.  
 
     
     
         3 . A water target game as set forth in  claim 1  above, wherein said target comprises a vertically elongate plate with opposed strike surfaces and having a inner end adjacent said upright and an opposed outer end, and said target being pivotally mounted at its inner and outer ends relative to said support housing thereby to be pivotally moveable in response to a thrown projectile striking one of the opposed strike surfaces.  
     
     
         4 . The water target game as set forth in  claim 3  above, wherein said control means comprises a control bar having opposed ends and mounted on said target adjacent at the inner end thereof in a plain transverse with respect to said elongate plate and positioned to be in operative synchronization with said control receiving means of each of said rocker arms whereby the pivotal movement of said target causes a concomitant pivoting of said control bar thereby to push against one of said rocker control receiving means of said rocker arm to pivot the same and move said rocker arm to an open spray nozzle position.  
     
     
         5 . A water target game as set forth in  claim 4  above wherein said control receiving means of each of said rocker arms comprises a push bar extending downwardly from the back end of said rocker arm and operationally positioned above one end of said control bar whereby the upward pivoted movement of one end of said control bar will push against the corresponding push bar of said rocker arm and pivot the front end of said rocker arm downwardly to move said spray nozzle occluding means out of its normal occluding position and into a spray nozzle open position.  
     
     
         6 . The water target game as set forth in  claim 2  above, wherein said occluding means on each of said rocker arms is formed by a blocking surface formed along the inner front end of a corresponding rocker arm thereby to block the flow of water emanating from a corresponding spray nozzle.  
     
     
         7 . The water target game as set forth in  claim 6  above wherein each of said rocker arms is in the form of a right angle bracket having the front end forming a spray nozzle occluding surface and a back end having a push bar extending downwardly therefrom and being operationally positioned above said control bar on said target and having a pivotal mounting point located between said front end and said back end, whereby the pivotal movement of said control bar will pivot one end of said control bar into pushing engagement with a corresponding push bar to push said push bar in an upward direction and thereby said rocker arm downwardly until said occluding surface pivots into an open non-occluding position relative to the corresponding spray nozzle.  
     
     
         8 . A water target game as set forth in  claim 1  above, wherein said target is frictionally pivotally mounted to said support housing thereby to prevent the free swinging pivotal movement of said target relative to said support housing and to permit the pivotal movement of said target only in response to the striking contract of a projectile thrown against one of the striking surfaces of said target.  
     
     
         9 . A water target game as set forth in  claim 1  above wherein each of said spray nozzles is angularly disposed and positioned to spray water in the direction of the thrown projectile when the same strikes and pivotally moves the target.  
     
     
         10 . A water target game as set forth in  claim 7  above wherein each of said rocker arms is provided with spring means positioned between said rocker arm and said support housing thereby to facilitate the biasing movement of said rocker arm into the normal rest position relative to the corresponding spray nozzle when said target is static and occlude the spray emanating from said corresponding nozzle.