Automatic Age

Issue: 1936 August

P LA IN STATEMENT
FACTS «.
s
KEE
BALL
(REG. u . s . pa t . o f f .)
by
H 0 M E U E. C A P E H A R T
VICE PRESIDENT, ItUDOLIMI WURLITZER MFG. CO.
NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW.YORK
<$2
ITH so much being said and written about “ Skee Ball” (Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.), I believe
it is time that the industry should know who holds the original patents on “ Skee Ball”
— who owns the copyright to the name “ Skee Ball” — whose experience best fits them to
produce the kind of game that will have the greatest play appeal— that will enable you to
make the biggest profits as an operator.
• As you may know, last November the National Skee Ball Company, creators and manu­
facturers of “ Skee Ball” (Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.) introduced a coin operated “ Skee Ball” .
For nearly a quarter century prior to that time their business had been confined to amuse­
ment parks, where the game is operated by attendants and has always been a big money
maker.
• We became interested in the “ Skee Ball” because it was a legitimate game that could
be placed in the same category as bowling alleys . . . archery . . . bowling on the green
and other such games— and the fact that it required a certain athletic skill to play it.
This was important because only such type games are of interest to us.
• Our scouts made a careful survey of locations where “ Skee Balls” were being oper­
ated— discovered that it was making big profits for operators— recommended that we en­
gage in the manufacture and sale of “ Skee Balls” .
• Instead of attempting to infringe the patent rights of others, we then negotiated with
and acquired the National Skee Ball Company.
This move by a company as large and
successful as Wurlitzer, opened the eyes of the industry, with the result that others have
entered the business.
Page THREE
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A
P L A I N
S T A T E M E N T
OF
(Continued from preceding page)
• We have no quarrel with those who wish to enter this field. However, for your own good,
we hope that no one makes a gambling device out of this wonderful game but that they
will produce a well constructed, high class piece of equipment which will lend credit to
the industry and the game.
• However9 we have not licensed anyone to manufacture or distribute this game or any
similar bowling device. Through the acquisition of the National Skee Ball Company we con­
trol the original “Skee Ball99 patents and copyrights for the name “Skee Ball99 and “Skee
Roll99. iVo other manufacturer can rightfully imitate this game and call it “Skee Ball99
(Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.) or “Skee Roll99 (Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.) either in advertising , corre­
spondence or verbally.
• In acquiring the National Skee Ball Company, we also had another motive— namely to
eliminate guesswork and experiment . . . to build the kind of game that experience has
taught is essential to the operators’ success.
• We learned that electrical operation destroys the essentially athletic character of the
game. This is why everything about “ Skee Ball” except the lighting is mechanical.
• When the player pulls the knob to release the balls— when he bends slightly because
our game is made bowling height, he gets the mild exercise which is the basis of this game.
• When he sees his scores mechanically recorded after each ball in white numerals on a
black field, he sees it in a form that he is accustomed to seeing scores at baseball games,
football games, etc.
• When the player rolls the balls he wants the alley to feel solid— just as in bowling.
Page FOUR
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