A STEM Project: Skee Ball - Making an Inclined Plane - An Arcade Game

Skee Ball - An Arcade Game

An inclined plane game with a 45 degree wedge to change the trajectory of the ball.

Skee Ball is a fun, old-time, arcade game to play. The game was patented in 1908 by Joseph Simpson of Vineland, NJ. https://patents.google.com/patent/US905941A/en It is played by pitching a wooden ball up  an inclined plane. The object of the game is to roll the ball into one of several holes. The holes have  different values based on the difficulty of placing the ball in a particular hole. The trajectory of the ball's journey up the inclined plane is changed when the ball encounters a 45 degree wedge which is another type of inclined plane. The wedge causes the ball to propel upward over a void known as a gutter. The ball can then land in one of several holes encased by a circular lip based on how much transfer of energy was exerted from your body to the ball. Nine wooden balls are pitched during one game.  The scores are tallied based on the holes that the ball has landed in.  Paper game tickets were dispensed by the Skee Ball machine to the player.  The player could then redeem the tickets for prizes.

In my Skee Ball model, the design is essentially the same as the original. However, the holes are encased with a U shape instead of a circle around each hole to allow for an easier target. 

The U-shape makes the target bigger by funneling the ball into the hole.  

I used nine 1/2 inch gum balls from a miniature gum ball machine that I purchased at Five Below.

While designing my Skee Ball Arcade game, I enlisted the help of my husband. He calculated the angle of the wedge to be 45 degrees.  Here is his three page handwritten calculations.

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Here is the PDF. I used 65 lb. cardstock.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qPWoP_dMaRrJqc9wzID_5OtZ9lc2HWiF/view?usp=sharing

Here is the .Studio file

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qn-sgCriSUnKQXTCO1rGH2uMJPVsoBoP/view?usp=sharing

Here is the SVG.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lKVrNG9nJlGcpuQY5-pYVZnTqaIoXBYU/view?usp=sharing

Fold the edges as shown above. Apply glue to the tabs and adhere the two sides together.  This will form the 1/8 in. thick inclined plane.

Fold, glue and adhere the front edge.  The side tabs are to be glued in the photo above.  Repeat this procedure for the back edge.

Glue the back edge to the inclined plane. Set this piece aside.

Make the four legs by creasing the edges inward.  Apply glue to the tabs as shown above. Fold the tabs inward to the next crease.  Apply glue to the diagonal that is created. The diagonal creates a sturdy structure for the inclined plane to sit upon.

Glue the tabs of the longer legs to the back of the inclined plane that was set aside.  Glue the shorter legs to the front. See photo above for further reference.

Apply glue to the sides of the inclined plane and the back edge as shown above.

Repeat for the other side. 

Apply glue and adhere the front edge.

The result of gluing on the front edge. Notice that there is a little overlap of the side pieces.

Crease the floor of the inclined plane with gutter partition as shown above and apply glue to the valley folds. Insert the floor onto the inclined plane (not shown). I did not glue the floor but you can glue it.

Crease and apply glue to the gutter extension.

Attach the gutter extension to the gutter tab by encasing the short protruding tab of the gutter with the gutter extension. Bend the gutter extension so that it touches the side panel.

Apply a drop of glue to the location where the gutter extension and the side panel meet.

Crease the game board with wedge as shown above.

Apply glue to the tab as shown above.  

This will create a 45 degree triangular wedge when adhered. 

Apply glue to the top edge, as shown on the right and the two side tabs of the game board with gutter on the left where only one side tab is shown.

Adhere the game board with gutter to the three locations that were glued. All of the tabs are glued to the interior of the game.

Back view, after the game board with gutter is attached.

Fold the game board with the gutter down onto the inclined plane. Make sure that the gutter is open to the sides.

Lift up the wedge and apply glue as shown above. 

Adhere to the inclined plane.

Make the game board by bending the hole extenders into a U-shape.

Insert the hole extender tabs into the game board as shown above.

Back view of the game board after the tabs have been glued down.

I used four Glue Dots to adhere the game board to the game board with wedge.

Print the numbers on a printer for the hole values and cut them out with scissors.

Glue the numbers to the game board and then frame them as shown above.

I added decorative panels to all four sides of the Skee Ball game to give it some 'old school' elegance.

Back View

Front View 

 I placed a round circle in the center of the embellishment to give a point of reference so the player could  aim the ball when pitching. 

To Play the Game:

The game should be played at eye level.  The ball should be pitched about four inches from the inclined plane while the game is placed on a table or held in one hand at eye level.

Points are tallied after pitching nine balls and the person with the most points wins the game.