GB1603506A - Playing cards - Google Patents

Description

(54) PLAYING CARDS (71) I, ALEXANDER RANDOLPH, a citizen of the United States of America of S.

Croce 1538A, Venice, Italy, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The invention relates to a pack of playing cards by which is meant a set of playing elements having front faces with markings applied thereto and intended for use in playing games. Despite the use of the term 'cards' it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to elements formed from card material; the elements of the invention may be formed of any suitable card-like material.

With a conventional set, or pack of playing cards of the kind comprising a plurality of thin opaque card or pasteboard elements of common dimensions, it is usual for front faces of different cards to be printed with different markings which identify a card as belonging to one of a plurality of first categories of cards and also to one of a plurality of second categories of cards, Such categories are usually 'suits' and 'ranks' whereby all of the cards of one first category or suit have a common feature, such as a symbol marked thereon, (e.g. a heart or a diamond), and each card within a suit belongs to a different second category i.e. has a different rank, indicated by means such as a further symbol marked thereon (e.g. a number) from the other cards within that suit. Thus categories, suits and ranks are defined.The back faces of the cards are all printed with the same decorative pattern.

With this arrangement, information as to the identity of individual cards can, of course, only be obtained by viewing the front faces and not by viewing the back faces.

According to the present invention, there is provided a pack of playing cards in which each card has information disseminating markings visible at a front face thereof, the information defining that card as belonging to one of a plurality of first categories of cards and also to one of a plurality of second categories of cards, and further information disseminating markings at at least each corner of said card visible at a back face thereof to each player of a game in which said pack is used which further information identifies said card as belonging to one only of said categories.

With this arrangement it will be readily appreciated that, it can be possible to obtain some information as to the identity of an individual card by viewing the said back face thereof. Such information can contribute to the interest or entertainment value of a game played with the set of cards in so far as an additional factor is introduced into the game, that is, in addition to the fact that a player can see the front faces of and therefore identify certain cards e.g. cards held by the player or cards exposed front face upwards on a playing table, the player can also have some information as to the identity of other cards not having front faces thereof exposed to him, e.g. cards held by a further player or cards placed front face downwards on said playing table.This may add to the skill and/or entertainment value of conventional card games or may constitute an important feature of new games.

Most preferably the playing cards of the invention will be of conventional form in so far as the materials used and mode of manufacture are concerned. Thus, the pack of playing cards may comprise a set of rectangular pieces of thin sheet material all of common dimensions; the material being relatively stiff and opaque, being formed from card or pasteboard and/or plastics material or the like, and having information disseminating markings printed on opposite major faces thereof, which major faces define the said front and back faces. Alternatively, however any other suitable materials and/or mode of manufacture may be employed.

Thus, the material may be a more rigid material such as bone, hard plastics material or the like, or a more flexible material such as fabric, paper, thin flexible plastics sheeting or the like. The cards need not be rectangular but may be circular or of any other suitable shape. Further, the cards need not be of thin sheeting but may be of a more solid three dimensional nature. As will become apparent hereinafter, it is possible for the cards of said pack to be of different dimensions and/or to be other than wholly opaque; and said markings need not wholly comprise printed markings.

With regard to the said markings, these will most preferably comprise printed markings applied to said front and back faces by printing directly on said faces or by application of printed paper to said faces or otherwise as desired.

As to the nature of the markings, these may take any suitable form and thus for example may comprise on an individual card any one or any combination of: a distinctive shape, colour, symbol, number, word, picture or the like. The markings on the back face of each card may be identical with part only of the markings on the front face of the card or may be different but adapted to convey information related to or constituting part only of the information conveyed by the front face.

In one embodiment of the invention, the front face markings indicate a different 'suit' and 'rank' combination for each card, and the back face markings identify the nature of the suit only. Alternatively, the back face markings may identify rank only or may convey other information e.g. the category of rank (such as, whether or not a card is a 'court' card) or the like.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only.

A pack of playing cards comprises 78 cards formed from thin relatively stiff sheet material such as card or the like, the cards being opaque rectangles of common dimensions.

Each card has a front face on which is printed markings in the form of coloured numbers, symbols, pictures representative of a unique 'suit' and 'rank' combination for each card; In all there are six suits: the four conventional suits: spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds and two additional suits: pinks and golds; and for each suit there are thirteen ranks, of conventional form 2 to 10 and J, Q, K, A. These suits are distinguished by different symbols and also by different colours namely: black, red, green, blue, pink, gold respectively for spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds, pinks, golds.

Each card also has a back face which is printed with markings in the form of an appropriate decorative pattern and also with a coloured area constituting all or at least the corner parts of the back face. Different cards are coloured differently, in all six different colours being used, namely, black, red, green, blue, pink, gold, and the colours used on the back faces correspond to the suits on the front faces. Thus each spade card has a black colouration on the back face thereof, each heart card has a red colouration on the back face thereof, and so on.

With this arrangement, when a plurality of players are playing a game in which each player has a 'hand' of cards which he holds with the front faces thereof visible only to him and the back faces facing another player or players, such other player or players is provided with information as to the suit holding of the first said player, by virtue of the colours on the back faces, but not as to the ranks.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A pack of playing cards in which each card has information disseminating markings visible at a front face thereof, the information defining that card as belonging to one of a plurality of first categories of cards and also to one of a plurality of second categories of cards, and further information disseminating markings at at least each corner of said card visible at a back face thereof to each player of a game in which said pack is used which further information identifies said card as belonging to one only of said categories.

2. A pack according to claim 1 wherein the back face information disseminating markings are printed markings.

3. A pack according to any one of claims I to 2 wherein said first categories are the suits (as herein defined) to one of which each card belongs.

4. A pack according to claim 3 wherein said second categories are the ranks (as hereindefined) of the cards within said suits.

5. A pack according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein said back face markings comprise coloured areas which correspond to colours of the suits.

6. A pack according to any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein there are six suits each of thirteen cards.

7. A pack of playing cards substantially as hereinbefore described by way of example.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. sheeting but may be of a more solid three dimensional nature. As will become apparent hereinafter, it is possible for the cards of said pack to be of different dimensions and/or to be other than wholly opaque; and said markings need not wholly comprise printed markings. With regard to the said markings, these will most preferably comprise printed markings applied to said front and back faces by printing directly on said faces or by application of printed paper to said faces or otherwise as desired. As to the nature of the markings, these may take any suitable form and thus for example may comprise on an individual card any one or any combination of: a distinctive shape, colour, symbol, number, word, picture or the like. The markings on the back face of each card may be identical with part only of the markings on the front face of the card or may be different but adapted to convey information related to or constituting part only of the information conveyed by the front face. In one embodiment of the invention, the front face markings indicate a different 'suit' and 'rank' combination for each card, and the back face markings identify the nature of the suit only. Alternatively, the back face markings may identify rank only or may convey other information e.g. the category of rank (such as, whether or not a card is a 'court' card) or the like. One embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only. A pack of playing cards comprises 78 cards formed from thin relatively stiff sheet material such as card or the like, the cards being opaque rectangles of common dimensions. Each card has a front face on which is printed markings in the form of coloured numbers, symbols, pictures representative of a unique 'suit' and 'rank' combination for each card; In all there are six suits: the four conventional suits: spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds and two additional suits: pinks and golds; and for each suit there are thirteen ranks, of conventional form 2 to 10 and J, Q, K, A. These suits are distinguished by different symbols and also by different colours namely: black, red, green, blue, pink, gold respectively for spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds, pinks, golds. Each card also has a back face which is printed with markings in the form of an appropriate decorative pattern and also with a coloured area constituting all or at least the corner parts of the back face. Different cards are coloured differently, in all six different colours being used, namely, black, red, green, blue, pink, gold, and the colours used on the back faces correspond to the suits on the front faces. Thus each spade card has a black colouration on the back face thereof, each heart card has a red colouration on the back face thereof, and so on. With this arrangement, when a plurality of players are playing a game in which each player has a 'hand' of cards which he holds with the front faces thereof visible only to him and the back faces facing another player or players, such other player or players is provided with information as to the suit holding of the first said player, by virtue of the colours on the back faces, but not as to the ranks. It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A pack of playing cards in which each card has information disseminating markings visible at a front face thereof, the information defining that card as belonging to one of a plurality of first categories of cards and also to one of a plurality of second categories of cards, and further information disseminating markings at at least each corner of said card visible at a back face thereof to each player of a game in which said pack is used which further information identifies said card as belonging to one only of said categories.

2. A pack according to claim 1 wherein the back face information disseminating markings are printed markings.

3. A pack according to any one of claims I to 2 wherein said first categories are the suits (as herein defined) to one of which each card belongs.

4. A pack according to claim 3 wherein said second categories are the ranks (as hereindefined) of the cards within said suits.

5. A pack according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein said back face markings comprise coloured areas which correspond to colours of the suits.

6. A pack according to any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein there are six suits each of thirteen cards.

7. A pack of playing cards substantially as hereinbefore described by way of example.