GB2116053A - Dart board - Google Patents

Abstract

A dart board has target areas representing aspects of the game of billiards or snooker (Figure 1) or golf (Figure 2). In the Figure 1 arrangement, when a ball-representation is hit and is not to be available again in the game, this can be indicated by a marker pin, or by a cap which can be fitted over the ball-representation, or by removing the ball-representation from the board, or by turning the ball representation over or by automatically energizing a light when the ball-representation is hit. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Dart board The invention relates to dart boards.

The conventional dart board is well known. It exhibits a circular dart-receiving surface about which are based a number of target zones each of which, when hit, gives to the player who hit it a predetermined score. The target zones are spaced about the board in a radial and circumferential succession and the score secured by hitting the radially outermost zones is marked adjacent each of those respective zones.

The invention is concerned with dart boards whose dart-receiving surface is marked out in a way which differs radically from that of the conventional dart board and which are intended for use in playing a game whose rules also differ radically from that of the conventional game of darts.

A dart board embodying the invention has spaced about its dart-receiving surface a number of target zones each of which the players aim to hit and each of which, when hit, gives to the player who hits it a pre-determined score; but the zones, instead of being score-marked, and spaced about the board in radial and circumferential succession, as for a conventional game of darts, are spaced about the board in a non-circumferentially-successive pattern; each zone represents or is marked with a score value equal to or based on that of a respective one of the balls used in the conventional full-sized game of snooker or billiards, or represents a respective one of the holes of a golf course; the dart-receiving surface of the board is coloured or otherwise marked to represent the playing surface of a snookertable or a billiard table, orthe layout of a golf course; and the board is intended to be used in accordance with rules which specify an order in which certain zones (or each zone) may be hit if the hit is to count as a score and which also specify that some, if not all, of the zones may be hit no more than a pre-determined maximum number of times (for example, once) in any one game if the or each such hit is to count as a score.

Such a dart board can be used in accordance with rules based substantially on the full-sized game of snooker or billiards, or golf. In the first case the target zones can be marked and spaced about the board to represent respective red and coloured balls of the full-sized game with the players' darts representing the white ball. Scoring can be as in the full-sized game, with points being awarded every time one of the zones is hit and rules specifying that some (for example, the 'colours') of the ballrepresenting target zones may only be hit in a pre-determined order if the hit is to count as a score.

In the second case the target zones each represent a hole of a golf course, the order in which the "holes" may be attacked is laid down by the rules of the game, and the scoring is determined by the number of throws taken to hit a given zone.

The target zones may for example be circles defined by hoops stapled to the board, but they could be formed separately from the board and their respective back surfaces may be adapted to adhere releasably to the board so that they can, in use, be moved about the board from one target position to another or be taken off the board once hit. For example if the dart-receiving surface of the board is a cork or a baize or bristle surface, the back surface of each zone may be barbed so as to grip it, and maintain its grip, until the zone is hit and is then removed from the board.

Where the target zones adhere releasably to the board, the grip between them may be sufficient to retain the zone, when hit, on the board; or it may deliberately be such as to allow the zone to be struck from the board by the impact of the dart or by the weight of the dart embedded in it after impact. The board will of course normally hang vertically.

The zone material for instance may be so soft that a dart passes easily through it and into the board; or so hard that a dart hitting it does not enter the board but either strikes the zone from the board or embeds itself in the zone and falls with it from the board.

The zones in the "snookerdarts" version may be coloured so as to distinguish them from the rest of the board and from each other, in the same way as the balls used in a full-sized game of snooker or billiards are coloured, but they may alternatively or additionally have thier score values marked within them or adjacent them on the board.

The target zones need not necessarily be identically sized. For example those "balls" in the snooker or billiards game with high score values may be smaller, and correspondingly more difficult to hit, than those with low score values. Similarly, "long" holes in the "golf" game could be smailer in size than "short" holes.

The zones particularly in the "snookerdarts" version, may have removable caps which are.fitted when a zone is hit and which then effectively blank off the zone temporarily as a target area. The front surface of each cap may for example be the same colour as the rest of the dart-receiving surface of the board. The caps may for instance be a snap fit over the peripheries of their respective target zones if the zone peripheries are raised, or their back surfaces may be barbed so that they grip the board releasably, covering the zones, in a manner similar to that previously outlined in connection with the zones themselves.

Each target zone could for instance have both of its opposite surfaces adapted to grip the board releasably, one surface being coloured for otherwise marked to indicate a score value for that zone, the other surface being coloured identically with the rest of the dart-receiving surface of the board, so that when the zone is hit it need only be reversed on the board to effectively remove it from play for the time being.

Two dart boards each embodying the invention are shown by way of example only in the accompanying drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show the boards when viewed from above, and Figures 4 to 6 shows in detail the construction of alternative target zones. Figure 1 shows a board marked out for a game of snooker, whilst Figure 2 shows a board marked for a game of golf.

As shown in Figure 1 the board is basically rectangular in shape and hangs, in use, with its two opposite long sides vertical. It is made from cork, although it could equally well be made from compressed paper, cardboard, plastics or compacted bristles.

It is coloured green so as to represent in proportions and in colour the playing surface of a snooker table or a billiard table. Its surface hardness is such that conventional flighted weighted darts can be thrown into it and will adhere to the surface if thrown with normal strength and sufficient accuracy by a player standing the usual five to six feet away from the board.

A total of twenty one brass rings are spaced about the board and fastened to the board by fine wire staples which hold the rings in position. Each of these rings is a target zone on the board, and each represents one of the balls used in the full-sized game. The target zones are coloured red to represent the red balls. The remaining six are each coloured with an appropriate one of the colours yellow; green; brown; blue; pink; black. On this particular board the rings are all numbered adjacent their periphery. The numbers do not indicate the score values but are merely indicative of a given target zone in each case. They could indicate score values if desired.

The score values of each of the numbered target zones correspond to those in the full-sized game of snooker. Each of the red zones is worth one point.

The remaining zones, in the order of colours outlined above, are worth two; three; four; five; six; and seven points, the black target zone having the highest score value of seven points.

At each corner of the board, and mid-way along each of its two opposite long sides, 'pocket' zones are marked. Each of these pocket zones is divided into three segments. The two outer segments are coloured blue, the intermediate segment silver or white. The curved boundary of each pocket zone, and the straight divisions between adjacent segments, are again formed with brass wire stapled to the board.

The rules of the game with which the board is intended to be used are substantially identical to the rules ofthefull-sized game of snooker. To start the game, two opposing players spin a coin. The winner of the spin has first throw. Each player begins the game with a set of twenty one marker pins, the two sets being suitably differentiated from one another by, for example, colouring the heads of one set of pins black and the other set of pins white. The pins can be pushed into the side of the board for storage in a row until they are individually needed, or they may be put down elsewhere or carried by the players until they are each needed.

The first player to throw aims for one of the red target zones. The rules of the game played with this particular board allow him to select any of the red zones to begin his "break". If his dart lands within the circular ring defining the periphery of the zone, he is awarded one point and he pushes one of his marker pins into the dart-receiving surface of the board adjacent the red zone he has just hit. He can then, as in the full-sized game, go for a colour. If he misses the colour, or if he misses the red to begin with, his opponent takes a turn and is subject to the same rules.

Each player may be restricted as to the order in which he can go for the red zones, or the coloured zones, or both. Whenever a player successfully lands his dart within a zone for which he is aiming, he uses his marker pin to indicate the fact that he has hit that zone and the zone is then regarded as effectively taken off the board and out of play.

Should either player land a dart inadvertently in the blue-coloured segment of any of the pocket zones, he loses two points from his score. Should either player land a dart inadvertently in the blue coloured segment of any of the pocket zones, he loses two points from his score. Should he land a dart in the white intermediate segment, he loses four points.

When all the red target zones have been hit, and are effectively considered as removed from the board, the colours are attacked in the normal order established by the full-sized game. The rules of the dart game may specify that no coloured zones may be attacked until all the red zones have been marked as having been hit and effectively removed from the board.

As the game proceeds the points scored are marked on a score sheet. The winner may be the winner of a 'best of three' series or any other suitable series. The difficulty of the game may be inreased by rules restricting the players to stand farther away than normal from the board. Conversely for simpler versions of the game the players may be permitted to stand relatively close to the board and the target zones may be relatively large with the number of red zones being reduced from that of the full-sized game. Such a simplified version of the game could appeal to children.

In another modification, the zone areas could be resiliently flexible and could have electrical contacts fitted underneath them. The contacts would normal ly be held open but, when the zone was hit by a dart, the zone would flex inwards under the impact of the dart and would temporarily make electrical contact with the contact underneath the zone. This could then light up an indicator on the board, or adjacent the board, and the light could stay on for a predetermined length of time to indicate that one of the balls had been 'potted' by the player. The lights could be coloured to correspond appropriately with the colours of the respective target zones and the balls they represent. The necessary power could be provided buy a battery fixed to the back of the board, or by a suitable mains transformer mounted adjacent the board. The necessary electric circuitry can readily be provided by the skilled reader.

The board shown in Figure 2 is laid out and marked to represent a full sized golf course. Its construction is similar to that of Figure 1, and its target zones, which are numbered consecutively from 1 to 18 to represent the eighteen holes of a full sized golf course, are constructed in the same way as those of Figure 1. This version of the game is known as "dart golf" rather than "snookerdarts". The objective between two players is for each player to complete the course with a lower score than his opponent whereas in the previous version "snookerdarts" the object was the player with the higher score to win.

As before, the two oppoosing players spin a coin to start the game. The winner has first throw at the first hole. The contest may be decided upon a "best of three" rounds basis.

Scoring is taken care of by counting the number of throws a player takes to land one of his darts in the hole at which he is aiming. The players may decide on a handicap system, to take account of their respective levels of skill at this version of the game, before they start the game. They may also from previous experience of this game decide on par levels for each "hole" of the course.

The course is marked with various hazards such as one would normally expect to find on the full sized golf course, for example lakes, ponds, trees, sandpits. These markings are coloured appropriately. If a player lands his dart in anyone of these hazards he could either add to his own score or alternatively forfeit to his opponent by having his opponent's score reduced. In either event the idea is to simulate the effect of running foul of one of these hazards on the full sized golf course.

To make the game more interesting, and very probably more enjoyable, especially with unskilled players, there could be a rule that anyone managing to hit the roof of the clubhouse marked on the board had to stand the other player (or even, perhaps, the spectators) a round of drinks. A similar rule could be applied if a player hits the clubhouse, say three times, rather than having to buy drinks after only one hit.

In this particular version of game all the target zones are coloured white within their brass rings.

The scoring system is left to individual players; could be, for example, three points forfeited for hitting a lake or pond; two and a half for hitting a bunker or sandhill; two for hitting a sandpit; one and a half for hitting a tree or bush.

The board could be electrically wired as previously outlined so that whenever a player "holes" he lights up a correspondingly numbered indication on an electrically powered panel.

In the "golf" game, very skilled players may be able to hit virtually every target zone with their first or second throw. To cater for this, and make the game more interesting, the board could be marked with respective fairways leading one to each "hole" and respective greens each surrounding one of the holes, and the rules could specify that a player must first hit a fairway and then a green before attempting to hit the target zone surrounded by that green. This would provide a closer approximation to the 'par three" and "par four" situations of the full-sized game.

In the "snooker" game, where the zone is intended to be struck from the board on impact by the dart, the zone could be a relatively thick cork pad in which the dart embeds itself, without piercing the board, to pull the zone from the board as the dart falls under its own weight after impact.

In Figure 3, circular-cross-section brass wire is formed into a circular-shaped hoop H which is then stapled by wire staples S to the board surface to define the periphery of a target zone.

In Figure 4, the zone is formed as a circular disc D of suitable material, for example relatively thin cork, and carries barbs B at equal circumferential spacings about its back surface. The barbs enable the disc D to grip the board, as previously outlined, and be taken off it and repositioned on the board as desired.

In Figure 5, the flat disc target zone D has compacted bristles B protruding from each of its opposite surfaces. The bristles B adhere the disc D releaseablyto a similarly-bristled board surface. The disc D of Figure 4 could be similarly barbed on each ot its opposite surfaces.

In Figure 6, a cap C has an under-turned rim which snaps releaseably over the outer edge of the hoop H illustrated in Figure 3. As previously outlined, the cap C is fitted when the target zone defined by the hoop H has been hit and effectively removed from play.

Discs D of ferromagnetic material could be used a target zones to adhere releaseably to a board surface of so-called "magnetic rubber", ie a sheet of synthetic material with magnetised particles embedded in it. Conversely, the board surface could be a sheet of ferromagnetic material, and the individual target zone discs could be discs of magnetic rubber.

CLAIMS (Filed on 13 October 1982) 1. Apparatus for playing a dart game simulating snooker or billiards, the apparatus comprising a dart board whose playing surface has spaced about it a plurality of target zones representing individually the red and coloured balls of a snooker or billiards game; the target zones being spaced about the dart-receiving surface of the board in a noncircumferentially-successive pattern; and with means to distinguish, as game-play proceeds, each ball-representing target zone as having been "scored" on by a particular player once the player has hit that zone in accordance with rules of game-play governing use of the apparatus.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and in which the distinguishing means comprise a set of marker pins each individually but removably fastenable to the board playing surface adjacent the ballrepresenting zones, and/or each removably fastenable within the zone periphery, with each pin being coloured or otherwise distinctively marked so as to be associated with one particular player.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and in which the distinguishing means comprise caps which snap-fit removably over the ball-representing target zones.

4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims and in which the zones are defined by raised-edge peripheries.

5. Apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 4 and in which individual ball-representing zones are removable from the board during play.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 5 and in which

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

Claims (10)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. as "dart golf" rather than "snookerdarts". The objective between two players is for each player to complete the course with a lower score than his opponent whereas in the previous version "snookerdarts" the object was the player with the higher score to win. As before, the two oppoosing players spin a coin to start the game. The winner has first throw at the first hole. The contest may be decided upon a "best of three" rounds basis. Scoring is taken care of by counting the number of throws a player takes to land one of his darts in the hole at which he is aiming. The players may decide on a handicap system, to take account of their respective levels of skill at this version of the game, before they start the game. They may also from previous experience of this game decide on par levels for each "hole" of the course. The course is marked with various hazards such as one would normally expect to find on the full sized golf course, for example lakes, ponds, trees, sandpits. These markings are coloured appropriately. If a player lands his dart in anyone of these hazards he could either add to his own score or alternatively forfeit to his opponent by having his opponent's score reduced. In either event the idea is to simulate the effect of running foul of one of these hazards on the full sized golf course. To make the game more interesting, and very probably more enjoyable, especially with unskilled players, there could be a rule that anyone managing to hit the roof of the clubhouse marked on the board had to stand the other player (or even, perhaps, the spectators) a round of drinks. A similar rule could be applied if a player hits the clubhouse, say three times, rather than having to buy drinks after only one hit. In this particular version of game all the target zones are coloured white within their brass rings. The scoring system is left to individual players; could be, for example, three points forfeited for hitting a lake or pond; two and a half for hitting a bunker or sandhill; two for hitting a sandpit; one and a half for hitting a tree or bush. The board could be electrically wired as previously outlined so that whenever a player "holes" he lights up a correspondingly numbered indication on an electrically powered panel. In the "golf" game, very skilled players may be able to hit virtually every target zone with their first or second throw. To cater for this, and make the game more interesting, the board could be marked with respective fairways leading one to each "hole" and respective greens each surrounding one of the holes, and the rules could specify that a player must first hit a fairway and then a green before attempting to hit the target zone surrounded by that green. This would provide a closer approximation to the 'par three" and "par four" situations of the full-sized game. In the "snooker" game, where the zone is intended to be struck from the board on impact by the dart, the zone could be a relatively thick cork pad in which the dart embeds itself, without piercing the board, to pull the zone from the board as the dart falls under its own weight after impact. In Figure 3, circular-cross-section brass wire is formed into a circular-shaped hoop H which is then stapled by wire staples S to the board surface to define the periphery of a target zone. In Figure 4, the zone is formed as a circular disc D of suitable material, for example relatively thin cork, and carries barbs B at equal circumferential spacings about its back surface. The barbs enable the disc D to grip the board, as previously outlined, and be taken off it and repositioned on the board as desired. In Figure 5, the flat disc target zone D has compacted bristles B protruding from each of its opposite surfaces. The bristles B adhere the disc D releaseablyto a similarly-bristled board surface. The disc D of Figure 4 could be similarly barbed on each ot its opposite surfaces. In Figure 6, a cap C has an under-turned rim which snaps releaseably over the outer edge of the hoop H illustrated in Figure 3. As previously outlined, the cap C is fitted when the target zone defined by the hoop H has been hit and effectively removed from play. Discs D of ferromagnetic material could be used a target zones to adhere releaseably to a board surface of so-called "magnetic rubber", ie a sheet of synthetic material with magnetised particles embedded in it. Conversely, the board surface could be a sheet of ferromagnetic material, and the individual target zone discs could be discs of magnetic rubber. CLAIMS (Filed on 13 October 1982)

1. Apparatus for playing a dart game simulating snooker or billiards, the apparatus comprising a dart board whose playing surface has spaced about it a plurality of target zones representing individually the red and coloured balls of a snooker or billiards game; the target zones being spaced about the dart-receiving surface of the board in a noncircumferentially-successive pattern; and with means to distinguish, as game-play proceeds, each ball-representing target zone as having been "scored" on by a particular player once the player has hit that zone in accordance with rules of game-play governing use of the apparatus.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and in which the distinguishing means comprise a set of marker pins each individually but removably fastenable to the board playing surface adjacent the ballrepresenting zones, and/or each removably fastenable within the zone periphery, with each pin being coloured or otherwise distinctively marked so as to be associated with one particular player.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 and in which the distinguishing means comprise caps which snap-fit removably over the ball-representing target zones.

4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims and in which the zones are defined by raised-edge peripheries.

5. Apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 4 and in which individual ball-representing zones are removable from the board during play.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 5 and in which

the back surface (ie. the board-contacting surface) of each removable zone is barbed so as to grip the board, and maintain its grip, until the zone is hit.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 5 in which the back surface is bristled.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 7 and in which the bristles protrude from each opposite surface of the zone.

9. Apparatus according to any of Claims 5 to 8 and in which the removable zones are reversible on the board.

10. Apparatus according to Claim 9 and in which the back surface of each removable zone is coloured to match the board playing surface.