GB2154888A

GB2154888A - Apparatus for playing a game

Info

Publication number: GB2154888A
Application number: GB08405438A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Bainbridge
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-03-01
Filing date: 1984-03-01
Publication date: 1985-09-18
Also published as: GB8405438D0; GB2154888B

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a board (10) having a playing surface (12) contained within an upstanding rim (14), together with a cueing shaft (30) and a plurality of discs which include at least one set of distinctively marked discs (26) and a cueing disc (28), the playing surface having holes (16) for receiving discs potted by use of the cueing shaft to strike the cueing disc. The playing surface is marked with concentric circles (18, 20), a square (22) comprising about one third of the total playing area, and cueing spots (24) in the outer region. The cueing disc (28) may have a chamfered rim and may be thicker than the other discs (26). The board may be provided with foldable legs. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for game playing This invention relates to apparatus for playing a game.

The apparatus according to the invention comprises, in combination, a board having an upstanding rim around its perimeter and within the rim a playing surface having a plurality of holes adjacent to but inwardly spaced from the rim and having location markings, a plurality of discs which include at least one set of distinctively marked discs and at least one disc which is distinguishable from the discs of the set or sets, and a cueing device.

The invention thus provides apparatus for playing a game in which at least one player can use the cue to strike the distinguishable disc (the cueing disc) towards a disc of the set or sets of distinctively marked discs in order to try to cause the latter to drop into one of the holes in the playing surface, whether directly, by cannoning off another disc, or by rebound off the rim.

A preferred arrangement has a substantially square board with a hole in the playing surface inset towards the centre from each of its corners. Two sets of discs, typically eleven of one colour and eleven of another colour, are provided, together with two independently distinguishable cueing discs. Two players are then able to compete with one another in a game in which each' player strikes his or her own cueing disc in order to score points by hitting the discs of his or her set into the holes. The players may, for example, take alternate turns which terminate when no score is made, and penalites may be incurred for "potting" a cueing disc or a disc of the wrong set, or for "missing".

Initially, the discs are set up by use of the location markings. A preferred set of location markings comprises, in the central region of the playing surface, two concentric circles, which enable six discs (three from each set alternatively) to be positioned around the inner circle and sixteen discs (eight from each set alternatively) to be positioned around the outer circle.

The central region of the playing surface may conveniently be defined by a square marking outside the circular disc location markings, this square marking enclosing, for example, about a third of the playing area.

Four cueing spots may be provided outside this square marking, say about midway between the square and the rim midwaly along the lengths of the sides of the square playing area, giving a choice for the initial position of a cueing disc.

The board may be made of a material such as plastics or wood or plastics coated metal, with an upstanding rim which may be covered by a somewhat resilient cushioning material.

The discs may also be made of wood or plastics, with the discs of differing sets distinguishable by colour. The cue discs may also be independently distinguishable by colour, for example being respectively white and white with a black spot, and although preferably the same size as the discs to be potted and therefore also distinguishable therefrom by colour, could be of a different size to the discs to be potted.

The board, say a metre or thereabouts square, may be supported or supportable on legs for standing on the floor, or may usually take the form of a tray with short legs for resting on a table, lifting the playing surface sufficiently for discs to fall through the holes.

Especially when the board has legs to stand on the floor, accessible pockets may be provided beneath the holes to catch the discs.

The discs may be about 47 cm in diameter and 1 cm or just under in thickness, the holes in the playing surface having a diameter of about 8 to 10 cms.

The cueing device may be a tipped rod about a metre or more long.

The apparatus is exemplified in the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure shows one form of embodiment of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus includes a square board 10 with a playing surface 1 2 and a surrounding frame 1 4 which provides both an upstanding rim and a support which raises the playing surface above the level of a table on which the board is placed when it is to be played.

The playing surface 1 2 has four holes 1 6 inset from the corners, and markings which comprise a central inner circle 18, a concentric outer circle 20, a square 22 defining the central region of the surface, and cueing spots 24 in the outer region.

The apparatus also includes twenty two discs for potting examples of which are referenced 26, and which comprise two distinctively coloured sets each of eleven discs, together with two distinguishable cueing discs 28.

Finally, the apparatus includes a cue 30.

The apparatus, as explained hereinbefore, enables the playing of a game in which two players alternately take turns to strike a cue disc at a coloured disc of one of the two sets in an endeavour to hit the latter disc into one of the holes.

In order to assist striking a cue disc with the cue, for example in circumstances where the cue disc is closely surrounded and crowded by coloured discs to be potted, each cue disc may have a chamfered upper peripheral edge and/or may be sufficiently thicker than the discs to be potted, in both instances readily to enable cueing over the top of closely surrounding discs.

Various modifications of the illustrated and described example are possible within the scope of the invention hereinbefore defined.

Claims

1. Apparatus for playing a game, comprising in combination a board having an upstanding rim around its perimeter and within the rim a playing surface having a plurality of holes adjacent to but inwardly spaced from the rim ahd having location markings, a plurality of discs which include at least one set of distinctively marked discs and at least one disc which is distinguishable from the discs of the set or sets, and a cueing device.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including two sets of discs distinctively marked by differing colours, and two independently distinguishable cueing discs.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the board has a playing surface having a central area marked with two radially spaced concentric circles enabling initial location of the discs.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the board is rectangular or square and has the central area of its playing surface defined by a correspondingly shaped marking within which the two concentric circles are centrally located.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the central area comprises approximately one third of the total area of the playing surface.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5, having cueing spots marked on the playing surface outside the central area thereof.

7. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the board has four holes symmetrically arranged adjacent four corners of the playing surface.

8. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 7, having a board made of plastics material, wood or plastics-coated metal.

9. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the board has an upstanding rim provided with resilient cushioning.

1 0. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the holes have a diameter of the order of twice the diameter of the discs.

11. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the board is provided with legs, which may be foldable, on its underside, being legs of short length to lift the board sufficiently above the surface of a table on which the board stands to permit discs falling through the holes to be retrieved.

1 2. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the board is supported or supportable on legs which stand on the floor and is provided with accessible disc-catching pockets beneath the holes.

1 3. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the cueing device is a tipped cueing shaft.

14. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the or each cueing disc has a chamfered rim.

1 5. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the or each cueing disc is thicker than the distinctively marked discs of the set.

16. Apparatus for playing a game, comprising a rectangular or square board having a playing surface confined within a peripheral rim upstanding from the board, two pluralities of discs which each include a set of distinctively marked discs and an independently distinguishable cueing disc, the playing surface having four disc-receiving holes similarly located adjacent each corner of the playing surface but inwardly of the rim, and the playing surface also having markings for initial location of the discs, and at least one cueing shaft.

1 7. Apparatus for playing a game substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.