GB2165763A - Apparatus for playing a game of chance - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a display grid 10 having a plurality of symbols 11 printed thereon and at least one checking mask 14 for placing on the display grid, the checking mask having a number of apertures 15 contained therein so as to reveal certain of the symbols. Locating means 12, 13 comprises lines printed on the display grid for locating with the corners of the mask to assure correct relative location of the mask and grid. The mask may have the apertures cut therein or may be of transparent material rendered opaque over an area thereof by printing with one or more transparent "apertures" left unprinted. Instead of being in grid form, the symbols may be spread in a circular, triangular or polygonal display and the mask also may be other than square. The mask may be located in a number of different orientations relative to the display (e.g. a triangular mask may be turned through 60 DEG ), or may be reversed, so as to provide further attempts at winning a prize by revealing a preselected set of symbols. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Game of chance The present invention is a game of chance, of the general type in which a prize may be won or not as determined by the alignment or correlation of assorted symbols, for example pictures, letter or figures.

Games in the above category have become increasingly popular in recent years and may be used wholly for cash raising lottery purposes, in which the contestants buys his chance in some printed form, or for the purpose of promoting sales of a particular product, for example a newspaper or soap powder, entry to the contest then usually being free to the contestant, perhaps when purchasing the product. While the size of the highest prize or the number of prizes obviously influence potential contestants, the nature of the game itself is also an important factor influencing a potential contestant's decision whether to enter the contest or not. For this reason, much thought has been devoted to devising contests which are sufficiently increasing or ingenious to attract large numbers of contestants.

An object of the present invention is to provide a game of chance of considerable interest to potential contestants and which lends itself to taking a wide variety of forms of differing degrees of complexity.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for playing a game of chance, comprising a display grid having a plurality of symbols represented thereon, at least one checking mask having a one or more apertures therein for placing on the display grid, and locating means for placing the checking mask on the display grid in at least one position of predetermined relative location to reveal the display grid through the or each aperture.

In its very simplest form, the invention may be a printed grid having a plurality of different symbols and a checking mask with a single aperture therein such that, when the grid and the checking mask are properly superimposed, whether or not a prize is won is determined by whether or not a symbol, or a specific symbol, is visible through the aperture.

However it is much preferred that the invention take a less simple form.

In one embodiment of the invention, a single standardised checking mask is used and each contestant has a different display grid, or one of a number of different display grids. Thus, for example, the checking mask may be given away with a specific product or range of products or incorporated in the wrapping thereof. However, a much better arrangement is for the display grid to be standardised among the contestants and for each contestant to have a different checking mask or one of a number of different checking masks.

The display grid may be of any desired degree of complexity but is characterised by having a plurality of different symbols. The symbols may be presented in regular lines making up a symmetrical display or as an apparently arbitrary or random collection within a given area. Thus a grid of, say, sixty symbols may be presented as a rectangular display consisting of six lines of ten symbols; a grid of, say, thirty six symbols may be presented as a square display; in another form, the symbols may be symmetrically spread in a generally circular, triangular or polygonal display.

The checking mask has one or more apertures, as indicated. Preferably the mask has two or more apertures, more preferably a larger number of apertures, for example five or seven apertures. The mask itself may be blank (that is, undecorated) or may have promotional material printed thereon and/or may have a decorated picture and the position of the apertures may be related in some way to any material printed thereon or may be unrelated thereto,.

The checking mask may take the form of a sheet of cardboard or of plastics material, generally opaque but with one or more apertures cut through the material of the card. In a preferred form, the checking mask is of a transparent material, rendered opaque over an area thereof by printing but having one or more transparent apertures left unprinted in the printed area. Suitable such materials include transparent synthetic plastics materials, for example polyvinyl chloride, cellulosic materials such as that sold under the registered trade mark "Cellophane", and transparent papers such as are used for tracing and similar purposes.

The locating means may be structural or visual or a combination of the two. For example, the symbols and the apertures may be disposed a set distance from an edge of the display grid and checking mask respectively and the grid and mask may then be superimposed in the desired position by aligning their edges. Alternatively, visual indicators, for example printed dots or lines, may be provided on both the grid and the mask for locating purposes. As another alternative, an edge of the checking mask, for example, may be aligned with one of more markings associated with the display grid in order to locate the mask and grid in the desired position or predetermined relative location.

The checking mask and display grid may be of generally similar shape or may be of different shape and/or dimension. Particularly where one or both of them islare of the same dimension in two or more different directions, it may be desired to permit two or more different locating positions, thus giving two or more attempts in each contest for a single combination of mask and grid. For example, a square checking mask may be turned through ninety degrees of arc to afford a second and possibly subsequent attempts at winning a prize; a triangular mask may be turned through sixty degrees; and a circular checking mask may be turned by any desired pre-determined angle up to 180 degrees. Further attempts may be permitted by reversing the mask, that is by turning it over and observing the symbols through the other side of the apertures.

Further complexities may be introduced, in order to increase the difficulty of winning a prize or to increase the number of attempts, by including in the display grid symbols which are of similar shape but of different colours. For further complexity, a plurality of different checking masks may be superimposed on a single display grid, such that the winning of a prize entails the aligning of appropriate symbols with aligned apertures of different masks.

In using the game of chance purely as a lottery, the contestant may buy a checking mask and then place the mask against a display grid retained by the organiser. Alternatively, the mask and standardised grid may be sold together, either as an integral, separable whole or contained in a common wrapper.

In newspaper promotional versions of the game, it is anticipated that each contestant will have a personal checking mask, which may be unique or may be one of several different masks, and the display grid will be printed in the newspaper. It is then possible for a different grid to be printed in each desired edition of the newspaper The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1,2 and 3 show three different forms of display grid according to the present invention; Figures 1A, 2A and 3A show checking masks for use with the display grids of figures 1,2 and 3 respectively, and, Figures 1 B, 1 C, 2B, 2C and 3B show the display grids and checking masks of the above figures superimposed in various orientations.

In figure 1 is shown a display grid 10 in the form of a square card having printed thereon a square array 11 of symbols each representing an amount of money. Two corner markings 12 and 13 are also printed on the display grid 10 to aid in locating a checking mask accurately over the grid. A checking mask 14 suitable for use with the display grid 10 is illustrated in figure 1A. The checking mask 14 is in the form of a square of light cardboard having seven apertures 15 cut through it. As an alternative, the mask 13 may be of polyvinyl chloride, printed in black or other opaque ink where unprinted apertures have been left clear.

To see whether a prize has been won, the contestant places the mask 13 over the grid 10 with its corners aligned with the locating markings 12 and 13, as illustrated in figure 1 B. Because the value symbols visible through the apertures 15 are not all alike, no prize has been won. The contestant is allowed further entries by rotating the mask through ninety degrees, for example anti-clockwise to the position illustrated in figure 1C. In that position of the checking mask, all the visible symbols show the 500 symbol, indicating that a prize to that value has been won.

A second form of display grid and a suitable checking mask for use with it are illustrated in figures 2 and 2A respectively. The display grid 20 has a rectangular display 21 of capital letters printed thereon. The checking mask 22 comprises a thin sheet 23 of polyvinyl chloride mounted in a frame 24 of light card. The sheet 23 has been printed with opaque black ink except for five small rectangular areas forming the apertures 25, which are left clear.

The display grid 20 and checking mask 22 are of identical size and shape.

To play the game, the mask 22 is placed accurately over the grid 20 with their respective edges in alignment, as in figure 2B for example. The letters visible through the apertures 25 in figure 2B example are unrelated and show that no prize has been won. However the contestant is allowed a further attempt by turning the mask over so that its reverse side is uppermost. In this new position of the mask (figure 2C), the visible letters spell out the word "MONEY", thereby indicating that a money prize has been won.

Figure 3 illustrated a further form of display grid, which is a rectangular array 30 of pictorial and other symbols printed as a feature of a newspaper or magazine page 31. Also printed adjacent to the corners of the grid are four location dots 32. The checking mask 33 for use with this display grid is illustrated in figure 3A and comprises a rectangular "card" of clear polyvinyl chloride, rendered opaque in a central rectangular area 34 by printing with black ink, except in five circular areas forming apertures 35. On a clear border area 36 of the mask 33, four location dots 37 are printed.

To play this form of game, the mask 33 is placed over the display grid with the dots 37 exactly superimposed on the dots 32. In the example illustrated in figure 3B, all of the symbols visible through the apertures 35 are identical and a prize has been won.

Claims (12)

1. Apparatus for playing a game of chance comprising a display grid having a plurality of symbols represented thereon, at least one checking mask for placing on the display grid, the mask having one or more apertures therein, and locating means for placing the checking mask on the display grid in at least one position of predetermined relative location to reveal the display grid through the or each aperture.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 in which the or each checking mask has more than two apertures contained therein.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the or each checking mask is in the form of a sheet of opaque material with one of more apertures cut through the material of the card.

4. Apparatus according Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the or each checking mask is of a transparent material rendered opaque over an area thereof by printing but having one or more transparent apertures left unprinted.

5. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims in which the locating means is structural.

6. Apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 4 in which the locating means is visual.

7. Apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 4 in which the locating means is a combination of structural and visual means.

8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims in which there are a number of predetermined relative locations of the or each mask and grid, each giving a separate chance of winning the game.

9. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims in which the or each checking mask may be turned over and placed on the grid again to give a further chance.

10. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims in which a number of checking masks are superimposed on the grid, each checking mask having a different arrangement of apertures.

11. Apparatus according to Claims 1 and substantially as herein described.

12. Apparatus for playing a game of chance substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.