GB2282106A

GB2282106A - Marking football pools coupons

Info

Publication number: GB2282106A
Application number: GB9319941A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Jones
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-09-28
Filing date: 1993-09-28
Publication date: 1995-03-29
Also published as: GB9319941D0

Abstract

A body 10 of transparent plastics with a number of rubber marker elements 15 has numbers 14 for facilitating alignment of the body with the coupon. Resilient, e.g. foam plastics, elements 13 space the elements 15 from the coupon prior to marking. The elements 13 may be retained in their grooves by double-sided adhesive tape. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: MARKING DEVICE Description of Invention This invention relates to a marking device, for assisting in the completion of "football pools" coupons.

The completion of a football pools coupon involves the placing by the player of marks to indicate those of the football matches listed on the coupon which are thought likely to produce a particular result, e.g. a draw. The coupon usually has a number of grids whose rows identify the particular matches being played at the time in question and whose columns enable a number of selections to be made of the preferred matches. Whilst it is of course possible to complete the coupon by carefully considering the likely result of each match appearing on the coupon, and marking the coupon accordingly, many people complete a coupon by marking one or more grids thereof in the same pattern every week, irrespective of the actual matches which are listed on the coupon.Such completion of a coupon is tedious and time consuming, and it is an object of the present invention to facilitate such completion of a coupon in a regular pattern.

According to the invention, therefore, I provide a marking device for assisting completion of a football pools coupon, the device comprising means for making a number of marks on the coupon and means for facilitating alignment of the device with the coupon, whereby the marks are made in the desired positions on the coupon.

Preferably the means for marking the coupon comprises a plurality of marker elements, held by a body of the device in the required positions relative to one another. Preferably the marker elements are held by the body in such a way as to be able to be removed therefrom and repositioned if required.

The body may have a number of recesses for receiving the marking elements as required. Adhesive means, e.g. double-sided adhesive tape, may be provided for assisting retention of the marker elements in the recesses of the body.

The recesses in the body may comprise a number of elongate grooves whose spacing corresponds to that of the columns on a typical football pools coupon. However, it will be appreciated that recesses of other configurations could be provided.

Preferably the marker elements are of rubber or material of like characteristics, enabling the use of the device in the manner of a "rubber stamp".

The means for facilitating alignment of the device with a coupon may comprise markings provided on the device. e.g. along a side portion thereof, corresponding to the numbered markings usually provided on a football pools coupon to indicate the numbers of the matches represented.

Preferably the body of the device is transparent to enable the coupon to be observed through the body when the device is being positioned in preparation for marking the coupon.

Preferably the device is provided with means for holding the marker elements thereof spaced from a coupon while the device is being aligned relative to the coupon. Such spacing means preferably is resilient or incorporates resilient means which is able to be overcome by hand pressure in order to mark the coupon after the device has been correctly aligned with the coupon.

Conveniently the spacing means comprises at least one element of material such as foam rubber or resilient foam plastics material, provided on a surface of the body of the device which in use faces the surface of the coupon.

A device according to the invention may be supplied to a person wishing to use it either with the marker elements already secured to the body of the device in required positions, or else a user could obtain the device with a plurality of loose marker elements which can then be secured to the body in the required positions.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention, from the front and one side; Figure 2 is a front view of the device; Figure 3 is a side view of the device; Figure 4 is an end view of the device.

Referring to the drawings, a device for assisting completion of a football pools coupon comprises a body 10 which is an elongate piece of rigid transparent plastics material, e.g. "Perspex". On one face of the body 10, herein referred to for convenience as the front face, there are a number of closely spaced rectangular cross-section grooves 11 extending the entire length of the body. On the opposite, rear, face of the body there is fixed, e.g. by a fastener such as a screw or bolt, and/or by adhesive, a handle 12. The spacing of the grooves 11 from one another corresponds to the spacing of the columns characteristically found in the grids printed on football pools coupons, on which a player marks his selections for matches likely to produce particular results.

On the front face of the body 10, at each end thereof, there is provided a respective element of compressible resilient material. Such elements, indicated at 13, may be of foamed rubber or resilient plastics, and secured to the body 10 by suitable adhesive. Along one side of the body 10, between the ends thereof, there is provided a column of markings 14 which as illustrated are preferably numbers, corresponding to and of the same spacing as the lines characteristically found on football pools coupons in the grid to be completed by a player. The numbers and lines therebetween may be engraved or heat impressed on the body 10.

The grooves 11 provide for reception of a number of marker elements 15. One of such marker elements is seen in greater detail in the inset to Figure 1; it comprises a block 16 of rubber having at one end a letter X as indicated at 17 for marking a coupon. The dimensions of the body 16 are such that it is a tight fit to be held in a desired position in one of the grooves 11, and secure retention of the marker elements in the grooves may be assisted by the provision of adhesive means such as, for example, double-sided adhesive tape at the base of each groove 11.

To prepare a device as described above for use, the marker elements 15 would be positioned on the body 10 as required to complete the coupon in the desired pattern. By application of the device to an ink pad the marker elements 15 would be inked. The device would then be rested on the coupon which is to be completed, the elements 13 contacting the coupon and holding the marker elements away therefrom. The column 14 of numbers marked on the body of the device enables its alignment with the grid printed on the coupon to be completed.

Then pressure on the device compresses the elements 13 and causes the marker elements to mark the coupon.

It will be appreciated that modifications may be made from the device having the particular construction above described, whilst remaining within the scope of the present invention. For example, marker elements of different configuration or material could be utilised, or a different means for retaining them to the body of the device could be provided. Whilst the use of elements 13 of resilient material is a convenient means for holding the device with its marker elements out of contact with a coupon while it is aligned therewith, other expedients could be adopted to fulfil this flinction, e.g. spacer members pivotable or slidable relative to the body and spring biased relative thereto.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may. separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A marking device for assisting completion of a football pools coupon, comprising means for making a number of marks on the coupon, and means for facilitating alignment of the device with the coupon, whereby the marks are made in the desired positions on the coupon.

2. A device according to Claim 1 wherein said means for making marks on the coupon comprises a plurality of marker elements, held by a body of the device in required positions relative to one another.

3. A device according to Claim 2 wherein said marker elements are removably held by the body.

4. A device according to Claim 3 wherein the body comprises a plurality of recesses for receiving the marker elements.

5. A device according to Claim 4 comprising adhesive means for assisting retention of the marker elements in the recesses of the body.

6. A device according to Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein said recesses comprise elongate grooves whose spacing corresponds to that of columns on a typical football pools coupon.

7. A device according to any one of Claims 2 to 6 wherein said marker elements are of rubber or like material.

8. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said means for facilitating alignment of the device with a coupon comprises markings on the device corresponding to the numbered markings characteristically provided on a football pools coupon.

9. A device according to any one of Claims 2 to 8 wherein the body is transparent.

10. A device according to any one of the preceding claims comprising means for holding the device with the means for holding the means for making marks on the coupon spaced from a coupon while the device is being aligned relative to the coupon.

11. A device according to Claim 10 wherein said holding means is or incorporates resilient means able to be overcome by hand pressure for marking the coupon.

12. A device according to Claim 11 wherein said holding means comprises at least one element of resilient foam plastics or rubber material, provided on a surface of the device which in use faces the surfaces of the coupon.

13. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.