US1141624A

US1141624A - Game apparatus.

Info

Publication number: US1141624A
Application number: US80153213A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert M Fullerton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1913-11-17
Filing date: 1913-11-17
Publication date: 1915-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 1932-06-01

Description

R. M. FULLERTON.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.11. 19.13.

Patented J une 1, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

R. Nl. FULLERTON.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV17| |913. LQLQQ, Patented June 1, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

RWM mFbHeron S inv yze Tieren.,

BOBERTTM. FUILEBTON, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 1, 1915.

Application le. November 17, 1913. Serial No. 801,532.

To all whom t may concern: l

Be it known that I, ROBERT M. Formun- ToN, a citizen of the United States, residmg at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have mvented new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a speclicatlon.

This invention relates to lmprovements 1n game apparatus and one of the objects 1s to provide a game apparatus for in-door foot ball wherein game pieces are located and positioned during play, as a result of totals obtained by chance means whlch may consist of thrown dice. L

A further object consists 1n provldlng a game board which is lined to simulate a grid-iron or foot ball field abreast of whlch the game pieces are movable in readable proximity to the lines of the field. U

A further object is to provide a dlce throwing means which is incorporated in the structure of the game board and wherein the dice are thrown and manipulated in such a manner as to be visible to the player but 1naccessible to him.

The invention has other objects and features which will be more fully described in' connection w'ith accompanylng drawings andwhich will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings z-.Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game apparatus embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 or Fig. 1. Fig. B is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a modified form of one of the game pieces. Fig. 6 is a modified form of another of the game pieces. Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing a modified form of mounting for the game piece shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a form ofv mounting for the game piece shown in- Fig. 5.

Likev characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures ofthe drawings.

As illustrated, 1 designates a board structure upon which a gridiron or football field is laid out, as indicated at 2. The distance between lines 2 represents-five yards and the distance between lines- 3 vrepresents ten yards. If desired, goal posts-4 may be disposed in the manner shown to more effectively simulate an actual field. f

The game board is slotted, as indicated at 5, longitudinally and laterally' centrally of the ield to permit of sliding movement therein of a game piece simulatlve of a foot ball, and designated at 6. The foot ball game piece is mounted for sliding movement in such proximity to the eld as to always lbe dis osed in reading proximity to the lines of whlch the ield is composed. A base 7 extends downwardly through the slot 5 and is supported by a guide-way 8 'which is pendantly hun from the board 1 as indicated at 9. Plne guide-way 8 is laterally slotted to permit of projection therethrough of actuating members for the foot ball game piece, which actuating members may be in the form of rods 10 attached to the base 7. The rods 10 project through slots 11 inthe side walls 12 of the l ame board structure and they may be provided with flattened nger pieces 13 whereby they may be grasped and shifted bythe layer.

The game board structure Iis provided with slots 14 which are laterally or marginally disposed with respect to the field 2 for movement therein of game pieces to represent linesmen, and whlch'are designated at 15. rThe linesmen game pieces are independently movable in the slots 14 and upon support l'which latter may take the form of angle strips of Z-cross section. Operating members are provided for the game pieces 15 which may consist of rods 17 adapted to extend through slots 18, flattened terminals 19 being provided for manipulation by the player.

' 1 may provide the board structure with a guide-way of the form shown at 20, in Fig. 7 a suitable filler 21 being detachably connected to the' board structure 22, by means such as ascrew 23. The foot ball game piece shown in Fig. 7 willv be provided with a base 24, shaped to fit the guide-way so asto be manipulated by the ngers of the player in gripping the ball 25. Likewise, I may provide a guide-way 26 for the modied form of linesmen game piece 27, the latter having a suitably shaped base 28. A filler 29 may be provided and anchored by means of a screw 30. By means of the foregoing modifications I may dispense with the operating members 1Q and 17, hereinbefore described. i

1t may be stated at this point, that one end of the foot ball may be distinguished, visually, from the other end, by being suit ably colored or marked as indicated at 3] Aswill be seen by reference to Fig. 5, th

linesmen game piece may be marked olf with one yard lines, as at 3 2, so that the number of yards to go may be easily determined.v Furthermore the center ofthe field is designated by suitable markin s 33 and if desired the yardage may be mar ed off throughout the length of the field.

If desired, the board may be provided with horizontal depressions 34, laterally disposed With respect to the field, for use lby the players in shaking d1ce. I also provide drawers 35 in which the dice boxes and their contents may be disposed. Endwise of the ield depressions 36 alord holders for tally sheets or pads 37 and I may elongate said depressions, as indicated at 38 to facilitate removal of the latter.

A pencil retainer means is shown more particularly in Fig. 4 and the same may comprise a chamber 39, formed by one of the board sides 12 and an extension 40 depending from the board structure 1 at a point inwardly from the side thereof. A spring, which may be in the form of a leaf 41 1s fixed at 42 so that its free end will normally retain a pencil support 43 in the position shown. The pencil support 43 may comprise a sheet of metal in strip form having one end ixed to the extension 40, as indicated at 44, and the free end 45 extendingl into a notch 46 formed in the side 12. An opening 47 affords means for inserting the pencil 48 into said chamber and the su port 43 will normally hold the' pencil therein until the -free end 45 is depressed to permit of egress of thel pencil through the slot 46.

My invention also includes an improved dice shaking means which will be .described more particularly by reference to Fig. 3.

' A dice chamber 49 is formed by the side wall 12 and a depending wall 50, the top wall of said chamber being composedof a plate of glassor like transparent material indicated at 51. The dice 52 repose upon a shaker 53, which forms the bottom. of said chamber 49, and which is hinged at 54 to the wall 50. The iinger piece 55 extends through a slot 56 in the Wall 12 'for actuation by the player. A spring 57 is connected with the shaker 53, at 58, and with the board structure 1, at 59. It will thus be apparent that when the linger piece 55 is depressed, and then released, the spring 57 will return the shaker 53 to the position shown in Fig. 3 in such an abrupt manner as to tumble the dice about on the shaker in a manner to present various combinations visible through the transparent top 51.

As in the regular game of foot ball, the game piece 6 is rst located in the center of the eld between points 33. One player then throws or tumbles the dice and this represents the kickoff and the distance which the ball is supposed to have been kicked off will be decided by the combination presented by the dice, as provided in the selected rules utilized. At the stage of the game as shown in Fig. 1, the ball 6 has just been kicked off from the end b the side X, and received at the twelve-yar line Y. The linesmen game piece is then placed in the position shown, the end y thereof being opposite the ball game piece 6. It will then be necessary for the side Y to advance the ball 6 beyond y in the four downs or throws of the dice, as provided by the rules. The game piece 15 being marked oil" with the one-yard lines, the number of yards may be easily determined. The other linesmen game piece is not called into play until the side X receives the ball through a fumble or by holding the side Y in four downs, or on a kick.

It will be seen that the game is played with chance means, which is preferably in the form of dice and that the play may be subject, in all respectst0 the foot ball rules in vogue or any special rules that may be selected, and inasmuch as I have disclosed the structure of the game apparatus on which the device of my invention is based, I do not think it necessary to further specifically detail any particular playing rules. While I have herein shown and described specific forms of my invention I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I clAaim:

1. ame a paratus com risin a ame board lied to simulate a fooIt ballgfieldg and provided with a guide-Way portion running from goal to goal, a foot ball game piece slidable in said ide-way portion and proportioned to lie 1n reading proximity to the eld markings on said board, and means extending on opposite sides of the game board for sliding said game piece, substan-v tially as described.

2. A game apparatus comprising a game board lined to simulate a foot ball eld, a foot ball game piece slidable centrally of the field from goal to goal, linesmen game pieces slidable marginally of the eld, independent devices extending laterally of the game board for operating the last named game pieces, and said first named game piece having operating devices extending to opposite sides of the board, substantially as described.

3. A game apparatus comprising a game board lined to simulate a rectangular foot ball field and having a groove extending centrally of the ield from goal to goal and grooves extending marginally of the eld, a foot ball game piece slidable in said central groove, and linesmen game ,pieces slidable in said marginal grooves, substantially as described.

4. In a game apparatus, a game board provided with a marked olf game portion having a slot, said board being provided the latter in supporting engagement with Vthe bottom of saidbase to support the ,game 10,l

piece with its upper portion in reading proximity to saidr game portion, the side walls of said guide-way having slots, and actuator rods attached to the base of said game pice at their inner ends and extending through the slots of said guide-way and said depending` sides and terminating in finger grips accessible from the exterior of said depending sides, substantially as described. 5. In a game apparatus, a game board provided with a marked oli' game portion and slots disposed centrally and laterally of said portion, said board having depending sides provided with upper and lower slots, a game piece slidable in said central slot and having operating rods projecting outwardly through the lower slots of said sides, and game pieces slidable in said lateral slots and each having an operating rod projecting through one of said upper slots of said depending sides, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereby aiiix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT M. FULLERTON. Witnesses:

HAROLD SGAN'ILEBURY, EDNA BRoY'LEs.