US1153802A - Game apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

D. D. LOWERY.

GAME APPARATUS.

- APPLICATION FILED MAn.25. 1915.

Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

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\J'AKE c ISLAND D. D. LOWERY.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.25.1915.

PatentedSept. 14, 1915.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 25, 1915. SerialNo. 16,920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL D. Lownnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

, This invention relates to improvements in game apparatus.

The object of the invention is to produce a SimplyconStructed game board which may be used by two or more persons to play various games but is especially designed for playing the game to be known as Our Next President or The National Contest, the apparatus being of such structure that the various movements or maneuvers incident to a presidential election, may be represented. for the moves of the game.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents 'a plan view of one-half of the game board; Fig. 1 is a similar view of the other half of the board; Fig. 2 is a plan vnew of one set of blocks employed to play the game; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the other set of blocks used in the game. Fig. 4 is a plan view of still another form of block employed.

In the embodiment illustrated, the numeral 1 indicates the board which as shown, is rectangular and may. be composed of pasteboard, wood, tin, or other suitable material and constructed either in a solid piece or in sections to be folded.

In carrying out the invention, a plurality of radially spaced concentric circles 8 are drawn on the board, the innermost circle 2 of which is of a relatively small diameter and is described in the center of the board and within which is printed the representation of a five pointed red star with a representation of the White House superposed thereon and shown in white with the background within the circle shown 'blue.' The outermost of the radially spaced concentric circles here indicated at 4 should be about sixteen inches in diameter more or less to I provide sufiicient space for the free use of the blocks employed in playing the different games as will be hereinafter described.

An arrow 11 is journaled or pivoted intermediately of its ends to the center of the board and extends diametrically across the Patented Sept. 141, I915.

circle 2 with its point overlapping said circle.

This arrow is designed for use in playing different games as will be hereinafter disclosed. V

Straight lines 5 are drawn upon the face of the board at a short distance from the marginal edges thereof inclosing a square space and the outermost circle 4 is preferably spaced a slight distance from the straight lines 5 at the four sides of the board to provide spaces for the arrangement on said sides of the islands belonging to the United States.

Forty-eight radiating lines 7 are drawn upon the face of the board from the circumference of the inner circle 2 to that of the outer circle 4 providing a corresponding number of radiating spaces 8 which are segmental in shape increasing in width toward their outer ends and of equal size. spaces 8 are also colored red, white and blue with the colors alternating as shown. In these segmental spaces are printed near the circumference of the outer circle 4:, the names, populations and electoral votes of the several States, the capitals of the States being pr nted in the spaces 8 between the circle 2 and the next adjacent circle 8, with stars 9 arranged opposite each capital and disposed in the spaces between the second and third circles.

The Territories and possessions of the United States are arranged at the four corners and at the sides of the board in the spaces 10 between the circumference of the outer circle 4 and the straight lines 5 drawn upon the face of the board adjacent the marginal edges thereof, the following arrangement being preferably observed: Alaska with its population and capital is printed in the space 10 at the upper right hand cornerof the board; Hawaii with its population and capital is printed in the space at the upper left hand corner of the board; Tutuila Island is printed at one side of the board between the upper left and right hand corners. population and capital is printed in the space at the lower left handcorner of the board and Wake Island at the side between These The Philippine Islands with theirv Island printed at the right side between the House in the center surrounded by 'trict of Columbia and with all the States the Federal Government.

upper right hand and lower right hand corners. The District of Columbia with its population and Washington, are printed in the central portion of the board and inclosed by the circle 2 on the blue background.

The significance of the arrangement of the game plan on the board is with thehwllgite t e isso arranged in a circle as to point toward the White House, the national colors, Alaska" and the island possessions of the United States disposed in the corners and on the sides-which while they take no part in the nation elections, yet constitute a part of The different characters on the board such as the names, numerals, Wh'ite House and stars, explain themselves and the use of some of them is indicated in the directions.

In practice, a number of blocks corresponding to the several States, are provided and said blocks are arranged in independent sets, two being here shown, 12 and 13. All of the blocks 12 of one set are white on one face and red on the other as indicated and the several blocks 13 of the other set yellow and blue faced as indicated. On the board illustrated in the four extreme corners thereof, are arranged stars 15 which are designed to be of the three national colors, one red, one blue and two white and these stars may be employed in connection with the different games which are adapted to be played on this game board. As shown, arranged between the third and fourth circles opposite the States to which they belong are arranged places of more or less national interest, for instance in'the space designated as Massachusetts, Plymouth Rock is placed between the third and fourth circles as being a place of national interest. while inthe space indicated as New York, Niagara Falls is placed between the third andfourth circles, while in the space belonging to New Jersey, Atlantic City is placed between the third and fourth circles. In the Pennsylvania space Independence Hall is located between the third and fourth circles while in the Florida space, St. Augustine is printed between the third and fourth circles. Mammoth Cave is printed between the third and fourth circles of the space designated as Kentucky while River Canon occurs between the third and fourth circles of the space designated as' between its third and fourth circles, is arranged the Yosemite Valley. Between the third and fourth circles of the space designated as Wyomin Montana and Idaho, Yellow Stone or ational Park is printed since sald park covers part of each of these States.

In playing the game entitled Our Next President six small blocks are given to each of four players and in addition to these, one block of largersize is given to each of the players, this larger block being designed to represent the candidate and which is here numbered 14. Two of each of the six blocks known as the first and the lastblocks, are provided with any suitable distinguishing marks to distinguish one fromthe other I and also to distinguish them from the other four remaining regular blocks of each players set, and as shown, these distinguish ing marks are in the form of the figure 1 disposed on the block known as the fir'steither by using the arrow 11 or not as may be desired. ,When played without using the arrow, the player begins the game by place ing his first man which. is of course understood to be one of the blocks indicated by the numeral 1 as above described, on the board in his candidates home State, moving the block to the next State to the left. .The

first block is moved only one State at a turn and the player calls out the capital of the State as he enters. The candidate always goes with his last man and they move only one State at a turn, calling out the population and electoral votes as they leave it. The other blocks are moved two States at a turn, taking one block at a turn. The calling out of the population and electoral vote may be omitted, calling out only: the electoral vote as the players may choose.

Under the rules of the game, the first and last man cannot be forfeited. The first man is the candidate boomer and any of the other men except the first and last, may be forfeited in the following manner: If a player has a man in any one of the States and another players comes up, until he has two of his men in the same State, the first player forfeits his man, that is to say, he must take his man back to the place of beginning, his candidates home State. Provided, however, that if the first player has two or more of his men in the sameState and another player comes up into the same State with one of his men, the first player does not forfeit his man or men. If he forfeits his man taking him back to this home State, he must in his regular turn, go overthe same route as before and the campaign principle governing this condition is that if two men have followed in his track, it will be necessary to go over the same line of campaign again to counteract whatever influ ence he may have left against his candidate. It is to be observed that the man can only be forfeited when the other players men stop in the same State, for otherwise the man would not stop in any of the States where he stopped and therefore a counter-campaign Would not be necessary. If the player fails to call out the population and electoral vote, or the electoral vote as may be decided at the beginning of the game, when leaving a State with his candidate and last man, he loses his turn and must go back to the State he just left and remain there until his next turn. The significance of this is that he did not secure the information he should have concerning that State and therefore must stay to get it. When a player gets around having made a tour of' all of the States with an last, to the home State, he may by saying rover make a campaign-rover of his men which may be moved forward not more than eight States at a turn and as many less but not less than 2 as he may desire and so assist his other men to win forfeits from the other players. He may make any one or all of his men excepting those termed the first and last, campaign rovers under the same rule of procedure as that givenabove.

In order to win a game, a player must get all of his men around to the home State which is the place of beginning and this must be accomplished before any of the other players get their last man home. The extent of his winning will be the difference between the total electoral votes of all of the States and the total electoral vote of the States covered by the next highest man on the board and the winner of the game moves his candidate down into the center circle to the White House.

When the above entitled game is to be played in connection with the indicator 11, the player places his first man on the board in the section representing his candidates home State and he then strikes the indicator 11 with sufficient force to make at least one complete revolution around the board tothe "left and to whichever State the indicator points. After it has come to a full stop without any obstruction, the player places his second man in that State. Then the next player takes his turn and so each player proceeds in the same manner as that above set forth. If the player gets the indicator to one of his men other than the first and point to a State already occupied byany players man, he may have another turn-but if he strikes it so that it points a second time to some State already occupied, the former player must remove his man, losing it to the game, then being played and the player places his own man on that State. However, the first and last man cannot be forfeited and thus they proceed each in his turn until all of the men have either been placed or been forfeited to the game. Each player then adds up the electoral votes of the States occupied by his men and the one having the highest total number of electoral votes calls the game, placing his candidate in the central circle in the WVhite House.

While one game only has been described which may be played with this improved game board, it is'to be understood that a number of other games may be played which are controlled either by printed regulations 7 structional feature of this game board, the

importance of the information contained thereon especially to the young who will easily acquire it underthe fascination of the game, and the caution necessary to be exercised to prevent forfeiture and losses of turns, should be emphasized. Moreover, this game board conveys a purely and intensely American idea and has together with its instructional features, all of the amusement features of other games.

I claim as my invention 1. A game apparatus of the class described embracing a game board having radiating lines drawn upon its face to provide spaces to correspond in number with the several States, said spaces being in alternating colors of red, White, and blue, and blocks corresponding in number with the several States, said blocks bearing distinguishing matter to divide them into a number of separate or independent groups.

2. A game apparatus of the class described comprising a game board having several States said spaces being in the alternating colors of red, white and blue, an arrow pivoted to the center of the board to register with either of the respective faces and blocks to correspond in number with the spaces, the blocks being of different colors to divide them into separate independent groups.

3. A game apparatus of the class described embracing a flat game board having radiating lines drawn upon its face to provide radiating'spaces to correspond in number with the several States, said spaces being in alternating colors of red, white and blue, and each of the spaces having printed in it the name, population, electoral vote and capital of one of the States, an arrow pivoted to the board to register with either of the respective spaces, and blocks to correspond in number with said spaces, the blocks being of different colors to divide them into a number of independent groups.

4. A game apparatus of the class described embracing a flat game board having radiating lines drawn upon its face to provide radiating spaces to correspond in number with the several States, said spaces being in alternating colors of red, white and blue, and each of the spaces having printed in it the name, population, electoral vote and capital ofone of the States, and some of said spaces having printed in them places of national interest according to'the States in which said places are located.

5. A game board having inscribed thereon a plurality of spaced concentric circles increasing in size toward the outer edge of the board, a plurality of lines radiating from the central circle to provide spaces corresponding in number with the several States, said spaces being in alternating colors of red, white, and blue, and blocks bearing distinguishing matter to divide them into independent groups.

6. A game board having inscribed thereon a plurality of spaced concentric circles increasing in size toward the outer edge of the board, a plurality of lines radiating from the central circle, a'star with the representation of the White House thereon arranged within said central circle, said spaces corresponding in number to the several States and having printed thereon the names, population, electoral votes, capital and points of interest' in the respective States.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL D. LOWERY.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. HALLMAN, FRANK S. WETMAN.

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