US1370148A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

n. w. OBRI'EN. GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICAHON FILED JUNE 5,1920. 1 ,370,14;8, 1 Patented Mar. 1, 1921;

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J I I.ES3CQRESBYGININSQ m 1 D. W. OBRIEN.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICAT ON FILED JUNE 5. 1920.

1,370,148. Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES DANIEL O'BRIEN, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

GAME APPARATUS. I

\ Application filed June 5, 1920. Serial No. 386,696.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL W.. OBRIEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to games, and particularly to games in which a board is used having a spinner or arrow adapted to be spun by a player, the board being provided with a circular series of spaces, marks or other indications, and the game progressing in accordance with the position of the arrow with relation to said marks, indications or spaces after the arrow comes to rest.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a board so marked and ,provided with such a spinner that a similitude of the game of baseball may be played on one side of the board, while a similitude of the game of football may be played upon the other side.

A further object is to provide a' baseball game in which the" spinner, when struck, moves over the series of spaces, these spaces being marked to indicate balls, strikes, outs, base hits, home runs, and thelike incidents of baseball playing, and on which provision is made for counting strikes, the number of players who are out, and the number of balls delivered.

A further object is to provide a board for playing a similitude of football and having a spinner which, when struck, will move around a series of spaces concentric to the center of the s inner, these series of spaces being designe to indicate complete and incomplete plays, the gains or losses,

there being also a series of spaces concentric to the center of the spinner for indicating the. distance of punts, kick-offs, and the like,

the board being further laid out to represent a football field divided by a transverse line into field spaces with g als at the opposite ends of the field, and the rules being such that the spinner will indicate by its stopping at a 'y particular space an event in the game of football.

Other objects will appear in the course of g I i no two of the same character will come tov the following description.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Mar. 1, 1921.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a'face view of one face of m ame board as arran ed for la in biise ba'll; g p y g Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the pointer used;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one of the .playing pieces;

Fig. 4 1s a fraggmentary cross sectional 7 is a perspective view of the yardthe diagrams, marks, indicia, etc., for playing a game of baseball, and the other side of the oard. being provided with diagrams, marks, indicia, etc, for playing 'a game of football. That side of the board X, which I"- have marked A and which is designed for playing baseball, is provided with a circular series of spaces. These spaces 10 may be of the same extent or certain spaces may be shorter or longer than certain other.

spaces. I have indicated these spaces as all being of the same extent, and I have shown. 32 of thesespaces. Of these 32 spaces, I

have shown 8 of these spaces as marked with the word-Out, 6 of these spaces as marked with the word Strike, 8 of these spaces are marked with the word Ball, 6 of these spaces as marked with. the words Base hit, and 2 of the spaces as marked with the words Home run. Of the .6 spaces marked Base hit, 2 of the spaces are marked 1base hit,"2 of thespaces are marked 2 base hit and 2 of the spaces are marked 3 base hit. I The several out strike, ball,base hit, and home run spaces may be arranged in any suitable order, but I have so arranged them that tan ether. Thus, for instance, one of the 2 ase hit spaces is diametrically opposite one of the 3 base hit spaces and the other 3 base hit space is diametrically opposite a 1 base hit space, so that the spaces will read, for example, consecutively, Base hit, Strike, Out, Ball, Base hit, etc.

Within the circle of spaces 10 are dis posed indications of the home plate and the first, second and third bases arranged as usual on a baseball diamond. Four pieces 11 are provided as markers and represent men, and aredis osed on the base squares 12 or at the'home late 13 as the game progresses. A spinner is provided in the form of an arrow 14, which is preferably provided with a central hub whereby it may be raised off the board slightly and provided with a central pin 15 passing through the center of the board. At the upper portion of the board are provided spaces 16 for keeping the score throughout the 10 or 11 innings through which the game may run, and score markers having suitable numbers, indicating runs on them, are to be placed in these squares, or the score may be written within these squares.

On the corners of the two sections of the board are raised portions 17 to prevent the face of the board from being marked or rubbed. For the purpose of indicating the number of balls pitched, the board is marked off with a square 18 having thereon the word Balls 1, 2, 3, 4 and an arrow 19 is pivoted upon the board so as to be shifted to any one of these numbers. A like square 20 is marked on the board having therein the word Strikes with the numbers 1, 2, 3, and an arrow 21. is used to score these strikes. Between the squares 18 and 20 there is a reclar space 22 marked with the word Out and the numerals 1, 2, 3, and an arrow 23 coacts with these numerals so as to indicate the number of men out.

The game is played by two persons, each one representing a team. The game is played by the same rules as a game of baseball, except that the arrow or indicator 14 is spun instead of the-re being actual batting. To start the game, one of the players spins the arrow, and where it stops on one of the spaces 10 indicates the play. For example, if the arrow stops on Strike, it means that one strike is tobe counted and marked in the strike space 20, and so on. Ifon the next turn or spin of the arrow 14, it stops on the words 2 base hit, one of the markers 11 is p1aced on the second base, that is the space 12 indicating second base, and the little arrow 20 is turned back from Strike on the marker. The same person spins the arrow each time until three outs have been counted against him in the space 22 and then the other team, represented by the other player, takes its turn, and so on until each if thearrow stops on the dividing line between the different plays, it is a foul ball. The first two fouls are to be considered strikes.

On the face B of the board there is shown a representation of a football field. To this end, the actual field of play is marked off by longitudinally extending, parallel lines 24 and a goal 25 is marked off at each end of the field. The field is divided by transverse lines 26 at every five yards and the side lines 24 have fractional indications 27, each of these indications indicating a yard. The middle line 28 of the field is 50 yards from each goal, and each of the five'yard lines from this middle line toward the goal is designated by its proper number, as by 45, 40, 35, etc. On the 50-yard line there is formed the recess a for the stub or spindle of the arrow'before referred to, and concentric to this center there is described a circular series of spaces 29. These spaces are shown as of equal length, and I (have illustrated the board as being divided into 24 spaces concentric to .the center. These spaces are marked with words or indicia indicating gains or losses in yards. Thus, for instance, one of the spaces will have thereon the words 4 yards loss, the next 2 yards gain, the next 10 yards loss, the next 5 yards gain, etc. Three adjacent spaces 29 will be marked with the word Incomplete and each set of spaces 29 marked Incomplete are separated from the like spaces by a space marked Complete. The word Complete is applied only to those spaces where at least 10 yards are indicated as a gain, the rules of the game of football requi'ring that a player must gain 10 yards in four downs or lose the ball. Therefore, if the pointer stops on any of those spaces designated Complete, the player has gained at least 10 yards so that there is no question of the gain having been made in four. downs, that is there is no question of loss of the ball. The spaces 29 are separated from each other by radial lines '30, which also play a part in the game, as will appear later.

Extending from one of these radial lines to another of these radial lines are a plurality of chordal lines 31 which are of equal length. There are 8 of these lines 31 and the spaces defined by these lines have their numerals and words indicating the distance traversed by a ball on kick-offs and punts.

'Thus, for instance, two of these lines 31 ciated with each of the spaces 29 are'relatively short, distinctive, circumferentially extending lines designated 32. These are for drop kicks, and in pla ing the game are to be considered with the line 31, with which an% particular line 32 is associated.

n one corner of the board a space 33 is left for the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4 and the word Downs, and an arrow 34 is mounted at this place so that it may be moved to indicate. any one of the numerals. There are two of these spaces 33 and two of the arrows 34 disposed at diagonally opposite portions of the board for the two players. A playing piece 35 is used in the form of a football having an indicating point 36 at one end for convenience in disposing the ball on the proper line, and also used in connection with the game is a yard stick or measure 37 divlded by graduations into yard lengths.

The game is played by two persons and may be played in quarters or halves, as desired. he players are supposed to be the captains of the rival teams and each must name his play before the arrow 14 is spun. The player can use straight football, forward passes, punts, or if near enough can try for a field goal. Each of the spaces 29 is markedofi for straight football and forward passes. The8 lines 31 are marked for kick-offs and punts, and if the indicator stops on one of the lines 30 separating the spaces when kicking, the kick is supposed to be blocked and the player loses the ball. The lines 32 which are associated with each space 29 are used when drop kicks are made or when kicking goal after touch downs. Each player has to gain 10 yards in four downs or lose the ball.

In order to start to play, the placed on one of "the 45-yard lines and is supposed to be moved toward the adversarys goal. The arrow 14 is then spun, and if the arrow stops, for instance, on the line 31 marked 940 yards, the ball is supposed to have been kicked 40 .yards and, of

course, gone into the hands of the other la er. Therefore the other player laces t he b'all 35 on bi owii 15-yard .line He then spins the arrow, previously stating his play, and has four downs (that is four spins of the arrow) in order to make 10 yards. If a player finds himself too near his own goal, he can kick or punt'out of danger on the first down. A touch-down is made by playing the ball over the opponents goal line and counts 6 points, after which the player spins the arrow again and if it stops on one, of the heavy lines 32, it counts 1 more point. 'A drop kick is made by sp1nningthe arrow and having itstop on one.

ball 35 is the centerv of either 'face of the board having game scoring have to stop in a 40 or 50-yard space andalso on the line 32 inorder to make this drop kick count. If the arrow should stop onthe 20 or 30-ya rd line, assuming that the player is kicking from a 35-yard line, the

opponent will start the'ball from there.

In this game, a touch down counts 6 points, a goal-after a touch down 1 point, a drop kick or field kick 3 points, and a touch back counts 2 points. If the arrow stops on one of the radial linesv 30, the player is penalized 5 to 15 yards, as may be decided on. A touch back is made by a player losing enough yards to put him back over hisv owngoal line and counts two points for the opponent. If a punted ball goes over the goal line, it is tobe brought out to the 20 same is true of the spinning arrow 14 which is designed to be used {with one or the other of the two boards.

While I have stated and illustrated a particular arrangement of spaces and particular marking of the spaces in both ofthese games, it will beunderstood that the particular arrangement of the spaces and the marking of spaces might be varied in many ways without departing from the sp1r1t of the invention.

The yard stick shown in Fig. 7 is merely for convenience in measuring the losses or gains made by the ball 35, this ball being provided with a pointer 36 at one end whereby its position may be. accurately 1ndicated.

1. A game apparatus comprlslng a game of the board and divided by lines into spaces extending-in a circle around the board hav-.- ing indicia indicating dlflt'erent game values,

and a spinner pointer rotatably engageable with the center ofeither face of the board.

2. A game apparatus comprlsmg a game board having on the opposite faces thereof a portion concentric to the center of the board and divided by lines intospaces extending in a. circular'series around the center of the board, the spaces having indicia therein indicating different game values, and a spinner pointer rotatably engageable with face of the board, each spaces provided with indicia thereon, and pointers rotatably engaging with elther face of the board and coacting with the scoring spaces.

3. A game apparatus comprising a board having thereon the representation of a football field, the field being defined by parallel, longitudinally extending lines, these lnes being graduated from the middle of the field in opposite directions to indicate yard lines and the spaces between said lines being traversed by transverse yard lines, the board having 'upon its face a circular series of spaces concentric to the center of the board and divided from each other by radial lines, said spaces having therein indicia designating various football plays, a spinning pointer engageable with the center of theboardand when spun moving over said circular series of spaces, and a playing piece movable, over said field in accordance with the indications of said pointer.

4:. A game apparatus comprising a board having thereon the representation of a football field, the field being defined by par allel, longitudinally extending lines, these lines being graduated from the middle oi: the field in opposite directions to indicate yard lines and the spaces between said lines being traversed by transverse yard lines, the board having upon its face a circular series of spaces concentric to the center of the board and divided from each other by radial lines, said spaces having therein indicia designating yards gained or lost, there being a second series of spaces disposed approximately concentric to the center of the board and having therein indicia indicating yards secured in kicking or punting the ball, a spinning pointer engageable with the center of the board and when spun moving oversaid circular series of spaces, and

a playing piece movable over said field in accordance with the indications of said pointer. I

5. A game apparatus comprising a board having thereon the representation of a football field, the field 'being defined by parallel, longitudinally extending lines, these lines being graduated from the middle of the field in opposite directions to indicate yard lines and the spaces between said lin being traversed by transverse yard lines, the board having upon its face a circular series of spaces concentric to the center of the board .and divided from each other by radial lines, the first named spaces having adjacent thereto at the middle of each space- DANIEL W. OBRIEN.

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