US1458275A - Baseball game - Google Patents

Description

' Hum 12,1923, 11,458,275

HLR. COSSITT BAS EBALL GAME Filed March 13, 1922 LEQEN@ @IF @UB @@MBUNATHQNS oNEcuBE Two cuBEs THREE CUBES Patented .lune l2, i923.

HAROLD R. COSSITT, OF

LISHING COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 0F CARSON CITY, NEVADA,

0F NEVADA.

ALAMEDA, CALIFDENIA,V .ASSIGNOR TO NINE'IY NINE PB- A CORPORATION BASEBALL GAME.

Application led March 13,'1922. ,Serial No. 543,351.

To all whomzt may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD R. Cossrr'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alameda, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Baseball Games, of which the following is a specification. y

My invention relates, in general, to the class of games and particularly to a game adapted for playing under rules approximating those Of-base-ball.

rlhe object of my invention is to provide a ame which in point of interest may closely equal that of the so-called national game, in that most of the contingencies and plays therein may be duplicated with the exercise of deliberation, skill and experience, leaving about as little an element of chance as in the real game. To this end my invention consists'in the vnovel game, which I shall hereinafter describe, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- F ig. 1 is a plan view of the of my game.

Fig. 2 is a view, in. perspective, of the chance element, in this case shown as a die, for determining the initial or primary results of a pitched ball, said element being shown in each of its six different disclosure positions.

Fig. 3 is a view in erspective showing the three other chance e ements, here shown as dice, for determining results subsequent to the initial results of the pitched ball, as indicated by the first chance element of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view of the movable playing piece representing the ball.

Fig. 5 is a view of several of the movable playing pieces representing the base runners.

The board element of the game is shown in Fig. 1, and is designated as a whole by B. It is supercially imprinted with a large square w-b-0-d, set diamond-wise on the board and this figure which constitutes the field is marked off to form a content of 144; equal squares.

In the lower angular area of the main square are delineated at proportionate distances and in Vconventional outline the home plate, the lst base, the 2nd base, the 3rd base, and each is so board element Within the inclosure of these bases, circle, with a P marked. in its proper place is a designating the. pitchers position, and behind the Home plate is designated the Catcher, and still further to'the rear is the Umpire.

- Upon the field, in the positions which the players normally occupy in base-ball are the several basemen, the short stop and the several fielders, each so marked as shown.

rlhe two lines of the main square which inclose the lower angle are marked Foul line and outside these lines, are the four small squares e, f, g, and l1..

Also outside these lines at the lower angle, one on. each side of the home plate are two small squares z', behind which are four small squares Coach lines are also appropriately delineated as shown. Selected ones of the small squares of the main square are provided with numbers, as shown, as are also the exterior small'squares j.

Certain ones of these numbers are surrounded by circles, these .circled numbered squares being in groups about the three out fielders and serve, in the playing of the game, to mark a distinction or division in the zone of action of each out-fielder, as will presently appear.

The zones of action of the in-fielders, of the out team, that is the team not at the bat, are preferably distinguished by colors as is indicated in the drawing by the conventional shading for colors.

Aline here designated by m-fn-o, defines the in-field.

Referring now to Fig. Q-A indicates a'n element of the game which by its operation is adapted by chance to designate certain results which attend the pitching of the ball. In its present form this element is a die adapted for casting in the usual manner.

It is a hexagonal die and each of its faces bears a different inscription. I have here shown it in its six disclosure positions, from which it will be seen that its faces bear, respectively the inscriptions Hit Ball Hit surrounded by a circle, Strike Referring to Fig. B-C represents a group l preferably dice.

There are three of these,

Upon the main board B is the legend L .of

the arbitrarily selected combinations of the numerical indices of the die elements C. This legend is in three columns and is indicative of the use of one die, two dice, and three dice, respectively.

The le nd comprises, opposite each vdie combination, a number equivalent, which number corresponds with one of the num- Vof importance, 1n that under the rules and the grouping of such numbers lit may bebers on the squares of the playing board.

To play the game, one player representing the out team casts the die A, to determine the result of the pitched ball. Taking first the simplest results, the inscription strike coming uppermost, will indicatev a strike;

similarly a foul may be indicated; likea wise a ball. The inscrlptlon W 1s also simply determinative, in that it denotes the limits of both the number of balls and strikes which may be called after which it becomes a mere foul and has no count. If, however, hit is shown,.then the other player, representing the in team, now casts one, or more of the dice C, in order to determine where the ball so hit goes. It will be noted that there are two hit inscriptions, one distinguished from the other by being in a circle. Tf the plain hit appears, the in player throws two dice C; if the circled hit shows up, he throws three dice, or if he elects to bunt, he may on either showing throw one die. The location of the hit ball is discovered by reading the numerical indices of said dice, and comparing the result with the equivalent numbers on the chart legend L which contains all the combinations possible with threel dice, providing all simplex combinations are read in sequence 5 beginning with the lowest number upward,

and the duplex combinations are read beginning with the duplex numbers. Triplex combinations obviously are subject to but one reading. The following examples are given. Assume either plain hit or circled hit shows up, and the player decides to bunt He throws one die C, and it shows a 2. Looking then at legend L, under one cube combination, it is found that 2 indicates square 81. The ball playing piece D is thereupon placed on square 81 of board B. 0r again, suppose the plain hit appears, and the player throws two dice C, showing a 2 on one die and a 3 on the other. These numbers are read as 23; and on the legend L in the two cube column we nd that 23 indicates square 31 and thereupon the ball piece D is placed on square 31 on the board. 0r,

:teasers once more, suppose the circled hit shows up, and the player casts three dice C, showing a 2, a 2, and a 4. This, as a number 224, will be found on the legend to indicate square 16. Thereupon the ball playing piece D is placed in the square of the field which bears this number. Now the first player casts a die C to determine in what manner the out player into whose zone of action the ball has been hit, will field the ball. This is determined by counting the squares, in accordance with the die number, which will be required of him to reach the ball from his normal position. At this point the distinction between the squares with circled numbers andthose without a circle becomes square 31 with relation to the left fielder, re.

quire only the lowest showing of the die, that is a l, and any cast of the die will of course show a l or better; wherefore a ball hit to the location circle number square 31 for example is sure to be out. Again, none of the circle number squares is more than three squares removed, and in throwing the die for reaching them, the chances are even that the throw will be as great as three, and,

therefore such locations are probable outs. v

The other numbered squares, those without circles, require the exact number by the cast die, to enable the fielder to reach them. For instance, if the ball be in square 16 as in one of the examples given above, the die must show a 4 to reach it from the normal position of the center fielder, the count of squares being in all cases on lines parallel with their sides and not diagonal. This is therefore a possible out. These plays therefore may or may not result in an immediate out Ii not, the 'second player now casts the dice C to determine how many squares his base runner may run, and one ofthe base runner pieces E is placed correspondingly. In this east of the die by the second player, he may use one die if the ball is in the infield. and two dice if in the outfield, the line of demarcation being m n o. In his effort to advance along the base lines, he places a runner piece E in a square counted in correspondence with the cast die number.' The chances of a base runner, and the human element of his ability as a runner are thus reproduced in the chance cast used to determesma rlhen the first player by count of squares, whether the ball can be thrown to put the base runner out. He uses one die if the ball be in the outfield and two dice if it be within the infield. According to the cast he now advances the ball piece D towards the base runners objective, the number of squares indicated. lf the ball does not reach the base, the runner is safe, if he has reached it; or if he has not reached it, he then throws again to try to get to it, and the first player again casts in the attempt to put him out. After the attempt ofthe base-runner to negotiate one or more bases and the alternating attempt of the fielder to throw him out have terminated, and it has resulted either in the base runner attaining some base or the home plate safely, or being put out by the fielder in his attempts, the out player again casts the die A and the game continues in like manner until the side at bat has accumulated three outs, either by being struck out, caught out or put out as the result of the play at the bases.

lt is needless herein tocontinueadescription of the play, as it will suflice to say that by means of arbitrary rules based more or less uponthose of actual base-ball play, and by the continued alternating casting of the dice by the two players, many more contingencies and results ma be had looking to a definite conclusion. n like manner rules may be established for the appearance of the remaining indices upon the main die A.

Also, it will be apparent that arbitrary rules may be established for privileges of die casting depending upon the spheres of action within the infield line m-a-o, as compared with those outside said line, as, for example, permitting the cast of one die outside said line and of two inside.

Also by distinguishing on the board the zones of action of the several players, a proper foundation is laid for the count of squares by the player whose zone is affected by the location of the ball.

I claim:

l. A base-ball game comprising an element adapted for the chance selection of any of a plurality of indices denoting the several initial results of a pitched ball; a second element adapted for the chance selection of any of a plurality of indices to ldetermine the location of and the plays following a hit ball; a board element lprovided with surface delineations dividing it into areas some of which are dierentially inscribed with indices to denote the fielding location of the hit ball and all furnishing counting means to determine the plays following the location of said hit ball; a legend mine his advance. casts to determine,

of indices corresponding with the indicesl of said second element, said legend having,

`areas, some of which also other indices corresponding both with its first named indices and with the differentially inscribed areas of the board element; and a plurality of independent pieces adapted for movement upon the board element to visually signalize the plays and the positions gained.

,2. A base-ball game comprising an clement adapted for the chance selection of anyA of a plurality of indices denoting the several initial results of a pitched ball; a plurality of casting cubes with dierentially numbered faces adapted for the chance selection of any of a plurality of indices to determine the location of and the plays following a hit ball; a board element provided with surface delineations dividing it into bered to denote the fielding location of the hit ball and all furnishing counting means to determine the plays following the location of said hit ball; a legend of numbered combinations corresponding with the possible combinations of the numbered faces of the casting cubes, said legend having-also other numbers corresponding both with its combination numbers and with the diHerentially numbered areas of the board element; and a plurality of independent pieces adapted for movement upon the board element to visuallyA signalize the plays and the positions gained.

3. A base-ball game comprising an element adapted for the chance selection of any of a plurality of indices denoting the several initial results of a pitched ball; a plurality of casting cubes with differentiallypnumbered faces adapted for the chance selection of any of a plurality of indices to determine the location of and the plays following a hit ball; a board element provided with surface delineations dividing it into areas, some of which are differentially numbered to denote the fielding location of the hit ball and all furnishing counting means to determine the plays following 'the location of said hit ball; a legend of numbered combinations corresponding with the possible combinations-of the numbered faces of the casting cubes, said legend having also other numbers corresponding both with its combination numbers and with the differentially numbered areas of the board element; means associated with said board element and said first chance element for determining the use of one or more of said casting cubes; and a plurality of independent pieces adapted for movement upon the board element to visually signalize the plays and the positions gained.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification.

HAROLD R. COSSIT'lF.v

are differentially numl

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