US1591639A - Game - Google Patents

Description

July 6 1926.

E. R. MCDONALD GAME Filed Oct. 1925 DE GHIJK M RSSTUVGXYGZ BEE-*- f/vmvroxe. [on mo. ammo/mm.

Arrrs,

Patented July 6, 1926,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GAME.

Application filed October 8, 1925. Serial No. 81,311.

This invention relatesto improvements in games and more particularly to games that are played on a chequer board with blocks or the like, the latter. bein individually lettered to represent the afphabet each letter-carrying block, with the exception of those carrying the vowels, a, e, i, o and u, also having a number indicatin the'value of the letter carried by the bloc The game is particularly adapted to two players who each have twenty-six blocks representing the letters of the alphabet and each set preferably being in a difit'erent colour. The blocks are arran ed'by the players on two rows on each sife of the chequer board in the squares provided for the purpose and the object of the game is for each player to form 'a word usmg as many as possible'of the letters in his opponents set 2 as well as his own letters. It s not absolutely necessary for a player to use any of his opponents letters to make a word, but it is so much to his advantage if he can do so as he captures his opponents letter :or letters that enter into the forming of the word and besides a piece captured from ones opponent is doubled in value, that is, if the player No. 1 captures letter B from his opponent and B has a value of 5 then pla e r No. 1 has a count of ten in making up is amount and player No. 1 also counts the value of each of his own letters that enter into the word. If player No. 1 succeeds in spelling a word Without any interruption from his opponent (by placing. one of his letters in the Wa to blockhim) then after he has succeeded in spelling this word he announces the Word as he places the last letter and then he totals up the yalues and 40 places that value to his credit, but as said 7 before, if any of his opponents letters enter into the word such letter would count double its value. I

From the foregoing it will be understood that plaver N0. 1 can start on a word and if, not eing interrupted, he succeeds in spelling a word then he totals up the values of those letters and scores to that amount.

The new ame is preferably known as the Cross wor game and consists generally of a chequer board marked out into a number of squares having thereon, intwo' sets,

- a plurality of blocks in diiferent colours,

each block having a letter thereon and, ith

the exception of the blocks bearing the vowels, a, e, i, o, u, having also numerals thereon indicating the value of each letter.

' The blocks, having thereon the letters of the alphabet, can be moved about on the chequer board, for the purpose of forming words, to any unoccupied square but once a letter is taken from its ori 'nal position in the first two rows it can on y be moved one square at a time in any direction to an unoccupied square, the object of the game being for each player to form a word either with his own pieces or preferably, because they count double in value, with his opponents pieces or blocks, the total value of the words formed going to make up the predetermined total agreed upon for the game.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure Figure 1 is a plan 'view of a chequer board showing the playing piecesjn their ten and so on. The board, as previously mentioned, is marked off into squares as in a chequer board in red and black or any other colours but has a great man more squares than usual. In the examp e here illustrated there are 169 squares.

The ame is played with two players, the blocks being arranged, as indicated in Figure 1, on eachside of the board and re resentin the letters of the alphabet from to Z, inclusive, the letters bein stamped or printed or otherwise secure thereon. These blocks are movable the same as chequers and when the game commences they are placed on the first two rows of theboard so that each player has his squares nearest him. The empty squares are the battle ground where the game is to be played and the object of the game is to win a given number of points, say 500, and the player first getting this number wins the game.

, The sets of blocks are different colours, for instance one is black and one is white, each block, as already referred to and with the exception of the Vowel-carrying blocks, being marked with various numerals indicating the valuenof the letter thereon.

The players play alternately, moving one letter out from its original position to any unoccupied square on the board. The essen tial object of both players is to complete a word the individual letters of which will contribute to the highest possible total of the word as a whole and while a word can be formed entirely from a players own pieces, it is desirable and good policy to have as many of ones opponents letters entering into the word as possible for letters or pieces captured from the opponent count double their face value and also reduce the number of the opponents pieces. For instance, suppose' player No. 1 playing with 26 the white set of blocks, and as indicated in 30 No. 2, playing with the black set, places thedotted lines in Figure 1, places the letter Q, on a square near the centre 'or anywhere between the first rows of blocks belongingto the players and suppose that his opponent,

letter U in the square right beside the square occupied by the letter Q. Then suppose player No. 1 places the'letter 1 next to the letter U. Then suppose player 85 No. 2 places the letter C nextto I and player No. 1 then places the letter K next to C and in doing so spells the word Quick. Now player No. 2 made an error in playing his C where he did as it gave player No.1 the opportunity of completing a word. No. 1 can therefore remove, by reason of forming the word, all his opponents letters with values thereon, in this case represented by 0 face valued at two ,but counting double this value when captured, which go toward a predetermined N w 0 ing captured, the other letters Q, U, I? and K. belong to layer No. land are subject to be moved y him to any square that he wishes or they may be left where they are. In other words while the value bearing letters of the alphabet maybe removed from the board when capturedfrom an opponent, the unvalued vowel pieces are .never removed from the board.

It will thus be seen that the purpose. of

. each plalynis to form a word either from 60 his own etters or pieces or preferably using, as they are of double value, as many letters as possible of his opponents, each letter with the exception of the vowels having a value indicated thereon. For instance, if the arranged amount representing the total for the game was fifty, one of the players would have to capture, in the operation of forming words, individual letters the face value of which would amount to only twenty-five before he was declared the winner. On the other hand, if one of the players captured no letters or pieces from his opponent the aggregate face value of the letters in the words which he formed would have to square unoccupied when it is his turn'to play.

In order to facilitate the playing of the game, I provide that the squares of the board on each side are lettered with the letters of the alphabet to correspond with the letters onthe piecesan d to render it easier to place them in their proper positions on the board. As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention, within the scope of the claims, constructed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification and drawings be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting 'sense.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a game and in combination with a cheqper board having a plurality of squares mar ed thereon,.sets of blocks or pieces each set having letters thereonrepresenting the alphabet and each letter, with the exception of the vowels, having a numeral marked thereon to indicate its value, the so-marked pieces of each set being designed to move about on the chequer board to form words.

2. In-a game of the character described, a chequer board, two sets of twenty-six pieces each, havin marked thereon, in any suitable manner, t e letters of the al habet and having marked also thereon a jacent each letter, with the exception of the vowels, a numeral indicating the value of the letter thereon.

3. The game as claimed in claim 2 iii which the sets of, pieces are of different colours. I

4. A gamercomprising a chequer board, a

plurality of squares suitably marked thereon, aplurality of pieces representing two sets of twenty-six pieces each adapted to be arranged in the squares on said board on opposite sides thereof, the ieces in each set having suitably marked t ereon a letter word by moving of the alphabet and each piece, with the exception of the vowel-carrying pieces, also having marked thereon a numeral indicating the value of the letter.

5. A game comprising a chequer board marked in squares and sets of pieces, each set representing the complete letters of the al habet and having marked on the indivi ual pieces, with the exception .of the vowel-carrying pieces, a value for each letter, said letters being arranged at o posite sides of a chequer board and designed to be moved individually and alternately to the intervening portion of the board to form words, the layer who by the playing of his piece enab es his opponent to complete a another piece forfeiting his pieces, with the exception of the vowels, contained in the word to his op onent.

6. A ame of the character escribed in which t e object is to attain a predetermined number and in whicha plurality of pieces arranged in two sets, preferably of different colours, are placed on opposite sides of a chequer board, said sets beinglettered to represent all the letters of the alphabet and said letters being numerically marked, with the exception of the vowels, with a value s5? and the individual letters of said sets being adapted 'to be moved to the spaces on the chequer board between the two sets to form words and the player enabling his opponent,

b the movement ofone of the pieces, to comp ete a word by the movement of another piece forfeiting to his opponent double the value of his numerically marked letters, the values of which are placed towards the predetermined total representing the game.

7. The game of the character described adapted to be played by two players to reach a predetermined total by compiling words on a chequer board or the like from lettercarr ing pieces, each having a certain value mar e'd thereon and adapted to be used in forming words. said pieces being members of sets representing the letters of the alphabet with values marked thereon, except for the vowels, and designed in play to be arranged in sets on each side of a chequer board and to be moved inwardly individually and alternately therefrom to form words.

8. The game as claimed in claim 2 in which the chequer board has two sets of twenty-six squares on each side marked with the letters of the alphabet thereon corresponding to the marking on the pieces.

9. The game as claimed in claim 7 in which the face value of the letter-carrying pieces is doubled when captured, for the formation of Words, from an opponent.

' In witness whereof I my hand.

EDWARD RICHARD MeDoNALD.

have hereunto set

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