US1594016A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Jul 27, 1926.

1,594,016 F. MARSHALL v GAME APPARATUS Filed March 25, 1926' INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYQ.

-- return in the opposite direction into its peev portions to expose to view the dice-cup and,

Patented July 27 1926.

UNITED sTATEsr FREDERICK vrAnsr'I-A L, or aur'rsntmein mwsrnv mr."

v GAME APPARATUS.

Application fil ed March 25, 1926.. Serial I\To. 97;4=28." 1 I f In general, ray-invention relatesto mechamcal means for throwing dice or similar ob ects. I

lVlore particularly {my invention comprises a dice-cup mounted to rotate on a vertical axis and provided with spring means toreturn it to a predetermined position ofrest, and an actuating member also movable on 'a Vertical axis and arranged to cause the dice-cup to rotate with itto a predetermined degree against the influence of the spring means, whereupon the operative connection between the actuating member and. the dicecup is automatically released and thedicecup is precipitously rotated by its spring sition of rest. I II I The actuating member'is preferably a disk arrangedior'hand-rotatio I I I preferably provide a second member or disk moving with the actuating member and the dice-cup, the mechanism being so ar ranged that whensaid second member at; I

milled so tains a predetermined position the] release and return ot'the dice cup takes place.

The second member is preferably [a disk having marked on its face one orm'ore numbers or other symbolsfland; when a chosen symbol attains a given position therelease of the dice-cup occurs.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention the mechanism is inclosed in a case having a, lid provided with transparent I have illustrated the best embodiment'ot the principles of my invention now known to me, Fig. 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2 is a similar view withthe lid of the case re moved; Fig. 53 is a vertical sectiontaken along the lineIII-III in Fig.1; Fig. lis a side elevation of the disks and the dice cup; and Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the, dice cup. r I Referring to the drawings 1 represents the hat shallow box or casing having a removable lidy2. 3 represents a fiatshallow dicecuphaving an axial'hubd which raises the cup/slightly above the floor of the casing, and '5 is a pivot screw extending through saidhub and screwed into a threaded hole in the floor of the casing. l I

The hub l---is provided with a perimetral notch 6 which is engaged by one end of a spring 1 whose other end issecured to the stud 8 extending upwardly from the tloor .oft he box. 9 represents an abutment pin against which the spring 7 bears as the' cup" is rotated counterclockwise. 7 10 represents a disk'which' is concentrlcally connected to the smaller disk 11 by means of their common hub 12 and-said disks are mounted to rotate onthe pivot I screw 13 which extends through saidhub and is screwed into a threaded hole in the bottom of the case 1. The "p'erimetral edge of the disk 10 protrudes through a slot 14:

in the end wall ofthe case Ltso that it may be rotated by thejfinger of the playen- The perimetral edge of the disk 10' is preferably n that it may beeasily rotated with anngen I The disk ll has it-supper face marked or provided with one or more numeralsor other symbols. 4

portion 15 exposes the dice box to view.

I The lid 2 has two trans parent or glass-filled portions l5 and' 16,- the latterbeing shown heart-shaped, The

The portion 16 exposes'a portion otthe disk I 'llto view, the aperture in the solid portion otthe disk surrounding th'etransparent por tion 16 beingpreferably, provided with a projection orpointer 17 in relation to which the player reads the symbol or symbols on thediskll.

Means are provided whereby the-disks :10 and 11 may be rotatecl in but one direction; clockwise inFigs. l. and 2. v springlS attached to thesid'e walloi' the case hasfia bent free end which engages suitable teeth onthe perimeter of'the diskll.

' The disk 10 is provided on its. uppertface fixed to the dice-cup and extending radially into the path of-said post; I

Thus as they disk 10 is rotated clockwise,

the post 19; picks up the lever 20; as shown Thus a leat on l with a post IQ-Whichpicks up a lever 20 in solid lines in: Fig. 2, and rotates the dicecup 3 counterclockwise until the post moves oil the end-of the lever, as shown in dotted lines in; Fig. 2; whereuponfthe spring 7,

which has been storingiqpower during the V COHIIlZGIOlOClIWlSQJIOQELtlOII of the dice-cup, 1

causes the dice-cup to be rotated violently back to its position of rest, thusthrowing the dice 21 which are contained in the cup.

In case the dicecup be not held truly horizontal, there wouldbe a tendency for the dice to slide along the lower side of the cup without upsetting, To prevent this, I corrugate the perimetral wall of .the cup, so that such sliding is prevented and the dice are given repeatedkici-rs during the throwmovement of the dice-cup. To further facilitate the upsetting or proper throwing of the dice, I provide the bottom of the cup with a plurality of raised ribs 22 which may be radially disposed, and which may be formed by pressing up the material of the cup. When the dice-cup is thrown these ribs aid materially in producing a proper throw I of the dice;

My invention provides a convenient and attractive game apparatus which may be entertaininglyused in playing a great number of games.

It will be noted that the, indicating disk .11. is provided ,With an annular series of gr-aduations, and with certain of the same marked with numerals. Thus in the drawings the numerals 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 are placed opposite the corresponding grad-uations.

The lever 20 on'the .dice cup 3 and the post 19 on the disk 10 are arranged so that when aselected graduation moves into position at the pointer 17 the dice cup is released and the dice are thrown. Thus in the apparatus illustrated in the drawings the twenty-first graduation on the small disk 13 is the selected graduation whose registration with the pointer 17 is simultaneous with the release of the dice cup One manner of employing the above described game apparatus is for a plurality of players to take turns in rotating the disk 10 to bring a graduation chosen by the individual player into registration with the pointer 17, each player being required to rotate the disk 10 sufficiently to advance at least one graduation on the disk 13 but not more than say six'graduations for one play, so that a player can not be sure-ofshooting the dice every time he plays. The aim of the player is'to make such turns of the disk so to control the shooting of the dice, and either have it occur during one of his turns or to make it occur during the turn of an opponent, according to the manner of scoring. The players aim is to cause the dice to be thrown when it will: score in his favor.

Thus the rules may provide for a score in a players favor first when the dice are thrown during one of his turns of play, and

next when the dice are thrown during an opponents turn of play. Thus the game in a degree resembles chess, in that the plays are planned ahead sons to effect a throw durcup to be :rotated ingone of the playerls turn and to prevent a throw during the turn of an opponent or vice versa, as the rules may provide.

Suppose the first ponent can not throw the dice on his secoi'id play because he is not penmittedto move the disk more than six graduations which would bring the twentieth graduation into registration with the pointer. However, the first player-.onhis third play by moving the disk one graduation, bringing .the twentyfirst graduation into registration with the pointer is able to shoot the dice. If the rules provide that on the second series of play the first player can score onlv it his opponent shoots the dice, it is evident that the first player, by planning ahead and selecting the number of gragduations which he moves the disk on each play, can force his opponent to shoot the dice and thus obtain a score in his own favor.

Thus skill is involved first in choosing t-he'proper graduations or combination of graduationswhich will cause the dice to be thrown when a throw will score for the V ala ter in ruestion and second to choose the proper graduations or combination of graduations to avoid making a throw of the dice when such a throw would score against the player.

What I desire to claim is 1. In a game apparatus, the combination ofa dicecup mounted to rotate, an actuating member mounted to turngon an axis parallel with the axis of the dice-cup, an intermittent pickrup connection whereby the turning actuating member causes the dicefrom its position of rest, andstored power means for precipitously returning the dice-cup to its position of rest.

2; In a game apparatus, the combination of a dice-cup mounted to rotate, a member mounted to rotate .on a parallel axis and adapted: to be actuated by the player, a post on said member and a radially disposed lever onsaid dice-cup comprising a pick-up connection between the member and the dicecup, andstored power means for-precipitous'ly rotating the dice-cup back into its position of rest when said pick-up connection becomes released.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of a dice-cup mounted to rotate, a-member ill) , sent a given indication when the pick-upf the rotation of the first mentioned disk mounted to, rotate on a parallel axis and adapted to be actuated-by the player, a post i on said member and a radially disposed lever on said dice-cup comprising a pick-up connection between the member and the dicecup, stored power means for precipitously rotating the dicecup back into its position of rest when said pick-up connection becomes released, and indicating means moving with said member and arranged to pro-' duce a given indication contemporaneously with the release of the pick-up connection.

a. In a game apparatus, the combination of a dice-cup mounted to rotate, a member mounted to rotate on a parallel axis, a pick- .up connection between said dice-cup and said member comprised ofa poet carried by one of the same and a radially disposed lever carried by the other of the same whereby the rotation of the member will cause a partial rotation of the dice-cup, and stored power means for precipitously returning the dice-cup to its position of rest when the pick-up connection is released.

5. In a game apparatus, the combination of a dice-cup mounted to rotate,amember mounted to rotate on a parallel axis, a pickup connection between said dice cup and said I member comprisedof a post carried by one of the same and a radially dis'posed lever carried by the other of the same whereby the rotation of the member will cause a partia-l rotation of the dice-cup, stored power means for precipitouslyreturning the dice cup toits position ofrest when the pick-up bol, a pick-upconnection between thefirst I mentioned diskfand the dice-cup whereby causes a partial rotation of the dice-cup, and

stored power means whereby when the pickup connection is released the dice-cup 1S precipitously returned to its position of rest, the second named disk being arranged to display its symbol in an indicating position,

at the instant of such'release. a r

7. In a game apparatus, the combination of a dice-cup mounted to rotate, a disk mounted torotate on aparallel axis,'a sec- 0nd diskconcentric with the first mentioned disk and provided withan' indicating symbol, a pick-up connection between the first mentioned disk and the dice-cup comprising a post carried bygone of thesame and a ra-. dially disposed lever carried by the other of the same whereby the rotation of the gfirst mentioned disk causes a partial rotation of.

' the dicecup,- and stored power means where-r,

by whenthe pickaip'connection'is released the dice-cup is precipitously returned toits" 7 position of rest, the second named'disk being 7 7 arranged to display its symbol in an indicating position at the instant OfSllCllfrelease. 8. In a game apparatus, the combination of a dice-cup mounted for rotatiom neans for causing a rotary motion of said d ce cup, 1

and stored' power means for r precipitously ,s 5,

returning the dice-cupto itspositionof rest,

provided with inwardly extendiiigiprojecthe perimetral wall of said dice-cup being tion's adapted to impinge against the dice I and augment the throwing effectof the 'return movement of the dice-cup.

9. In a game apparatus, the combination of a dice-cup mounted'fo'r rotation, means for causing a rotarymotion of said d cecup,'and stored power means for precip itously returning thedice-cup to its position of rest, the peri-metral wall oi'sa'id dice-cup being corrugated to augment the throwing effect of the return movement ofthe dice p- -v .v

10. In a game apparatus, the combination of a dice-cup mounted for rotation,'-means for causing a rotary motion of said dice-cup,"

and stored power means for precipitously returning the dice-cup to its position of rest,

the dice-cupbeing provided'with projections on its perim'etral wall and ribs on its floor to augment the throwing efiect or" the return movement of the dice-cup;

.11. In a game apparatus-the combination ice of a'dice-cup mounted for; rotation, means I for causing a rotary motiono f said dice-cup and stored power means ton precipitously returning the dice-cupqto its position of rest,

the dice-cup being provided with a corrugated perimetral wall'and' radially disposed ribs on its floor toyaugment'thethrowing effect of the return I novement of the dicecup.-

day of March, 1926. I I V k FREDERICK MARSHALL.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa, this twentieth

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