US1637922A - Game board - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 2,1927. 7 I 1,637,522

- I F. A-. SULLIVAN GAME BOARD Filed Sept. 8, 1926 INVENTOR v7. 5 [Zr/vale.

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

FRANK A. SULLIVAN, or BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME BOARD.

AppIication filed. September 8, 1926. Serial No. 134,253.

This invention relates to an improvement in game boards of the type usually used in playing games, such as checkers, chess and the like. 7

The-object of the invention is to provide 7 a game board of this character which affords a clear playing surface for the counters or men and yet affords pockets to receive and releasably hold the counters or men in such a novel manner that even then the playingscribed and particularly pointed out in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a game board embodying the present invention Figure 2 isa sectional, view. thereof on line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view thereof,and

Figure 4 is a group view in perspective of a playing piece and closure plate.

Referring to the drawings and especially to Figure 2 the numeral 1 designates generally the body of the game board. Preferably this body 1 comprises a sheet metal structure 2 in which cup-shaped pockets 3 are formed, the pockets 3 having short cylindrical body portions .4, closed bottoms 5, and open tops. 2 is embedded in a filler 6. With this arrangement the cup-shaped pockets are interconnected or integral with each other but obviously these cup-shaped pockets may be made separate and embedded in the filler.

A cover plate 7 is applied to the body 1 and has a downturned marginal flange 8. The upper surface of this plate 7 is marked off in differently colored blocks or panels or otherwise marked to provide the playing face of the board. The pockets 3 underlie The sheet metal structure the blocks or markings of the playing face and in the plate 7 an opening 9 is provided for each pocket 3, the openings and pockets being alined.

A closure' plate 10 is provided for the openings 9, each closure plate being positioned in the pocket 3 which underlies itsopening 9 and having a downwardly offset" flange 11 engageable with the marginal portion 12 of the opening-9 with which the closure plate 10 coacts. Thus the marginal portions 12 around the openings 9 of the cover plate constitute shoulders to limit the outward orclosing movement of the closure plate 10. A light coil spring 15 is provided for each closure plate 10, the coil springs being located in the pockets 3 and engaging the bottoms .of the pockets and the closure plates 10. By offsetting the flanges 11the faces 10 of the closure plates may be'and are formed to be coincident with and er'ably comprises body portions 17 having reduced extensions 18 at their upper and lower ends. The body portions 17 are of non-circular form preferably hexagonal and the openings 9 are of the same shape and substantially the same size so thatthe body portions 17 may be passed through the openings 9 when the playing pieces are properly alined therewith. The reduced extensions 18 are of circular form and smaller than the openings 9.

lVith this arrangement the playing pieces 16 may be shifted across the playing face of the board in accordance with the rules of the game and all of the desirable and normal features of the conventional game board are had in that a playing face clear, smooth and unobstructed is had. However the playing pieces maybe stored away in the board or locked in any position by pressing them downwardly into the pockets 3 and r0- tating them sufficiently to bring the corners Of course to enable any playing closure plate 10 closes. After depressing the partial rotation effects the releasable locking and at such time the reduced. portion.

18 to the playing piece .is coincident With the playing face of the board. 'A further slight rotation will bring the playing piece back into registration With the opening and permit the spring 15 t-o automatically reposition the playing pieces and closure plate. I claimz V i 1 A game board comprising a body having'a playing face and provided with a plurality of depressible portions said portions being normally flush with the playing face of the board and forming a part thereof. 7

2A game board comprising a body havinga series of pockets and also having a playing faceoveilying the pockets, the play ing face having an opening therein over each pocket, a closure element for each pocket, yieldable means torclosing each closure element, the playing face having shoulders aroundeach pocket, and playingpieces havingportions interlockable with the shoulders and receivable in said pockets.

3. A game board comprising a body having a playing taceQand also having a plu .rality of pockets extending thcreinto from.

the playing face, playing pieces cooperable with the playingrface and receivable in said pockets andcooperating'means between the playing piecesand body for releas ably interlocking the playing pieces and'the body of'the boa-rd.

t. A game board comprising abody having a playing face andalso having a plurality of pockets extending thereinto, closure plates for the pockets, springs for urging the closureplates to closedposition, said body having shoulders around each pocket, saidclosure plates having flanges-engageable withv the shoulders to limit the movement of the closureplates to closedposition, and playing pieces cooperable with the playing face and adapted to depress the closure plates, said playing pieces having portions engageable with the shoulders to hold the closure plates depressed and releasably 1naintain the playing pieces in the pockets.

. 5 A game board comprising abody having a playing face and provided With a plurality oi pockets having yieldingclosures normally forming a part of said playing face, and playing iieces cooperable with the playing face and with the said closures.

3. i-rgaine board coinprisinga body hav- .ing a series of pochetstherein, a coverplate :LlJPllQhit) the body" and providing a playing face, said plate having openings overly ing the pockets, the openings being of nonapplied to thebedy and providing a playing i'acc, said plate having openings overlying the P()Cl=;cl't5, the openings being or" non-circular term and beingsmaller than the pockets, clo ure plates for the pockets said closure plates having inwardly otiset flanges en- :gageable with the'portions extending around, the pockets, springsftor urging the cover platesto closed position.

or L116 cover plate 8. A game board havinga playing face and playing pieces cooperable with the playing lace, said game board having pockets provided with depressible closures the pockets being adapted to receive and holdthe lJlHYlllglJlGOGS, an'dthe closures to holdsaid pieces in set position on the playing face.

FRANK is; SULLIVAN.

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