US1771614A - Birney w - Google Patents

Description

July 29, 1930. 3, w, BOWMAN Q 1,771,614

SCORE CALCULATING DEVI CE Filed Feb. 16, 1928 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 29, 1930 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE BIRNEY w. BOWMAN, or LAKEWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNORVTO THE BRIDGE SPECIALTIES COMIANY, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO SCORE-CALCULATING DEVICE Application filed February 16, 1928. serial No. 254,701

tion of mechanisms and'tabularized computations for ascertaining the score in the card game popularly known as auction bridge.

Oneof the objects of this invention is to provide an apparatus which may be readily adjusted toindicate the proponents contract and the number of tricks recovered over the bid and to indicate simultaneously the score value of the tricks taken together with such other accumulated awards as are consonant with the scoring rules of the game.

Another object of this invention is to construct a calculating appliance which may be a quickly adjusted to indicate the bid. and tricks and which when so adjusted will expose to vision a single number only indicative of the final score.

Another object of this invention is to con-' struct a scoring device in which the bid and the symbol of the trump named may be conspicuously exhibited as soon as the contract is made.

Another object of this invention is to construct a small compact scoring device of esthetic appearance and durable construction which may be expeditiously manipulated.

Other objects more or less ancillary to the foregoing reside in the specific construction and aggroupment of various elements and their coordination with certain computations as will become apparent from a more complete examination of this specification in the claims of which there are assembled and pointed out certain combinations of elements and structure indicative of the scope and spirit of the invention.

In the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiments of this invention Figure 1 is a perspective view of the score calculating device illustrating, in addition to the general arrangement of parts the relation of certain elements in their adjusted or score exhibiting position;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line 22 in Figure 1;

element which supports the tabulated series of predetermined calculations used in conunction with the scoring device Figure 4 is a detailed view illustrating a fragmentary portion of the scoring chart.

Figure 5 is a detail view of an alternate form of the score cover plates; I

Figure 6 is a section taken 011 a plane indicated by line 66 in Figure'5.

lieferring to the drawings in whic like symbols designate corresponding parts throughout each of the several views the scoring device embodies a housing 10, the end walls of which areapertured to receive and journal the axle shaftsll Of a cylinder 12 Upon the extended portion of one of the axle spindles 11 there is a knob 13 suitably afiixed to the shaft and preferably formed as illustrated with a straight knurled perimeter.

Upon the cylinder 12 there is circumferent-ially arranged a series of numerals 14 indicating the various possible bids, a progressive series of I numbers 15 circumfcrentially disposed and transversely aligned with the first series and which indicate the number of tricks recovered, computations of the scores for clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades and no trumps, under each suit and under the double, and re-double of the same. These computations are arranged in a circumferentialorder with respect to each suit and in transverse alignment with the first two series. The housing 10 is formed with an aperture, or a series of apertures 16, longitudinally disposed with respect to the cylinder and of suitable width to expose to vision but one of the circumferential series of numbers. I

Mounted upon thehousing 10 there is a series of cover plates or shutters 17 which are disposed in axial alignment with the aperture 16 and so arranged as to obscure the circumferential series of computations positioned therebeneath. As illustrated in Figure 1 the cover plates bear the symbols of the various suits, characters signifying the double of each suit, and other characters which indicate the re-double, each of the plates being aligned respectively with its circumferential series of predetermined calculations. The

Figure 3 is a detail view illustrating the cover plates are preferably pivotally supported upon a bar 18 carried by the housing 10 and may be formed with an arcuate shoulder 19 to facilitate their support in a vertical or open position. Various other forms of cover plates may be employed in conjunction with this device, such for instance as the embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 wherein apertured sliding plates 20 are supported upon the housing 10 by rivets 21 which are constructed with spaced shanks to guide the movement of the plate and enlarged headed portions 22 adapted to overlap adjacent elements and retain them upon the base.

In the operation of this device the score keepers may first adjust the cylinder into the position which will expose to view the digit indicating the amount of the bid and also the number of tricks recovered over the bid then by adjusting the cover plate coincident with the circumferential series under the trump named he will find the score for the hand played which score has been calculated upon the trick value of the trump, the award concomitant with the contract, such as the amounts credited upon a double or redouble and the award for game, when such credit is within the calculable scoring rules of the hand.

If the player has positioned the cover plate, bearing the symbol of his trump contact at the instance of his bid, that trump will be indicated throughout the game, and obviously the score keeper need only rotate the cylinder until there is exposed to vision the bid and number of tricks recovered and he may then readily read the total score to which he need only add the honors held by the respective player during the progress of the hand.

The trump symbols are preferably marked on both the inner and outer faces of the cover plates and for the convenience of the score keeper the penalty or under trick is marked upon the inner surface of each shutter or upon the base in a position contiguous the opening 16.

It will be apparent that this invention comprises various groups of computations so coordinated with other aligned groups of characters that the associated mechanism adapted for use therewith may be expeditiously manipulated and the total score, excluding the honors will be readily found without the arduous mental calculation provoked by the scoring rules in Auction Bridge.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character in order that the invention may be completely set forth it is to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining and that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of structural details may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A bridge scoring device comprising an apertured housing and a cylinder rotatably mounted therein, indicia on the said housing comprising clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades and no trum the double and re-double thereof each being disposed in spaced rela tion and arranged longitudinally with respect to said cylinder, indicia on the cylinder comprising circumferentially disposed digits for each bid and digits for each possible trick thereunder, the last named digits being aligned with the former and circumferentially arranged upon the cylinder, and computations circumferentially aligned with the indicia on the casing and co-ordinated and aligned with the digits for each bid and each possible trick.

2. A bridge scoring device comprising an apertured housing -and a cylinder rotatably mounted therein, indicia on the said housing comprising clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades and no trump, the double and redouble thereof each being disposed in spaced relation and arranged longitudinally with respect to said cylinder, indiciaon the cylinder comprising series of digits including seven numerals in the first, six numerals in the second, five in the third, four in the fourth, three in the fifth and two in the sixth, and computations circumferentially aligned with the indicia on the casing and coordinated and aligned with the digits for each bid and each possible trick.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 2nd day of February, 1928.

BIRNEY \VQ BOWMAN.

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