US2199016A

US2199016A - Game

Info

Publication number: US2199016A
Application number: US231118A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clarence A Watkins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-09-22
Filing date: 1938-09-22
Publication date: 1940-04-30
Anticipated expiration: 1957-04-30

Description

Patented Apr. 30, 1940 a UNITED} STATES II AME Clarence A. .Watkins, Forest Hills, N. Y. Application September 22. 1938, Serial No. 231,118

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved game apparatus, and relates more specifically to a novel game of skill which is capable-of being played by two or more persons.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is the provision of a game apparatus comprising a board, preferably having a geographical area marked thereon, and various points of interest in such area being suitably marked by numerical designations.

The game may be played either with moving pieces which are moved progressively over the area, or it may be played by means of placing movable pieces having numerical designations thereon which are equivalent to the numbers of the geographical areas which the players remove from the playing board'as the game progresses. Movement of the pieces or removal thereoffrom the board is controlled by means of a novel indicating device, which is actuated by the individual players and which requires a high order of skill in order to secure the desired result.

This portion of the game includes a rotating or traveling member which is mounted on a horizontal and slightly inclined rail, the rail being mounted on a base member which may be moved to a position which is convenient foreach'successive player. Adjacent to one end of the base memberthere are positioned a plurality of spaced graduations and the effort of the player is to set the rotating or traveling member in motion and endeavor to cause same to stop opposite one of the more favorable graduations. The rotating member is so constructed as to require a relatively high order of skill on the part of the player in order to make appreciable progress in the playing of the game.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel game apparatus provided with a manually actuated traveling member which is successively operated by the individual players for enabling such players to build up their scores in the game, such apparatus being capable of use in a variety of games of skill as well as the games de- 5 scribed herein.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the playing board with the inclined rail position thereon; a Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the inclined rail with 50 the traveling member in starting position;

Fig. 3 shows a detailed view of the traveling member; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the movable pieces.

65 Referring now more specifically to the drawing,

Fig. 1 illustrates the playing board which is provided with a map I0 having representations of any suitable kind thereon, the map illustrated in the drawing being a representation of the geographical area within the vicinity, of the New York Worlds Fair. It is to be understood, of

1 course, that the invention is not to be limited to any specific representation of this character. On this map various geographical areas 9 are indicated, each of such areas having therein a numerical designation.

A plan view of the novel device for building scores is illustrated in Fig. 1 and is designated generally by the reference numeral II. This device is movable about the playing board and includes an elongated base member l3 having upright supports I5 and I6 at opposite ends thereof upon which are mounted the terminals of a rail ll, the rotatable or traveling member l2 being mounted on said rail.

In order to facilitate the movement of the traveling member l2, the rail is slightly downwardly inclined from the starting position of the member, as illustrated in Fig. 2. On the upper surface of the rail I! there is formed a plurality of spaced concave recesses 20 which have a slight deterrent action to the member l2 as it rolls along the rail, and when the member finally. comes to rest it resides in one of such recesses. Below each of these recesses a numeral l4 indicating the score obtained by each play is positioned, transverse lines [4' separating the numerals.

A more detailed view of the traveling member is shown in Fig.3. Mounted upon a shaft 22 are two metal discs23 and 24 of substantial thickness, each of which is fixed in position either by a drive fit or a set screw arrangement. One end of the shaft extends some distance beyond" the disc 23 and on its extremity is mounted a knurled knob 25 to be grasped by the fingers and spun around to give propelling force to the device. Betweenthe two wheels is mounted a hub 2| concentric with the shaft but free to turn upon it. At the ends of the hub 2| are flanges 26 and 2'! which keep the device aligned withthe rail l1 and also provide friction with the side faces of the

discs

23 and 24 which communicate power to the hub and causes it to movealong the rail.

As previously stated, the present game may be played in a variety of ways, one of which is to have the players place the movable pieces upon the numerically indicated areas and successively move such pieces from place to place in numerical order until one player has reached the finish. These movable pieces may take any conventional form, the disk 30 illustrated in Fig. 4 and having a numerical designation thereon being one of such forms.

In the embodiment illustrated, the numbers run from 1 to 9 and then to 25 and each player places his movable piece upon one of the areas marked 1 at the start of the game. The traveling member and support are then moved on the playing board to a position convenient to the first player who spins the traveling member, the object being to obtain 25 points before moving his chip to the next successive area. In the event that such player causes the traveling member to stop adjacent to the area marked 25 on the base i3 in the first spin, he then moves his piece.

In the event, however, that he obtains a lesser number of points in the first spin, he is permitted a second spin, and then in the event that he has not obtained 25, he passes the traveling member to the next player and retains his score for the next play. If, however, on such next play he'obtains a score in excess of 25, he may neverthelcss move his piece and retain the balance above 25 for his next play. The traveling member is thus moved from player toplayer, each player having two spins, and the first player moving his piece from 1 through 9 and then to 2.5 is the winner of the game.

When played in this fashion only as many movable pieces are employed as there are players in the game, and each player identifies his movable piece by the number thereon. In the event, however, that the game is to be played by removing pieces from the board, a plurality of pieces having similar numerical designations thereon are placed upon each of the areas numbered from 1 to 9 and 25, and each player is given one spin of the traveling member. When the traveling member comes to rest, the disk corresponding to the number on the base member i3 is removed by the player, and as soon as all of the pieces have been removed from the board, the player having the highest score calculated by the total aggregate numbers on the pieces which he has removed from the board is the winner of the game. It will be appreciated that the traveling member and the support therefor may also be used in a variety of other games wherein the successive players are building a score.

What I claim is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a traveling member adapted to be set in motion by a player and means for supporting such member during its movement, the traveling member comprising a shaft, 2. pair of discs mounted on such shaft in spaced relation, and a hub mounted on the shaft between such discs, and a finger-engaging portion at one end of the shaft adapted to be grasped by the player and twirled to impart mo tion to the member, the supporting'means comprising a base and a rail mounted aboveand spaced from the base, the hub adapted to ride upon the upper edge of said rail.

2. A game apparatus comprising a traveling member adapted to be set in motion by a player and means for supporting such member during its movement, the traveling member comprising a shaft, a pair of discs mounted on such shaft in spaced relation, and a hub mounted on the shaft between such discs, and a finger-engaging portion at one end of the shaft adapted to be grasped by the playerand twirled toimpart motion to the member, the supporting means comprising a base and a rail mounted above and spaced from the base, the hub adapted to ride upon the upper edge of said rail, the base being provided with a plurality of spaced areas marked thereon and numerical designations in said areas to indicate scores when the traveling member comes to rest, the rail having a plurality of spaced recesses on the upper surface thereof and adapted to receivethe hub when the member comes to rest.

3. A game apparatus comprising a traveling member adapted to be set in motion by a player and means for supporting such member during its movement, the traveling member comprising a shaft, a pair of discs secured to the shaft in spaced relation, and a hub mounted on the shaft between such discs and being free to rotate thereon, and a thumb turn portion at one end of the shaft adapted to be grasped by the player and twirled to impart motion to the member, the supporting means comprising a base and an inclined rail mounted above and spaced from the base, the'hub adapted to ride upon the upper edge of said rail.

4. In a game having a game board provided with a plurality of numbered areas marked thereon, the improvement which comprises a traveling member and an elongated support therefor, the traveling member comprising a shaft, a pair of discs mounted thereon in spaced relation, and a thumb turn portion at one end of the shaft, the support comprising a horizontal rail, a base mem ber and means for mounting the rail in spaced relation to the base member, the portion of the shaft between discs being adapted to ride upon the rail when the shaft is manually set in motion.

5. In a game having a game board provided with a plurality of numbered areas marked thereon, the improvement which comprises a traveling member and an elongated support therefor, the traveling member comprising a shaft adapted to .ride' upon the elongated support when manually rotated and thumb turn means on the shaft for permitting the starting of rotation, the support comprising a horizontal rail, a base member and means for mounting the rail in spaced relation to the base member, the base portion being provided with a plurality of numbered areas to designate the point at which the traveling member ceases its motion.

CLARENCE A. WATKINS.