US2252516A

US2252516A - Racing game apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2252516A
Application number: US353140A
Authority: US
Inventors: May Alan B Le
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-08-17
Filing date: 1940-08-17
Publication date: 1941-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 1958-08-12

Description

Aug. 12, A 5 L M Y.

RACING GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 17, 1940; 3 She'ets-Shet l fiveizz ar'.

Aug 12, 1941. A. 5. LE MAY RACING GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 17, i940 a Sheets-Sheet 2 fivenior.

V flan Aug. 12, 1941.

A. B. LE MAY RACING GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 17,

IHH II mam mm 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Figure 2.

Patented Aug. 12, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RACING GAME APPARATUS Alan B. Le May, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Application August 17, 1940, Serial No. 353,140

pivot I of the base member. Preferably the cover 9 Claims.

This invention relates to game apparatus which can be used by two or more players to simulate a contest, and particularly a racing contest.

The primary object of the invention is to provide apparatus wherein the players may adjust certain cards and then rotate other cards to simulate a race, for example, and provide each player an equal chance of winning.

For the purposes of illustration, the apparatus has been worked out as a horse race, wherein six paths, colored to represent different horses, have been provided on a disk having twelve different positions. Another superposed card having six different slots, representing various track conditions, is provided so that in playing the game over 400 different combinations are possible. Obviously, in providing more settings and slots a much larger number will be provided.

The invention is illustrated in the preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which: 7

Figure 1 is ,a plan view of game apparatus embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken as indicated at line 2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan View of the progress, or track card, taken as, indicated at line 3 of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a plan view of the circuit disk, or horse disk, taken as indicated at line 4 of In the embodiment illustrated, a base member 5 is provided, and preferably is of square shape and made of a thin panel of wood, metal or cardboard. A circuit card 6 is pivotally mounted on the base 5 by means of a pivot member "I. On the upper face of the circuit card is a group of loops 8 which are disposed around the pivot I and cross and re-cross each other in a carefully designed arrangement. These loops may be printed on the card in different colors, or otherwise designated, so that they may easily be differentiated. The periphery of the disk 6 preferably extends beyond the edge of the base 5 so that the disk may be turned to a desired position. The marginal circumference portion of the disk is divided into twelve parts designated by numbers, which provide various starting and finishing points on the track, as will be explained below.

A cover member 9 may have the same general shape as the base member and may be secured thereto, at the corner portions, by means of clips I0, or in any other suitable manner. As shown in Figure 1, the cover member has a segmental cut-out area II which represents a race track. This area is arranged concentrically with the member is provided with a notch I2 in its upper edge to permit access to the circuit disk G and permit the latter to be turned to a desired setting.

Between the cover 9 and the base 5 is provided a progress member I3, best shown in Figure 3, which is pivoted to the cover member, as indicated at I4, which is eccentric to the circuit-disk 6. The progress member preferably extendsbeyond the lateral edge portion of the base 5 and the cover 9 so that it may be rotated with respect to the disk 6. It is shown provided with a series of outwardly extending slots I5, whose inner portions are notched into steps designated by the

Winning numbers

1, 2 and 3. While a single slot is all that is required to play the game, and will provide different results according to which of the twelve settings on the circuit-disk is used, it is preferred to have six or more slots of various shapes. Each of the slots may be marked at its marginal portion with a word to designate the condition of the imaginary track, such as mud, fast or some other designation.

Where more than one slot is used, it is desirable to provide a mask-disk I6 which is journalled concentrically with the progress member I3 on the pivot I4. The mask-disk has a wedge shaped cut-out portion I! which is large enough to eX- pose only one of the slots I5 in the progress member I3. As shown in Figure 1, the mask I6 is provided with a notch Hi to expose the edge portion of the progress member and permit a designated portion on the latter member to be aligned with the arrow I9 on the cover member which represents the track condition. Also, the mask is provided with a notch 20 which permits access to the underlying circuit-card 6 and permits it to be adjusted for a. desired race.

In order to play the game, the mask card I6 is first turned so that the notches I8 and 29 are exposed at the edges of the top member. The card 6 is then turned until one of the numbers, at its marginal edge portion, is lined up at the center of the notch 20. This number may be selected arbitrarily or called the particular race about to be run. For example, for the fifth race the number 5 might be turned into position. The progress member I3 is then rotated, in the notch I8 of the mask card, until a desired track condition setting appears, such as mud. After the players have designated which horses, or colors, they have picked to win, the operator grasps the two disks I3 and I6 at the lateral edge of the top member and rotates them together. When the cut-out I! on the mask passes under the starting line of the area II on the cover member, the slot [5 will expose a short length of each of the paths printed on the card 6. Continued rotation of the mask and progress member will show the positions of the contestants crossing and re-crossing until they reach the finish line. As the slot [5 in the progress member approaches the finish line, its inner stepped portion will come into View, for the first time, due to its eccentric mounting, and will show which horses or colors finished in the order of first, second and third. The game can then be repeated, with different settings on the circuit-card and the progress card.

It will be noted that while the race is being run, each player can see the progress of his particular entry, or selection, with relation to the other entries from the starting post clear to the finish line. In order to provide an equal chance for all players, it is important that the slots l5 on the progress member be carefully designed with respect to the loop-paths on the circuitcard.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. Game apparatus comprising: a base member; a circuit-card, rotatably positioned on said base member, and having a series of loop-paths designated on said card and arranged to cross and re-cross each other about a center point; a progress member superposed on said circuit-card and pivotally secured to said base member eccentrically of the center point of the circuit-card, said progress member being adapted upon rotation to expose a curved line of progress along each path on the circuit-card; and a. cover superposed on the assembly and having a segmental open area, arranged concentrically with the center pointof the circuit-card to expose movement of the progress member over said circuit-card and provide a starting and finish line for each path.

2. Apparatus as specified in claim 1, in which the progress member is in the form of a disk having a plurality of outwardly extending slots, and a mask disk is pivoted on the center of the progress member so as to be adjustable thereon and be rotatable therewith, said mask disk having a cut-out area to expose but one selected slot on said progress member at a time.

3. Racing game apparatus comprising: a base member; a circuit-card pivoted on said base member and having a series of loop-paths designated on said card, each of said paths crossing and re-crossing each of the other paths about the pivot point; a cover member secured to the base member and having a cut-out segment concentric with said pivot point; and a progress disk pivotally mounted on the cover member, eccentrically of the pivot point of the circuit-card, said disk having an irregularly shaped slot to expose a portion of each path on the circuit-card when the slot is rotated beneath the cut-out segment of the cover.

4. Apparatus as specified in claim 3, in which the progress disk is provided with a plurality of slots, and a mask is mounted on said disk, to rotate therewith, so that any selected slot may be used.

5. A device as specified in claim 3, in which the edge of the circuit-card is exposed near one edge of the base card to facilitate its positioning.

6. Apparatus as specified in claim 3, in which the progress disk is provided with a plurality of slots, and a mask is mounted on said disk, to rotate therewith, so that any selected slot may be used, said disk and mask extending beyond the edge of the base member so that both may be grasped and rotated together.

7. Racing game apparatus comprising: a top member and base member secured together, said top having an open segmental area to designate a race track; a card beneath said disk having circuit paths designated thereon; and a progress disk journalled on the underside of the top member, eccentrically of the segmental area, said disk having a slot to expose a portion of each path as the disk is turned from one end of the area to the other.

8. A device as, specified in claim '7, in which the slot in the progress disk, near its center, has portions marked to designate which paths have won the race, said portions being visible only as the slot nears the finish line of area.

9. Racing game apparatus comprising: a top member and base member secured together, said top having an open segmental area to designate a race track, and said base member having circuit paths designated thereon, beneath the open area of said top member; and a progress disk journalled on the underside of the top member, eccentrically of the segmental area, said disk having a slotto expose a portion of each path as the disk is turned from one end of the area to the other.

ALAN B. LE MAY.