US2317705A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

April 27, 1943. R. o. WOOD GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 14, 1941 INVENTOR Y Rober 0.17mi

' 1 A-rrozzrvey Patented Apr. 27, 1943 one STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME APPARATUS Robert 0. Wood, Upper Montclair, N. J. Application Januar 14, 1941, Serial No. 374,333

. Claims.

My invention relates to a game apparatus, and more particularly to a game apparatus comprising a number of separate game pieces or blocks adapted to be progressively assembled or placed together in accordance with matching means, such as marks, values or symbols provided on the pieces, for example, in the manner of the well known game of dominos.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a new and highly fascinating game apparatus.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel arrangement of matching means on the face of the game pieces, and whereby the pieces may be assembled in a great variety of ways, so to furnish the players of the game with both the elements of skill and of change in the scoring.

A further object is to provide marking means on the game pieces or blocks, whereby future plays may be foreseen to an appreciable degree and pieces withheld for future scoring without effecting the progress of the game, that is, blocking the game.

A further object of my invention is to provide a set of square game pieces or blocks, each of which having upon its face series of traversing lines disposed at substantially right angles thereof and related, in both directions to a number of other pieces of the set, so that when the pieces are all properly matched or assembled in accordance with these matching lines, they will form a final large square figure having on. its face continuous lines crossing one anotherin the mannerof a plaid design.

Other objects and features of my invention will be hereinafter described and set forth in the appended claims.

For a clearer understanding of my invention, attention is directed to the drawing which accompam'es and forms a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a View of the game pieces 01' blocks as they may be matched in accordance with one of a great many possible matching combinations; the last played piece being shown slightly dislocated from its true position.

Fig. 1a is a projected end View of the lower left-hand corner block of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1b is a projected View of the lower righthand corner block of Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a view showing a number of game pieces as they may be assembled or matched without effecting scoring.

Fig. 3 is a view showing a number of game pieces assembled and in position to effect scoring.

With reference to Fig. 1, there will be seen a complete assembly of the game pieces or blocks forming my game apparatus. This layout orplan of play exemplifies one of a great many different ways or possible combinations of assembling the pieces of my game. As seen, the blocks (indicated in common by the numeral I) are preferably made in the form of true squares, and, as such and because of their total number, they are adapted when properly matched to form a figure of a predetermined configuration, such as the square (A) of Fig. l. The matching meanson the face of I each of the game pieces or blocks consists. of two series ,or sets of indicia, particularly lines, each series crossing one another at substantially right angles and extending in their respective direction substantially from edge to edge of each block. The matching line or lines of each series are grouped or so arranged as to form, in both directions, identical sets of lines, which sets may be similarly carried out or projected over a number or group of blocks forming a part of the total number of game pieces in my game apparatus, as well seen in the drawing.

As will appear, when facing a given side of a block, the matching lines, above mentioned, appear on the face thereof as respective sets of vertical and horizontal lines. Thus, for purpose of description of my game apparatus and with respect to Fig. 1, reference to these matching sets of lines will be had under the terms vertical and horizontal lines, respectively indicated by the letters V and H. It will be understood that the above terms vertical and horizontal, as applied to the sets of lines on each of the blocks, are interchangeable in accord to which of one side a, player may view a given piece. Therefore, the sets of vertical lines V on all of the blocks I, are purposely distinguished in characteristics from the sets of horizontal lines H, so that in assembling the blocks all the lines V on the blocks will be matched together and similarly the lines H togetherto form the square configuration A, shown in Fig. 1. tained by spacing the lines of the sets V differently from the lines in the sets H, however, it is greatly preferable to make the differentiation between said sets of lines as by means of colors. For example, the sets of lines V'may be colored red and the sets of lines I-I may be colored blue. For purpose of illustration, the color differentiation of said sets of lines is indicated in the present drawing by means of broken lines (indicating red) for the vertical sets of lines on all The distinction could be ob;

of the blocks I, and by solid or full lines (indicating blue) for the horizontal lines H, also on all of said blocks. Other means may, of course, be used for diiferentiating the sets of lines.

The total amount of blocks forming my game apparatus is not intended to be limited to a specified number, but as is obvious from what has been previously stated, it is desirable that the total amount of blocks when assembled correctly form the square A. Preferably, I choose a total of 49 blocks, and thus form the layout or square A of Fig. 1 with seven blocks on all four sides thereof. This number of pieces is arbitrary and in no way intended to limit my present invention. My new game may however be played with somewhat less complication with 25 or 36 blocks; forming the square A respectively with 5 or 6 blocks at each four sides thereof, and with somewhat more complications with 64 or 81 blocks; forming the square A respectively with 8 or 9 blocks at the sides thereof as may be easily understood. It is to be observed from the drawing that the matching patterns or sets of lines vary in the number of lines.

which composes them, and that this variation is carried out, in both the vertical and horizontal sets, in like manner over a group of blocks, which group is equal to the number of pieces forming any one side of the square A. Thus, when 49 pieces are used as in the present illustration, the variation in the sets of matching lines are carried out or projected from a given one to six others so as to form a group of 7 pieces. I prefer to form the variations in direct accord with the number of groups in a direction; either Vertical or horizontal. Starting with a set of one line extending over a first group of seven pieces, I increase the number of lines by one for each group, and this is carried out in similar fashion for both directional sets of lines as seen in the layout of Fig. 1. Each game piece thus forms a member of two groups, one longitudinally and one Vertically.

In accordance with the above arrangement, when the blocks are properly matched or assembled, the similarly arranged sets of vertical lines V become in fact continuous over the respective group of seven pieces. Similarly the like-arranged sets of horizontal lines H become all continuous over their respective group to form thereby a so-called plaid design over the face of the square A. This design is of course variable with each different order of progress in the matching of the blocks, and particularly as to the key-blockthe one first played-which may be any one of the 49 blocks.

The illustrative blocks I, constituting my game apparatus, may be of any thickness and of any suitable material. These have been shown in the instant embodiment as being true squares, that is, as being equiangle-equilateral quadrangles, but it will be understood that the essence of my invention does not limitedly rest upon this precise conformity of the blocks shown. On one face of the blocks there are provided the sets of lines hereinabove described. These lines may be placed thereon, by any appropriate process known, such as by printing. However, I prefer to make the blocks of a substantial thickness, as shown in Figs. 1a and 1b, and provide for a greater permanency of the lines by grooving the blocks as shown at G. Then, I fill the grooves with suitable coloring material, so as to difierentiate the lines of each set in the manner above stated. My game apparatus may be made comparatively cheaper by using simple cardboard material to form the blocks; printing on the face of such blocks the arrangement of lines in the manner above described.

Manner of scoring The scoring is effected by the development of the elements of skill and chance, and rest upon the ability of any one of the players to place a block in a position which will complete a square from a number of blocks during the progress of assemblingthe blocks. As an example of this rule of scoring, there is seen in Fig. 2 a number of assembled blocks which, as placed, do not effect scoring by reason of the fact that said blocks do not form a square figure. However, in Fig. 3, the blocks played do form a square, not only in one instance, such as the square defined by the group of nine blocks at the upper right hand corner of this partial layout, but also in a further instance, such as the smaller square formed by the group of four blocks at the lower left-hand corner of the layout. Thus the player last playing the piece which forms any one of the above mentioned squares (upper right-hand corner and lower left-hand corner) has the privilege of effecting scoring. As a further example, if a player places a block in the upper left-hand corner of the partial layout or group played in Fig. 2, this player will effect scoring. The block must, of course, match the two adjacent ones. Necessarily this block has two vertical lines V and three horizontal lines H, and may, of course, be held in the hands of any one of the players playing the game.

In order to develop a players skill and render the game more interesting, the scoring block may be counted, not only by the amount of lines-lines in both directions-upon its face, but by its lines multiplied by the number of blocks forming one side of the square which it completes. For instance, the player placing the block having a total of five lines, and which completes the square pointed above in Fig. 2 would obtain a score of 5X2 which would equal 10. This scoring arrangement is carried out for all squares so formed, whether such square be of the smallest order, such as 2 blocks on each side or of '7 blocks on each side; which latter is the largest and final obtainable square. Thus the last player always scores, and his score varies with the total amount of lines on the last block played. Such last score being (X lines) x7.

The manner of scoring as above described is not to be regarded as a set rule to limit the scope of my game apparatus, as the players of the game may decide the value of a piece played in any manner or form which rests upon the principle of the sets of lines or marking arrangement on the blocks as herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a game apparatus, including a set of game pieces adapted to be fitted together to form a figure of a given conformity; the combination of equal-number groups of game pieces bearing upon their faces crossing patterns of stripes each extending to the edge of each said pieces; the stripes in one direction on the face of one piece of a group being carried out in similar number and space relationship over all of the other pieces of said group, and the stripes in the other direction varying in number and space relationship for each of the pieces in said group, but being extended for each said pieces over a corresponding one in each other groups, so that when all of the pieces are fitted together, by means of said patterns of stripes, there will be a plaid design appearing over said figure regardless of the order in which said game pieces are fitted to form said figure.

2. In a game apparatus, including a set of mark-bearing game pieces adapted to be matched in accordance with the markings thereon, the combination of two right angularly disposed sets of lines on the face of each piece, each set having one or more lines traversing a piece from one side to the other in both directions and groups and carrying two series of indicia each common to one group and different from the indicia of all other groups, the indicia of 'each series consists of parallel lines and the lines of one series are disposed atlright angles to the lines of the other series; the common indicia for each group has a number of lines different from the other groups, so that the pieces can be laid in edge to edge contact to form a regular geometrical figure with the indicia lines of the pieces of each group extending in alignment with each other across said figure.

4. A game comprising a plurality of groups of game pieces, each piece being a member of two groups and carrying two series of indicia each common to one group and different from the indicia of all other groups, each group of said game includes the same number of pieces.

ROBERT O. WOOD.

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