US2799504A - Battle-simulation game - Google Patents

Description

July 16, 1957 G. J. KEYKO BATTLE-SIMULATION GAME Filed Jan. 18, 1955 INVENTOR Greene: J. KEYKO ATTORNEYS United States Patent BATTLE-SHVIULATION GAME George J. Keyko, Watertown, Conn., assignor to Teacher Toys, Inc., Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application January 18, 1955, Serial No. 482,474

' 1 Claim. (c1. 273 1s1 My invention relates generally to games, and more particularly to battle-simulation games wherein two players are provided with various game pieces representing military components, and each player may execute limited maneuvers, the ultimate purpose of which is to defeat the opponent by capturing his forces.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a game afiording a high degree of enjoyment, suspense and challenge to the players.

Another object is to provide a game affording great opportunity for mental exercise, and enabling the players to develop and exhibit a large amount of skill while playing. a Y I Another object is to provide a game which may serve to educate the players in the art of military strategy.

Another object is to provide a game which is economical of manufacture and whose components may be readily made and packaged.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a game board adapted to be used in playing the game; and

Figs. 2, 3, 4 and are perspective views of different pieces adapted to be used in playing the game.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the game board, generally indicating by the numeral 1 in Fig. l, is provided with a map 2 reproduced on the upper surface thereof which portrays pictorially the area upon which the simulated battle may take place.

A river 3 is illustrated running generally diagonally from the upper righthand corner to the lower lefthand corner of the map 2. At a generally central point on the map 2, the river 3 embodies a widened portion 4, and a smaller island 5 and a larger island 6 are located in said portion. A wooded area 7 covers the peripheral portions of the map 2 and extends inwardly to encircle a cleared area 8 of irregular configuration which lies between said wooded area and the widened portion 4 of the river 3.

A prisoner-of-war camp 9 is represented on the island 6, which is otherwise pictured as a wooded area id, and said camp is encircled by a fence 11. A second prisonerof-war camp 12 is located in a clearing at the upper lefthand corner of the board, and is delineated by means of a fence 13.

A road 14 is routed entirely around the prison camp 9 and is connected at three points to bridges 15, 16, and 17, spanning the distance between the island 6 and the mainland. The bridge 15 is located on the lefthand side of the island 6 and leads to a road 18, which extends to the upper lefthand side of the map 2. A side road 19 runs from road 18 to the prisoner-of-war camp 12. A second side road 20 extends from a point on road 18 adjacent the bridge 15 to approximately the center of the upper edge of the map 2. The bridge 16 leads to a road 21, which runs along the right bank of the river 3 to the upper righthand corner of the map 2 and which connects Patented July 16, 1957 with a bridge 22, spanning said river adjacent its uppermost extremity. The bridge 17 leads to a road 23, extending generally downwardly to the lower edge of the map 2. In addition, a road 24 is pictured, being routed diagonally across the lower lefthand corner of the map 2 and crossing the river 3 over bridge 25.

The entire game board is divided into a non-symmetrical inner section 26 and an outer non-symmetrical section 27 completely surrounding 26, said sections being delineated by a boundary 28, which is illustrated by a heavy line on the map 2. The map 2 is further subdivided by a plurality of spaced horizontal and vertical lines into a plurality of squares 29. Each prisoner camp, or site, includes a plurality of complete squares.

In playing the game, each of two players is provided with a dilierent colored or otherwise identifiable set of eighteen game pieces which are of such a size as to be conveniently accommodated within one of the squares 29. Twelve pieces in each of the aforementioned sets are adapted to represent infantrymen, as shown at 30 in Fig. 2; two pieces in each of said sets are adapted to represent machine guns, as shown at 31; two pieces in each. of said sets are adapted to represent antitank guns as shown at 32; and two pieces in each of said sets are adapted to represent tanks, as shown at 33. It will be readily understood that the apportionment and classification of game pieces may vary quite substantially without altering the general nature of the game.

Itwill be apparent that a game simulating actual battle conditions may be played by two players using the above described game pieces and board by alternating moves and allowing each player during a single move to move any one of his game pieces in accordance with such limitations of movement as may be ascribed to that piece. For example: the infantryman pieces 30 may be allowed a move of one square horizontally or vertically in any single move when situated on a wooded or partly wooded square, but when on a cleared square may be allowed a move of two squares at a time horizontally or vertically or a combination move of one square horizontally and one square vertically, and said infantrymen are allowed a move of one square diagonally from either a wooded or a cleared square when capturing an opposing piece; the machine gun pieces 31 may be allowed a move of one square any direction in the wooded or partly wooded squares, but may be allowed a move of any number of squares in the same horizontal, vertical or diagonal direction from a cleared square; the antitank gun pieces 28 may be allowed movement in diagonal directions only, being limited to a move of one square when situated on a wooded or partly wooded square to traverse any number of cleared squares in the same diagonal direction when starting from a cleared square; and the tank pieces 29 may be allowed only horizontal and vertical movement, being limited to a move of one square when on a wooded or partly wooded square, but being permitted to traverse any number of cleared squares in the same direction when starting from a cleared square. In addition, any of the pieces are permitted in one move to move along any road or series of connected roads between any two squares which include portions of said roads. No piece may cross a river except where a bridge has been provided.

The infantrymen 30 may capture only such opposing pieces as happen to be located on a square diagonally adjacent to the one upon which the prospective captor is located, in which case the captor may be moved to that square to replace the opposing piece. The other pieces may capture by replacement any opposing piece which lies within their normal range of movement.

According to a preferred mode of play, one player is designated the defending general and is required to position his men within the inner section. The other, player,

designated the attacking. general, is then required to position his men in the woodedarea" 6, at leastonesquare away from the cleared area7, this player having the benefit ofreferring to the .priorpositioning of, the defending forces. By alternate moves, the players then seek to maneuver their forces in such a way and "in accordance with such tactical patterns of play as to'capture the various pieces of their opponent; Captured'infantry men are placed in the captors prison camp, to be'freed' only when one of their own menenterssaidcamp; where upon they are repositioned in the wooded area of their respective sections. Captured pieces other than infantrymen are eliminated from the game. The game proceeds until all pieces of one of the players have been captured or until one of the players surrenders;

It will be understood that numerous changes and modifications may be made in this game without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the annexed claim.

I claim:

A game for simulated battle between two opposing forces, comprising: a game board having a map on one surface thereof; a plurality of spaced parallel lines extending across said map in one direction and being in tersected at right angles by a second plurality of similarly spaced parallel lines to form a pattern of squares on said map; boundary means on said map dividing said map into a non-symmetrical inner section and a non-symmetrical outer section completely surrounding the said inner section; means defining a first prisoner site in said inner section and occupying an area including a plurality ofcomplete squares; means defining a second prisoner site in saidouter section at an outer extremity of said map and occupying an area including a plurality of complete squares; means dividing said inner and outer sections into generally concentric annular zones being respectively identified as woods and open fields; two sets of game pieces, each set comprising a plurality of differently shaped pieces formed to represent military personnel and equipment and being sufficiently small in size to be accommodated within any one of said squares, whereby a plurality of said game pieces may be accommodated Within either of said sites said respective sets of game pieces having identification means thereon indicative of one of said forces, whereby a'simulated battle may be engaged in between one of said forces protecting said outer site and the other of said forces protecting said inner site by movement of said game pieces from one of said squares to another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 440,737 Burge Nov. 18, 1890 1,023,375 Hammond Apr. 16, 1912 1,025,940 Archer May 7, 1912 1,216,355 Persyn Feb. 20, 1917 1,315,483 Edwards Sept. 19, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,928 Great Britain 1895 19,662 Great Britain 1900 24,195 Great Britain 1901 825,911 France Mar. 17, 1938

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