US2911220A

US2911220A - Card game

Info

Publication number: US2911220A
Application number: US359033A
Authority: US
Inventors: William R Irwin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-06-02
Filing date: 1953-06-02
Publication date: 1959-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 1976-11-03

Description

W. R. IRWIN Nov. 3, 1959 CARD GAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2. 1953 INVENTOR. W.R. IRWIN ATTORNEY Nov. 3, 1959 w. R. IRWIN 2,911,220

CARD GAME Filed June 2. 195a 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 N Qq INVENTOR.

Q BY Warm ATTORNEY w. R. IRWIN CARD GAME Nov. 3, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 2. 1953 INVENTOR. W.R.|RW|N ATTORNEY Nov. 3, 1959 w, R, .Rwl' 2,911,220

'CARD GAME Filed June 2. 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 w R, w W. 521%??- AT ORNEY Nov. 3, 1959 wRlRwlN 2,911,220

CARD GAME Filed June 2. 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. W.R. IRWIN A ORNEY CARD GAME William R. Irwin, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Application-June 2, 1953, Serial No. 359,033

4 Claims. (Cl. 273152.1)

This invention relates to a card game and to a series of cards for playing the same. More particularly, the invention relates to such a game in which the cards are adapted to be superimposed, 'one over another, in different combinations and arrangements, in the course of playing of the game, in order to build up maximum scoring possibilities with the cards fortuitously dealt or otherwise distributed.

One of the objects of the invention is to devise a card game which is sufliciently simple to enable it to be played by the young and sufficiently interesting to appeal to people of mature age.

Another object is to provide a series of cards for use in playing the game which will be novel in form and structure and capable of being economically produced.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In accordance with the invention I provide a set of cards which are composed of a transparent material, such as a transparent plastic, and which have a display delineated thereon, such as by an opaque pigment, the displays being of different 'shapes, coloring or other distinctive nature, and correlated to each. other so that they will be combinable to form composite figures, scenes or displays when two or more selected cards are superimposed or overlaid. The cards have scoring indications thereon which are selectively displayed or covered or partially displayed or covered to elfect modification thereof dependin'g upon the stacked relation of the cards in what may be termed a meld. The opaque display on the face of the cards may differ in shape, color, surface marking, and the like, from that of the rear so as to hide or mask the face display, and may be duplicated in size, shape and location'on various cards to further prevent identification of the front surface display.

The game may be played in a variety of ways, as by the dealing of .a predetermined number of cards to each player. The cards may then be arranged in the most advantageous relation to build up composite displays by superimposing certain of the cards on each other. Thereafter the hand may be improved by picking up additional cards and by judiciously discarding from the hand in accordance with prescribed rules, or by other means of interchange with .other players. The groups of cards forming composite displays may then be laid down or melded, either when completed or at a subsequent point in the game, and the score calculated in accordance with the scoring indications on the completed groups. Penalties may also be imposed, if desired, for incomplete groups, isolated cards, and unmelded groups held in the hand.

The nature of the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows the front face or display side of a set of five cards representative of those employed to form a larger or playing deck;

Fig. 2 shows the reverse or rear side of the cards form: ingthe group of Fig. 1; i

United States Patent r 2,911,220 Patented Nov. 3, 1959 ice Fig. 9 shows the rear appearance of each of the cards of Fig. 8;

Figs. 10 and 11 show different composite displays produced by superimposing the cards of Fig. 8 in different combinations; and

Fig. 12 shows the front face of a third modified group of cards representative of a deck.

Referring first to Fig. 1, each of the cards A, B, C, D and E consists of a transparent support 10 of uniform size and shape, having different opaque displays 11 there- On, preferably produced by printing. The displays are shown in black and white for the purpose of illustration, but may be produced in any desired colors. Each display is incomplete in itself, forming a part only of a complete figure, but such parts are disposed on the individual cards in such position that when two or more of the cards are laid one over the other, with their edges aligned, a composite figure will be produced, and by varying the arrangements of the cards a number of such composite figures may be formed.

Each card also displays a scoring indication 12, in the form of a numeral contained within a box at the lower left hand corner and these numerals are so arranged that they will produce a composite number when the cards are overlaid, which will vary with the particular order in which the cards are stacked.

The rear of the cards, as shown in Fig. 2, are also pigmented with a solid color 13 so as to disguise the design on the face and render it more difficult to ascertain the surface display from the back of the card, yet giving an indication by which the player can employ his judgment in making a selection either from the pack or the discard pile or from an opponents hand, depending upon the rules which are provided for supplementing the hand. These rear markings being of the general contour of the face display but being left to right reversals thereof and often top to bottom reversals, depending on the fortuitous arrangement of the cards, adds an interest in the nature of an IQ. factor to the game, thus differentiating from the usual card games in which the selection is made either purely by chance or from cards openly displayed.

As previously stated, the object of the game is to arrange thecards, one over the other in sets or melds, to form one or more composite pictures, and in Figs. 3 to 7 a number of such sets are shown utilizing the cards A to E.

In Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, the composite display is composed of the cards A, B, C and D. In Fig. 3 it is made of cards C, B and A, disposed from the top down, in this order. The scoring points are obtained jointly from cards C and B.

In Fig. 4 the order of the cards from the top down is D, C and B, with a displayed score of 505. I

In Fig. 5 the group is composed of cards D, B and A, giving a score of 205, and'in Fig. 6 card B over card A produces the complete figure with a score of 200.

In each of the groups of Figs. 3 to 6, the order of the cards may be changed while still producing a complete set. For instance, cards A, Band C forming the design of Fig. 3 may be arranged, from the top down, in the order A, B, or A, C, B (score B, C, A or B, A (score 200); or C, A, B (score 500). Likewise the: cards B, C, D and A, B, D,',comprising Figs. 4 and 5, respectively, may be differently superimposed'to produce other scores. This ability to arrange a given set of cards to produce the most advantageous score adds an educa- 3 tional feature when the cards are employed in a childs game.

Fig. 7 adds card E to the grouping, being a composite of cards B, E and A. By the addition of this card, eight new possible groups may be obtained, and each of these groups may be disposed in different orders so as to modify the score, and to the same extent, the design. Thus each additional card provides an increasing number of possible combinations.

It will be understood that the five cards shown are by way of example only and that a complete deck may include other cards combinable with those shown as well as cards which are uncombinable with those shown but which are combinable with each other to form entirely separate groupings. The combined displays or designs may include a wide variety of subjects, such as television and comic strip characters, athletes, animals, scenes, maps, and other fanciful or educational matter. A deck including mannequin base cards with variable wardrobe cards produces a game particularly interesting to young girls.

In Fig. 8 I have shown three cards, representative of a modified form of deck, each card F, G and H, having two

transparent portions

15 and 16 and two

opaque portions

17 and 18, the opaque and transparent portions being of approximately equal size and so located that when any two cards are properly oriented the opaque portion of one will be disposed beneath the transparent portion of another, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. Each opaque face portion contains a symbol or figure so that when each pair of cards are properly superimposed a composite representation will be produced. Fig. 10 shows card F over card H and Fig. 11 shows card G over card H. Cards F and G will combine to produce still another representation. Scoring may be based on the nature of the representation. Thus Fig. 10 represents three of a kind, Fig. 11 a pair. Cards F and G would also produce three of a kind. These cards have also a suit marking of hearts. Other suits maybe provided with the playable combinations restricted, if desired, to a single suit.

All of the cards have the same rear appearance, as shown in Fig. 9, thus eliminating any possibility of determining the surface markings from the back of the deck.

Obviously the cards are not limited to the particular number, size and location of the opaque portions shown, nor in an arrangement which requires the combination of two cards only to form a completed design.

Fig. 12 shows a group of three cards physically similar to the cards of Fig. 8 but in which the markings on the face of the cards is combinable to form difierent unitary pictorial representations. Thus, cards I and I may be superimposed to form one figure, and cards I and K may be similarly combined to form a different figure. It is contemplated that a complete deck will include other cards combinable with I, I or K to form still further pictures. Each of the cards I, J and K have an identical appearance from the back and hence the rear view of the cards give no clue to the combinability of any two cards.

It will be noted that the transparent portions of all of the cards of Figs. 8 and 12 are spaced equally apart but are oflfset with respect to one end of the cards so that when the cards are stacked and oriented in one position, the transparent areas will be in alignment but when the orientation of one card is reversed relative to that of another, the transparent areas of each card will be out of alignment with each other and in alignment with the opaque area of the other card, and that in this latter arrangement the graphic display on the underneath card is visible and, when the cards are properly selected, comhinable with the graphic display on the overlying card to produce the composite representation. In the cards of Fig. 8, these composite representations produce variable scoring combinations, and in the cards of Fig. 12 they produce a composite picture.

It will thus be evident that the cards are susceptible to a wide variation in design and in the combinable delineations thereon without departing from the inventive concept.

What I claim is:

1. A card game including a series of cards of the same size and configuration adapted to be shuffled to arrange the cards in fortuitous order, each of said cards being composed of a transparent material and being partially opaque and partially transparent, a pigmented display comprising a plurality of contrasting areas forming a part only of a composite pictorial representation visible on the face of each of said cards and forming said opaque portion thereof, the opaque portions of certain cards being located, at least in part, in the position of the transparent area of other cards, so that when a selected plurality of said cards are superimposed face up in properly oriented position with their edges in align.- ment, the face display of an underneath card willbe visible'through the transparent area of an overlying card and combinable With the face display of said overlying card to form a composite pictorial representation, the facial display on said opaque portions of each of said cards being masked by a separate pigmentation visible on the back of said cards, whereby the combinability of said facial displays will not be evident when said cards are disposed face down.

2. A card game including a series of cards of the same size and configuration adapted to be shuflied to arrange the cards in fortuitous order, each of said cards being composed of a transparent material and being partially opaque and partially transparent, a pigmented display comprising a plurality of contrasting areas forming a part only of a composite pictorial representation visible on the face of each of said cards and forming said opaque portion thereof, the opaque portions of certain cards being located, at least in part, in the position of the transparent areas of other cards, so that when a selected plurality of said cards are superimposed face up in properly oriented position With their edges in alignment, the face display ofan underneath card will be visible through the transparent area of an overlying card and combinable with the face display of said overlying card to'form a composite pictorial representation, the facial display on said opaque portions of each of said cards being masked by a separate pigmentation visible on the back of said cards, whereby the combinability of said facial displays will not be evident when said cards are disposed face down, scoring numbers on the face of said cards, said numbers heing selectively exposed or masked to produce composite numbers when said selected plurality of cards are superimposed to form said composite pictorial representation.

3. A card game including a series of cards of the same size and configuration adapted to be shuified to arrange the cards in fortuitous order, each of said cards having at least one transparent and one opaque area, the transparent area of each of said cards being of the same size and in alignment with each other when said cards are superimposed with their edges in alignment and oriented in a predetermined position, and said transparent areas of some of said cards being out of alignment and dis,- posed over said opaque areas of others of said cards when the orientation of said others of said cards is reversed, the opaque areas of each card having a similar pigmentation when viewed from one side thereof, whereby said cards are indistinguishable from each other when so viewed graphic displays visible on the other side of said opaque area of each of said cards, the graphic displays on certain of said cards differing from those of others of said cards and being visible through the transparent .area

of another of said cards and combinable with the graphic display of said latter card to form a composite display when selected ones of said cards are superimposed with their edges in alignment and oriented with their transparent areas out of alignment.

4. A card game including a series of cards of the same size and configuration adapted to be shufiied to arrange the cards in fortuitous order, each of said cards having a plurality of transparent areas and a plurality of opaque areas, the transparent areas of each of said cards being of the same size and in alignment with each other when said cards are superimposed with their edges in alignment and oriented in a predetermined position, and said trans parent areas of some of said cards being out of alignment and disposed over said opaque areas of others of said cards when the orientation of said others of said cards is reversed, the opaque areas of each card having a similar pigmentation when viewed from one side thereof, whereby said cards are indistinguishable from each other when so viewed, graphic displays visible on the other side of said opaque areas of each of said cards, the graphic dis plays on certain of said cards difiering from that of others of said cards and being visible through the transparent areas of another of said cards and combinable with the graphic display of said latter card to form a composite display when selected ones of said cards are superimposed with their edges in alignment and oriented with their transparent areas out of alignment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 636,319 Camp Nov. 7, 1899 2,634,132 Freedman Apr. 7, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 635.724 Germany Sept. 29, 1936