US3163425A

US3163425A - Game board having changeable pattern

Info

Publication number: US3163425A
Application number: US195296A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth S Caplan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-05-16
Filing date: 1962-05-16
Publication date: 1964-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 1981-12-29

Description

Dec. 29, 1964 K. s, CAPLAN 3,163,425

GAME BOARD HAVING CHANGEABLE PATTERN Filed May 16, 1962 INVENTOR KENNETH S. CAPLAN ATTY.

United States Patent Oiice 3,163,425 Patented Dec. 29 1964 3,163,425 GAME EGARD HAVING CEANGEABLE PATTERN Kenneth S. Caplan, 471 Park Are., Elmhurst, lll. Filed May 16, 1%2, Ser. No. 195,296 9 Claims. (Ci. 273-436) This invention relates to a game and to a novel game board which forms a part thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a game having a game board formed by a plurality of relatively movable sections that form a pattern over which the game is played and wherein one or more of the sections may be shifted relative to the other to vary the pattern as the game is being played. ln accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the game board has a plurality of parallel adjacent strips. Each strip has a single line of alternately colored squares and extends across the board, and the strips may be positioned relative to each other to form a conventional checkerboard pattern. Each strip is, furthermore, independently slidable longitudinally an amount equal to the width of one square, whereby to vary the checkerboard pattern as by forming a plurality of rectangular rows of squares of the same color. The number of similarly colored squares in each row will depend upon the number of strips that have been shifted.

l't is also an object of the present invention to provide a game having .a game board of the type stated in which the variable playing pattern is overlaid by a transparent member that remains stationary when the strips are shifted to change the pattern. The transparent member constitutes a playing area over which a plurality of checkers or other disconnected obiects are movable in relation to the subjaccnt pattern, in accordance with the rules of the game. rEhe transparent member supports the objects whereby they remain stationary when the. slidable rips are shifted to change the game board pattern.

lt is also an object of the present invention to provide a game of the type stated which is interesting and entertaining, and which is relatively inexpensive to construct.

The attainment of the above and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof.

In the drawing:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a game constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

FGS. 2 and 3 are sectional viewstaken along lines 2 2 and 3-3 respectively of FIG. l; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. l and showing the play of the game.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred ernbodiment of the present invention, A designates a game comprising a game board 1. The game board 1 includes a jacket 3 having top and bottom rectangular cardboard plies 5, 7, the top ply 5 having a large square opening 9 therein that leaves a border 1G on the ply 5. The plies 5, 7 Vare permanently secured together at their margins by binding

tapes

11, 13, 1S, 17.

Mounted for longitudinalV sliding movement between the plies 5, 7 are eight adiacent parallel cardboard strips 1%, 21, 23, Z5, 27, 29, 31, 33, the upper surfaces of which are approximately coplanar, Each strip carries on its upper surface a single line of nine squares 35a, 35h, eight of which are normally visible through the opening 9. The squares 35a are of a diferent color than the squares 35b and are alternately arranged along each strip. Furthermore, similarly colored squares in one strip are in opposite alternate arraneeinent with those of the adjacent strip.

Thus, when the strips are in the position shown in FIG. 1, the pattern exposed through the opening 9 will be a standard sixty four square checkerboard.

The endmost squares of each strip may actually be slightly elongated as at

end portions

37, 39 and hence not truly square. However, since the

elongated portions

37, 39 underlie the opaque top ply 5, the exposed parts of those squares appear substantially square-shaped.

Riveled or otherwise rigidly secured to the

strips

19, 21, 23,15, 27, 29, 31, 33 at their end portions 37 are knobs d1, 43, 45, 47, 49, S1, S3, 55 that project through

parallel slots

57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71 in the border lil of the top ply 5. The knob on each ply may be grapsed to shift that strip longitudinally independently of the other strips, the amount of shifting being limited by the abutment of the knobs at the end of the

slots

57, 59, 61,

63, 65, 67, 69 and 71. The slots are each of a length such that each strip is able to move longitudinally an amount equal to the width of one square.

A transparent, substantially fo1msustaining plastic sheet 73 is used to cover the checkerboard pattern. The sheet 73 is square and has a marginal flange 75 extending completely therearound and tucked under the border 10 to retain the sheet 73 in place. The central portion 77 of the sheet 73 may be raised above the strips i9, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33.

Two groups of checkers or other disconnected objects B and R may be shifted about, in accordance with the rules of the game, over the playing area constituted by the surface of the transparent sheet 73. Any of the

knobs

57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71 may be grasped to shift the associated strip an amount equal to the width of one of the squares of the checkerboard without moving the checkers B and R from their positions. If all of the strips are in their initial position (FIG. l) and one of the strips, for example strip 31, is shifted, as shown in FIG. 4, the pattern on the checkerboard is changed and a plurality of rows of squares of the same color are produced. Those rows will be formed from the

strips

29, 31, 33 and each row will have three consecutive light squares a or dark squares 35h, as the case may be. Other changes in the pattern of the squares may be made by shifting others of the strips back and forth and various combinations of shifted strips will produce various patterns.

ln playing one type of game that uses the game board of the present invention, two players place their respective checkers B, R on the

strips

19, 33, as shown in FIG. 1, all of the strips being in their initial positions so that a checkerboard pattern is formed.

The player having checkers R tries to get as many as possible of those checkers onto the squares (35a or 35h) in the strip 19 while the player with the checkers B tries to get as many as possible of his checkers onto the squares in the strip 33. The player who has the most checkers in the last row (strips 19 or 33) of his opponents lield and cannot make another move or play wins the game.

Each player must shift one of the strips before each checker move, and each player can shift only one of the strips in his own playing field, except under conditions hereinafter explained. For example, the player with the checkers R can shift only the

strips

27, 29, 31,

33. After shifting one of the strips the player may move K square 35a it may be moved to the right or left to the.

adjacent dark square 35h of that strip. Each player also tries to remove the opponents checkers from the game oy capturing" them. This is done when an opponents .checkerlies in the path of the checker being moved; In FIG. 4 typical first moves of the players are shown. The player with checkers R has shifted the strip 31 and moved one of his checkers along a row of dark squares 3511 from the dotted to the full line positions. The player with checkers B shifts the strip and moves diagonally along a row of light squares 35g. f

Further shifts of the strips-and moves by the players are made successively, advancing the checkers and capturing opponents checkers.V Checkers once captured are notreturned to the game. When one checker of either player has penetrated into the opponents eld, namely, onto one of the four strips theretoforeshiftable only by that opponent, the player who has succeeded in Vmaking the penetration is no longer limited -to shifting the strips on his own field but may now shift any one of the strips of the board before moving. Depending upon they play Vthe same strip may be shifted back and/or forth a number of times by bo-th players. 'f

Checkers that a player iinally succeeds in getting yinto the opponents last row are scored and these checkers cannot be moved again or captured by an opponent. The underlying strip may, however, be shifted. When a playerV has all of this remaining checkers in the last row of the opponents yheld the game is over and the winner is the one having the greatest number of checkers in theV opponents last row.

Other games and variations of the game just described may be played with the game boardfand objects B, R. Furthermore, while a standard sixty four square checkerboard formed by eight strips isV illustrated, other sizes of checkerboards are within the scope of the present invention. For example, the one hundred square so-c'alled Polish checkerboard may be used in which case the strips will each have ten squares exposed to View and each player willhave ten checkers.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention. stood that the invention is not limited to the precise consrtuction 'herein shown, the same being merely :illustrative of the principles of thek invention. What is con-V sidered new and sought to be secured by Letters Patent is: Y

i 1..A game board having a plurality of plies one of Y which has an opening, a plurality of parallel relatively line of alternately colored squares and extending across and beyond the pattern region, each strip furthermore being independently slidable longitudinally 'an amount equal to the width otone square, means for limiting the amount of` shifting movement of each strip to the amount specified, said means comprising a pluralityof slots in the ply having the opening, each slot being vparallel to one of the strips and of a length equal to the Width of one square, and a knob on each strip projecting through one slot for manipulating the strip, and a transparent member overlying the pattern at said opening and remain- Ving stationary upon sliding of any of Vsaid strips.

, 2. A Vgame board comprising a jacket having an openiring therein, a transparent sheet covering the opening, means in the jacket forming a game board pattern that. underlies the transparent sheet andis-exposed to viewV It is, however, to be undertive to the other to change the game board pattern without moving the transparent member.

'st iute a surface having 4. A .game boardV comprising a plurality of plies one of which has anopening'a plurality of relatively shiftable members the corresponding surfaces of which conte'rnately colored squares in a checkerboardpattern, said members being shiftable between the plies with the squares being exposed through said opening means for shitting the members an amount sulcient to change the pattern-of the squares on the sur- Vfate toform rectangular rows of squares of the same f corresponding surfaces of which constitute alternately colored squares forming a checkerboard pattern, said strips exposing the pattern through the opening means for shifting the strips independently an amount sufiicient to change the pattern of the squares to form rectangular u rows of squares ofthe same color, a transparent member overlying the strips and forming a playing surface, and a plurality of disconnected objects on the playing surface for Vmovet and .means for changing the pattern of -thesquares to format least one rectangular row of V squares of the same color without moving Vthe objects on the transparent mentber;l said means including selectively shiftable area sec tions, and means for limiting the movement of each section to an amount equal to the ywidth of the squares.

l7. A gameV comprising a game board having ajacket with an opening, a 'plurality of parallel adjacent strips,

the strips being relatively slidable within-the jacket, the

corresponding surfaces of the strips being substantially copolanar, each strip having a single line of alternately colored equally sized squares, the squares on all of the strips together forming a checkerboard `pattern exposed through said opening, a transparent sheet covering the opening, a pluralityr of disconnected objects supported by 1 j the transparent member Vrfor movement thereon, meansV as-v therethrough,said ymeans comprising a plurality of lslidf u able strips each of which carries a portion of the pattern, and meansn for shifting each strip independently .ofV the transparent sheet and of pattern.

member covering the pattern and forming a playing surthe other strips to change theA 3. A game board comprising a region having a pluralv Vityof members each having a pattern andltogether' ormv p ing a predetermined game board pattern, a transparent sociated with each strip for sliding any one of the strips longitudinally and independently of the others an amount equal to the width of one square without moving the objects on thetransparent member, and means for limiting the amount of sliding movement of each strip to the amount specied, whereby to change the checkerboard with top and bottoml plies marginally secured together,v

'coplanan Veach lstrip having aV single line of alternately, colored equally sized' squares,.the squaresron all` of the Vstrips together forming af ycheckerboard pattern exposed through said opening, a transparent:,form-sustaining sheet across said opening, said top ,ply havingl a Y'plurality of parallel slots equal in' number to the number of said4 strips, each slot being of a length equal to# the width of the ends of the Vslots limiting the movement ot the strips.Y by an amountequal to the wid-th ofrvone square, wherebyV a square, knobs secured tothe strips and projecting Vupward-ly through the slots for moving any -ofdtherstrips independently v,of the other, -theabutrnentv of the knobs at to change; the checkerboard pattern luy/"forming a plurality ofj rectangular. rows of squares of, the same color.

9. A game comprising a game board having a jacket having top and bottom plies marginally secured ltogether, said top ply having a large square opening therein that leaves a border immediately adjacent to said opening, a plurality of parallel adjacent strips, the strips being relatively slidable independently of each other between the plies, the corresponding surfaces of the strips being substantially coplanar, each strip having a single line of alternately colored equally sized squares, the squares on all of the strips together forming a checkerboard pattern exposed through said opening, a transparent form-sustaining sheet across said opening, said sheet having a margin that tits under said border to support the central part of the sheet in a plane upwardly from the plane of the top ply, a plurality of disconnected objects supported by the transparent sheet for movement thereon, said border having a plurality of parallel slots equal in number to the number `of said strips, and being perpendicular to two opposite edges of the border, each slot being of a length equal to the width of a square, knobs secured to the strips and projecting upwardly through the slots for moving any of the strips without moving lthe objects on the transparent sheet, the abutment of the knobs at the ends of the slots limiting the movement of the strips by an amount equal to the width of one square, whereby to change the checkerboard pattern by forming a plurality of rectangular rows of squares of the same color.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

Claims

3. A GAME BOARD COMPRISING A REGION HAVING A PLURALITY OF MEMBERS EACH HAVING A PATTERN AND TOGETHER FORMING A PREDETERMINED GAME BOARD PATTERN, A TRANSPARENT MEMBER COVERING THE PATTERN AND FORMING A PLAYING SUR-