US3413001A - Board game employing cord means to move game pieces on a chance basis - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 26, 1968 J w. RYAN ETAL 3,413,001

BOARD GAME EMPLOYING CORD MEANS TO MOVE GAME PIECES ON A CHANCE BASIS Filed April 22, 1966 3 Sheets$heet l J. w. RYAN ETAL 3,413,001 BOARD GAME EMPLOYING CORD MEANS TO MOVE GAME Nov. 26, 1968 PIECES ON A CHANCE BASIS Filed April 22, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fral lw-vs Nov. 26, 1968 J. w. RYAN ETAL 3,413,001

BOARD GAME EMPLOYING CORD MEANS To MOVE GAME PIECES ON A CHANCE BASIS Filed April 22, l96

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent BOARD GAME EMPLOYING CORD MEANS TO MOVE GAME PIECES ON A CHANCE BASIS John W. Ryan, Bel-Air, and Gordon H. Anderson, Palos Verdes Estates, Calii, assignors to Mattel, Inc, Hawthorne, Cali, a corporation of California Filed Apr. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 544,549 Claims. (Cl. 27386) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A support defines a path along which a game piece is movable from a starting end. A cord attached to the game piece extends along the raceway and about a guide then back toward the starting end, laterally of the raceway, where it is fixed to the support. An area adjacent the starting end has a multiplicity of holes, pegs are used to deflect the cord laterally and hold it at a selected hole to pull the game piece along the path in steps. Chance means indicate which holes may be selected and biasing means keeps the cord in tension.

The present invention relates to a new and useful board game and more particularly to such a game employing cord means to move game pieces on a chance basis.

Competitive type games traditionally have been fascinating playthings for children, especially little boys. Recent years have seen a particular phenomenon become existant in the toy industry.

Dragstrip racing has captured the imagination of the collective childrens mind and has achieved a place therein of significant proportions.

In view of the foregoing, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a competitive board game.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a game of the type described which uses a dragstrip racing theme.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a board game wherein a simulated drag strip, including a starting line and a finish line, is provided on the upper surface of a game board and wherein simulated dragsters are mounted on the game board in engagement with cord means adapted to cause the dragsters to negotiate the simulated drag strip by playing-out the cord on a chance basis.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a game simulating the launching of a rocket and including simulated rockets attached to cords which elevate the rockets on a chance basis.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, a game board is provided and includes a simulated drag strip having a starting line and a finish line. Game piece means in the form of simulated dragsters are mounted on the game board for traversing the strip. Cord means is attached to the game piece means for moving the game piece means over the drag strip by playing-out the cord means. Also, means are provided for playing-out the cord means on the basis of chance. A separate game piece means and a separate cord are provided for each youngster playing the game and a set of apertures is provided on the game board for each youngster. Each set of apertures includes a plurality of apertures indiscriminately positioned on a particular players side of the board. However, each side has an identical pattern so that one player may not gain an advantage over another player. The apertures are identified by six separate indicia which may take the form of suitable racing symbols. A spinner is rotatably mounted on the game board for selecting these symbols on a chance basis. When a symbol 3,4l3,fi1 Patented Nov. 28, 1968 is selected, a child moves his game piece means by engaging a simulated racing flag beneath his cord and drawing the cord to position over an aperture identified by the symbol selected by the spinner. The simulated fiag may then be placed in the aperture displacing the cord in a predetermined manner which advances the game piece means along the drag strip.

In a second embodiment of tie present invention, the apertures are provided at the base of a vertical column having a pulley provided at its upper end for each play er. A cord is trained about each pulley and has one end secured at the base of the column. A simulated rocket is attached to the other end of the cord and is caused to be moved upwardly on the column by engaging simulated racing flags in the apertures to change the length of the cord.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood with reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like elements in the several views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a board game constituting a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, bottom view of the game board shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, top plan view of a game piece means shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom view of the game piece means in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, partial, perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the relative positions of a pair of game piece means during a racing game;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged, partial perspective view of a chance means forming a part of the board game shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged, partial perspective view showing certain details of construction of the board game shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 9 and 10 are perspective views showing somewhat schematically the operation of certain parts of the board game shown in FIGURE 1 to advance the game piece means shown in FIGURES 4 and 5;

FIGURES 11 and 12 are enlarged, partial perspective views showing further details of construction of the board game shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of a board game constituting a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 14 is an enlarged perspective view showing a chance means mounted on the board game shown in FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 15 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view taken along line 1515 of FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 16 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along line 1616 of FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 17 is an enlarged, partial view of a base portion of the board game shown in FIGURE 13; and

FIGURE 18 is an enlarged, elevational view, with parts broken away to show internal construction, of a game piece means employed in the board game shown in FIG- URE 13.

Referring again to the drawings and particularly to FIGURES 1-12, a board game constituting a first embodiment of the present invention, generally designated 10, comprises a game board 12 tapering from a comparatively wide end 14 to a comparatively narrow end 16. The

game board 12 includes a first section 18 which carries the wide end 14 and a second section which carries the narrow end 16. The sections 18 and 20 are hinged together by pivot pins 22 in such a manner that the second section 20 may be folded subjacent the first section 18 to minimize storage space. The sections 18 and 20 may each be made from a suitable plastic material employing well known molding techniques in such a manner that, when the two sections are joined together by the pins 22 and the two sections are extended to their FIG- URE 1 positions, the game board 12 will have a top wall 24, a pair of depending, spaced sidewalls 26, a first end wall 28 and a second end wall 30.

The top wall 24 is provided with first and second sets of apertures 32 and 34, respectively, each of which includes a plurality of keyhole-type apertures 36 indiscriminately placed in the same relative location within each of the sets 32, 34. The apertures 36 are identified by suitable indicia which a child-user of the board game 10 associates with the language or drag talk customarily heard at a drag strip. Six different indicia 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45 may be used in each of the sets 32, 34 to identify corresponding apertures 36.

The top wall 24 is also provided with first and second open- top chambers 46 and 48 for storing first and second sets of simulated racing flags 50 and 52, respectively. Each flag 50, 52 includes a hooked end 54 which may be hooked under an associated cord means 56 and moved to a predetermined aperture 36 after which the hooked end 54 is inserted into the aperture 36 and rotated to lock the flag in position therein, as indicated in FIGURES 9 and 10. A pair of elongated troughs 58, 60 are provided in the top Wall 24 adjacent the first and second sets of apertures 32, 34, respectively, for facilitating engagement of the hooked end 54 under the cord means 56, as shown in FIGURE 8.

A simulated race track means in the form of a drag strip 62, which may be made from a piece of cardboard or the like, is also provided on the top wall 24 and includes a common starting-finish line 64 which is positioned on the strip 62 near the end 14 of game board 12. The strip 62 also includes a turn-around line 65 which is positioned adjacent the end 16.

A pair of game piece means 66, 68, hereinafter referred to sometimes as racing cars or dragsters, are mounted on the game board 12 and are adapted to travel on the strip 62 from the starting-finish line 64, across the line 65 and back again to the line 64. Each of the game pieces 66, 68, includes a body which is symmetrically shaped from a first end 72 to a second end 74 so that either of these ends may be considered the front end of the associated game piece means. During travel over the strip 62 from the starting-finish line 64 to the line 65, the end 74 is considered the front end of an associated game piece means 66, 68. However, during return travel from the line 65 to the starting-finish line 64, the end 72 is considered to be the front end. Each body 70 travels on strip 62 on four wheels 76 rotatably mounted on associated axle means 78. Each body 70 includes a bottom wall 80 (FIGURE 5) which is provided with a first open channel 82 extending from the end 74to a first passageway 84 provided in the body 70 intermediate the ends 72 and 74. The bottom wall 80 is also provided with a second open channel 86 extending from the end 72 to a second passageway 84. The passageways 84 and 88 extend from the bottom wall 80 upwardly through the body 70 to a recess 89 provided in the top wall 90 of the body 70 (FIGURE 4). An upstanding pin 92 is provided on the top wall 90 in the recess 89 for simulating a driver of the game piece means 66, 68. The cord means 56 is attached to an associated game piece means 66, 68 by running the cord means 56 along the bottom wall 80 in the first open channel 82, upwardly through the passageway 84, around the pin 92, downwardly through the passage way 88 and along the bottom wall 70 through the open channel 86. An associated game piece means 66, 68 may then be accurately positioned on the starting-finish line 64 by providing slack in the cord means 56 so that it does not engage an associated pin 92 whereupon an associated game piece means 66, 68 may be moved along the cord means 56 to the starting-finish line 64.

The cord means 56 includes a first cord 94 having a first end 96 afiixed to the top wall 24 by a pin 98 and a second end 100 (FIGURE 2) which is coiled about a first pulley 102 rotatably mounted on a spindle 104 depending from the top wall 24 adjacent the end 14 of the game board 12. The cord 94 includes a bight portion 106 which is trained about a first tab 108 provided on the top wall 24. The tab 108 includes a lip 110 maintaining the bight portion 106 in position adjacent an arcuate, bearing surface 112. Cord 94 is maintained in a taut condition by connecting a first recoil spring 114 to the pulley 182 and the spindle 104 for normally maintaining the game piece means 66 in position at the starting-finish line 64.

The cord means 56 also includes a second cord 116 having an end 118 secured to the top wall 24 by a pin 120 and an end 122 coiled about a second pulley 124 which is rotatably mounted on the spindle 104. The cord 116 also includes a bight portion 126 trained about a second tab 128. The tab 128 includes a lip 130 for maintaining the bight portion 126 in engagement with a second arcuate bearing surface 132. The cord 116 is maintained in a taut condition by a second recoil spring 134 having a first end connected to the pulley 124 and a second connected to the spindle 104.

The cords 94 and 116 are unwound from their associated pulleys 102 and 124 :by engaging the hooked end 54 of an associated flag 50, 52 under an associated cord 94, 116, as shown for the cord 16 in FIGURES 8-10, and then moving the associated flag 50, 52 to one of the apertures 36. The apertures 36 are chosen on a chance basis by a chance means 136 which includes a spinner 138 rotatably mounted on a reduced-diameter end portion 140 of spindle 104. The spinner 138 is rotatably connected to the end portion 140 by a lock washer 142 which is seated in a counterbore 144 provided in a knob 146 forming an integral part of the spinner 138. The spinner 138 includes a rim 148 which is connected to the knob 146 by a spider 150. The spinner 138 may be rotated by a child-user of the game 10 to select one of the indicia 40-45 which are provided on the top wall 24 in an octagonal pattern providing 8 spaces 152. Since there are only 6 indicia and 8 spaces 152, two wild spots 153 may also be provided under the spinner 138. A pointer 154 is mounted on the outer periphery 156 at the rim 148 for indicating a particular space 152 when the spinner 138 stops rotating.

Two players may conveniently use the game board 10 with one player controlling the game piece means 66 while the other player controls the game piece means 68. The game piece means 66 and 68 may be moved across the turn-around line 65 and returned to the startingfinish line 64 in a manner to be hereinafter described. The first player to move his game piece means across the starting-finish line 64 on his return trip wins the pace. The player controlling the game piece means 66 may keep an accurate account of the races he has won by a scoring wheel 156 which is rotatably mounted on the top wall 24 adjacent the open-top chamber 46. Also, the player controlling the game piece means 68 may keep an accurate account of the games he has won by a scoring wheel 158 which is rotatably mounted on the top wall 24- adjacent the open-top chamber 48. Each of the wheels 156, 158 may be rotated by a knob 160 bringing the numerals 0-5 into view in a window 162 provided in the top wall 24 adjacent an associated wheel .156, 158. The numbers 0-5 are printed on a disc 164 which is attached to an associated knob 160.

Two players may have a simulated drag race on the game board 12. One player may choose the game piece means 66 and he will then use the flags 50 and the set of apertures 32. The other player will then choose the game piece means 68 using the flags 52 and the set of apertures 34. The players race their game piece means toward the turn-around line 65 by placing flags in the apertures 36. When the end 74 of each game piece means 66, 68 reaches the line 65, the players race back to the starting-finish line 64 by removing flags. The end 72 of the first game piece means to cross the line 64 on the return trip determines the winner of a particular race. Before starting play, the players satisfy themselves that the end 74 of each :game piece means 66 and 68 is behind the line 64. One of the players, such as the player having the game piece means 68, takes his turn by spinning the spinner 138. Assuming that the spinner stops with the indicator 154 pointing at the indicia 40-, as shown in FIGURE 7, the first player then chooses an aperture 36 in the set 34 having an indicia 40 and picks up his cord 116 with the hooked end 54 of a flag 52, as shown in FIGURE 8. The cord 116 is then pulled gently to the chosen aperture 36 and received therein. Pulling the cord 116 to the chosen aperture 36 advances the game piece means 68 along the strip 62 toward the line 65 by unreeling the cord 116 from the pulley 12 4 against the bias of recoil spring 134.

The other player then takes his turn in the same way and the players keep taking turns placing flags in the apertures 36 after each turn. A player must skip his turn if the indicator 154 points to an indicia for which all apertures 36 are filled with flags. As soon as the end 74 of a game piece means crosses the turn-around line 65, a player may, on his next turn, race back toward the starting-finish line 64. This is accomplished by removing flags from the apertures 36 having indicia corresponding to those selected on a chance basis by the spinner 138. If the spinner selects an indicia for which there is no matching aperture 36 with a flag in it, a turn is skipped. If the indicator 154 points 59 a wild indicia 153 after a player has spun the spinner 138, he may put a flag into any aperture 36 within his set of apertures, he may remove any flag from his set of apertures, he may remove any flag from the other players set of apertures or he may place a flag into any aperture in the other players set. The player who first gets the end 72 of his game piece means across the starting-finish line 64 is declared the winner. He then moves his score wheel one number ahead. The overall winner of the game is the first player who wins 5 races.

With a little skill and ingenuity, a player may reduce the number of turns necessary to advance a game piece means to a winning position. For example, if the player having the flags 52 places them as shown in FIGURE 12 wherein the flag 52a is placed first, the flag 52b second, the flag 52c third and the flag 52d fourth with the player looping his cord 116 around flag 52a on each turn during placement of the flags 52b, 52c and 52d, he can move his game piece means 68 from the turn-around line 65 to the finish line 64 by removing only flags 52a, 52c and 52a. By so doing, he may win the game in three moves.

Referring now to FIGURES 13-18, a second embodiment of the present invention, generally designated 160, includes a base member 162 which supports a column 164. The base 162 includes 4 faces, like the ones shown at 165 and 166 in FIGURE 13, which are each provided with a plurality of keyhole-shaped apertures 36a adapted to receive flags 50 identical to those used in connection with the first embodiment. The apertures 36a are indiscriminately placed in the same relative location on each of the four faces. as indicated in FIGURE 13 for the faces 165 and 166 and are identified by six difierent indicia 168, 169, 170, .172, 174 and 175, as shown in FIGURE 17. These indicia are each displayed on a face of a dye 176 which is held captive in a container 178 having a base portion 180 and a hemispherically-shaped tnansparent cover 182. The container 178 is mounted on a coil spring 184 having one end 186 aflixed to the top wall 188 of the column 164. The container 178 may be displaced laterally and then released causing the dye 176 to tumble about. The indicia which is on the top of the dye 176 when it comes to rest determines the aperture 36a in which a players flag 50 is placed.

The column 164 includes a lower, hollow section 190 into which an upper section 192 may be telescoped to minimize storage space for the game 160. The section 190 includes an encompassing sidewall .194 which is provided with an aperture 196 engageable by a button 198 ialfixed to the encompassing sidewall 200 of the section 192 by a leaf spring 204. The spring 204 may be bowed to the position shown in broken lines in FIGURE 15 removing the button 198 from the aperture 196 when it is desired to telescope the section 102 down into the section 190. A pulley 206 is affixed to the upper end 208 of the section 192 on each of the four panels formed by the encompassing sidewall 200. A first cord 210 has one end 212 atfixed to the lower end 214 of the section 190 adjacent the face by a pin 216, is trained up over an associated pulley 206 and has a game piece means 218 aflixed to its other end 220. The game piece means 218 is provided with a mass 222 which maintains the cord 210 in a taut condition. A second cord 22 4 has one end 226 secured to the lower end 214 of the section .190 adjacent the face 166 by a pin 228, is trained about a second pulley 206 and has an end 230 connected to a second game piece means 218.

By employing all four faces of the base member 162, as many as four players may participate in a number of different games which may be played with the device 160. For example, each player may take turns displacing the container 178 laterally causing the dye 176 to tumble about. When the dye 176 comes to rest, the player takes his flag 50 drawing his associated cord to an aperture 36a corresponding to the indicia uppermost on the dye 176, as shown in FIGURE 13 for the face 165. This advances the game piece means 218 up along a simulated race track means 62 provided on an associated face of the column 164. The player whose game piece means is the first to travel from a starting line 64a adjacent the end 214 to a finish line 65a adjacent an associated pulley 206 is declared the winner of a particular game.

While the particular board games herein shown and described in detail are fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that they are merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and tha' no limitations are intended to the details of constructior or design herein shown other than as defined in the ap pended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A board game, comprising: a support defining travel course having first and second ends; a game piec movable along said travel course; a cord means engag ing said game niece and extending therefrom into engagt ment with guide means at said second end and having terminal end secured to said support; biasing means ur; ing said game piece to move toward said first end an thereby hold said cord means in tension; an area of sa' support between said guide means and said terminal er having a multiplicity of openings therein dispersed ov said area and normally spaced laterally from said co: means; and pin means adapted to engage in said openin whereby portions of said cord means may be selective and sequentially displaced laterally to a selected openi and held thereat by said pin means to produce incremen' movement of said game piece along said travel course ward said second end.

2. A board game as defined in claim 1 wherein s: guide means comprises a direction changing guide, s cord means extending therefrom generally back tow: said first end but laterally spaced from said travel cour said terminal end being secured to said support adjacent said first end.

3. A board game as defined in claim 2 wherein said openings are provided with identifying indicia; and chance which openings may be selected by a player.

4. A board game as defined in claim 2 wherein said game piece is frictionally secured to an intermediate portion of said cord means between said terminal end and its other end; said other end being connected to a recoil mechanism comprising said biasing means.

5. A board game as defined in claim 2 wherein said travel course extends generally vertically with said second end uppermost, said guide means comprising a pulley over which said cord means is trained and said biasing means comprising a gravity-responsive mass in said game piece.

' 8 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 433,012 7/1890 Lurnley 273-86 X 780,937 1/1905 Clagett 273--86 X 2,109,736 3/1938 Roth 27386 2,204,397 6/1940 Barrett 273-86 2,828,129 3/1958 Gelfand 27386 3,115,115 12/1963 Lang ct al. 273-86 FOREIGN PATENTS 601,031 12/1959 Italy.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. THOMAS ZACK, Assistant Examiner.

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