US3508755A

US3508755A - Dice shaker

Info

Publication number: US3508755A
Application number: US615940A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter H Johnson
Original assignee: WALTER H JOHNSON
Current assignee: WALTER H JOHNSON
Priority date: 1967-02-14
Filing date: 1967-02-14
Publication date: 1970-04-28
Anticipated expiration: 1987-04-28

Description

April 28, 1970 w. H. JOHNSON 3,508,755

DICE SHAKER Filed Feb. 14, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. 'v y ///l ll/I/ll I 22 Walter H. Johnson 1N VEN TOR.

April 28, 1970 w. H. JOHNSON DICE SHAKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1967 Wa/fer H Johnson INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,508,755 DICE SHAKER Walter H. Johnson, Denver, Colo. (4711 Lamar St., Wheat Ridge, Colo. 80033) Filed Feb. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 615,940 Int. Cl. A63f 9/04 US. Cl. 273-145 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An elongated housing including a bottom, upstanding front and rear walls and upstanding partitions spaced along said housing and extending between said front and rear walls dividing the interior of said housing into individual compartments between the front and rear walls thereof, each of said compartments having a die disposed therein and including die pushing and clamping means adapted to engage the corresponding die when disposed at rest in the bottom portion of the compartment and to push the die toward one of the upstanding walls of the housing which includes a transparent portion through which the face of the dice opposing the transparent portion may be viewed from the exterior of the housing.

The dice shaker of the instant invention is adapted to be utilized in conjunction with various forms of dice and includes a plurality of compartments spaced along one side wall of the housing of the shaker including transparent portions through which dice in the various compartments of the shaker may be viewed. Each of the compartments includes inwardly projecting elements which the die therein may strike when the shaker is subsequently inverted and then returned to an upright position and the shaker includes dice engaging and clamping means operable to engage each die when disposed in a rest position in the lower portion of the corresponding compartment and push the die toward the wall of the housing through which the dice may be viewed whereby the faces of the dice opposing this wall may be viewed through the latter from the exterior of the shaker. The dice engaging and clamping means are operative to maintain the dice in the bottoms of the compartments once the clamping means are actuated whereby the relative positions of the dice may not change even though the shaker is inverted and the faces of the dice opposing the transparent portions of the wall against which they have been moved will remain visible through the transparent portions of the wall.

The main object of this invention is to provide a dice shaker for shaking a plurality of dice and for thereafter maintaining the dice substantially stationary in position relative to a direction from which corresponding faces of the dice may be viewed.

Another object of this invention, and in accordance with the immediately preceding object is to provide a dice shaker which will stationarily position the associated dice in position to be viewed from a single direction and with the dice spaced along a predetermined path.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a dice shaker in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device which will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside inthe details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

ice

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the dice shaker of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged longitudial vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the dice shaker of the instant invention;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 55 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 66 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates one embodiment of the dice shaker of the instant invention. The shaker 10 includes a housing referred to in general by the reference numeral 12 and including a bottom wall 14 secured to and extending between upstanding front and

rear walls

16 and 18. In addition, the housing 12 also includes a pair of

opposite end walls

20 and 22 whose lower ends rest upon the opposite ends of the bottom wall 14 and which are secured between corresponding ends of the front and

rear walls

18 and 20.

A removable top assembly is provided and generally referred to by the reference numeral 24 and includes a top wall 26, front and rear depending

wall panels

28 and 30 and depending

opposite end panels

32 and 34. The

opposite end panels

32 and 34 are provided with threaded apertures 36 in which setscrews 38 are threadedly engaged and the top or cover assembly 24 is positionable over the upper end of the housing 12 with the front and

rear panels

28 and 30 and the

opposite end panels

32 and 34 telescoping downwardly over the front and

rear walls

16 and 18 and the

opposite end walls

20 and 22. Further, the inner ends of the setscrews 38 are receivable in suitable outwardly opening recesses 40 provided therefor in the outer sur faces of the

end walls

20 and 22.

The housing 12 includes a plurality of downwardly

convergent partitions

42, 44, 46 and 48 which have their lower ends abutted against the bottom wall 14 and extend between the front and

rear walls

16 and 18 so as to divide the interior of the housing into a plurality of downwardly tapering

compartments

50, 52, 54, 56 and 58, a suitable die 60 being disposed in each compartment.

The partitions each include oppositely projecting abutmerits 62 projecting into the corresponding compartments and the top wall 26 includes similar abutments 64 Which project downwardly into the compartments and are engageable by the dice 60 when the housing 12 is inverted with the top assembly 24 thereon so as to cause the dice 60 to tumble when falling to the top of the housing 12 as the latter is inverted and while falling to the bottom of the housing 12 when the latter is returned to the upright position thereof illustrated in FIGURES 1-3. Still further, the inner surface portions of the

end walls

20 and 22 also include abutments 66 which are similar to the abutments 62 and engageable by the corresponding dice 60.

The lower marginal portions of the front and

rear walls

16 and 18 include forwardly and rearwardly directed

flange portions

16 and 18, respectively, to increase'the width of the footprint of the housing 10 on a suitable supporting surface and to thereby increase its stability. Further, the rear wall 18 has a plurality of threaded apertures 70 formed therethrough in which the threaded shank portions 72 of a plurality of die pushing and clamping members 74 are threaded. The ends of the members 74 disposed within the

compartments

50, 52, 54, 56 and 58 are provided with enlarged head portions 76 adapted to engage the corresponding dice 60 and push the latter forward in the housing 12 into abutting engagement with the inner surface of the front wall 16 immediately below the inwardly projecting horizontal rib 78 carried by the front wall 16 which serves to hold the dice 60 captive when the members 74 are positioned as illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The outer ends of the members 74 are provided with control knob portions 80 whereby the members 74 may be rotated in the threaded apertures or bores 70.

Inasmuch as the top assembly 24 is removable, the binary dice illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 may be replaced by other types of dice including different indicia on the various side faces thereof.

Referring now more specifically to FIGS. 4-6 of the drawings there may be seen a second embodiment of the dice shaker generally referred to by the reference numeral 90 and which includes a housing referred to in general by the reference numeral 92 provided with a bottom wall 94, front and

rear walls

96 and 98, and

opposite end walls

100 and 102. In addition, the housing 92 also includes a top assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 104 consisting of a top wall 106, vertically short depending front and

rear flanges

108 and 110, and depending vertically short

opposite end flanges

112 and 114.

A plurality of

partitions

116, 118, 120 and 122 similar to the partitions 42-48 are provided and divide the interior of the housing 92 into

individual compartments

124, 126, 128, 130 and 132 similar to compartments 50-58. Further, the housing 12 includes an elongated longitudinally extending and generally horizontally disposed inwardly projecting rib 134 corresponding to rib 78 and a plurality of journal bosses 136 are supported from the rear wall 98 and have rotatably journaled therein the forward ends of a plurality of screw shafts 138 threadedly secured through rear wall portions 140 of a plurality of dice engaging frames 142 slidably supported through the rear wall 98 and including forward wall portions 144 disposed in the compartments 124-132 for engagement with the binary dice 46 disposed in those compartments and for shifting the dice 146 across the bottom wall 94 toward the dotted line position thereof illustrated in FIGURE 6 of the drawmgs.

Each of the compartments 124-132 includes a plurality of

projections

148 and 150 corresponding to the

projections

62 and 66 and the top wall 106 includes projections 152 corresponding to the projections 64. In addition, the front wall 96 also includes a plurality of projections 154 and the

opposite end flanges

112 and 114 include setscrews 156 corresponding to the setscrews 38 and which coact with the

end walls

100 and 102 to releasably retain the top assembly 104 in position over the upper end of the housing 92.

In operation, the shaker 90 may be utilized in substantially the same manner as the shaker and after the housing 92 has been shaken or inverted and then returned to an upright rest position certain or all of the screw shafts 138 may be rotated so as to shift the frames 142 toward the front wall 96 and thereby engage and forwardly displace the corresponding dice 146 until the latter have been positioned against the inner surface of the front wall 96 below the rib or ledge 134. Then, those faces of the dice 146 abutting the front wall 96 may be read through the latter from left to right in the matter designated by the arrow 160 which-is applied to both-sides of the housing 92, the housing 12 including similar arrows 162. Of course, inasmuch as the housings Hand 92 are constructed of transparent material, any set of corresponding faces of the dice 60 .and 146, including even the lower faces thereof, may be read. i i

If it isr desired, the

screw shafts

72 and 138 may be threadeclly secured through suitable internally threaded sleeves carried by the rear wall 18 and the rear wall portions 140, respectively, if the material of which the latter are constructed proves to be too soft.

Although the dice shakers 10 and 90' may be utilized in any number of games it is contemplated that the shakers will be utilized primarily in conjunction with games Whose rules assign a given meaning to different possible binary values of the associated dice so as to have a large number of possible values which may be indicated by a relatively small number of dice. The

shakers

10 and 90 are particularly well adapted for use in connection with binary dice since the latter must be read from left to right and normal rolling of dice from the hand sometimes results in the dice being above each other or not clearly spaced from left to right for ease in reading in left to right sequence. Further, if the

shakers

10 and 90 are to be utilized in conjunction with the binary dice, the games played with the shakers will of course be constructed around actual numeric value or by assigning a meaning to binary value.

It is also contemplated that a third embodiment of dice shaker may be provided. Such a third embodiment (not illustrated) would be similar to the shaker 90 but in lieu of the rib 134 and frames 142 would include horizontally slidable shelves, one for each die compartment, shiftable through slots formed in the corresponding rear Wall portions at approximately the elevation of the rib 134 and including opposite side longitudinal edge portions slidable in confronting horizontal channels formed in the corresponding partitions and end walls. Such shelves would project outwardly of and be manually operable from the rear of the shaker and shiftable between positions almost entirely withdrawn through the rear wall of the shaker and positions abutting the inner surface of the front wall of the shaker spaced slightly above the corresponding dice.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a housing including upstanding front and rear walls interconnected at their lower ends by a bottom wall, a plurality of upstanding partitions extending between said front and rear walls defining a plurality of compartments therebetween each including a bottom wall section, a die disposed in each of said compartments and receivable on the corresponding bottom wall section, at leastupper portions of said compartments being of suflicient volume to enable the dice to freely tumble therein, said housing including die pushing and clamping means mounted for movement between said walls in each of said compartments and operable to engage said dice when disposed at rest in the bottom portions of said compartments and push said dice toward engagement with one of said walls, at least. some portions of said one wall 7 against which said dice may be pushed being transparent clamped beneath said rib.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said compartments are vertically elongated and decrease downwardly in plan area.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said'compart- 'ments are generally constant in plan area throughout their vertical extent.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pushing and clamping means includes selectively and individually movable portions thereof in each of said compartments.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said housing includes removable top means closing the upper ends of said compartments.

7. In combination, a housing including upstanding front and rear walls interconnected at their lower ends by a bottom wall, a plurality of upstanding partitions extending between said front and rear walls defining a plurality of compartments therebetween each including a bottom wall section, a die disposed in each of said compartments and receivable on the corresponding bottom wall section, at least upper portions of said compartments being of suflicient volume to enable the dice to freely tumble therein, said housing including die pushing and clamping means mounted for movement between said walls in each of said compartments and operable to engage said dice when disposed at rest in the bottom portions of said compartments and push said dice toward engagement with one of said walls, at least some portions of said one wall against which said dice may be pushed being transparent for viewing the sides of said dice opposing said one wall through the latter, said die pushing and clamping means including selectively and individually movable portions thereof in each of said compartments, said die pushing and clamping means including generally horizontally disposed screw members threadedly secured through said rear wall and including enlarged die engaging portions on their inner ends.

8. In combination, a housing including upstanding front and rear walls interconnected at their lower ends by a bottom wall, a plurality of upstanding partitions extending between said front and rear walls defining a plurality of compartments therebetween each including a bottom wall section, a die disposed in each of said compartments and receivable on the corresponding bottom wall section, at least upper portions of said compartments being of suflicient volume to enable the dice to freely tumble therein, said housing including die pushing and clamping means mounted for movement between said walls in each of said compartments and operable to engage said dice when disposed at rest in the bottom portions of said compartments and push said dice toward engagement with one of said walls, at least some portions of said one wall against which said dice may be pushed being transparent for viewing the sides of said dice opposing said one wall through the latter, said die pushing and clamping means including selectively and individually movable portions thereof in each of said compartments, said die pushing and clamping means including an elongated horizontally disposed inner end frame member disposed in each of said compartments and extending l0ngi tudinally of said housing, said frame members including portions thereof projecting rearwardly thereof and slidably received through said rear wall.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein each of said frame members and a corresponding portion of said rear wall have operatively connected therebetween a threaded screw member for shifting said frame members relative to said rear wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 500,478 6/1893 Edge et a1. 502,876 8/1893 Cahoon. 954,070 4/1910 Zschau. 2,739,815 3/1956 Fay. 3,240,496 3/ 1966 Reynertson.

FOREIGN PATENTS 833,694 7/1938 France.

192,030 5/ 1923 Great Britain.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner A. W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner