US3659852A

US3659852A - Board game apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3659852A
Application number: US60041A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald E Redict
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-07-31
Filing date: 1970-07-31
Publication date: 1972-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 1989-05-02

Abstract

A game of chance incorporating a game board and a number of playing pieces, the game also including a set of dice, a plurality of defense cards and offense cards as well as 36 playing blocks, the defense cards being supportable upon card holders. The game board has mounted thereon at the center thereof a dice display container which is vertically movable to shake the dice. Push buttons are provided on the game board at each of the players'' locations for shaking the container.

Description

United States Patent 1151 3,659,852 Redict 14 1 May 2, 1972 54 BOARD GAME APPARATUS 3,111,321 11/1963 Hormann ..273/136 E 3 356 369 12/1967 Stubbmann. ..273/145 [72] Inventor: Donald E. Redlct, 9433 South Champlam,

Chicago I. 60619 3,539,189 11/1970 Shelton ..273/134 C [22] Filed: July 31, 1970 Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe AppL No.: 60,041

US. Cl ..273/134 AD, 273/134 D, 273/145 C Int. Cl. ..A63f 3/00 Field of Search ..273/134, 136, 145

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS Vitale ..273/134 C Deatherage ..273/134 AB [57] ABSTRACT A game of chance incorporating a game board and a number of playing pieces, the game also including a set of dice, a plurality of defense cards and offense cards as well as 36 playing blocks, the defense cards being supportable upon card holders. The game board has mounted thereon at the center thereof a dice display container which is vertically movable to shake the dice. Push buttons are provided on the game board at each of the players locations for shaking the container.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented May 2, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet l gpdomzg 34,-

//V VE/V 7'02 Dav 740 E 650/67 Patented May 2, 1972 3,659,852

3 Sheets-Sheet z ou W'SH REENS HA5ER S kcA?E UME LOCK TE NEXT H\T' RAlsE P L-OwER AF HAVE A 5m? on ONE E eomzo's SQUARES QBTNN ONE IF EED PLAYER- Hk? ONE OF YOUR $HHS, AIN ONE MOVE FORMJARD ONE HALF THE NUMBER SHow- ON YOUR THROW MOVE FORWARD wuzE THE NUMBER 5H? oh! secoND 1 $6. 051 IN FHA L BQMBNQDMEN SHIP 0N THIRD LlNE Hn' //V VE/V 7"@ 50/440 5. EEQ/ Patented May 2, 1972 3,659,852

3 Sheets-Sheet S 1. FREE SPACE 36.YELLOW, RED START ONE SHIP AND BLUE, GRANTED ON 2ND GROUP PASS AND EVERY TH EREAFTER 5 2. HIT ON ONE OF ANY COLORED SHIPS Paw 3.HIT ON RED GREEN OR BLUE 7 3m INVENTOR DONALD E. EEmc'r BY ATTORNEYS BOARD GAME APPARATUS This invention relates generally to board games.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel board game which includes a playing field across which playing pieces may travel according to a score determined by playing dice, the dice being thrown by means of pressing a circular button provided on the game board for each player.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a game wherein a card holder is provided for each player, the card holder being adaptable for supporting a players defense cards.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a game which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efiicient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification together with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the game board;

FIG. 2 is a side edge view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a face view showing several of the defense cards;

FIG. 4 is a face view showing several of the offense cards;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the 36 playing blocks.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a playing piece showing it mounted on the game board shown fragmentarily in section.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral 10 represents a game, according to the present invention, wherein there is a game board 11 made preferably of plastic material and upon which there is mounted a printed cardboard insert 12 defining a square frame around a central area, the printed cardboard insert being divided into squares 13 each of which is defined and labeled by a progressive numeral 14 which begins with the numeral 1 at one corner, and the highest numeral 36 being positioned adjacent the numeral 1 square, thus defining the path for playing pieces.

At the center of the central area 15, there is an upstanding post 16 upon which there is mounted a hollow dome 17 made of two transparent oppositely concaved disks which are peripherally attached and within which there are placed a pair of conventional dice 18. The bottom surface of the lower disk is divided into four quadrants, each of which is of a different color.

The game board includes a top panel 19 upon the upper side of which a playing field is drawn, and a bottom panel 20, there being provided a central space 21 between the upper and lower panels within which there are positioned four radially extending levers 22 each of which at its outer end is upwardly turned and extends upwardly through an opening 23 in the top panel 19, the upper end thereof being surmounted by a push button knob 24. Thus as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, there are four push buttons one of which is provided for each of the players. The radially inner end of each of the levers 22 is tapered toward a chisel point which is positioned adjacent a side edge of post 18A. The post is provided with a shoulder 24A which surrounds the post and is located above the inner end 25 of the lever so that the lever may abut the same when the push button knob 24 is downwardly depressed, thus rocking the lever 22 about a fulcrum 26, thereby imparting an upward jolt to the post 16. It is to be noted that the lower end of the post is supported within a central opening 27 formed by a collar 28 positioned upon the bottom panel 20. It will now be evident that when a player depresses the push button knob, this jolt to the post causes the dome 17 to shake the dice 18 causing the dice to be thus thrown and the player can see downwardly through the dome the number upon the dice which he has shaken for his scoring. A compression coil spring 29 under the push button knob end of the lever normally urges the lever to return to a starting position so that a player can then again depress the knob upon a subsequent turn of play.

A card holder 30 is positioned adjacent each one of the push button knobs 24, the card holder serving to support the defense cards of a player. The card holder is grooved so as to support two cards, no player being allowed to retain more than two cards at a time. The defense cards are held bya player in order to gain benefit therefrom, it being necessary for the drawing player to hold onto the cards in order to prove later in the game that he has actually drawn such a card. Thus means are provided for a player to retain cards acquired during the game.

The present invention also includes a plurality of playing pieces 31, each player being provided with 15 of the playing pieces 31. The playing pieces may be in the shape of space ships, satellites or the like, each player having playing pieces of a different color than an opponent player. Thus a player may distinguish his pieces from the pieces of an opponent. These playing pieces are used in advancing the same along the squares 13 of the cardboard insert path 12. The colors suggested for the different players are: red, green, blue and yellow. Each playing piece may be three-dimensional and provided with a pair of downwardly extending pegs 31A which are receivable in a plurality of openings provided upon each of the squares 13 of the path 12.

FIG. 6 shows a representative one of the playing pieces 31 mounted on the central area 15 of the board by downwardly extending pegs 31A which are received in openings 313 in the board.

Additionally the present game includes a plurality of defense cards 32 as shown in FIG. 3. Additionally the present game includes a plurality of offense cards 33. The cards 33 are illustrated in FIG. 4. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the cards is provided with an imprinted instruction upon one side thereof and which must be obeyed by a player. Additionally the present game incorporates 36 playing blocks 34, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The playing blocks comprise information which is imprinted upon the game board as shown. In other words, the cardboard insert 12 has the information shown in FIG. 5 printed thereon with each number of the blocks 34 corresponding to a numbered square on insert 12.

In playing the game, a player depresses the push button knob assigned to him so as to throw the dice. The number showing on the dice determines how far around the board the player may move his playing piece. Each block has a different outcome varying in the following ways: It depends upon whose section the player is moving through. Each sector or section tends to work to the particular sectors advantage. A double throw entitles a player to another chance or another throw of the dice. Once a player uses all of his ships or feels that he has lost all possible chance to win, he may drop out of the game. In order to win, the player must try to keep as many of his own ships as possible. Capture of as many of his opponents ships as possible is desired. Every time a player passes the start block, he is awarded another of his lost ships should he have lost any by said time.

Players win and lose at the command of the dice, the board and the cards. Each of the large dark colored section blocks or boxes 36 belongs to a particular player, the red being assigned to the red, the blue to the blue, and the like. Ships captured by each player are placed in that capturing powers dark colored box 36. A player may or may not exchange his captured ships with another. The exchange can only be between the two to which the ships originally belong. At times more than one ship may be found in any one square. When a player loses all of his ships, he is considered out of the game. During progress of the game, if a players playing piece lands on a square marked to pick up a card, he does so and which may comprise either a defense or offense card, depending upon the instructions of the playing field.

Upon occasion, a player may land on a surface placing his fleet on defense alert. While on such an alert, a player is to a slight advantage. Such a card will protect the player in his next move. In other words, if the player loses a ship in his next move, he could surrender this card instead of the ship.

Thus there is provided a game with novel design and which incorporates a novel means of shaking dice.

What I now claim is:

1. In a game, the combination of a game board, a plurality of playing pieces for movement upon said game board, a plurality of defense cards and a plurality of offense cards, the game board having self-contained means for determining the amount of travel for said playing pieces upon said game board, said game board comprising a generally square playing field having four sides, said game board being made of plastic material and upon which there is mounted a printed cardboard insert, said printed cardboard insert being of square frame configuration and having its upper side imprinted with a plurality of equal squares, each of said squares being identified with a different numeral, said numerals being in sequence between one and 36, the center of said game board being provided with an upstanding post supported at its lower end upon a lower panel of said game board, an upper portion of said post extending upwardly through a central opening of an upper panel in spaced relation to said lower panel of said game board, a space within said game board between said upper and lower panels, said space containing four radially extending levers each extending toward a respective side, an inner end of each of said levers being positioned beneath a shoulder formed on and around said post, and an outer end of each of said levers being upwardly turned and extending upwardly through an opening in said upper panel, the upper end of said lever being provided with a push button knob, an intermediate portion of each of said levers being pivotable about a fulcrum supported upon said lower panel so that upon downward movement of said push button knob, the opposite end of said lever bears against said shoulder of said post, and the upper end of said post supporting a transparent dome containing a pair of dice.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein playing pieces are provided for each of four players of said game, each of said playing pieces being of ship configuration and being provided each with a downwardly extending pair of pegs, said pegs being receivable within openings in said game board adjacent said four sides thereof.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein a card holder is positioned adjacent each of said push button knobs, said card holder being adaptable for supporting a pair of said defense cards.

4. In a game, the combination of a game board including a lower panel and an upper panel having a central opening and further openings, said game board having a plurality of sides adjacent each of which a respective player may be located, an upstanding post supported at its lower end upon said lower panel and extending upwardly through said central opening, said post having a shoulder formed thereon, a plurality of radially extending levers each extending between said panels toward a respective one of said sides, each of said levers having an inner end positioned beneath said shoulder and an outer end which is upwardly turned and extends upwardly through a respective one of said further openings, each of said outer ends constituting a push button, a plurality of fulcrums each supported on said bottom panel, each of said levers being pivoted about a respective one of said fulcrums whereby upon downward movement of a push button the inner end of the associated lever bears against the shoulder of said post, and a dice-containing transparent dome mounted on the upper end of said post.

5. The combination of claim 4 additionally comprising a plurality of springs each located beneath the outer end of a respective one of said levers and biasing the outer end of said lever away from said lower panel.

6. The combination of claim 5 additionally comprising a collar fixed to said lower panel and surrounding the lower end of said post.

Claims

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein 15 playing pieces are provided for each of four players of said game, each of said playing pieces being of ship configuration and being provided each with a downwardly extending pair of pegs, said pegs being receivable within openings in said game board adjacent said four sides thereof.