US3697077A - Board game apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Game apparatus comprising individual frames for two or more players, each frame being provided with a plurality of invertible sections having different indicia on opposite sides susceptible of section combination to form contrasting panoramas of desired and undesired scenes, and dice for directing reversing of playerselected sections to complete a panorama.

Description

United States Patent Palmer A [54] BOARD GAME APPARATUS [72] Inventor: Stanley D. Palmer, 1810 Empire, Joplin, Mo. 84801 [22] Filed: June 15, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 46,162

[52] US. Cl. ..273/l35 B, 273/135 AA, 273/136 F [451 Oct. 10, 1972 Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney-Bedell and Burgess 57 ABSTRACT Game apparatus comprising individual frames for two or more players, each frame being provided with a plurality of invertible sections having different indicia on opposite sides susceptible of section combination to form contrasting panoramas of desired and undesired scenes, and dice for directing reversing of player-selected sections to complete a panorama.

2 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures BOARD GAME APPARATUS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The game is predicated on the current attention to littering or pollution of areas of human environment and affords opposing players opportunity to effect contrasting panoramas in the playing fields of the respective players. More specifically, if two, three or four players are engaged, each player endeavors to improve a littered or polluted area in his playing field and to degrade an area in another field. If four or more players are engaged they may play as teams and each player may elect to make changes in the appearance of his partners field as well as in his own field and in an opponents field.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a playing table top, a game board thereon holding four individual trays or playing fields. A greater or less number of similar trays may be used on the board or on a table without a board maintaining an assembly of the trays,

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are vertical sections on corresponding section lines of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates a chance media comprising three dice. A different number of dice or a spinner may be substituted for those shown.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Each players tray or playing field comprises an elongated shallow open top box, having a longitudinal upstanding rib 2 and a series of transverse upstanding ribs 3 forming corresponding upwardly opening compartments 4. A pair of tile-like sections 5 are associated with each compartment 4 and each pair of sections are pivoted on a common horizontal wire 7 (FIG. 3) extending transversely of two of the four edges of each section and mounted in the box walls but closer to one edge of each section than to the opposite edge so that the portion of the section at one side of the pivot wire is larger and heavier than the portion at the other side of the pivot wire. The outer end of the heavier portion rests on the upper edge of one of the adjacent ribs 3 or on an edge 9 in the tray wall 11. Each section is readily reversible by pressing down on its shorter portion, as indicated at 13 (FIG. 3).

One face of each section is finished by a drawing, painting, lithograph or otherwise so as to present one color or other characteristic to the view of the players and the other face is similarly finished to present a contrasting characteristic. One face (as marked D) may indicate a drab, polluted characteristic and the opposite face (as marked C) may present a contrasting clear characteristic. Preferably, if all the like faces in one row of sections are turned up, they will cooperate to form a pleasant panorama of buildings, streets, parks or the like, and if the opposite faces are turned up they will form an unpleasant panorama of the same area by showing it littered or polluted.

A player tosses dice 15 each having its sides marked as shown in FIG. 5 to direct the players manipulation of the reversible sections. For example, one or more sides may be marked L for litter; or R for reclaim;

or W for wild, or the pla erfs choice. The player will personally select a section either on his own box 1, or

on an opponents box, which presents characteristics differing from that indicated by the uppermost letter on a die, and rotate that section to turn its opposite face uppermost and thereby endeavor to build up an assembly of congruent units. The first player to do this scores according to the rules.

Playing the game may follow suitable rules balancing the elements of luck and skill, and the apparatus described provides means for producing different challenges and results.

The details of construction, the nature of the chance directives and the player rules may vary substantially from those described above without departing from the spirit of the invention and exclusive use of such variations in structure is contemplated.

Iclaim:

1. In a game apparatus, a frame member including'a plurality of open-top compartments with upstanding ribs between them, a plurality of contiguous sections overlying said compartments, each section having a horizontal pivot on said member between two adjacent ribs with the pivot axis disposed parallel to the upper edges of the ribs and closer to one end of the section than to the other end, each section being reversible on its pivot for support in either position by an adjacent rib to present a selected one of its faces upwardly, suitably selected faces of adjacent sections cooperating to present upwardly a panorama of congruous characteristics and the opposite faces of said adjacent sections cooperating to present a substantially different panorama of congruous characteristics when the sections are reversed.

2. A game apparatus as described in claim 1 which includes a playing board having supported thereon a plurality of said frame members, each being provided with two parallel rows of said reversible sections.

Claims (2)

1. In a game apparatus, a frame member including a plurality of open-top compartments with upstanding ribs between them, a plurality of contiguous sections overlying said compartments, each section having a horizontal pivot on said member between two adjacent ribs with the pivot axis disposed parallel to the upper edges of the ribs and closer to one end of the section than to the other end, each section being reversible on its pivot for support in either position by an adjacent rib to present a selected one of its faces upwardly, suitably selected faces of adjacent sections cooperating to present upwardly a panorama of congruous characteristics and the opposite faces of said adjacent sections cooperating to present a substantially different panorama of congruous characteristics when the sections are reversed.

2. A game apparatus as described in claim 1 which includes a playing board having supported thereon a plurality of said frame members, each being provided with two parallel rows of said reversible sections.

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