US3738659A - Auto racing board game apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Game apparatus providing racing cars assembleable from plural elements, a game box containing the elements in a concealed manner, a game board over which the assembled cars move, and play determining elements including randomly distributable monetary units and play directing cards. The game box has sets of part storage bins with opaque covers, each cover being provided with identification indicia. Play of the game proceeds by assembling the car playing elements by purchase with a random distribution of monetary units and thereafter moving the assembled elements about the playing board under certain pre-determined conditions in response to further random play of monetary units.

Description

United States Patent 1 Partridge AUTO RACING BOARD GAME APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Mildred F. Partridge, Rt. Box 62 BB,

Montesano, Wash. 98563 [22] Filed: Apr. 19, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 135,173

[52] US. Cl. 273/134 AG, 46/17, 273/131 C,

273/134 CA, 273/134 CB, 273/135 F 11 3,738,659 511 June 12, 1973 1,114,346 5/1968 Great Britain 273/134 8 Primary ExaminerDelbert B. Lowe Attorney-Keith S. Bergman [57] ABSTRACT Game apparatus providing racing cars assembleable from plural elements, a game box containing the elements in a concealed manner, a game board over which the assembled cars move, and play determining elements including randomly distributable monetary units and play directing cards. The game box has sets of part storage bins with opaque covers, each cover being provided with identification indicia. Play of the game proceeds by assembling the car playing elements by purchase with a random distribution of monetary units and thereafter moving the assembled elements about the playing board under certain pre-determined conditions in response to further random play of monetary units.

3 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures PATENIEIJJUNI 2 1 SHEU 1 W 2 M/L DEED F P41? 79/065 AUTO RACING BOARD GAME APPARATUS FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates generally to a simulated auto racing game for amusement providing playing pieces movable in response to chance determined events about a board defined course, and particularly to such a game providing compound playing pieces assembleable by chance related events before institution of chance related board motion.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART Games of the red mule type have been known and quite popular as amusement devices since time immemorial. These games provide a board defining a course of successive elements about which a marker of one sort or another may be moved in response to some chance determined or related event. The instant invention provides an improvement over the existing games of this general class.

My invention differs from known members of the class by providing a compound playing piece in the form of an automobile that is assembled from plural unique parts before play commences on the playing board. These parts are acquired by purchase from a random set of similar parts that contain the desired elements or from other players who have the desired elements. The purchase is accomplished by use of monetary units acquired by the players in the first instance by chance and to some degree thereafter by agreement.

After the playing piece is appropriately assembled, play proceeds about the board defined course pursuant to chance distribution of the monetary playing pieces in a fashion simulating an auto race. Auxiliary incidents of play are provided by required incidentals of playing piece motion and by chance related events determined by other players and board position. To complete the course it is required that the last motion of the playing piece must end exactly at the finish notation.

Prior art devices have disclosed games with similar individual elements but not with all of the incident elements associated in combination in the same form as the instant invention for use in the same mode.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION My invention provides a family type auto racing game with compound cars that are assembled and moved about a racing course defined on a playing board by events determined by both chance and predetermined player action.

I provide a simulated auto playing piece assembleable from plural parts acquired by random purchase from a central supply or specific purchase from other players by monetary standards acquired in ordered fashion by chance determination. Race incidents such as fuel, lap flags, mystery cards, and the like are similarly acquired by specific purchase.

After the auto playing piece is appropriately assembled, it is placed upon a unitized sequential playing course for motion thereabout in response to play of monetary elements. The course of motion of the auto playing pieces is further determined by course position and incidental deliberate acts of other players.

The object of the game is to assemble the playing piece and move it about the race course, according to the rules of play, the required laps to finish the course ahead of other players.

In providing such a game it is:

A principal object of my invention to create a game with markers movable about a unitized sequential course according to particular rules of play.

A further object of my invention to provide a compound car simulating playing piece for such a game that is assembleable from plural parts pursuant to game rules.

A still further object of my invention to provide such a game that combines both chance happenings and individual player determinations for its completion.

A still further object of my invention to provide an auto racing game that will simulate an actual racing situation to stimulate the interest of players and provide some incidental educational benefits.

A still further object of my invention to provide such a game that is of new and novel design, of simple and durable nature, of economic manufacture and one that is otherwise well adapted to the uses and purposes for which it is intended.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings which form a part thereof. In carrying out the objects of my invention, however, it is to be understood that its essential features are susceptible of change in design and structural arrangement with only one preferred and practical embodiment being illustrated in the accompanying drawings as is required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and wherein like numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout:

FIG. 1 is a top or plan view of the face of the playing board of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of the details of a pit-pad of my invention.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the front wheel structure of a racer.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the rear wheel structure of a racer.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the body of a racer.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a motor of a racer.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a principal race driver.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a drivers helmet.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a sub-driver.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a lap-flag.

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a gas-tank.

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of the mystery cards of my invention.

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of one of the game pieces (hereinafter called jet-drops) of my game.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of a plurality of monetary units used with my invention.

FIG. 15 is an isometric view of the parts storage box for my game.

FIG. 16 is an isometric view of the shaker-box of my invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT My invention generally provides playing board 20 defining a racing course for motion of compound racer playing pieces 21, assembleable by purchase of parts with randomly distributed monetary standards 22 and thereafter movable about the racing course in response to change determination, player action, and play of motion contingency elements 23.

Playing board provides flat rectilinear supportive element 24 defining in its medial part unitized, sequential, closed racing course 25, in the instance illustrated in FIG. 1 providing 34 separate units. The number of course units may be increased or decreased without changing the essence of the game. Located about the playing course, at spaced distances, are plural pit-pads 26, again in the embodiment illustrated comprising 6 elements. The number of pit-pads is not essential to my invention and may be increased or decreased to accommodate a particular number of players, one pad being required for each player. Though numbers may vary, the combination illustrated is fairly ideal with a race track having 34 units and 6 pit-pads substantially equally spaced. The detail of the face of a pit-pad is shown in FIG. 2, where it is seen to include several defined storage areas, including the for sale area 27, and driver and sub-driver motel areas 28, 29, respectively.

Game box 30 is a rectilinear box-like structure formed with an openable, catchable lid giving access to and defining internal component storage compartments 31 and plural arrayed parts storage bins 32 having opaque covers 33 to conceal from players the particular part each bin contains. The bins are arrayed in sets of the same number as the number of players and the cover 33 of each is provided with some indicia of identification so that players may orally identify the sets and members of each set to other players. The various bins are of appropriate size to contain the several parts of the racer playing pieces of my invention.

Monetary standards 22 are a plurality of small rigid disks 34, all of similar size and shape, indicating various numerical amounts preferably by appropriate surface numbers 35 and distinctive surface colors (not shown). The disks collectively comprise a plurality of one dollar, two dollar, three dollar, four dollar, five dollar, ten dollar, twenty-five dollar, and fifty dollar amounts, the number of each not being essential but preferably inversely proportional to indicated face value. The total number of monetary standards is not critical, but it should range into three figures to provide an appropriate supply for convenient play. A replenishable supply of disks 34 is contained within shaker-box 36, from whence upon an appropriate shaking type of manual manipulation one may exit individually through slot 37 in the box. The shaker-box is opaque so that the production of monetary disks 34 therefrom will be random and not controllable by a player in an individual instance.

Racer playing pieces 21 comprise the various components illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 9. Racer body 38 forms the principal marker element. It is configured as the body of a racing auto with forward wheel slots 39 and rearward wheel slots 40, each adapted to releasably receive wheel elements 44, 47, forward motor orifice 41 adapted to releasably receive the motor element 49 and cockpit orifice 42 adapted to releasably receive a driver 50 or sub-driver 51. Flag hole 43 is provided in the forward portion of the body to releasably receive various lap-flags. Forward wheel structure 44 provides medial axle 45 with smaller forward wheels 46 at each end and rearward wheel structure 47 provides similar medial axle 45 with definitive larger racing type rear tires 48 at the ends thereof; each axle is adapted to be releasably received by the corresponding wheel slot of the body. Motor element 49 has a rectilinear base adapted to releasably fit and be held in motor orifice 41 of the body and an upper configuration to simulate the external appearance of a racing motor. Principal driver element 50 and sub-driver element 51 have an external configuration simulating their living counterparts with a lower base part adapted to releasably fit within cockpit orifice 42 of the body. Plural helmets 52 are provided to fit in normal position and releasable fashion upon either driver or sub-driver.

Motion contingency elements 23 include gas-tanks 53 as illustrated in FIG. 11, jet-drops 54 as illustrated in FIG. 13, sets of lap-flags 55 as illustrated in FIG. 10, and plural mystery cards 56 as illustrated in FIG. 12. Plural lap-flags 55 constitute a group comprising plural sets of flags, each set having the same number as the number of playing pieces in use; normally the group will comprise five sets to indicate a game five laps in length, each set being designated with some distinguishing indicia, generally a different colored flag element 57. Standard 58 of the lap-flags is such as to allow the element to be releasably positioned in flag-hole 43 of auto body 38.

Mystery cards 56 comprise a plurality of both beneficial and detrimental instructions that would apply to the various stages of game play while the playing pieces are coursing about racing track 25. Normally the beneficial conditions are distinguished from the detrimental ones by difference in coloration, or some similar face indicia. The obverse faces of all mystery cards are identical so that the instruction contained on the face may not be determined from inspection of the exposed obverse side. With six players, mystery cards should number in the higher two figure range. They contain various instructions, penalties, and relief from penalties such as driver ill, driver recovered, out of gas, pull off track, tire blowout, pull off track, spare-tire blow-out, repair, and the like.

With this description of apparatus, the play of the game may now be understood. Play will be described with the specific embodiment illustrated, one for six players. Firstly, the apparatus is assembled, comprising:

1 playing pad 6 pit-pads (distinguished by color) 1 parts bin 1 shaker-box l assortment of chips comprising $1.00, $2.00,

$3.00, $4.00, $5.00, $10.00, $25.00 and $50.00 elements distinguished by face indicia and color.

6 racer bodies, distinguished by color to match pitpads.

6 front wheel assemblies, distinguished by color to match bodies.

6 rear wheel assemblies, distinguished by color to match bodies.

6 drivers, distinguished by color to match racer bodres.

6 sub-drivers, distinguished by color to match racer bodies. 7

6 motors, distinguished by color to match racer bodies.

set of helmets for principal drivers set of helmets for sub-drivers set of mystery cards set of gas-tanks set of jet-drops 1 group of lap-flags comprising five sets of six elements each, distinguished by color to identify lap sets.

The object of the game is to acquire a complete racer playing piece and thereafter enter upon the track course and complete five laps thereabout. The first player to finish is the winner. The game with six players will require approximately two and onehalf hours of playing time divided essentially into two portions, the first for the assembly of racer playing pieces and the second for the motion of the assembled pieces about the track.

The racing board is positioned upon some convenient supporting surface and the several players positioned about the periphery thereof. Each player is provided with a pit-pad distinguished by a particular color, this color to be used throughout the game by the player to distinguish the various elements of his particular racer playing piece. One player will be designated as the track official and parts man to maintain and disburse game elements and supervise the course of play.

At the inception of play, the shaker-box is supplied with a random assortment of chips and the racer bodies, wheel assemblies, motors, drivers, sub-drivers, and driver helmets are contained in randomly oriented sets of similar elements in storage bins 32 of game box 30. The playing piece elements of one particular type are all within one set, but their arrangement in any particular bin within that set is unknown to the players and undeterminable by inspection of the storage bin. The mystery cards are shuffled to a random orientation and placed face down inside tee track course.

With apparatus in this condition, play begins. The track official manually manipulates the shaker-box containing the chips to randomly admix them and passes it to the player on his left. That player manually manipulates the box in a shaking type motion until a chip passes through the slot in the box; he keeps the chip and passes the box on to the next player to his left and play continues in this fashion with the shaker-box moving in a clockwise fashion to allow the players to randomly accumulate monetary standards to enter upon the racing business. The required racing playing piece elements for each player, and the purchase price from the track official, are:

1 car body $100.00

2 wheel assemblies (front and rear) $25.00 each 1 motor $40.00

1 principal driver $50.00

1 driver hat $10.00

1 sub-driver $40.00

1 sub-driver hat $10.00

1 tank of gas $50.00

5 lap-flags $10.00 each Mystery cards may be purchased in pile order for $10.00 each and jet-drops for $5.00 each. Neither is a required element to enter upon the race track, though both may be beneficial to enter play. Normally some limit must be placed on individual player purchase of these elements to promote orderly game progress. Preferably no player may purchase more than three mystery cards or four jet-drops at any one time of play.

The various racer elements and moving contingency elements are acquired initially by purchase from the track official. During any players's turn he may purchase one item of a playing piece from any group from the track official. The particular elements are contained in bins and the player may designate which bin he desires, but it is to be remembered that he will have no knowledge of the color of the particular part contained in that bin. If the acquired item be a part of the color of the players particular playing piece he may keep it and continue to acquire parts for his car, but if it be a part of some other color than his playing piece, it is of no use in assembling that particular players playing piece.

The players may similarly purchase, sell and barter playing piece elements between themselves during any players turn of play. If a player has a part that he does not desire to keep, he may place it in the for sale section 27 of his pit-pad to make an offer of disposition. If he wishes to sell the element for the purchase price from the track official, he may merely place it in the area; if he wishes to sell it for a price higher than that for which it was purchased from the track official, he must place with the element a monetary chip of the same amount as the excess price. This chip so placed then is removed from play so long as the element remains in the for sale area and the chip may not be otherwise used. When the part is sold or traded, however, the excess price chip goes back to the owning player and may be treated as any other. The play continues then in this fashion until at least one player has completely assembled all of the necessary items for his racing playing piece.

If, in theacquisit ion of player piece elements, any player acquires his principal driver or sub-driver before the racer playing piece is ready to enter upon the track, he must house it in the proper motel 28 or 29 on his pitpad. This housing requires a deposit of $20.00 in monetary chips in each occupied motel area for the drivers expense until he starts of the track course. At such time as the car does enter the track course, the driver will occupy the racer and the sub-driver may be placed in the pit area to free the deposit money for the motels.

When the racing car is assembled and ready to enter the track course, the particular player must symbolically put gas in the car by returning a gas can to the track official. With satisfaction of this precedent condition he places his playing piece in starting position on the track, all during one turn of play.

With the entry of one car upon the track, the rules of play change somewhat. The play proceeds in the same clockwise direction, withmonetary chips disbursed in the same fashion. Movement upon the track is made in response to the play of monetary chips by paying them to the track official during the players turn. Only the low value chips $1.00 to $5.00 are used for playing piece motion on the track course.

After entry upon the track and during a players term of play, he may play a mystery card to either add a pen alty to opposing playing pieces or a benefit to his own. No playing piece, however, may have more than two penalty cards against it at any one time to allow orderly development of the game.

During track motion each racer playing piece must carry an appropriate lap-flag. If any racer is found to have an improper flag at any time, the particular offending player must move backwards three track course units and the player discovering the error may move forward three track units.

During track motion, if a player has his racing car in hisown pit area, opponents may not play penalty cards against him so long as it remains in the pit area. The

players may buy, sell or trade mystery cards among themselves according to the same rules as for buying, selling or trading car'parts. All spent mystery cards are returned to the racing official who places them in random order in the unused stack. To complete the race course, a player must play a monetary chip of appropriate value to take him only to the finish unit; he cannot go past it and he cannot win unless he comes to the finish unit. An appropriate lap-flag must be on a vehicle on the track at all times; when the lap is completed the flag is returned to the track official.

During the course of play there may come to be disputes between the players, particularly regarding the nature and effect of mystery cards. The track official must settle all such disputes and his decision is final in so doing.

During the course of play with one or more cars on the track course, a players turn starts when he receives the shaker-box and ends when he has taken the chip from it. In the intervening period he may move his racer, buy or sell racing elements, incidents of play or mystery cards as desired. During this period, however, it is to be remembered that only low valued chips ($1.00 to $5.00) may be used for moving and any change making of chips must be accomplished between individual players who may refuse to do so if they choose.

During play, if one player stops on any position occupied by another player, the second player must use a jet-drop. To do so he gives the jet-drop to the track official and moves his car ahead four additional spaces. A jet-drop, to be used, must come from a reserve supply; one may not be purchased during the course of the move in which it is used.

From the foregoing description of the play of my game it can be seen that it is dependent both upon the individual judgment of a player and chance happenings, neithervof which will per se determine the game. This play makes the game simple enough for the youngest players, yet one challenging enough for adults so that it is of a rather universally acceptable nature.

The foregoing description of my invention is necessarily of a detailed nature so that a specific embodiment of it might be set forth as required, but it is to be understood that various modifications of detail and rearrangement and multiplication of parts may be resorted to without departing from its spirit, essence, or scopev Having thusly described my invention, what I desire toprotect by Letters Patent, and

What I claim is:

1. An auto racing game for entertainment and education comprising, in combination:

a playing board having defined thereon a racing course divided into plural similar course units;

plural pit-pads, associated with spaced units of the playing course, each having thereon a different identification indicium, and providing areas on the playing board for parts assemblage, storage and disposition;

a shaker-box for containment of a plurality of disklike monetary standards having means for disbursal of individual disks therefrom in random fashion;

a plurality of disk-like monetary standards, all of similar physical configuration, grouped in plural sets of similar value, each set having a different identifying indicium;

compound racer simulating playing pieces comprised of releasably assembleable parts, each group of parts for a single playing piece being uniquely identifiable by one of said pit-pad identifying indicia and each playing piece being formed from parts similar. to those of each of the other playing pieces; and

a game box providing containment for playing piece parts and having plural bins arranged in sets of the same number of bins as the number of playing pieces, each set formed in a fashion to contain and conceal racer playing piece parts of the same type.

2. The invention of claim 1 further characterized by:

a plurality of cards all with similar obverse sides to prevent individual identification and various game directing instructions on the faces thereof, the cards to be acquired and used to direct game play in response to some predetermined condition of game play.

3. The game of claim 1 wherein the releasably assemb'leable parts of each compound racer simulating playing piece comprise:

a body configured as a racing car having forward slots releasably containing forward wheel-axle combinations, rearward slots releasably containing rearward wheel-axle combinations, an upper medial chamber releasably containing a simulated motor, a forward orifice releasably containing a lapflag and a cockpit releasably containing a simulated driver having a releasably positionable helmet.

Claims (3)

1. An auto racing game for entertainment and education comprising, in combination: a playing board having defined thereon a racing course divided into plural similar course units; plural pit-pads, associated with spaced units of the playing course, each having thereon a different identification indicium, and providing areas oN the playing board for parts assemblage, storage and disposition; a shaker-box for containment of a plurality of disk-like monetary standards having means for disbursal of individual disks therefrom in random fashion; a plurality of disk-like monetary standards, all of similar physical configuration, grouped in plural sets of similar value, each set having a different identifying indicium; compound racer simulating playing pieces comprised of releasably assembleable parts, each group of parts for a single playing piece being uniquely identifiable by one of said pit-pad identifying indicia and each playing piece being formed from parts similar to those of each of the other playing pieces; and a game box providing containment for playing piece parts and having plural bins arranged in sets of the same number of bins as the number of playing pieces, each set formed in a fashion to contain and conceal racer playing piece parts of the same type.

2. The invention of claim 1 further characterized by: a plurality of cards all with similar obverse sides to prevent individual identification and various game directing instructions on the faces thereof, the cards to be acquired and used to direct game play in response to some predetermined condition of game play.

3. The game of claim 1 wherein the releasably assembleable parts of each compound racer simulating playing piece comprise: a body configured as a racing car having forward slots releasably containing forward wheel-axle combinations, rearward slots releasably containing rearward wheel-axle combinations, an upper medial chamber releasably containing a simulated motor, a forward orifice releasably containing a lap-flag and a cockpit releasably containing a simulated driver having a releasably positionable helmet.

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