US3834709A - Racing board game apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A racing game includes a playing board with endless paths having successive stations along which corresponding tokens are moved as indicated by dice. The paths are irregular and intersect at certain areas of the board to form terminal junction points which permit one player''s tokens to bump, block or pass another depending upon the dice and other factors. Passing symbols, racing odds, starting lines and other instructions are included with individual programs that can be distributed to each player and correlated with the game board. Each player can use play money and betting slips to participate in a variety of games that are instructive as to the varying probabilities found in actual dog or horse racing.

Description

United States Patent [19] Lamb [ Sept. 10, 1974 RACING BOARD GAME APPARATUS [75] Inventor: Kenneth E. Lamb, St. Petersburg,

Fla.

[73] Assignee: The Professor Inc., St. Petersburg,

Fla.

[22] Filed: Aug. 22, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 282,783

[52] US. C1.273/l34 AD, 273/134 D, 273/134 CA,

273/134 CH [51] Int. Cl. A63f 3/00 [58] Field of Search 273/134 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,797,742 3/1931 Ward 273/134 AG 2,214,167 9/1940 273/134 GM UX 2,415,073 2/1947 Buffmire 273/134 GM UX 2,719,718 10/1955 Rothgery.. .273/134 CH UX 2,810,578 l0/1957 Pacitti .273/134 CH UX 3,057,623 10/1962 Barnes 273/134 CB 3,463,496 8/1969 Weinstein et a1. 273/134 CH PLAY MONEY FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 373,807 3/1907 France 273/134 CH 392,172 5/1933 Great Britain 273/134 CH Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney, Agent, or FirmMason, Mason & Albright [5 7] ABSTRACT A racing game includes a playing board with endless paths having successive stations along which corresponding tokens are moved as indicated by dice. The paths are irregular and intersect at certain areas of the board to form terminal junction points which permit one players tokens to bump, block or pass another depending upon the dice and other factors. Passing symbols, racing odds, starting lines and other instructions are included with individual programs that can be distributed to each player and correlated with the game board. Each player can use play money and betting slips to participate in a variety of games that are instructive as to the varying probabilities found in actual, dog or horse racing.

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FIG. 8

RACING BOARD GAME APPARATUS FIGS. 1A and 1B are collectively a plan view of the game board;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the entry cards;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the chance means; namely dice;

FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are views of situations of the tokens being moved on the game board of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIG. shows a specimen program; and

FIG. 11 shows a betting slip.

The game playing board 1 has a box line 2 at the beginning of the combined front stretch and stretch section 3 which leads into the first turn 4. The first turn 4 has a shaded area 5 the significance of which is explained below. A plurality of paths 6 with successive stations 9, some of which have symbols 8, are arranged parallel to one another in the front stretch section 3.

When the paths 6 enter the first turn 4, they become irregular and zigzag to cross and/or intersect one another at terminal junction points 10. Thereafter the paths 6, in rearranged order, enter the back stretch section 7 and again are straight and parallel one another. In the back stretch section 7, a series of gain lines 11 are interconnected at right angles to the paths 6.

Thereafter, the paths 6 enter the far turn area 13 and approach the stretch section 3. In the far turn 13, the paths again are irregular and scrambled, intersecting and/or crossing one another before entering the stretch section 3. Additional gain lines 12 are included in the far turn 13 which are explained below. The combined front stretch and stretch section 3 is separated from the far turn by stretch line 15 and box line 2; finish line 17 separates first turn 4 from the stretch section 3. The back stretch section 7 is separated from first turn 4 by the back stretch line 19 and from far turn 13 by far turn line 21. A series of radial lines 20 cross the paths 6 all around the'board l and where the lines 20 cross the paths, stations 9 are formed as well as terminal junction points 10 where two or more stations 9 are located adjacent one another. Also, gain lines 11 are superimposed on radial lines 20 in section 7 and far turn section 13.

Included with the board 1 are chance means such as dice 23 with numerical indicia which can be thrown and placed around the margin of the board I for convenience. Alternatively, spinners or other chance means can be used. The number of dice 23 corresponds to the number of players indicia 25 which total up to the number of paths 6 on board 1. Each player should have a die or dice 23 which conveniently can be of the same color as his indicia 25. Sections 26 are located at one side of board I for retaining the die or dice of those players penalized l, 2 or 3 lost turns.

At one corner of board 1 is play money 27 which can be distributed to the players before the game commences. Each indicia 25 can be in the shape of a dog token as shown, or a horse, etc., with a depending protrusion that fits into stations 9, the latter being holes at the intersections of paths 6 and radial lines 20. Also included are betting slips 29 and programs 30 are furnished each player so that he can handicap each race. Also, an entry card 31 is furnished each player which can bear the same color as the players corresponding indicia 25 and path 6.

DESCRIPTION OF PLAY Each player is dealt or chooses an entry card 31 which corresponds in name, number and/or color to an indicia or dog token 25 and one of the eight paths 6 that encircle board 1. There can be as many players as there are tracks and tokens, but only two need play in the particular game now described. Each die 23 corresponds in color or other convenient marking to its respective token 25 and path 6. The dice can be marked with indicia 3 to 8 instead of the conventional l to 6 numbers so that the speed of the game is increased.

Each player has a program 30 such as that shown in FIG. 10 and a betting slip 29 like that of FIG. 1 1. There are normally alternative programs to vary each race, but considering the FIG. 10 program and the first race, each player handicaps his dog token 25 and fills out a betting slip 29 and using play money 27 places bets with one of the other players designated a bank for that race.

It will be noted that the first dog Red Rose" at the top of the program 30 is listed as the key dog at odds 5 2 and has a starting line or station at 9 which means that token 25 of the first player is initially placed nine lines of radial lines 20 ahead of box line 2. The other tokens 25 are placed in their positions indicated by the program before starting. The pass lines indicated for the front stretch and stretch correspond to the symbols 8 so that a token passing or landing on stations marked with the corresponding symbol 8 can omit counting that station when moving.

All of the dogs collectively are referred to as a pack, but if horses are used they are called a field. The pack or field is moved with the last token being moved first and the other tokens then moved in se quence, next to last token and so on.

In the initial roll, the No. 4 Lucky Strike Green" token on station 0 is moved first along its line beginning at the box line. Next, No. 6, Texas Yellow Rose on station 1 is moved from its starting station; i.e., the station corresponding to the intersection of radial line 1 with the path 6. In the stretch, however, the key sequence of movements applies and No. l token Red Rose is moved first. After the key token is moved, then the next numerical token also in the stretch is moved, and so on. Accordingly, if tokens Nos. 8 and 3 were on the same radial line 20 at the same station 8, then No. 3 would move first, considering key token No. l and the numbers following in sequence. If a station has a symbol corresponding to that set forthin the program, that station is passed without counting same in the stretch. Thus, until the stretch is reached, the tokens are moved last, next-to-last, etc. If there is a tie between two tokens, then the key sequence applies.

When the dog tokens reach the first turn 4, the various paths 6 intersect and/or cross one another, and the tokens can be bumped, blocked and overtaken. As seen in FIG. 4, No. l token is blocked by 5, at junction point 10 so that No. I loses one turn and its die is placed out of circulation at the appropriate section 26 at the top of board 1. In FIG. 5, No. 2 is blocked by No. 1, which is blocked by No. 5 so that No. 1 loses one turn and No. 2 loses two turns. In FIG. 6, Nos. 1 and 2 are both blocked by No. 5, so that Nos. 1 and 2 each lose 1 turn.

FIG. 7 shows a situation where the respective paths 6 intersect at a junction point 10 and Nos. 1 and 5 tokens bump at the junction point, each losing one turn. If this occurs in shaded area 5 of the first turn, each token loses two turns. In FIG. 8, tokens 1, 5 and 2 all land at the same station 9, which is a junction point 10, and each loses one turn. Again, if this situation occurs in area 5, then all tokens lose two turns. In FIG. 9, Nos. 1 and 5 bump and each loses a turn, but No. 2 is blocked by both of the other tokens and loses two turns.

Thus, a token is blocked when its completed move along its respective path 6 is one station short of a terminal point occupied by one or more other tokens 25. A block is removed when the blocking token is moved forwardly in its turn. Tokens are bumped when their completed moves land them on a terminal junction point 10 which is occupied by one or more tokens, which tokens have also completed their moves. Each path 6 has a corresponding station 9 at each intersection with lines and terminal point junctions 10 are formed where the paths 6 cross or pass adjacent one another and with radial lines 20. If either blocking or bumping occurs in shaded area 5, then the token blocked or bumped loses two turns. Also, a double block or bump or combination thereof results in forfeiting two turns and if these situations occur in the shaded area 5, then one additional turn is lost.

All token are moved through occupied terminal points 10 unless they land on the same point 10. One token can overtake another token when the latter occupies a terminal point and the former lands on that terminal point, provided that the token on said point has not been moved its turn in the pack movement. When overtaking occurs, the moving token moves according to the die for that token being overtaken and the latter forfeits its move.

After the tokens 25 have left the first turn 4, they cross back stretch line 19 and enter the back stretch section 7, where the paths 6 are again parallel to one another. In section 7, each path 6 has four gain lines 11 and if a token 25 lands on a station 10 intersected by a gain line, that token is advanced one or more stations, depending on its relative position. If the token is running first, the advance can be, say, one station forward, if running second, two stations forward, and so on. The tokens 25 are then moved across far turn line 21 to the far turn 13.

In the far turn area 13, each path 6 is intersected by two final gain lines with the rules for bumped, blocked, and overtaken the same as those which apply to the first turn, and the tokens are then moved across stretch line 15 to the stretch section 3 where the paths 6 again parallel one another and symbols 8 are again associated with the stations 9 on the paths. The first token to reach or pass finish line 17 is the winner and the next two tokens place and show respectively.

What is claimed is:

l. A racing game comprising a playing board having an upper surface with a plurality of substantially noncoinciding paths thereon, said paths being rendered distinctive by hearing different indicia, a plurality of distinctive playing pieces, one of said playing pieces corresponding to each said path, each said path including a like number of successive stations for receiving corresponding playing pieces, each said distinctive path extending from start to finish on said playing board, and chance means for indicating the movements of each playing piece along its respective path and stations thereof, said board being divided in sections and said paths being parallel to one another for a plurality of stations in each said path in at least one of said sections and crossing one another and meeting and diverging at random for a plurality of stations in a second of said sections to form junction points, whereby one of said playing pieces can impede or enhance the movements of other playing pieces at said junction points.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein said sections include stretch sections and turns, the paths being parallel to one another in the stretch sections and irregular in said turns.

3. The game of claim 2 wherein one of said turns has a marked area to signify varying possible movements within that area.

4. The game of claim 2 wherein said board has alternate stretch sections and turns, said paths being endless paths that vary in order with respect to one another in each section and in each turn.

5. The game of claim 4, wherein one of the stretch sections has stations with differing symbols that indicate varying possible moves of said pieces.

6. The game of claim 1, wherein said chance means include a die for each player that recognizably corresponds to a different one of said paths and the corresponding playing piece.

7. The game of claim ll wherein a series of radial lines are arranged to intersect each path at spaced intervals to mark the stations for said playing pieces.

Claims (7)

1. A racing game comprising a playing board having an upper surface with a plurality of substantially noncoinciding paths thereon, said paths being rendered distinctive by bearing different indicia, a plurality of distinctive playing pieces, one of said playing pieces corresponding to each said path, each said path including a like number of successive stations for receiving corresponding playing pieces, each said distinctive path extending from start to finish on said playing board, and chance means for indicating the movements of each playing piece along its respective path and stations thereof, said board being divided in sections and said paths being parallel to one another for a plurality of stations in each said path in at least one of said sections and crossing one another and meeting and diverging at random for a plurality of stations in a second of said sections to form junction points, whereby one of said playing pieces can impede or enhance the movements of other playing pieces at said junction points.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein said sections include stretch sections and turns, the paths being parallel to one another in the stretch sections and irregular in said turns.

3. The game of claim 2 wherein one of said turns has a marked area to signify varying possible movements within that area.

4. The game of claim 2 wherein said board has alternate stretch sections and turns, said paths being endless paths that vary in order with respect to one another in each section and in each turn.

5. The game of claim 4, wherein one of the stretch sections has stations with differing symbols that indicate varying possible moves of said pieces.

6. The game of claim 1, wherein said chance means include a die for each player that recognizably corresponds to a different one of said paths and the corresponding playing piece.

7. The game of claim 1 wherein a series of radial lines are arranged to intersect each path at spaced intervals to mark the stations for said playing pieces.

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