US3870311A

US3870311A - Board game apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3870311A
Application number: US463156A
Authority: US
Inventors: George A Klupp
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-04-22
Filing date: 1974-04-22
Publication date: 1975-03-11
Anticipated expiration: 1992-03-11

Abstract

A game device having a configured playing surface, a single attacker or predator, fox-like, figurine for one player or one team, and a plurality of pursued, geese-like, figurines for the opposing player or team. Each figurine is restricted to but a single move, at a time, on a color coded playing surface having a plurality of concentric circles and intersecting diagonal movement lines. Capture dots are formed by the intersections of the concentric circles with movement lines and with imaginary lines bisecting the angles between the movement lines. The central circle and diagonal lines are colored gold; the concentric circles are colored green; and the capture dots are colored red. The fox has moves similar to those of a king in chess.

Description

1 Mar. 11, 1975 United States Patent 1191 Klupp Primary E.\'umincrDelbert B. Lowe Attorney, Agent, or FirmClarence A. O'Brien; Harvey B. Jacobson 1 1 BOARD GAME APPARATUS [73] Assignee:

Filed:

ABSTRACT A game device having a configured playing surface, a single attacker or predator, foxlike, figurine for one player or one team, and a plurality of pursued, geeselike, figurines for the opposing'player or team Each figurine is restricted to but a single move, at a time, on

a color coded playing surface having a plurality of concentric circles and intersecting dia gonal movement [Sol References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS lines. Capture dots are formed by the intersections of the concentric circles with movement lines and with imaginary lines bisecting the angles between the KB 1A 31 MB N 7 2 m r MW 1-] U0 FB- 7 01 99 H 6A)- 5 D05 5 6 0 1 movement lines. The central circle and diagonal lines are colored gold; the concentric circles are colored B A 3 H 3 2 1,867,730 7/1932 Christianscn...

2,451,196 10/1948 Bruck............i 273/134 AD 3,433,483 3/1969 ElllS 273/134 AD green; and the apture dots are olored red Th fox has moves similar to those of a king in chess.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BOARD GAME APPARATUS FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND SUMMARY OF THE PRIOR ART Game boards having series of concentric circles or stars, and dots (and/or small circles) positioned on or adjacent the concentric circles or stars, and straight lines connecting two or more of the various dots, circles, and/r stars are known, as evidenced by the design patents to Gordon (Des. 51,203, issued Aug. 28, 1917) and Cooke (Des. 87,204, issued June 21, 1932); and by the patents to Osborne (US. Pat. No. 1,161,326, issued Nov. 23, 1915) and Senz (US. Pat. No. 2,239,449, issued Apr. 22, 1941). Various forms of vegetables, domestic and wild animals, bad eggs, sour milk", etc., are pictorial representations which may be printed on paper" in the patent to Read (US. Pat. No. 2,052,797, issued Sept. 1, 1936).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Among the objects and advantages of my invention are to provide an entertaining pastime game which is hallmarked by the fact that one player, or team, has but a single figurine with certain prescribed movements; and, the opponent has a plurality of figurines with the movements of each being more restricted than the movements of the single figurine. Such diverse movements blend portions of games such as chess and tictac-toe.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the 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.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the preferred embodiment of the playing surface, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the overall game board is denoted by the reference numeral 10. The central circle 12 and the 90 degrees-apart movement lines 14-14 are color coded in gold. The three concentric green circles are labeled 16, 17, and 18, from the innermost green circle to the outermost green circle; and all of the red dots are designated by 20-20. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 is shown merely to indicate a sufficient strength-stiffness factor to keep the playing surface level when being used.

The overall configuration of the playing surface of the game board is square, with the central gold dot 12 located centrally of the square board and the gold movement lines for the fox radiating from 12 toward the diagonal corners of the square board. The three green circles are spaced from the dot l2, and from each other, in concentric arrangement around the dot 12. At each point where the green circles and the gold diagofigurines of 2 nal lines cross, a red dot (20'. 2 0) is placed at the intersection. Further red dots are placed at the intersections of each of the three green circles and imaginary bisectors of the angles between diagonal gold lines.

FIG. 3 illustrates the three geese, 22, 24, and 26, as the preferred embodiment, each having a pedestal portion; and, similarly FIG. 4 shows the single fox 28 figurine, having a sufficiently extensive base portion relative to its height so as not to require a pedestal. As-alternatives, the geese could be chickens, ducks, or turkeys being pursued; and, the fox could be a bear, cougar, or wolf, doing the pursuing.

One of the prime considerations of the game is to have one player, or one team, have a single attacker or predatory figurine, such as the fox 28. The opposing player or opposing team has one pursued figurine for each concentric green circle (preferably three geese, one each for each of the three concentric green circles). The red dots are stopping (or capturing) points for the fox, and except at the instant of capture, only one figurine may be on any one red dot at one time; and, similarly, the red dots are stopping points for the geese.

Drawing a partial analogy from Chess, the attacking figurine (fox) has moves comparable to the moves of a King, and the three pursued figurines (geese) have moves similar to the moves of Pawns, in Chess. Drawing a further analogy to Tic-Tac-Toe, it is relatively easy for the fox to pursue and capture one of the geese; however, if the opposing player gives up the goose in the middle one of the three concentric green rings, from then on the game is a stalemate, or a tie, unless the player moving the geese makes a mistake in his moving. Thus, there is a blend of a small portion of the complex game of Chess (different rules for different players) and the tie, unless one side makes a mistake, of Tic-Tac-Toe; plus, the figurines that are used are attractive, meaningful, and easily handled by the players.

The complete rules of the Fox and Geese" game follow:

1. Place the fox in the center of the board, on the gold dot.

2. Place geese on three red dots.

3. Only the fox may cross the center of board, and must stop'on the gold dot each time. The fox may go in any direction between the gold and red dots, but must follow green and gold lines throughout the game. The fox may not jump across from one dot to another, if gold and green lines do not connect.

4. Geese may stay on red dots only. No more than one goose is allowed to occupy one red dot at a time. Geese may move forward and backward, but are not allowed to cross center of board. Geese must stay on red dots and green lines. Where red dots are not connected with a green line between them, geese may not jump over.

EXAMPLE:

If 50 moves each is determined and the fox fails to catch two geese in the set number of moves, the geese win.

7. The game is intended for two players, but four may play.

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 a game device, the combination ofa playing surface having a central circle and a plurality of concentric larger circles surrounding and spaced from each other and from said central circle, four movement lines radiating from the central circle to the outermost concentric circle, each of the four lines being from its next adjacent line, a plurality of dots, one at each intersection of each concentric circle with movement lines, an attacker or predator fox-like figurine for one player, or one team, and plural, identical, pursued geese-like figurines for the opposing player, or opposing team, one for each of the concentric circles outside the central circle, and one more dot on each concentric circle placed at each intersection of imaginary bisectors of the angles between adjacent movement lines with the concentric circle, the central circle and the movement lines being color coded in a first color, the concentric circles being color coded in a second color, and the dots being color coded in a third color.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said first color is gold, said second color is green, and said third color is

Claims

1. In a game device, the combination of a playing surface having a central circle and a plurality of concentric larger circles surrounding and spaced from each other and from said central circle, four movement lines radiating from the central circle to the outermost concentric circle, each of the four lines being 90* from its next adjacent line, a plurality of dots, one at each intersection of each concentric circle with movement lines, an attacker or predator fox-like figurine for one player, or one team, and plural, identical, pursued geese-like figurines for the opposing player, or opposing team, one for each of the concentric circles outside the central circle, and one more dot on each concentric circle placed at each intersection of imaginary bisectors of the angles between adjacent movement lines with the concentric circle, the central circle and the movement lines being color coded in a first color, the concentric circles being color coded in a second color, and the dots being color coded in a third color.