US421259A

US421259A - Game-board

Info

Publication number: US421259A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 1907-02-11

Description

(No Model.)

J. F. PRAN'KEYQ GAME BOARD.

No. 421,259. Patehted Feb. 11-, 1 90.

JAMES F. FRANKEY, or

ATENT OFFICE...

DODGE CITY, KANSAS.

GAME-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.421,259, dated February 11, 1890.

Application filed July 22, 1889- Improvements in Game-Boards; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,'and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw- Ings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to games of amusement, and especially to game-boards requiring a certain skill in manipulation to accomplish the result aimed at.

It consists in a board provided with suitable inclosing walls or ledges, and containing two or more compartmentscommunicating by an opening or openings, each guarded by a suitable gate, which is controlled by a movable object in one of the compartments, the other compartment or compartments being provided with another object or objects adapted to pass through the gateway when the gate is opened.

The game consists in so manipulating the board as to cause the proper movable object to open the gate, and then to cause the other movable object to pass through the gateway, the board being substantially a plane surface, and the movable objects being free to move under the influence of gravity when the board is inclined from the horizontal.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of V a board having four compartmentsand two gates, both gates being shown as closed. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 00 3 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail, and Fig. t is an end view of one of the gates.

The board A is flat and smooth, and may be of any convenient size. The drawings represent the full size of a board that is well adapted for the purpose. It may be of any desired shape, and is surrounded by a wall or ledge 13, to prevent the escape of the movable objects. The inelosure is divided into two compartments by a partition 0, which runs parallel with one side wall and incloses a long narrow space or lane a. The rest of the Serial No. 318,274. (No model.)

inclosure is divided into two compartments a (1, by means of a partition D, in which is an opening d, constituting a.door or gateway between the two compartments a" a WVithin one of the compartments a a is another compartment or pen a inclosed by a wall E. The pen may be covered, if desired. Agateway 6 is provided at one end of the pen. The gateways may be protected by buttresses d and e, if. desired. by a gate F F, preferably closed by gravity, and adapted to be opened by a movable objectin the. lane a. The gates are preferably arranged to be raised and lowered, and may Each gateway is guarded be constructed of wire in the form of bent levers or rock-shafts suitably journaled in standards G. The gates are carried on the long arms of the levers, and the short arms f ject attempting to leave the compartment can easily raise and pass under them, while they must be entirely raised to permit the object to enter the compartments. The long arms of the levers may be steadied by a slotted guide H, or by a slot e in the partition of the compartment.

The movable objects are preferably balls I and K, the former being of heavy material, such as lead, and being placed in the lane a. To guide it, a grooved track or filling-piece A may be fitted into the lane. A stop-pin L is inserted into a hole in the board near each end of the lane, the part that enters the hole being at one edge of the pin, as shown in Fig. 3. The pin is so arranged with reference to the lever-arm f that when placed as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 the ball I can roll well up on the flattened side of the lever, and be less easily dislodged by subsequent movements of theboard. This result can be aided by slightly hollowin g the edge of the stop-pin, as shown at Z. If, however, the stop-pin is turned to the dotted-line position, the ball I is with difficulty maintained in position upon the end of the lever, and the task of getting the balls K into the pen a is rendered far less easy.

ICO

The game, as is evident from the foregoing description, consists in placing one or more balls K in the compartment a and then manipulating the board so as to cause the ball I to raise the gate F and admit the balls K to the compartment a from which they are then to be transferred to the pen a the ball I being made to open the gate F. These results are to be accomplished by simply tilting the board one way and another without touching the balls with the fingers.

It is evident that the number of compartments, gates, and balls can be varied at pleasure, as also the shape of the board and the compartments, the essential features being the gates controlled by a movable object independent of another movable object which is to pass through the gateway.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1. A game-board provided with two or more compartments having a gateway between them, a gate guarding said gateway, a movable object adapted to open and close said gate, and another movable object adapted to pass through the gateway, substantially as described.

2. A game-board provided with two or more compartments having a gateway between them, a movable object adapted to pass through the gateway, a gate guarding. said gateway and adapted to open automatically to permit the passage of the movable object from one compartment to the other in one direction but not in the other, and a second movable object adapted to open said gate to permit the passage of the first-named object in either direction, substantially as described.

3. A game-board having a lane a at one side and two other compartments with a gateway between them, a gate guarding said gateway, said gate consisting of a lever, the long arm of which constitutes the gate and the short arm projects into the lane a, a ball I, free to roll in the lane and engage with the lever to open the gate, and a ball K, adapted to pass through the gateway, substantially as described. I

at. The combination, with a game -b0ard having the lane a, at one side and two or more compartment-s with a gateway between them, of a gate guarding the gateway, consisting of a lever having its short end projecting into the lane a, a ball I, to engage with the lever, and an adjustable stop-pin L to regulate the position of the ball with reference to the lever, substantially as described.

I11 testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two-witnesses.

.TAMESF. FRANKEY. Witnesses:

D. M. FRosT, H. MCGARRY.