US435065A

US435065A - iewin

Info

Publication number: US435065A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 1907-08-26

Description

(No M0ae1.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

W. J. IRWIN.

GAME.

No. 435,065. Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

| l l l Mfg my LQ f ma Hill lll NIH il Nil! lllll IIIIIIIIIN j (No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

W. J. IRWIN.`

GAMB.

No. 435,065. Patented Aug.26,1890.

jay. 2.

d e a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM J. IRIVIN, OF HOBOKEN, NEV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO `MCLOUGrHLIN BROTHERS, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,065, dated August26, 1890.

Application led October 26, 1889. Serial No. 328,303. (No model.)

To all whom it may con/bern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. IRWIN, of Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new Improvement in Games, of which the following is a specification.

In carrying out my improvement I take a sheet of paper, cloth, or similar material, and upon it I cause to be delineated, by printing or otherwise, two portions of the key-board of a piano, showing both the white and black keys. I Inay show any desired number of octaves in each portion, and I prefer that one of the portions shall be in the treble clef and the other in the bass. I may or may not, as desired, show letters of the alphabet upon or in line with certain of the keys, as desired. In line with each of certain of the keys I show indicators. In playing the game I employ markers, upon which are delineated, by printing or otherwise, notes and symbols used in ers employed.

musical compositions. Certain of these markers may have upon them ligures indicating an arbitrary value. The markers are placed upon the indicators and the game is played in manner to be hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan or .tace view of a sheet of paper or similar material embodying a portion of. my improvement. Fig. 2 illustrates certain markdesignates the sheet of paper, cloth, or similar material, which in practice may loe mounted upon pasteboard or other stiff material, which may be made to fold at about midway in its length-as, for instance, on the dotted line d, so as to close the two halves together in book form. The sheetA need not be a continuous sheet, but may be made up of two or more sheets secured together or upon the pasteboard or other material in a convenient manner, so that when spread out the sheet as a whole willbe substantially ilat.

B designates a portion of the representation of the key-board of a piano, and O another portion. Each of these portions show white keys b and black keys c in their ordinary and well-known positions relatively to each other. Each portion, as shown, illustrates a little more than three octaves,`but I may use any desired number of keys. Upon each of the white keys b, I have shown a letter of the alphabet corresponding to the letters lof the keys in the octave, but these may be omitted, if desired. I prefer that one of said portions B C shall represent the treble clef and the other the bass, and I have so illustrated them. In such case of course the letterswhere used will correspond to the lettering of the keys for the different clefs.

In the example of my improvement illustrated one of the portions of the key-board is placed in front of the other; lout this is only for convenience and they may occupy other posit-ions relatively to each other.

In line with each of the white keys lis an indicator D. I have shown these indicators as in the form ot circles and arranged in a zigzag row in order to economize space; but they need not be so arranged necessarily, nor need they be circular, as any suitable symbols, marks, or other signs which will indicate the keys in line with which they are arranged may be used.

Between the portions B O, I have shown an index indicating an arbitrary value to be given to notes and rests in playingthe game. This, however, need not be used if the Amarkers about to be described have the values of the notes upon them.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated a number of markers which are to be used in playing the game. These markers are shown as circular and may be made of pasteboard or other suitable material. Upon ea'ch is delineated a note or symbol used in musical compositions, and upon those indicating notes and rests are delineated figures indicating the value of the marker. These figures maybe omitted,how ever, it' the index shown'in Eig. lis used. The marker d indicates a dotted whole note having an arbitrary value of six; e, a whole note with a value of four; f, a half-note with a value of two; g, a quarter-note withavalue of one; h, two eighth-notes with a value of one; t, four sixteenth-notes with a value of one; j, a whole rest with a value ot' four; la, a half-rest with a value of two; l, a quarterrest with a Value of one; m, an eighth-rest roo with a value of one; n, a sixteenth-rest with a value of one. o represents a sharp, p a flat, and r a naturaL In playing the game one proceeds as follows: The game is preferably played by two players, one taking the treble part and the other the bass. The markers are turned face down on the table and each player draws iive or any other desired number and keeps them concealed from his opponent. One-for instance, the player having the treble-commences the game by placing any marker which he may seeV fit and upon which is a figure denoting value upon the rst indicator, which may be at either end of the line. The player having the bass then places a marker in a similar position. Thus theplay proceeds, the players playing alternately. Any two letters on kthe key-board may be arbitrarily selected-as, for instance, the letters A and F. When a player has placed a marker upon the indicator opposite the key bearing the letter A, for instance, if his opponent should hold a marker upon which is a sharp, he may place said marker upon his opponents marker and may move it over onto the A- sharp key in the board. If now the first player holds a natural marker he may place it upon the marker which has been sharped and may move it back to its original position. If he does not hold a natural the marker must remain where placed upon the sharp. If, onr the otherhand, one plays a marker upon an indicator opposite F, his opponent may play a fiat marker upon it, it` he should have one, and may move it over onto the F-lat key. This may be naturalized as previously described. If a player is obliged to play a rest marker, he must skip one of the indicators in his row and play upon the next adjacent one. Of course each player continues to draw from the pile of markers until he has drawn enough to complete his row. At the conclusion of the game the iigures upon the markers remaining upon the indicators in each row are added up, and the one footing the greatest number wins the game.

. The game is of course concluded when either one of the players has completed his row. The markers which may have been placed upon iiats or sharps during the play count against a player at the conclusion of the game, and are to be deducted from his score. If it should happen that a player has only sharps, ats, or naturals, his opponent may continue his play until the next drawing, or 1S10 loing as he can from the markers in his It will be seen that by my improvement I not only provide an interesting game which all may play, but I also furnisha game which will quickly teach children and others desirous of learning to read music and to gain a knowledge of the arrangement of keys upon the piano-forte or organ the value of notes, the value of rests, and the value of flats and sharps, as well as the letters of the keys upon the key-board and their positions relatively to each other.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A game apparatus comprising a fiat sheet of paper, cloth7 or similar material, upon which are delineated two portions of a piano key-board and a number ot indicators, each one substantially in line with a corresponding key upon the key-board, and markers upon which are delineated various notes and symbols used in musical compositions, substantially as specified.

2. A game apparatus comprising a Hat sheet of paper, cloth, or similar material, upon which are delineated two portions of a piano key-board, one for the treble and the other for the bass, and anumber of indicators, each one substantially in line with a corresponding key upon the key-board, and markers upon which are delineated various notes and symbols used in musical compositions, substantially as specified.

3. A game apparatus comprising a flat piece of paper, cloth, or similar material, upon which are delineated two portions lof apiano key-board and a number of indicators, each one substantially in line with a corresponding key upon the key-board, and markers upon which are delineated various notes and symbols used in musical compositions, and upon certain ot' which are delineated numbers indicating their value, substantially as specified.

4. A game apparatus comprising a Hat sheet of paper, cloth, or similarl material, upon which are delineated two portions of apiano key-board, letters of the alphabet indicating the letters of certain of the keys, and a number of indicators, each one substantially'in line with a corresponding key upon the keyboard, and markers upon which are delineated various notes andv symbols used in musical compositions, substantially as specified.

WILLIAM J. IRWIN. Witnesses:

FREDK. I-IAYNEs, K. E. PEMBLETON.

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