US462448A - And james l - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

G. M. PAINE & J. L. SEBRING. APPARATUS P0P PLAYING DUPLIGATB WRIST.

Patented Nov. 3, 1891.

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v UNITED STATES PATENTY OFFICE..1

OASSIUS M. PAINE, OF MILVAUKEE, VISCONSIN, AND JAMES L. SEBRING, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING DUPLICATE WHIST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,448, dated November 3, 1891.

Application led December l5, 1890. Serial No. 374,710. (No model.)

Z'o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, CAsslUs M. PAINE, of the city of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, and JAMES L. SEBRING, of the city of Kalamazoo, in the county of Kalamazoo, in the State of Michigan, have invented anew and usefulImproVement in 'the Apparatus for Playing Duplicate Whist; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled i'n the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a perspective view of our improved device, showing on the face of the tray the lead-card and counters. Fig. .2 is a reverse of the perspective view. Fig. 3 is the scoresheet columned and lined for entering the totals of tricks taken both in the original and in the duplicate play.

The outfit for playing duplicate whist by our method should consist of, first, twenty decks of playing-cards; second, twenty trays; third, twenty lead-cards; fourth, thirteen chips or counters; fifth, score-sheet.

As the playing-cards used are the ordinary cards now in vogue and no claim is made upon them, attention is directed only to second, third, fourth, and tth, description of each of which follows.

The tray is best made of cloth-board or fancy paper of a size and thickness convenient for a card-table and about squarein shape. Two stripes, Fig. l, AB OD, preferably about half an inch in width, run parallel with each other straight across the tray. Four narrow elastic bands, Fig. l, E F G II, one at the middle of each of the four edges, stretch around from the outside of the tray through slits therein, said slits being` made at such distances from the edges of the tray as will permit a whist-hand of thirteen playing-cards to be placed and held under said bands. In Fig. 2, E F G I-I show said bands as they appear on the reverse of the tray. Upon the center of the reverseof Vsaid tray a printed or written number is attached, and the only difference between the twenty trays is in the different numbering on the said reverse, the numbering being from one to twenty.

The lead-card should be of the size of playing cards, but distinguishable from their backs in color.` The lead-card is blank, except the characters Lead upon one side. In Fig. l, K shows a lead-card in position upon a whist-hand of thirteen cards aftersaid hand has been placed in said tray.

The thirteen counters or chips are best round and made of celluloid, ivory, or other similar material. A few of said counters or chips I lying in position'on the tray in the center are shown, Fig. 1. l

The score-sheet consists, Fig. 3, of a page (a number of the pages may be bound into a book) ruled into seven columns and twentyone lines, the columns having printed headings as follows, beginning at the left: Original Score,77 Duplicate Score, Totah Nd of Deals,7 Original Score, Duplicate Score, Total. In the column No. of Deals figures from l through 20, consecutively, are placed in twenty of the ruled lines, one in each, the twenty-first line being for totals. The sheet has a printed heading indicating its character, and has lettering with blank spaces for a table-number, the date of the game, and the players names as partners and opponents. There is also a direction: Score number of tricks won by each side.

IVe will now describe the use of these different parts ofthe outfit.

The number of players, their partnership relation, the manner of sitting, and the rules of the game are as in ordinary whist, save as herein modified. Twenty decks of cards, twenty trays, twenty leadcards, thirteen counters, and a score-sheet should be convenient to the arm of one of the seated players. The trump is determined not by facing the last card of the dealt pack, but by agreeing upon a trump suit for the entire sitting. One player is assigned to do all of the dealing, one to supply and remove thetrays, and one on each side to keep the tally of the tricks taken. Place now any tray in the center of the cardtable in such position that the stripes, Fig. l, AB CD, point to the north and south. As the same player does all the dealing, thelead upon the lirst deal may begin at random; but

-' the two opposing sides.

the lead of the subsequent deals must follow around the table in the regular order of ordinary whist. rlhe first deck of cards being shuflied and dealt and the cards sorted, each player as his turn to play comes lays his card down, face up, in front of him near his edge of the tray, but not upon it. The assigned partner of the side winning the trick removes a counter from the body of them in the center of the tray, Fig. l, l, to a position near him. The cards thus lying exposed in four places are covered by others as the different leads are made, care being taken to place each card with such precision asto conceal all those beneath it, no player being permitted to examine any card notin sight. Remember to remove a counter for each trick taken, so that when each players thirteen cards are played, the thirteen corresponding counters have been removed, the number of tricks taken by each of the two sides being determined by counting the two piles of coun` ters. The deal being played through, each player gathers up the cards he played and places them face downward under the rubber band nearest him on the tray and a lead-card is then placed under the rubber band on top of the packet of that player who made the opening lead. The tray thus encumbered is pu't at one side. The score of the hand is then entered on the score-sheet in the columns Original Score, Fig. 3, on the ruled line, which corresponds in number with the number found to be on the reverse of the tray just used. Do not score the number of tricks above six or a book, as in ordinary whist, but the aggregate of all the tricks by A fresh tray and a fresh pack of cards are then produced, the chips or counters are placed in the center of this tray, the same dealer deals the fresh cards, the player next in whist order to the preceding first leader leads, and the play proceeds as before. At the end of the play of this hand the cards are gathered as before and placed beneath the proper rubber bands and the lead-card placed with the packet of the player Who opened the lead of this hand. This tray is then laid by. The aggregate tricks taken by each side, as determined by counting the counters, as before, are then entered in the scoresheet under the columns Original Score,7 and on the ruled line Which corresponds in'number with the number found to be on the reverse of the tray just used. In the same manner all the twenty decks of cards and twenty trays are brought into requisition, unless for any reason the players before the sitting begins agree to employ asmaller number. The play thus made of all the decks is called the original play. When this is completed, all the twenty decks of cards are found to be placed in the twenty trays and in such a manner that the hands of each player are separated apart by themselves land are readily obtainable without trouble, and the columns headed Original Score in the score-sheet show in the lines corresponding in number to the numberson the reverse of the trays the number of Vtricks which the partners and opponents iliade With their partnership hands in each of the deals. The players are now ready for the duplicate gaine, which maybe played at the same sitting, or, if so agreed, at a subsequent sitting. If the latter, no one should disturb the trays so as to detach the cards, and the players should occupy identically the same positions at the table.

The duplicate play is as follows: The trays are first gently shuflied or changed as to their relative order, so that they will be received upon the table at random. This prevents any assistance from memory. In putting each tray upon the table two cautions are necessary: First, do not look at the number on the reverse ot' the tray; second, place the stripes, Fig. l, AB CD, east and West. The reason of the latter caution is obvious. The hands which one set of partners played on the original play will now fall to their opponent partners. The object of duplicate -whist is now apparent: Can two partners M and N, playing against X and Y, take the same hands which X and Y played on the original play and make more tricks out of them ony the duplicate play than X and Y did on the original play? It' so, it may well be presumed that M and N played those cards more skillfully. Especially is this so, because in placing the trays on the table for the duplicate play no one vknows Whether the hands have been shifted to the right or left, and all recollection of the cards is impossible. The trays having been placed, as aforesaid, with the stripes east and west, each player removes from under the rubber band the packet of cards nearest to himself, (there is now of course no dealing,) and the player in front of whom is the lead-card is the leader for that hand. Inasmuch as there is now no further need of keeping the packets separate, the tray thus denuded may be put aside. The counters may also be removed. The cards will now be played into the middle of the table and the tricks when taken will be kept as in ordinary whist. At the end of the hand, but not before, the reverse of the just denuded traywill be examined to find its number. The number of tricks taken by either side will then be entered in the scoresheet in the columns Duplicate Score on the ruled line whose number corresponds with the number on the reverse of the tray. Another tray is then taken at random, the packets taken from the rubber bands, and the person having the lead-card packet makes the opening lead. It is evident now that the lead does not follow around the table, as it did in the original play, but jumps about at random; but during the entire series the lead will divide itself equally among all the players. v

When all the cards in the trays have been IOO IIO

played over in the manner just set out, the game is ended. The totals are then made from the score-sheet and the winners discovered.

We should say that we do not desire to limit ourselves to stripes as the only means forindicating the relative position of the tray to the players. Any other device upon the surface of the tray which accomplishes this purpose is claimed as within the scope of this specification.

lVhat We desire to claim and to secure by Letters Patent is l. A tray for the game of duplicate whist, provided with four holders arranged to retain the several hands of the original play by themselves and in order for the duplicate play, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A tray for the garne of duplicate Whist, having four holders arranged to retain the original hands separate and in order for the duplicate play, and an indicator designating the proper position of the tray for the duplicate play with reference to the original play, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A tray for the game of duplicate Whist, having four holders arranged to retain the original hands separate and in order for the duplicate play, an indicator denoting the proper position of the tray With reference to the players, and an index designating the leading-hand, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

4. Atray for the gaine of duplicate whist, having four holders arranged to retain the original hands separate and in order for the duplicate play, said holders consisting of elastic bands extending over the edges of the tray toward the center thereof and attached to the tray at their ends, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. A series of trays for the game ot duplicate Whist, having marks on the back, to distinguish the individual trays, each tray being provided With four holders arranged to retain the original hands separate and in order for the duplicate play, an indicator denoting the proper position of the tray with reference to the players, and an index designating` the leading-hand, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our oWn We affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CASSIUS M. PAINE. JAMES L. SEBRING.

Vitnesses as to Paine: DAVID DUFFY, T. W. SPENCE. Witnesses as to Sebring:

AHERBEPJr 1I. EVERARD,

ALBERT H. HOWARD.

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