US566134A

US566134A - Game apparatus

Info

Publication number: US566134A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 1913-08-18

Description

(No Model.)

E. F.BUFFAT. GAME APPARATUS.

Nb. 566,134. Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

A TTOR/VEYS.

UNITED STATES PATEN OFFICE.

EDWARD FRANCIS BUFFAT, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,134, dated August 18, 1896.

Application filed March 5, 1896.

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD FRANCIS BUF- FAT, of Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide an attractive and interesting game called politics, which is intended to illustrate some of our national political customs, or those of other nations having similar forms of government, and more especially to provide a game which will represent some of the principal features about an election and imitate the casting of votes into a ballot-box, the names used in the carrying out of the game and the rules of the game being adjusted or changed so as to conform as nearly as possible to the surrounding conditions and names of the candidates, questions, &c.., under consideration at the time the game is being played, the location, laws, or regulations of any city, county, convention, lodge, society, or association where a candidate is to be elected to any office or a question is to be decided byaballot.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 isa plan view of the game board or box, a part of the cover being broken away; and Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the 7 same.

In carrying out the invention the device used in playing the game may be said to consist, primarily, of a body portion A and a cover B. These two parts'are made to conform in shape to each other, the shape being varied as in practice may be found desirable. Usually, however, and preferably, the box, together with the cover, is given a circular form, as illustrated.

The body or box A is provided with a central circular partition 10, forming a central chamber 0, and the remaining portion of the box, or that portion between the central partition 10 and its side edges 11, is divided into a number of compartments .D, which may be termed suboompartments, the divisions being made bya suitable number of radial partitions 12. The cover B is provided with a dome-shaped or convexed central portion 13, which is of sufficient dimensions to extend over the central chamber 0 of the box or body of the device, and between the dome-section 13 of the said cover and its outer edge the surface is preferably made more or less'flat, while at the margin of the cover a flange 15 is formed, which extends above the upper surface of the said cover and likewise below the said upper surface, the lower portion of the flange being adapted to extend over the outside of the body of the device, as shown in Fig. 2, in order that the covermay be held in place on the said body, and the upwardlyextending portion of the cover-flange 15 serves to prevent the escape of balls 16 or their equivalents, representing the ballots and employed in the carrying out of the game.

A partition 17 is erected in the central chamber 0, dividing the same into two

compartments

18 and 19, and preferably the cover is in two colors, the colors meeting at the central portion of the box, and they are intended to represent candidates of different political faith, for example. Two openings 20 are made in the dome portion 13 of the cover, one of the openings leading into each of the compartments of the central chamber, and these openings are of slightly greater size and of practically corresponding shape to the balls 16 or other objects employed to represent the ballots. Openings 21 are made in the flat portion of the said cover 13, and the said openings correspond in number to the number of the subcompartments or chambers D, representing the ballot-boxes for the candidates of minor offices; and the openings 21 are in two sets, one set belonging to each colored surface of the cover, and the openings of each set are graduated as to dimen- 'sions, the smallest opening being round or corresponding in shape and practically in size to the openings 20 in the central portions'of the cover, while the other openings in each group are preferably made elongated, as shown in Fig. 1. The smallest opening 21 of one set is adjacent to the largest opening of the next set, and an opening 21 is 10- cated over each of the outer or subcompartments D. In fact, the openings 21 represent the boxes for weaker candidatespolitical candidates, powers, or factions which have a tendency to retard the progress of the prin cipal candidates. The names of the candidates to be balloted for are written or otherwise produced upon the cover adjacent to the openings through which the ballots are to be dropped.

In the preferred arrangement of the openings 21 the hole farthest to the left of the dark section of the cover is of the same size as the two central openings 20, as heretofore stated. The next hole to the right of the dark portion of the cover is oblong, being of the same width as the first hole and twice as long as the diameter of the same, the third hole to the right being equal to three times the diameter of the first hole, while the fourth hole has a length four times as great as the first hole, and also, as heretofore stated, both the dark and the light sides of the cover are alike, each having the largest opening 21 at the right of the main candidate chamber. The interior of the box is colored to correspond to the color of the cover.

Ballots or balls 16 are divided equally among the voters, each political party, for example, being entitled to ten ballots. The game consists of a voter holding a ballot between his fingers about fourinches above the ballot-box and trying to drop it through the hole 20, representing the candidate of his choice. Should he succeed, this ballot will count ten points, for example, in favor of his candidate. Should the ballot drop through the opposite hole, it

counts as ten points in favor of the opposing candidate. Should the ballot miss both of the central openings 20 and roll into any one of the marginal openings 21, that ballot counts as one point against the side to which the compartment belongs that receives the ballot. Should the voter fail to drop or roll his ballot through any of the openings, his opponent will have the right to take up his ballot and cast it as his own. The candidate receiving the majorityof ballots is considered as elected. The rules of the game may be changed as occasion may demand, or to suit the requirements of any particular section of the country or of any particular organization or body.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. In a game apparatus, a box divided into a number of compartments, and a cover for said box adapted to normally cover the compartments and provided with a marginal flange extending above the upper surface of the cover, the said cover being provided with openings leading into the various compartments, the openings being of different sizes and arranged to receive an article, such as a ball, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a game apparatus, a box provided with a central compartment subdivided, and minor compartments radiating from the central compartment but independent thereof, and a cover provided with openings similar in size and leading into the subdivisions of the central compartment, the said cover being also provided with openings of various sizes leading into the various marginal compartments as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a game, a box provided with a central subdivided compartment, and marginal compartments independent of the central one, and a cover having an arched surface extending over the subdivisions of the central compartment and openings leading into the said divisions, the said cover being further provided with a marginal flange and graduated openings between the arched portion of the cover and the said flange, the openings leading into the marginal portions of the box, as and for the purpose specified.

4:. In a game, the combination, with a box having a main subdivided compartment, and marginal compartments independent of the main compartment, of a cover provided with a dome-shaped surface arranged to cover the main compartment, the dome-surface of the cover being provided with openings leading into the divisions of the main compartment, the said cover being also made in two colors, each color embracing a subcompartment of the main compartment and an equal number of the marginal compartments in the body, a

-fiange surrounding the margin of the cover,

the said cover being further provided with graduated openings-on each of its colored por tions, an opening being located one over each marginal compartment of the body, the smallest opening on one set being adjacent to the next opening of the opposing set of graduated openings, as and for the purpose specified.

EDWARD FRANCIS BUFFAT.

lVitnesses:

FREDERICK WV. KUHLMAN, ELLA D. BUFFAT.