US598969A - Stephen p - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

- S. P. ANDERTON.

GAME APPARATUS.

No. 598,969. Patented Feb. 15, 1898.

' A swabmmm WITNESSES: m mvron 9 KM. Arm/MUS.

UNITED STATES F PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN P. ANDERTON, NEW YORK, N.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters fatnt No. 598,969, dated February 15, 1898.

muta y April 14,18 7.

To all whom it may concern: 4 1

Be it known that I, STEPHEN P. ANDERTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Game and Apparatus Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to anew and useful game and game apparatus, and more'partic ularly to that class of games which are played by means of movements of men' or figures upon certain figured boards or surfaces and according to well-defined and certain rules.

The object of my invention is to provide'a' game which will be useful and instructive as well as novel and attractive and which may become sufficiently scientific, when fully developed, to warrant close study and application.

I have illustrated my invention by the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference will refer to like parts throughout the various figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the board or surface upon which the game is played. Fig. 2 is also a plan view with figures or men placed in position to commence a game. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the game well advanced and position of the various pieces.

The game may be compared to, and, in fact, is adapted closely to resemble, a battle between two opposing armies for the possession of some heightor fortification or some position of importance, each striving and battling for the goal, the stronger and more strategic of the two finally winning the field and taking possession of the desired ground. Likewise the game is played by two forces of men, each contending against the other and each attempting to force its way through the hosts of the other to take possession of the goal, to the exclusion and annihilation of the opposing force.

The main field or surface upon which the game is played is in the shape of an equilateral triangle, and this is divided into four similar fields by connecting the middle points of the sides of the main field or triangle by the borders 1) b b, which separate the various fields. The specific object and duties of these borders or barriers will be more particularly serial No. 632,128. (No model.)

* hereinafter described. It will be seen that thesebarriersdivide the main triangle into four equilateral triangles A B O D, the triangles A and 0 being called the camps of the two forces and from which the movementsof the men proceed, triangle D the goal, and triangle B being called the battle-ground or simply the field.

. For the purpose of regulating and governing the movements of the men the various camps, fields, and goalare subdivided into small equilateral triangles, as shown, the alternate triangles being colored alike and connected at' the apex of veach'triangle, as a a a, b b b, 0 o 0, and d'd cl, and the adjacent triangles likewise colored alike,but of a different color, as a a? a 19 19 b 0 c 0 and d d el -that is to say, if a a. a were dark colors a a a would be light. It has been found preferable to color the field B in different colorsfro'm the camps A and C and the goal D, so as to preserve adistinction between the various fields and still retain the relative shades of light and dark. 'For instance, if the triangles in A were white and black -those in the field 3 could be light red'and dark green, or othersuitable colors different from those in A, and the barriers b b 6 each side of the border of still .different'color around the field B, tending to still further separate the camps from the field. The camps and goal may becolored alike. 1 A point essential to be taken into consideration is the fact that in the triangle or field B, as shown in the drawings, the number of light triangles does not equal the number of light triangles'in' the camps A'and O and the goal D, but is greater than the same and'equal to the number of small triangles of the adverse color in each of the triangles A, D, and

C, and, adversely, the number of dark triangles is less than the number of dark triangles in each of the other camps A and O and the goal D and equal to the number of triangles of the adverse color,and upon this difference in color rests one of the principal features of the game*the placing and disposing of the men--as will more particularly be explained in detail with the operation of the game. In Fig. 2 the positions of the men or figures'used are shown. Such position, however, is detertage after studying the position. ofhis oppomined by the desires and plans of the players.

I use figures of any shape desirable as the men with which to make the various movements and have found it desirable to use fifteen pieces on each side, consisting of fourteen men and an individual or principal piece of different shape as a major, and also-I have found that the game can best be played with the fields and camps and goal each divided into twenty-five equilateral triangles, making one hundred small triangles in all; but I do not wish to be understood as limit? ing myself to either the number of pieces or triangles on the board.

I have found it advisable and therefore describe the play of the game as follows: The game is commenced by two persons, each. having fifteen pieces, (fourteen of which are termed or called men and one piece called a major.) Lots are drawn by the players in any of the well-knownways, and the winener hashis option to'choose either his right to play first or what is termed the disposal. After determining his choice the alternate right belongs to his opponent that is to say, if the player having. the right should choose to move first the other would. have theright of disposal, and vice versa. For the purpose of explanation,if the right of disposal ischosen then his opponent has to commence the game.

The opponent arranges his fifteenpieces. to suit his own. plans on any of the twenty-five triangles within his camp, one piece only on a triangle, keeping behind thebarrier. b, and. on. either color he sees fit--that-is, he may place eight on black and seven. on white, or twelve on white and three on black, or any number on either, just ashe wishes; but after a piece is once placed onv a. space the movement of that piece is limited to the space or triangle of. the same color, andin no casecan. the piece be placed on. the triangle of theop? posite color, except that it is the privilege of: the major to be moved or to be placed.on any triangle of either color at any time of the game The and to move from one color to the other. piece advances by moving to the adjacent space of the same color, one space or triangle at a time, as from b to b or b or b, and

should; any of the opponents pieces stand on the trianglesto which any piece can be moved? the opponents-piece may be removed or cap tured and the capturingpiece takes its place. After the first player has arranged hismen say in. camp A-the other player in the game, having the right ofdisposal, arranges or shapes his men accordingto what he believeswill give him the most protection oradvan:

nents piecesandthe arrangement of themon the dark and light spaces anditheir respective positions, what the line of attack is tobe, and? afterhe hasso arranged his pieces his oppo+ nent makes his first move, which isfollowed by his own, each player havin g alternate moves, no more than one move at a time, the object of the game being to advance the men across the field B into the goal D to take possession of it and at the sametime to. capture and dispose of as many of the opponents men as possible. After passing across the barrier b Z1 from the various camps into the field B the men cannot again return to said camps;

j but While the men remain in their camps they can be moved either in the direction of the barriers b b or parallel to it, but not back- Ward. When the men are in the field, they position of the captured one.

It is evident that. in crossing field B with themen many strategic movements may be madesuch. asafiank movementto divert the attack in orderto allow some of the men to advance freely, on a! judicious sacrifice of a piece -and various plans and plots" to cross the field. may be devised similar to movementsrirr chess and military tactics in order to-defeat an opponent inthe field, andthereby win the gamefinally by keeping the greater number of the menimthegoal. The main battleis generally fought in the field, but the last struggle isbetween: the opponents men who reach the goal after passing b separating it from field B, the systemof playing being exactlythe same as when the men are in the field B. After the men: have crossed this barrier they cannot return. The game is then continued until the opponents force is annihilated and nothing: remains but the men of the winner. It sometimes happens that opponents men of adversecolorsare left upon the field-that is, one man in black and the opponent in white.

They cannot capture-each other and the game is then. drawn. The

player having; the greater number of pieces in. goal at theend of: the game is thewlnner tinct separate and equal fieldstriangular in shape the said fields being separated from each other by aaborder, and subdivided into smaller triangles, togetherwith pieces or men for playing the game, substantially as described.

2.. In a game and apparatus-therefor, a'center field triangular in shape and subdivided intosmaller triangles and three adjacent fieldsofi similar shapeand subdivided into smaller triangles, and separatedfrom the cen- 1 terfield. by a border or diViSlOHEllDG, and all said fields=forming alarge main field triangular in shape, together with pieces or men sub stantially as described.

' 1o separated from said fields by a border, to- BENJ. HAYWOOD ADAMS.

3. In a game and the apparatus therefor, gether With the pieces or men for playing the a game-board with an equilateral triangular game, substantially as described. field, subdivided into four equilateral tri- Signed at New York, in the county of New angular fields, and these fields subdivided York and State of New York, this 26th day of 5 into equilateral triangular spaces, the alter- March, A. D. 1897.

nate triangles in each one of said fields being g colored alike, and the adjacent triangles of a STEPHEN ANDEHI different color, the center field being colored Witnesses: differently from the surrounding fields, and WILLIAM M. SEiiFERT,

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