US695431A - Game apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

ArnNr OFFICE.

WILLIAM II. A'llWOOD, OF' LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

GAM E APPARATUS. y

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,431, dated March 1.8, 1902.

Application led October 22, 1900. Serial No. 33,813. (No model.) i Y To @ZZ 'whom it 'nw/y concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. ATwooD,

ful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of

which the followingis a full,clear, and exact specification. i

My invention relates more particularly to a game apparatus similar in character to the game known as checkersg and it has for its primary object to provide a game of this nature which may be played by more than two persons, preferably by four.

With these endsin view myinvention consists in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other `objects hereinafter appearing are attained, all as fully described withreference' to the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

Figure l is a plan view of my improved game apparatus, showing the men in position for commencing to play the game; and Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof.

In ycarrying out my invention I employ a board l or other suitablesurface or medium, upon which the men and blank spaces, square checks, or spots 2 3 may be delineated, and the board is preferably square, like an ordinary checker-board, and the spaces 2 3 also square and of different colors, as usual; but instead of having rows of such spaces of an even number I provide rows each containing an odd number of spaces, preferably thirteen spaces, having, collectively, an even number of menspaces and an odd number of blank spaces, or vice versa, alternately, and upon the men-spaces 2 of this board I arrange four sets or groups of men or checkers 4 5 6 7, which also preferably differ in color from each other or are otherwise differently designated. The number of spaces 2 3 employed and the number of men placed thereon should bear such a relative proportion that when the men are grouped o n diametrically opposite sides of the board a forward man of each group may be moved or advanced from one man-space 2 to another without immediately becoming en prise, or, in other words, approaching an opponents man sufficiently close to permit the latter to take it. It is also desirable that each set of men may be grouped in the form of a triangle, with at least two men-spaces between all of the men in the forward lines ofV one group and those l the edges of the board, or, in other words,

withan equal .number of spaces, preferably men-spaces, at each end of each base-line of the various triangular groups, thus in the example of the invention shown in the drawin-gs leaving a single blank spot or spots 3 in each corner of the board. In the particular example of my invention shown in the drawings there are ten men in each group and the board is thirteen spaces square-that is to say, there are thirteen of the spaces or squares 2 3 along each edge of the boardand the portion of the board inclosed by these outer lines of squares 2 v8 is divided into similar squares of the same size, like an ordinary checker-board. i

In playing the game the men are grouped in four groups on diametrically opposite sides of the board and in triangularform` in the manner shown in Fig. l of the drawings, and diametrically opposite players may play as partners or the four players may be opponents of each other. The player having the rst move'then advances his men toward the diametrically opposite side of the board after the manner of playing ordinary checkers, and` when playing as partners he may take his partners man or not, accordingly` as i the object he has in view 'may require. the ordinary rules of playing checkers may be followed with any variations that suit the differences between my improved gameapparatus and ordinary checkers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,` is- A game apparatus comprising a square board divided into'an odd number of rows of spaces starting from each side of the board,

In short, i

IOS

6e another man-space without immediately bei eaeh alternate row of spaces containing an thus leaving` two nien-spaces between the Io odd number of blank spaces and an even sides of the triangular figures and also bennmber of men-spaces and the remaining tween the spaces of the triangular figures for rows of spaces each containing an odd number startingr the game.

of men-spaces and an even number of blank spaces, and four sets of men, each set of men containing such a number of lnen as to forni lVitnesses:

WVM. H. ATVOOD.

triangularfignres centrally of the sides of the F. A. HOPKINS, board with their bases located at the sides.; EDNA B. JOHNSON.

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