US711959A - Game apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

Patented out. 2.8-, |902. ma. GRAHAM.'

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

ROBERT J. GRAHAM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

` GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '71 1,959, dated October 28, 1902. Application iled February 11, 1902. Serial No. 93,519. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain Improvement in Garne Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and amusing game apparatus, and has for its object to provide a game-board divided in eighty-eight alternately-colored squares which shall be used in connection with eighty-eight counters, said counters being one color upon one side and another color upon the other side, a portion of these counters being numbered upon one side or color and an equal portion of counters being numbered with the same number upon sides having the opposite color.

In the center of the board two squares of one` color are numbered and two squares of the opposite color are also numbered with the same number, the object of the game being to play so that one player will turn down the other players numbers and turn up his own, and also it is the object of each player to get a counter with his color uppermost on as many of the four numbered squares in the center of the board as possible.

lVith these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated hy the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specilication, in which- Figure l isa plan View of the game-board. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of one of the numbered counters, showing one side colored and numbered and the other side of the counter with a dierent color without a number. Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2, showing the two faces of the same counter, only with an opposite color to that shown in Fig. 2 numbered. Fig. 4 is a similar View to Figs. 2 and 3, showing the two faces of the blank counter, one face being colored and the other face not colored.

In carrying out my invention as here embodied, A represents a board made of cardboard, wood, or any other suitable material, which may be divided through the center and hinged, so as to fold for the convenience of storing. Upon the upper surface of this board are represented eighty-eight alternately-colored squares or blocks. These squares are so arranged as to form an oc-tagonal figure, there being three squares ot' the same color in line upon each side of the board and three squares of the opposite color in line at the top and the bottom ofv the board, as shown in Fig. 1. In the center of the board a square will be formed by the four central squares, two of these squares being colored one color and the other two an opposite color. Each of these four central squares have figures 25 represented thereon, as shown. Used in connection with this board are eighty-eight counters or chips-one for each square upon the board. Each of these chips or counters is colored, one color upon one side and another color upon the opposite side, the colors corresponding to the colors used upon the board. Twenty of these counters or chips are numbered upon one side or one color and twenty more chips are numbered the saine with the same numbers, only upon the opposite side, or the side with the opposite color. These two series of numbers commence with l and run up to and include l0. The other ten of each series of twenty numbered counters or chips are numbered from l0 up to 60 by the increase of five-as, for instance, 15, 20, 25, and so on up to 60, inclusive. 'Flins if the colors used are red and blue, for instance, there would be twenty chips or counters numbered from l up to and including 10 by.an increase of one and from l0 up to and including 60 by an increase of ive,the numbers being upon the blue side of the chip and the opposite or red side of the chips being blank. Then there would be twenty more chips numbered in exactly the same way, only the numbers upon those chips would be upon the red side and the blue side would be blank. This would leave forty-eight chips or counters blank upon each side.

In starting the game the counters or chips are equally divided by the two players, each player taking their twenty numbered ones,

IOO

according to the color, and twenty-four of the blanks, making each player have fortyfour chips or counters to start the game with. Each of the players will then place a blank counter 0r chip over each of the numbers of their color in the center of the board. Then each player in turn places a counter or chip upon the board, of course with his color always uppermost, and these chips or counters may be placed in any square desired, and the object of the game is for one player to so place his chips or counters that it will entitle him to turn over certain of the opposing players counters,which will thus turn his color uppermost. A player can only turn over his opponents counters or chips when said player places one of his vcounters or chips so as to bring one or more of his opponents counters or chips between two of his in a straight line. For instance, as shown in Fig. l, B represents a blue chip, and C represents two red chips or counters. chips places one of his chips in the square marked D he would be entitled to turn over the two red chips marked C. Each would bring the blue side, or his color, uppermost, and the player can turn the opponents color down at any angle or line wherein the opponents color comes between a counter or chip of the players color already on the board and the chip or counter about to be placed by the player. Thus the game proceeds until the whole eighty-eight squares of the board are filled with the counters or chips. Then the numbers uppermost of each color upon the counters or chips are counted and added together and to this total is added the total of the four central numbers which are covered by the saine-colored chips-as, for instance, if three of the squares numbered 25 in the center of the board were covered by chips having the blue side uppermost the player having the blue chips would be entitled to add seventy-five to the count upon his counters or chips and the opposing player would be entitled to add twenty-five. A player is not compelled to play a numbered counter or chip unless he desires to do so as long as such player has any blank counters or chips not Now if the player having the blue,

played; but when all of the players blanks are played then the numbered ones must be played; but there is no compulsion to play the numbered ones in rotation, but any one can be played that the player chooses. It is possible for a game to be won by any number from one to tive hundred and thirty points or it is possible to have a blocked game.

This game is a game of skill and not a game of chance, and the oftener played the more the player becomes skilled in the fine points of the game, and by strictly following the rules of this game it willi not only be found amusing and full of points of study, but at the same time it causes one to count sums together without the aid of pencil and paper, thus making the gaine both instructive and amusing.

Of course slight modifications could be made in this apparatus without departing from the spirit of my invention. A

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- In a game apparatus, a board, a geometrical figure represented on the face ot' the board, said ligure composed of eighty-eight alternately-colored squares, four squares in the center of the figure, two of one color and two of the other being numbered, eighty-eight chips or counters, said chips or counters being colored one color upon one side and an opposite color on the opposite side, the colors corresponding to the colors used upon the board,

-twenty of said chips or counters being numbered upon the same side or color from l up to and including l0 by an increase of one, and from 10 toand including (50by an increase of five, twenty chips or counters numbered in the same manner only upon the opposite-color side, the balance of said chips being blank upon each sido, s ubstantiallyas described and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT J. GRAHAM.

Witnesses:

H. B. HALLOCK, L. W. MORRISON.

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