US942984A

US942984A - Game apparatus.

Info

Publication number: US942984A
Application number: US48225009A
Authority: US
Inventors: Zoe D Underhill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1909-03-09
Filing date: 1909-03-09
Publication date: 1909-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 1926-12-14

Description

' Z. D. UNDERHILL.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1909.

942,984. Patnted Dec. 14., 1909.

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ZOE D. UNDERHILL, OF BEDFORD STATION, NEW YORK.

GAME APPARATUS.

aaaesa Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. fa, 1909.

Application led. March 9, 1909. Serial No. 482,250.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Zon D. UNDERHILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bedford Station, county of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a game apparatus, comprising a novel combination of board and movable counters by means of which a new game that combines the elements of chance and skill may be played by old and young with amusement and profit.

The invention consists of a board containing playing spaces preferably of a peculiar arrangement combined with two sets of counters having distinguishing characteristics and bearing a certain relation to the number of playing spaces on the board, as hereinafter described.

In the drawings: Figure l is a plan view of a board and counters comprising one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a modified form of board.

A is the board which, in the form shown in the drawings, contains a number of circular holes or depressions a. The preponderating pro-portion of these depressions are arranged in parallel rows in which the number of depressions in each row equals the number of rows, and in which corresponding depressions of the several rows form rows extending perpendicularly to the first named rows. This arrangement is analogous to that of an ordinary checkerboard, and it will be understood that there are incidentally formed other rows extending obliquely, or at an angle of 15 degrees, to the first named rows. In the preferred arrangement, as shown, there are eleven rows of depressions and eleven depressions in each row, and the said arrangement forms a perfect square of 121 depressions. The remaining depressions are arranged at each side of the square in the shape of right-angled triangles B, with their longer sides adjoining the sides of the square, the said depressions being arranged to form continuations or prolongations of the rows comprised in the described square. In the preferred arrangement, as shown, the

depressions forming each triangle are nine in number and are arranged midway of each side of the square. The depressions of each triangle are also in alinement with the obliquely extending rows of depressions in the square, from which it follows that there is also formed a second and larger square, extending obliquely to the first square, and overlapping the latter on its four sides, the first described and smaller square also overlapping the second and larger square on the four sides of the latter, and forming at each of the said overlapping points a triangular arrangement C of three depressions. rlhe specific arrangement of a perfect square of 121 depressions and 3G additional depressions divided into four groups associated as described is found by experiment to give the best results, although my invention is not limited thereto except where specifically claimed.

In association with the described board, I provide two sets of counters l and e having distinguishing characteristics, preferably different colored marbles. These are of preferably a definite number in the aggregate, namely, a number sufiicient to occupy all of the depressions except the depression a at the apex or corner of each triangle and the central depression a2. That is, there are provided, in the preferred embodiment of my invention, 14S marbles, divided into two sets of 74 marbles each.

The invention as described is preferably operated as follows: 1n playing the game, the marbles or counters are mixed together and disposed irregularly on t-he board as they happen to come to hand, leaving vacant the central hole a2 and the eight corner holes a. Each player controls one set of marbles. A player can move by jumping one of his own marbles over an adjacent marble to an adjoining vacant hole next beyond, in any one of the eight directions corresponding to the perpendicular horizontal and oblique extensions of the rows as described. rThe player must continue to jump with the marble selected as long as it is possible, and the initial and continued jumping are both obligatory, whether it involves jumping his own marbles or his opponents or both, although he is always at liberty to select between alternative possibilities. The marbles jumped are removed from the board.. The players move alternately. The game ends as soon as either of the players find it impossible to move by jumping as described, and the player having the most marbles left on the board is the winner of the game.

The game, when played as described, presents many problems analogous to the game of checkers, although it is a game of far greater variety owing primarily to the fact that the relative arrangement of the two sets of counters at the outset of any two games is never the same. This last feature also contributes an agreeable element of chance.

It will be understood that my invention does not reside in the game itself, but in the combination between a peculiarly constructed board having a definite number of spaces combined with a definite number of counters, whereby the game described, or any modification of it that may be devised, may be played. It will also be understood that if the holes or depressions are made of proper size, pegs may be substituted for marbles. The game apparatus may also be made in a cheaper form by making the upper face of the board flat and, by means of printed lines, dividing the face into squares, as shown in Fig. 3 in which Gr represents the board and g the squares which are arranged in identically the same manner as the holes in the board of Fig. l. Preferably, these squares are all of uniform character, and not divided into alternating blaclr and white squares, as is a checker' board, in view of the fact that each square is a playing square. Either the board of Fig. l or that olf' Fig. 3 may, however, have its middle playing' hole or space and the hole or space .at the apex of each square, dilierently colored or shaped or marked, as indicated at g and g2 in Fig. 3, to indicate which squares are to be initially left vacant.

I-Iaving now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. In a game apparatus, a board containing a plurality of spaces arranged to form a star-shaped ligure, with one of the spaces at each of the apeXes, in combination with a plurality of sets of counters having distinguishing characteristics, the number in each set equal to the number in each of the other sets, and all the counters equaling the number of said spaces less the sinn of the spaces at the apeXes of the star-shaped figure increased by one.

2. vIn a game apparatus, a board containing a plurality of spaces the preponderating number of which are arranged to form a square shaped figure comprising parallel rows, the number of rows equaling the number of spaces in a row, while the remainder are arranged at the sides of the square to form triangular shaped figures, one side of each of said triangular shaped figures adjoining the respective sides of the square shaped figure and whose spaces are arranged to form continuations of the rows comprised in the square-shaped figure, thereby forming an eight-pointed star shaped figure, in comi bination with a plurality of sets of counters having distinguishing characteristics, the

vnumber in each set equal to the number in each of the other sets, and allthe counters equaling the number of spaces less nine.

3. In a game apparatus, a board containing a plurality of holes arranged in rows to form a star-shaped ligure with one of the holes at each of the corners, in combination with a plurality of sets of sphericallyl shaped counters having distinguishing characteristics, the number in each set equal to the number in each of the other sets and all the counters equaling the number olf said holes less the sum of the holes at the apeXes of the star-shaped ligure increased by one.

4.111 a game apparatus, a board containing a plurality of spaces symmetrically arranged to form a star-shaped ligure, in combination with a plurality of counters comprising sets each equal in number to the other and having distinguishing characteristics, all the counters being fewer in number, by a plurality ot' spaces, than the total number of spaces, and the counters in each set being greater in number than the number of spaces less the total number of counters and adapted to be initially distributed at random on all except predetermined initially unoccupied non-contiguous spaces.

5. In a game apparatus, a board containing onel hundred and twenty-one spaces arranged in rows to form a square shaped ligure, and nine additional spaces on each side oli' said square arranged to form triangular shaped ligures, one side of each of said triangular shaped ligures adjoining the respective sides of the square shaped ligure, in combination with a plurality of sets of counters having distinguishingl characteristics, the number in each set equal to the number in each ofthe other sets, and all the counters equaling the number of said spaces less the sum of the spaces at the apeXes of the starshaped ligure increased by one.

6. In a game apparatus, a board containing a plurality of spaces one or more of which have certain distinguishing characteristics, in combination with a plurality of sets of movable counters having distinguishing characteristics, the number in each set equaling the number in each olil the other sets, and all the counters equaling the number of said spaces lessthe sum of the spaces having said distinguishing characteristics. Y

7. In a game apparatus, a board containing a plurality of holes arranged to form a star-shaped ligure of which the spaces at the apeXes of the star-shaped ligure and the central space have distinguishing characteristios, in combination With a plurality of sets of spherically-shapecl counters having clistinguishing characteristics, the number in each set equal to the number in each of the other sets, and all the counters equaling the number of said holes less the sum of the holes having distinguishing characteristics.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, atPhiladelphia, on this 2nd day of March, 1909.

ZOE D. UNDERHILL.

Vitnesses M. M. HAMILTON, E. E. WALL.