US958556A - Game-board. - Google Patents

Description

T. W. SPAULDING. GAME BOARD.

958,556. f mm 19". Patented May 17, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GAME-BOARD.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. SPAULD- ING, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Game-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

The resent invention relates to an improved lndoor game apparatus.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of the game board; Fig. 2 is a side view of the postman or movable piece used therein; Fig. 3 is a broken side view of the latter looking from the left, the miniature letter being omitted.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a square board, in the center of which is a small square compartment 2 marked Post office, a circle 3 being delineated in each corner thereof and a circle I in the center. At each corner is delineated a mail box 5, and adjacent to each mail box is a starting circle marked 6. Leading from a point adjacent to each starting circle to a corner of the Post oiiice compartment, is a linear series of squares '7, arranged in a crooked line, the even squares in order being marked with their ordinal numbers 8, while the odd squares are suitably colored as shown at 9 to distinguish them from the even squares. Between the last even square, numbered 16, of each series, and the adjacent corner of the Post oflice compartment is a terminal square 10, ruled to indicate steps. In an angular portion of each linear series 7 of squares is an oblong space 18 colored een and called the Park, and crosse by a diagonal line 19 of squares of which the alternate squares are colored. At one side of the board is marked an oblong compartment 11 having the designation Hotel, in the center of which is an inner compartment 12 marked $10,000 room. Surrounding the inner room are a series of rooms 13 indicated by the letters of the alphabet A,,B, C, and so on. Leading from the Post oflice to the Hotel are four linear series of squares 14, each series containing eight squares, marked with their ordinal numbers, and suit-ably colored to more easily distinguish them.

15 indicates the movable piece of which each player uses 1, in the form of a postman or mail carrier formed with a notch 16 in which can be inserted a small piece of card- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 6, 1908.

Patented May 17, 1910.

Serial No. 442,081.

1 board 17 superscribed to resemble a letter. Three miniature letters are provided for each postman. The game is played with dice, and two kinds of games may be played with the board, one of which may be termed The childrens game, and the other The grown ups game.

In the Ohildrens game, let us suppose four are playing. Each player throws up the die from his own cup to see who should play first. The throw of the six is considered a special, and then in order five, four, and so on. The one who throws the highest number plays first, and the players play in the order of magnitude of their throw. The player who has won the lead places one of his three letters on the mail box and then throws. Should he throw six which is considered a special, he could at once bring the postman from the Post ofiice and give him the letter; should he throw a smaller numher, he keeps count of the same and waits until it is his throw again. On making succeeding throws, he adds them to the first, and as soon as the total of the throws is six or more, the player brings the postman from the Post oflice, moves him on to the circle next to the Mail box, and puts the letter in the notch in the postman. After the next throw, he puts this postman on the numbered square leading to the Post office to which he is entitled by reason of such throw. The postman advances each time by the number of squares to which he is entitled by the throw of the player to whom he belongs, advancing five squares for a throw of five, four for a throw of four, and so on. Should the player, however, at any time throw six which is considered special, he would be entitled to at once advance the postman to the Post ofiice, where he deposits his mail. From there he would, on succeeding throws, start for the Hotel by one of the colored paths leading thereto, but he is entitled to move on to such path only when the total of his throws amounts to six, after the Post oiiice is reached. Each postman stays on his own path, the first player starting his postman to the Hotel having the choice of paths. The players continue to advance their postmen according to the numbers thrown, until they reach the Hotel, leave their letters in any room, and then return to the Mail box without waiting for another throw. The player first getting all of his letters deposited in the Hotel gets the $10,000 room for the night, and wins the game.

The players select their rooms in which to place their letters when the postman arrives, and when any player has deposited three letters in a room it ends the game.

For the Grown-ups game, the same rules apply, except that each player must stop his postman on the steps of the Post office, and miss one throw, if he is more than five squares ahead of the next highest player before the postman can go in, except when going in on the six, or special. The throw of two sixes in succession constitutes a Fraud order, and the player throwing the same must take all mail, in Hotel, Post office or elsewhere back to the box and put his postman in the Post office on the center rin In case of two Fraud orders b two players, the first player puts his postman beside his own box, and starts anew with all his mail, when his turn arrives. If any player throws three times after his postman has left the Mail box, and has not passed the 5th square he can take him through the Park, taking the diagonal route, thus saving four squares.

I find the miniature postman to be valuable independently of its use as a movable piece in the above game. It makes an excellent presentation gift or toy for children at Christmas, on birthdays, or on similar occasions. This is the reason of the construction of the notch, in which can be removably inserted a miniature letter, which letter can bear an appropriate inscription.

I claim A rectangular board having delineated thereon, at each of the four corners, a device indicating a mail box, at the center a device indicating a post office, tracks leading from the mail box to the post office in the form of squares, and second tracks, one for each of the first tracks, and forming short cuts, a part marked to indicate a hotel, four paths leading from the post office to the hotel, each path being formed of numbered squares, said hotel being suitably indicated to designate rooms therein, and also a chamber for containing valuables, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS W. SPAULDING. Witnesses F. M. WRIGHT, D. B. RICHARDS.

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