U.S. patent number 3,583,701 [Application Number 04/774,443] was granted by the patent office on 1971-06-08 for game apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Marvin Glass & Associates. Invention is credited to Jeffery D. Breslow, Harry Disko, Marvin I. Glass.
United States Patent |
3,583,701 |
Glass , et al. |
June 8, 1971 |
GAME APPARATUS
Abstract
Apparatus for playing a reflex game including an elevated
playing board simulating the surface of the moon having apertures
therethrough and a platform mounted beneath the playing surface and
movable relative to the board to a position underlying the
apertures. The platform is releasably latched in a biased position
underlying the apertures and astronaut figure playing pieces are
positioned in the apertures and supported on the platform while in
its latched position. The platform latch is adapted to be released
by a player chosen by random chance means, thereby allowing the
astronaut figures to fall through the moon surface.
Inventors: |
Glass; Marvin I. (Chicago,
IL), Breslow; Jeffery D. (Chicago, IL), Disko; Harry
(Park Ridge, IL) |
Assignee: |
Marvin Glass & Associates
(Chicago, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
25101249 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/774,443 |
Filed: |
November 8, 1968 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/445; 273/447;
273/138.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
5/02 (20130101); A63F 2007/3685 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
5/04 (20060101); A63f 009/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/1,138,131B |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Oechsle; Anton O.
Assistant Examiner: Shapiro; Paul E.
Claims
We claim:
1. Game apparatus comprising an elevated, generally horizontal
playing board defining an aperture therethrough; a platform mounted
beneath said playing board for movement relative thereto to a
position underlying said aperture; cooperable means on said board
and platform for latching the latter in a biased position
underlying said aperture; player operated means on said board for
releasing said platform from its latched position; a playing piece
adapted to be placed in said aperture and supported on the
underlying platform when the latter is in its latched position, an
chance means for randomly determining when a player is to operate
said release means said chance means including a circular path on
said board, a ball movable along said path, and a plurality of
pockets adjacent said path bearing indicia and adapted to receive a
ball from said path.
2. The game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said platform
defines a plurality of spaced-apart openings therethrough arranged
so that when said platform is moved to an unbiased position, said
openings are in substantial alignment with the board apertures and
no support is afforded said playing pieces thereby allowing the
pieces to fall through the board.
3. The game apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said
platform is pivotally supported from said playing board and wherein
said cooperable latch means include a housing integral with said
playing surface and defining a number of slots therethrough,
fingers secured to said platform and extending to a position
adjacent said slots, and a hand-graspable member bearing latching
tabs insertable through said slots and engageable with said fingers
to maintain the platform in its biased position subject to bodily
removal of the hand-graspable member by a player.
4. The game apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the path of
said chance means is disposed outwardly of said board; said pockets
being closely spaced and circumferentially disposed between the
path and the board.
5. The game apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said playing
board is three-dimensional and has the appearance of the surface of
the moon; said apertures therethrough simulating craters; said
hand-graspable member simulating a space vehicle; and said playing
pieces simulating astronaut figures, the latter desirably being
prevented from falling through said moon surface by being grabbed
by each player except the particular player removing the space
vehicle.
Description
This invention relates in general to games of chance which require
rapid player recognition and skillful, immediate player
reaction.
Conventional games typically involve one or more elements of chance
with little or no opportunity for the participating players to
utilize their skills in rapid recognition of particular game
situations and quickly reacting to the situation presented, to the
player's benefit.
The game apparatus of this invention comprises random chance means,
the result of which must be recognized by each of the players, and
wherein the players must react to the situation presented by the
chance means. In each round of the game, one particular player as
determined by the chance means is pitted against the remaining
players and attempts to win playing pieces from the remaining
players.
Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide game
apparatus usable by a plurality of players, wherein play of the
game requires rapid player recognition of game situations which are
particularly beneficial to the player.
Another object of this invention is to provide game apparatus
wherein play of the game requires rapid player recognition of game
situations beneficial to the player and quick, skillful reaction to
the situation to win, or to prevent from losing a game playing
piece.
Additional objects of this invention will become apparent to those
versed in the art upon an understanding of the following
description of the construction of the game apparatus taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which a preferred
embodiment of the apparatus is shown, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional, top perspective view of the game
apparatus of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary, top plan view of the game
apparatus shown in FIG. 1, with parts broken away and omitted,
showing the turntable of the apparatus in a given position;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, top plan view, generally similar to that
of FIG. 2 but wit the turntable in another position;
FIG. 4 is an elevational, cross-sectional view of the game
apparatus taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is a slightly enlarged, exploded, perspective view of the
catch and release mechanism of the game apparatus.
Referring not to FIGS. 1 and 3, the game apparatus, generally
referred to by reference number 10, comprises an elevated, circular
frame 20 supported by three legs 22a, 22b and 22c. Interior of the
circle defined by the frame, and preferably formed integral
therewith, a three-dimensional playing board having a surface 21 is
provided which desirably simulates the appearance of the lunar
terrain such as may be found by astronauts traveling to the moon.
The playing surface includes a plurality of spaced-apart simulated
craters 23 having interior apertures 24 which extend through the
board, and also includes a raised central area 26 which simulates a
launching pad for a simulated space vehicle or rocket 27.
As best seen in FIG. 4, the raised area includes an integral,
depending, cylindrical member having sidewalls 28 and a bottom wall
29 supporting an underlying, circular platform or turntable 30
which also underlies the playing surface. The turntable includes an
upwardly extending concentric cylindrical flange 32 which
cooperates with the exterior of sidewalls 28 and is loosely secured
to bottom wall 29 by a threaded fastener 33 or other suitable
means. The loose support of the turntable enables it to be
pivotably moved relative to the playing surface.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, turntable 30 defines a plurality of
circumferentially spaced-apart openings 38, equal to the number of
apertures 23, which are positioned so that openings 38 are aligned
with apertures 24 when the turntable is in a given position. When
the turntable is in a second position spaced-apart openings 38 are
not aligned with the apertures in the playing surface, but rather,
the apertures are covered by the underlying turntable member.
As particularly seen in FIG. 2, the turntable is in the position
whereat openings 38 are not aligned with apertures 24. In this
position, the turntable is capable of supporting objects, such as
playing pieces, which may be placed in the craters. On the other
hand, with the turntable in the position as seen in FIG. 3, with
the openings and apertures aligned, the turntable is incapable of
supporting objects which may have been previously in the craters.
These objects will fall through the apertures in the playing board,
thereby simulating loss of the object through the moon's
surface.
Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, a depending stud 40 is fixedly
secured to the underside of the turntable, intermediate its pivot
point and its peripheral edge. Stud 40 includes a radially oriented
vertical slot 41 for receiving a horizontally extending flat metal
spring 42 which reaches from the stud to beyond a supporting leg
such as leg 22a. The spring is staked to the stud by a suitable
fastener 43. A spring cocking lever 44 is secured to the upper
surface of the turntable and extends vertically upwardly through an
arcuate slot 46 formed through the playing surface, adjacent the
periphery thereof. Lever 44 allows the player to pivot the
turntable in a clockwise direction as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, which
causes the outer portion of spring 42 to engage leg 22a and biases
the turntable for movement in the opposite, or counterclockwise
direction. The turntable may be temporarily locked in the biased
position illustrated in FIG. 2 by a releasable restraining
mechanism, such as a catch means 50 housed within the raised
central area 26, as will be described below.
Two limit stops 36 and 37 are fixedly secured to the underside of
the turntable adjacent its periphery. Limit stop 36 is secured to
the turntable at a location which enables it to cooperate with leg
22c when the turntable is being cocked by lever 44 to prevent
excess stress from being imposed upon the lever. The other limit
stop 37 is positioned so that it cooperates with leg 22b when the
restraining means are released to prevent the movement of the
turntable caused by spring 42 from imposing excess strain on lever
44.
Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5, catch means 50 includes a planar base
52 formed at the upper surface or raised central area 26. Base 52
defines a series of equally spaced peripheral slots 54 which extend
through the base and communicate with the hollow interior of the
raised area. The cylindrical flange 32 of the turntable includes a
series of integral, upwardly extending vertical fingers 56 about
the periphery which are equally spaced apart and define open spaces
57 therebetween. The fingers are spaced to coincide with slots 54
when the turntable is in the position shown in FIG. 3. As noted
above, in this position, spring 42 is in its relaxed state.
The spaces 57 are positioned to coincide with slots 54 when the
turntable is in the position shown in FIG. 2 with the spring in its
tensed or cocked state. In the latter position, namely that shown
in FIG. 2, a plurality of depending latching tabs 58 may be
inserted through slots 54 and into spaces 57 to cooperate with
fingers 50 and base 52 for preventing pivotal movement of the
turntable against biasing of the spring. The latching tabs are
secured to the bottom of a simulated space vehicle which is sized
for convenient grasping by the players and which is adapted for
bodily removal from the launching pad by a selected player during
each round of the game.
Upon removal of the space vehicle, the biasing of spring 42 quickly
pivots the turntable from its cocked position of FIG. 2, whereat
the turntable is capable of supporting an object positioned in
craters 23, to an uncocked position as seen in FIG. 3 whereat the
turntable openings 38 coincide with apertures 24 in the playing
surface so as not to afford support for a playing piece positioned
in the craters.
The game apparatus 10 includes chance means 60 which generally
simulate a roulette wheel and are located in an annular area
between the outer periphery of the circular playing surface 12 and
the frame 20. The chance means include an outer circular path 70
inclined toward the center of the playing surface, and a plurality
of closely spaced, circumferentially disposed, player identifiable,
indicia bearing pockets 72 inwardly of the path. A spherical object
74, such as a marble, is provided for circular movement about the
path. As the velocity of the marble along the path decreases, it
will eventually randomly fall into one of the indicia bearing
pockets 72. Preferably, the pocket indicia comprises a number of
colors equal to the number of players, such as four different
colors for four players. Also, in the preferred embodiment, several
pockets have nonplayer associated indicia, such as stars 73 and
white dots 73', which have special significance to the play of the
game as will be described in detail hereinafter.
The game apparatus also includes a plurality of playing pieces 74,
which in keeping with the theme of the game, simulate astronaut
figures. The playing pieces are desirably colored so that here are
an equal number of playing pieces bearing each of the indicia
colors of the pockets 72.
Prior to the play of the game each player receives a given number
of plying pieces, such as five, comprising all of the playing
pieces of that color. Each player now has a color by which he may
be identified. As noted above, each of these colors are duplicated
in the pockets 72 of the chance means and when the marble falls
into a pocket bearing a player's color, the player identifying with
that color is required to perform a particular act.
Prior to the play of the game, the space vehicle 27 is placed on
the launching pad 26 with latching tabs 58 in slots 54, seated on
the top edges of fingers 56. The cocking lever 44 is now moved
clockwise, thus pivoting the turntable so that openings 38 are not
aligned with apertures 23, biasing spring 42 and moving fingers 56
out of interference with slots 54 to enable tabs 58 to drop through
slots 54 and into spaces 50. With the tabs in place, lever 44 may
be released and the catch mechanism 50 prevents the turntable from
pivoting counterclockwise, thus maintaining the nonalignment of
openings 38 with apertures 24. Each of the players then places a
playing piece bearing his color in the crater 23 closest to him and
the playing pieces are supported on the turntable.
The object of the game is to accumulate a given number of astronaut
playing pieces by saving your astronaut by preventing him from
falling through the surface of the moon, while also winning
astronaut playing pieces owned by other players, which fall through
the moon surface.
A player is selected to spin marble 74 around path 70 at the
outside of the moon surface. As the velocity of the marble is
reduced due to the incline of the path, it randomly falls into a
pocket. If the indicia of the pocket is identified with a
particular players' color, that player is expected to quickly
remove the space vehicle 27 and its latching tabs 58 from the
launching pad whereupon the spring 58 will rapidly bias the
turntable in a counterclockwise direction so that openings 38 are
aligned with apertures 24. With the turntable in this position, the
playing pieces are unsupported and would readily fall through the
moon's surface except for the action of the other players who
attempt to prevent their playing pieces from falling through the
surface by quickly grabbing them. The particular player who removed
the space vehicle from its launch pad is allowed to keep all the
playing pieces, including his own, which fall through the moon
surface. It should be noted that it is unimportant which player
spins the marble, but the player whose color the marble lands on
removes the space vehicle and the remaining players attempt to save
their astronauts from falling through the moon's surface. After
each round, each player must position another playing piece in the
aperture and a different player takes a turn to spin the
marble.
The aspect of rapid situation recognition and player reaction is
important to a player's accumulating playing pieces. The more
rapidly a player realizes that the marble has landed in a pocket
bearing his color, and the faster he removes the space vehicle, the
greater his prospect of winning one or more playing pieces from the
other players. On the other hand, the other players must also be
quick to recognize that the marble has not landed on their colors,
and grab their playing pieces to prevent from losing them through
the moon's surface.
To discourage the players from becoming over-zealous and grabbing
their astronaut playing pieces before the marble falls into a
pocket, the white dots 73 are provided as pocket indicia. If the
marble lands on a white dot, it is considered to be a bluff move
and any player touching his playing piece loses it to the player
spinning the marble. However, if the player spinning the marble
touches his astronaut on a bluff move, he merely loses his turn.
Should the marble land in a pocket having a star indicia 73, the
person spinning the marble is allowed to take a playing piece from
a player who is winning the game.
Additional rules may be devised for the game, such as penalizing a
player who touches or attempts to remove the space vehicle by
mistake and allowing a player who loses all his playing pieces to
retrieve a playing piece from a player who has pieces of this
particular color. The first player to win ten astronaut playing
pieces is considered the winner of the game.
What has been described is a game apparatus having random chance
means which require rapid player recognition of a game situation
and quick player reaction to the particular situation
presented.
It is obvious that upon study by those skilled in the art, that the
disclosed invention may be altered or modified without departing
from its inventive concept.
* * * * *