U.S. patent number 3,729,198 [Application Number 05/139,500] was granted by the patent office on 1973-04-24 for oil field board game apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to John L. Abbott, William J. Darby. Invention is credited to Donald H. Shaffer.
United States Patent |
3,729,198 |
Shaffer |
April 24, 1973 |
OIL FIELD BOARD GAME APPARATUS
Abstract
An oil field game which includes a playing board having markings
thereon whereby it is divided into surface areas including corner
areas and elongated areas extending between the corner areas, the
board being hollow and having internal partitions whereby it is
divided into compartments corresponding substantially to the
surface areas, the elongated compartments having a number of
movable blocks loosely and slidably disposed therein and portions
of the top of the board coinciding with the elongated areas having
numerous small holes therein for selective engagement by playing
pieces simulating drilling rigs and having depending pins for
selective insertion, in the manner of probes, in the small holes to
determine the location of producing wells and dry holes, depending
on whether the pin strikes one of the movable blocks. The spaces
along the several sides of the board corresponding to the elongated
areas are subdivided into individual subdivisions or sections and
the corner areas, with the individual subdivisions or sections,
form a continuous path along the peripheral edge of the board on
which individual player markers are caused to move stepwise, one
space at a time, in response to rolling of dice.
Inventors: |
Shaffer; Donald H. (Fort Worth,
TX) |
Assignee: |
Darby; William J. (Fort Worth,
TX)
Abbott; John L. (Fort Worth, TX)
|
Family
ID: |
22486963 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/139,500 |
Filed: |
May 3, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/243; 273/254;
273/282.1; 273/289; 273/139; 273/287 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
9/0076 (20130101); A63F 3/0457 (20130101); A63F
3/00006 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
9/00 (20060101); A63F 3/04 (20060101); A63F
3/00 (20060101); A63f 003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/130,134,135,139,93 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lowe; Delbert B.
Claims
I claim:
1. In an oil field game, a substantially square, hollow playing
board having top and bottom panels and side rails, and having
internal partitions whereby the interior of the board is divided
into individual compartments including four substantially square
corner compartments and four elongated compartments extending
between the corner compartments along the sides of the board, each
of the elongated compartments containing numerous movable blocks,
comparatively small relative to the size of the board and having a
height approaching the corresponding dimension thereof, loosely and
slidably disposed therein, the top panel having markings thereon
whereby it is divided into areas corresponding substantially to the
compartments, including corner areas corresponding to the corner
compartments and elongated areas coinciding with the elongated
compartments, the portions of the top panel comprising the
elongated areas having numerous small holes therein, and one or
more playing pieces representing drilling rigs each having a
depending pin for selective engagement with one or another of the
small holes, in the manner of probes, to determine the location of
producing wells and dry holes, depending on whether the pin strikes
one of the movable blocks, the elongated compartments and the
corresponding surface areas of the board being spaced inwardly from
the corresponding side edges thereof, and the board having four
other compartments, and corresponding surface areas, which are
comparatively narrow relative to their lengths and comprise
marginal portions of the board, immediately adjacent its side
edges, portions of the top panel comprising the elongated area and
the adjacent marginal area along each side of the board having
markings thereon whereby they are subdivided into smaller spaces or
sections, and one or more playing pieces for designating the
ownership of individual sections, each having a depending pin for
selective engagement with holes therefor in portions of the top
panel corresponding to the respective sections.
Description
This invention relates to an oil field game, and it concerns more
particularly a game involving elements of chance and skill as
hereinafter described.
The oil field game of the invention is similar in some respects to
the well known game of MONOPOLY, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
2,026,082, Dec. 31, 1935. It includes a plurality of individual
player markers, of different colors, which are movable clockwise,
by stages, around a playing board as hereinafter described in
response to roll of a pair of dice cubes.
The game also includes features which are shown in U.S. Pat. No.
2,299,803, Oct. 27, 1942. The last mentioned patent shows an oil
field game which includes a hollow playing board in which a
plurality of blocks of different shapes, and having a thickness
approaching the corresponding dimension of the board, which
represent oil pools beneath the surface, are loosely and slidably
disposed within the board for abutting engagement by playing pieces
simulating oil derricks which have pins depending therfrom which
are selectively inserted, in the manner of probes, in one or
another of a series of small holes which are provided therefor in
the top side of the board, which simulates an oil field.
The invention will be readily understood by referring to the
following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a playing board for use in the oil
field game of the invention, showing the top panel of the board and
the designs and markings thereon;
FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view taken on the line 2--2 of
FIG. 1, showing the playing pieces which are used with the board
and illustrating the manner in which they are used;
FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2,
showing the board with the top panel removed and showing the
internal partitions whereby the inside of the board is divided into
compartments, and the movable blocks therein;
FIG. 4 shows a sample of the play money;
FIG. 5 shows one of the MAIL CALL cards; and
FIG. 6 shows a pair of dice cubes which are used in playing the
game.
Referring to the drawing, the numeral 20 designates generally a
playing board for use in the oil field game of the invention. The
board 20 is hollow, and has a top panel 21, shown in FIG. 1, and a
bottom panel 22 and side rails 23 as illustrated in FIG. 2.
The interior of the board 20 is divided by internal partitions 24
into individual compartments which coincide, respectively, with
corresponding areas of the top panel 21 as represented by the
designs and markings thereon.
The individual compartments of the board 20, above mentioned,
include four substantially square compartments 30 which comprise
corner portions of the board, four narrow compartments 31 which
extend between the corner compartments 30, immediately adjacent the
side edges of the board, and comprise marginal portions thereof,
four other elongated compartments 32 which extend between the
corner compartments 30, immediately adjacent the marginal
compartments 31, and define between them a comparatively large
central area, relative to the dimensions of the board, and two
other compartments 33, one of which is larger than the other, which
comprise opposite side portions of the central area.
A comparatively large number of movable discs 40 and rectangular
blocks 41, which are characterized by their small size, relative to
the size of the board 20, and which are of uniform height
approaching the corresponding dimension of the board, are loosely
and slidably disposed in each of the elongated compartments 32 and
in the larger of the central compartments 33, and coincide with
possible drilling sites as represented by the markings on the top
panel 21, as hereinafter described.
The top panel 21 has markings corresponding to the internal
partitions 24 whereby it is divided into individual areas which
coincide, respectively, with the individual compartments above
described.
The individual areas of the top panel 21, above mentioned, include
four corner areas 50 corresponding to the corner compartments 30,
four marginal areas 51 corresponding to the marginal compartments
31, four elongated areas 52 corresponding to the elongated
compartments 32, and a central area 53, a portion of which
corresponds substantially to the larger of the central compartments
33.
Portions of the four elongated areas 52, which correspond to the
elongated compartments 32, and a portion of the central area 53
which corresponds substantially to the larger of the central
compartments 33, are possible drilling sites, and have numerous
small holes 60 therein for use as hereinafter described.
The marginal areas 51 and the corresponding elongated areas 52
which extend along the respective sides of the board 20, between
the corner areas 50, represent proven oil fields and are designated
by appropriate names such as SPINDLETOP OIL FIELD, ALASKA NORTH
SLOPE, SPRABERRY TREND AREA, and EAST TEXAS OIL FIELD. The central
area 53 is designated as WILDCAT, and a portion of the central area
which corresponds substantially to the larger of the central
compartments 33 is designated as WILDCAT LAKE.
The small holes 60 are provided in portions of the top panel 21
which correspond to parts of the elongated areas 52, and in the
portion of the central area 53 which is designated as WILDCAT LAKE,
for use with playing pieces as hereinafter described, including
drilling rigs 61, which as shown in FIG. 2 have a depending pin 62,
which is adjustable vertically, for selective engagement with the
holes 60, in the manner of probes, to determine the location of
producing wells and dry holes, depending on whether the depending
pins 62 strike one of the movable discs 40 or rectangular blocks
41.
The numerals 63 and 64 indicate plugs representing producing wells
and dry holes, shown in FIG. 2, which have depending pin portions
corresponding to the depending pins 62 of the drilling rigs 61, and
which in use are substituted for the drilling rigs 61, upon
completion of a well, depending on whether it is a success or a
failure, as above described.
The proven oil fields above described, each of which comprises one
of the marginal areas 51 and the adjacent elongated area 52, are
subdivided into smaller spaces or sections, some but not all of
which may be available for lease, which are indicated generally by
the numeral 70.
As shown in FIG. 1, a row of small holes 60, one of them opposite
each of selected subdivisions or sections 70, are provided in the
top panel 21, along the inside edges of the elongated areas 52, for
use with lease ownership indicators 71, shown in FIG. 2, each
having a depending pin for selective engagement with one or another
of the holes.
The subdivisions or sections 70 between the corner areas 50 on each
side of the board 20 include one or more sections 72 which are
imperforate and are not available for lease, which are marked MAIL
CALL, and which are significant as hereinafter described.
As shown, the corner areas 50 are designated by the fanciful names
HOME OFFICE, COUNTRY CLUB, DRILL IN WILDCAT LAKE, and GUEST RANCH,
each of which may be of special significance as determined by the
rules of the game, which may vary as desired.
The individual spaces which are arranged about the peripheral edge
of the board 20, and which comprise the corner areas 50 and the
subdivisions or sections 70 between them, including the MAIL CALL
spaces 72, define a path along which individual player markers 73,
shown in FIG. 2, are advanced stepwise, one space at a time, in
response to roll of a pair of dice cubes 74, shown in FIG. 6.
The numeral 80 refers to an assortment of MAIL CALL cards, one of
which is shown in FIG. 5, which have instructions thereon to be
followed by individual players as their markers 73 stop at a MAIL
CALL space 72 and they are required to take one of the cards.
A supply of play money 81, a sample of which is shown in FIG. 4, is
furnished each player at the beginning of the game.
The invention may be modified in various ways without departing
from the spirit and scope thereof.
* * * * *