U.S. patent number 3,782,726 [Application Number 05/166,188] was granted by the patent office on 1974-01-01 for football game with magnetic control rods.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Coleco Industries, Inc.. Invention is credited to Donald Huffman, Richard M. Majewski.
United States Patent |
3,782,726 |
Huffman , et al. |
January 1, 1974 |
FOOTBALL GAME WITH MAGNETIC CONTROL RODS
Abstract
Game apparatus includes a game board having a plurality of
channel-defining guide members pivotally mounted at spaced
locations adjacent its periphery. Each of the guide members
slidably mounts a control member, and each of the control members
in turn supports a permanent magnet beneath the playing portion of
the game board. The control members can be oriented in their
respective guide members to slide magnetically susceptible player
pieces upon the upper surface playing portion, and the apparatus
may in addition include a vibrating mechanism to provide a basic
mode of propulsion for teams of player pieces.
Inventors: |
Huffman; Donald (Westmount,
Montreal, CA), Majewski; Richard M. (Westmount,
Montreal, CA) |
Assignee: |
Coleco Industries, Inc.
(Hartford, CT)
|
Family
ID: |
22602172 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/166,188 |
Filed: |
July 26, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/108.41;
273/443; 446/135; 273/239; 273/247 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
7/3603 (20130101); A63F 7/0088 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
7/22 (20060101); A63F 7/00 (20060101); A63f
007/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/94R,94F,85F,1M,109,85D ;46/240 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,037,238 |
|
Sep 1953 |
|
FR |
|
356,393 |
|
Sep 1961 |
|
CH |
|
503,621 |
|
Dec 1954 |
|
IT |
|
460,218 |
|
Oct 1949 |
|
CA |
|
14,084 |
|
Apr 1903 |
|
GB |
|
1,245,682 |
|
Oct 1960 |
|
FR |
|
Primary Examiner: Oechsle; Anton O.
Assistant Examiner: Shapiro; Paul E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Costas; Peter L.
Claims
Having thus described the invention, we claim:
1. In a game apparatus, the combination comprising: a game board
member including a relatively thin, substantially planar playing
portion fabricated of a nonferrous material having means on the
upper surface thereof defining a playing area, support means
depending from said playing portion for spacing it above a planar
support surface, and a plurality of channel defining guide members
at spaced locations about the periphery of said playing portion and
therebelow for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the
plane thereof; a control member mounted in each of said guide
members each comprising an elongated shaft slidably seated in the
channel and extending to both sides thereof with a handle portion
adjacent the outer end of said shaft inwardly of and below said
game board playing portion, said control means including a
permanent magnet supported by said control member closely adjacent
the bottom surface of said playing portion, said control member
being slidable in said guide member and pivotable therewith to
permit movement of said magnet to substantially any location under
said playing portion; a plurality of player pieces having a base
portion configured for stable seating and sliding movement upon
said upper surface of said playing portion and at least one of said
player pieces having an element of magnetically susceptible
material disposed therein for magnetic engagement by said magnet of
at least one of said control members and an electric vibrating
mechanism operatively connected to said playing portion of said
game board member for vibration thereof, at least some of said
player pieces being readily movable along said board playing
portion by vibratory action, whereby a selected player piece may be
magnetically coupled with a magnet through said playing portion and
slidably moved upon said upper surface thereof by manipulation of a
control member and consequent movement of its magnet thereunder
while other player pieces are moved by vibratory action.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein there are a multiplicity of
player pieces divided into two teams, at least a plurality of
player pieces of each team being configured to receive and conceal
an element of magnetically susceptible material when mounted on
each playing portion.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein only some of said plurality of
pieces have said element of magnetically susceptible material
whereby said control members are effective to move only some of the
player pieces of each team.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said multiplicity of player
pieces is divided into two teams and only some player pieces of
each team include elements of magnetically susceptible material,
the player pieces without said elements of magnetically susceptible
material being movable along said playing portion by action of said
vibratory mechanism.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said base portions of said
player pieces have a plurality of resiliently deformable leg
elements depending therefrom and exposed providing the supporting
contact of said player pieces upon said upper surface of said
playing portion.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said element of magnetically
susceptible material comprises a magnet in said player piece
adjacent the upper surface of said playing portion for magnetic
coupling to a magnet of a control member.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the magnet of one control
member is disposed with its pole adjacent said bottom surface of
said playing portion and the magnet of the other control member is
disposed with its south pole adjacent said bottom surface, the
player pieces being divided into opposing teams with the magnets of
opposing teams being disposed with their poles reversed relative to
one another, whereby a control member will magnetically couple to
the player pieces of one team and magnetically repel the player
pieces of the other team.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said playing portion of said
board member is substantially rectangular, and wherein guide
members are mounted along each of the longer sides thereof.
9. In a game playing method, the steps comprising:
a. positioning a multiplicity of movable player pieces upon the
planar upper surface of a game board, said player pieces
constituting two identifiable teams each comprised of a plurality
thereof, at least one player piece of each team being magnetically
susceptible and at least a second player piece of each team being
vibrationally movable upon said upper surface;
b. vibrating said game board to effect the movement of said
vibrationally movable second player pieces;
c. magnetically moving said magnetically movable one player piece
of a first of said teams toward a designated area of said game
board along a path selected to avoid contact with any player piece
of the second of said teams; and
d. magnetically moving said one player piece of said second team
toward said one player piece of said first team along a path
intended to cause contact therewith.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said magnetically susceptible
player pieces are also vibrationally movable upon said upper
surface, and wherein said vibrating step effects the movement of
any thereof not being moved magnetically.
11. The method of claim 9 including a subsequent sequence of said
steps (b), (c) and (d) following the additional step of altering
the magnetic susceptibility of certain of said player pieces by
rendering the magnetically susceptible player piece of at least one
of said teams magnetically immovable and by rendering another of
said player pieces of the same team magnetically movable.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein each of said teams includes at
least two magnetically susceptible player pieces, and wherein said
method includes the additional steps of magnetically moving a
second magnetically susceptible player piece of said first team
along a path selected to effect contact with player pieces of said
second team to block contact of the first magnetically susceptible
player piece of said first team thereby.
13. The method of claim 12 including the additional step of
magnetically moving a second magnetically susceptible player piece
of said second team along a path selected to effect contact with
said first magnetically susceptible player piece of said first
team.
14. The method of claim 9 additionally including the step of
deforming a portion of the player pieces of at least one of said
teams to preselect the general direction of vibrational movement
thereof.
15. In a game apparatus, the combination comprising: a game board
member including a relatively thin, substantially planar playing
portion fabricated of a nonferrous material having means on the
upper surface thereof defining a playing area, support means
depending from said playing portion for spacing it above a planar
support surface and including depending sidewall portions, and a
plurality of control member support fixtures mounted in said
depending sidewall portions at spaced locations about the periphery
of said playing portion, each of said fixtures including a
subassembly of an integrally formed synthetic plastic, generally
planar mounting plate disposed generally perpendicularly to said
playing portion and having a passageway therethrough elongated in a
direction parallel to the plane of said playing portion and also
having upper and lower laterally extending flange elements, and an
integrally formed synthetic plastic channel-defining guide member
pivotally mounted in said passageway between said flange elements
of said plate for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to
the plane of said playing portion, said guide member being of
generally cylindrical configuration and having a channel extending
diametrically therethrough centrally disposed relative to the
passageway of said mounting plate, said channel being disposed
below said playing portion; a control member mounted in each of
said guide members each comprising an elongated shaft slidably
seated in the channel and extending to both sides thereof with a
handle portion adjacent the outer end of said shaft outwardly of
said game board, and control means adjacent the inner end of said
shaft inwardly of and below said game board playing portion, said
control means including a permanent magnet supported by said
control member closely adjacent the bottom surface of said playing
portion, said control member being slidable in said guide member
and pivotable therewith to permit movement of said magnet to
substantially any location under said playing portion; and a
plurality of player pieces having a base portion configured for
stable seating and sliding movement upon said upper surface of said
playing portion and at least one of said player pieces having an
element of magnetically susceptible material disposed therein for
magnetic engagement by said magnet of at least one of said control
members, whereby a player piece may be magnetically coupled with a
magnet through said playing portion and slidably moved upon said
upper surface thereof by manipulation of a control member and
consequent movement of its magnet thereunder.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said passageway of said
mounting plate is wider in its central portion than adjacent the
ends thereof, and wherein said guide member is mounted with said
channel thereof in registry with said central portion of said
passageway.
17. In a game apparatus, the combination comprising: a game board
member including a relatively thin, substantially planar playing
portion fabricated of a nonferrous material having means on the
upper surface thereof defining a playing area, support means
depending from said playing portion for spacing it above a planar
support surface and including depending sidewall portions, and a
plurality of channel defining guide means at spaced locations about
the periphery of said playing portion and providing channels
therebelow; a control member mounted in each of said guide means
for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to said playing
portion and each comprising an elongated shaft slidably seated in
the channel and extending to both sides thereof with a handle
portion adjacent the outer end of said shaft outwardly of said game
board, and control means adjacent the inner end of said shaft
inwardly of and below said game board playing portion, said control
means including a permanent magnet supported by said control member
closely adjacent the bottom surface of said playing portion, said
control member being slidable in said guide means and pivotable to
permit movement of said magnet to substantially any location under
said playing portion; and a plurality of player pieces divided into
two teams and each having a base portion configured for stable
seating and sliding movement upon said upper surface of said
playing portion, at least a plurality of players of each team being
configured to receive and conceal an element of magnetically
susceptible material and at least one of said player pieces of said
plurality of at least one team having an element of magnetically
susceptible material disposed therein for magnetic engagement by
said magnet of at least one of said control members; and an
electric vibrating mechanism operatively connected to said playing
portion of said game board member for vibration thereof, at least
some of said player pieces of each team being readily movable along
said board playing portion by vibratory action of said vibrator
mechanism, whereby only a selected player piece may be magnetically
coupled with a magnet through said playing portion and slidably
moved upon said upper surface thereof by manipulation of a control
member and consequent movement of its magnet thereunder while other
player pieces are concurrently moved by vibratory action.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In certain prior art game apparatus, magnetic attraction has been
utilized to effect the movement of playing pieces upon the surface
of a game board. Although in some instances the control magnet is
is desirably hand held, there are advantages in providing a
mechanical support for moving the magnet beneath the playing
surface. The prior art support devices of this type have tended to
be inadequate in providing a desirable level of control, or to be
so complex as to entail undue difficulty in manufacture.
In addition, game apparatus has previously been provided wherein
the movable playing pieces are propelled by vibration of the game
board. However, so far as is known, magnetic and vibrational
effects have not previously been combined in a fully satisfactory
manner or in such a way as to provide a table-top type of game in
which an opportunity is afforded for application of the procedure
and strategy of an actual sports game.
Accordingly, it is primary object of the present invention to
provide a novel game apparatus having magnetic player piece control
members supported in a game board by means which is adequate to
afford sufficient control, and which is also relatively simple and
inexpensive to produce.
It is also an object of the invention to provide such a game
apparatus wherein magnetic and vibrational effects are combined in
a highly desirable manner.
Another object is to provide such game apparatus providing for
application of sports game strategy and procedure.
Still another object is to provide a novel game involving the
manual movement of some players of each team and the vibratory
movement of other players.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
It has now been found that the foregoing and related objects of the
present invention can readily be attained in a game apparatus
including a game board member having a relatively thin,
substantially planar playing portion fabricated of a nonferrrous
material, with means on the upper surface thereof defining a
playing area. Support means depending from the playing portion
spaces it above a planar support surface, and a plurality of
channel-defining guide members are mounted at spaced locations
adjacent the periphery of the playing portion and therebelow for
pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the plane thereof.
The apparatus also includes a control member mounted in each of the
guide members on the game board; each of the control members
comprises an elongated shaft slidably seated in the channel and
extending to both sides thereof, with a handle portion adjacent the
outer end of the shaft outwardly of the game board, and control
means adjacent the inner end of the shaft inwardly of and below the
game board playing portion. The control means includes a permanent
magnet supported by the control member closely adjacent the bottom
surface of the playing portion, and the control means is slidable
in the guide member and pivotable therewith to permit movement of
the magnet to substantially any location under the playing portion
of the game board. In addition, a plurality of player pieces are
provided, each of which has a base portion configured for stable
seating and movement by sliding upon the upper surface of the
playing portion; at least one of the pieces also has an element of
magnetically susceptible material disposed therein for magnetic
engagement by the magnet of at least one of the control members.
The player piece may be magnetically coupled with a magnet through
the playing portion, and slidably moved upon the upper surface
thereof by manipulation of a control member and consequent movement
of its magnet thereunder.
A multiplicity of player pieces, divided into two teams, may be
provided, with at least a plurality of player pieces of each team
being configured to receive and conceal an element of magnetically
susceptible material, when mounted on the playing portion. It is
preferred that only some of the plurality of pieces have the
element of magnetically susceptible material, to render the control
members effective to move only some of the player pieces of each
team. The element of magnetically susceptible material desirably
comprises a magnet in the player piece adjacent the upper surface
of the playing portion for magnet coupling to a magnet of a control
member. In one embodiment, the magnet of one control member is
disposed with its north pole adjacent the bottom surface of the
playing portion, and the magnet of the other control member is
disposed with its south pole thereadjacent. The player pieces are
divided into two teams with the magnets of opposing teams being
disposed with their poles reversed relative to one another, so that
a control member will magnetically couple to the player pieces of
one team and magnetically repel the player pieces of the other
team.
Most desirably, the apparatus also includes an electric vibrating
mechanism operatively connected to the playing portion of the game
board member for vibration thereof, and at least some of the player
pieces are readily movable along the board playing portion by
vibratory action. In such an embodiment, the base portions of the
player pieces are desirably provided with a plurality of
resiliently deformable leg elements which depend therefrom and
provide the supporting contact of the player pieces upon the upper
surface of the playing portion. The player pieces may be divided
into two teams with only certain ones of each team including a
magnetically susceptible element, and with the pieces not having
such an element being movable by action of the vibrating
mechanism.
The playing portion of the board member is preferably substantially
rectangular and has guide members mounted along each of the longer
sides thereof. Most desirably, the board member includes aplurality
of control member support fixtures mounted adjacent the periphery
of the playing portion. Each of the fixtures may include a
generally planar mounting plate disposed generally perpendicularly
to the playing portion and having a passageway therethrough. The
guide members may be pivotally mounted in the passageways with the
channels thereof centrally disposed relative thereto. Preferably,
the mounting plate will have upper and lower laterally extending
flange elements adjacent the passageway thereof. The guide member
will be of generally cylindrical configuration, mounted between the
flange elements, and will have the guide channel extending
diametrically therethrough. The support means of the board member
may desirably include depending sidewall portions in which the
fixtures are mounted. The passageway of the mounting plate may be
elongated in a direction parallel to the plane of the playing
portion, and its central portion may be wider than the portion
adjacent the ends thereof. In such a construction, the guide member
will be mounted with the channel thereof in registry with the
central portion of the passageway.
In playing the game, the steps employed may comprise first
positioning a multiplicity of movable player pieces upon the planar
upper surface of a game board, which player pieces constitute two
identifiable teams, each comprised of a plurality thereof. At least
one player piece of each team will be magnetically susceptible, and
at least a second player piece of each team will be vibrationally
movable on the upper surface of the game board. The game board may
then be vibrated to effect the movement of the vibrationally
movable second player pieces, and a magnetically susceptible player
piece of a first of the teams will be magnetically moved toward a
designated area of the game board, along a path selected to avoid
contact with any player piece of the second of the teams. The
magnetically susceptible player piece of the second team will be
moved magnetically toward the magnetically moved player piece of
the first team along a path intended to cause contact
therewith.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a football game assembly embodying
the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a left end elevational view thereof drawn to a reduced
scale;
FIG. 3 is a plan view thereof drawn to the scale of FIG. 2,
omitting some of the attachments thereto and showing in phantom
line several alternate positions of one control rod;
FIG. 4 is a slightly enlarged sectional view thereof along the line
4--4 of FIG. 3 including a player piece and omitting some of the
attachments thereto, and showing in phantom line the alternate
position of the handle of one of the control rods;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a support fixture and
slidably mounted control rod employed in the assembly of FIG. 1,
drawn to a scale greatly enlarged therefrom;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 6--6 in FIG.
4;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a magnetically movable player piece
employed in the instant apparatus showing the magnet coupling piece
and a magnetic football member;
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the player piece of FIG.
7;
FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view of the base of the player piece
of the preceding two figures, and drawn to an enlarged scale;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary elevational view to an enlarged scale of
the base portion of a player piece, as seated upon the upper
surface of the playing portion of the game board; and
FIG. 11 is a diagrammatical plan view of the game apparatus with
two teams of player pieces arranged thereon.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
Turning now in detail to the appended drawings, therein illustrated
is a football game apparatus embodying the present invention and
including a game board, generally designated by the numeral 10, and
a pair of control members generally designated by the numeral 12
mounted thereon. The board 10 simulates a football stadium and has
a rectangular frame consisting of side and end frame sections,
generally designated by the numeral 14, joined at their ends by
corner pieces 16. As can be seen in FIG. 4, each of the corner
pieces 16 has a short projection 18 formed on its lower surface
which functions as a supporting foot element, and the frame
sections 14 are of inverted and opposed generally G-shaped cross
section. More particularly, the frame sections 14 are formed with
an outside wall 20 having inwardly projecting parallel bottom and
top walls 22,24 respectively. A depending inner wall 26 is provided
at the inner end of the top wall 24 and the lower end thereof is
bent to provide an inwardly opening channel 28 of generally
U-shaped cross section, which is aligned with similar channels 28
of the other frame sections 14 to provide a peripheral channel
approximately midway of the height of the frame sections 14.
Within the channels 28 of the frame sections 14 are engaged the
marginal portions of the planar panel 30 having football field
markings upon its upper surface 32. Goal post structures 34, a yard
marker 36, and zone flags 38 are also provided thereon for use in
play and to simulate actual football playing field equipment. To
afford further realism, a grandstand structure 40 is mounted at one
side of the game board 10 upon one of the frame sections 14, and it
has an operative scoreboard 42 affixed thereto whcih may be used in
playing the game for registering the score, quarter and downs.
An electrical vibrating mechanism 44 is installed against the lower
surface 46 of the panel 30 to impart vibratory motion thereto; the
switch plunger 48 and adjustment screw 50 of the mechanism 44 are
exposed for ready access on the upper surface 32 of the panel 30,
and the power cord 52 thereof is available outside the game board
10 for connection to an appropriate electrical outlet.
Mounted in longitudinally disposed, elongated openings 76 in the
sidewalls 20 of the frame sections 14 defining the sides of the
game board 10 below the level of the panel 30 are a pair of control
member support fixtures or guide frames, generally designated by
the numeral 74. As can best be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the support
fixtures 74 include a rectangular planar face plate or mounting
plate 78 and a pair of longitudinally extending lip elements 88
disposed inwardly of the frame section sidewall 20 and with a
spacing therebetween which is greater at the center portion
thereof. The face plate 78 has an aperture therein registering with
the spacing between the lip elements 88 so as to define a
passageway 86 through the support fixtures 74.
The face plate 78 has an aperture 80 adjacent each end and a pair
of wedge shaped retaining lugs 82 along each of its longitudinal
edges which frictionally engage the sidewall 20 adjacent the
opening 76. Fasteners 84 extend through the apertures 80 into the
sidewall 20 to provide firm interengagement. The lip elements 88
have vertically aligned apertures 90 formed at the midpoint thereof
and shallow guide channels 92 are formed on the inner surfaces
thereof between the free ends and the apertures 90.
Pivotably mounted in the passageway 86 at its enlarged center
portion is a guide member 94 of generally cylindrical configuration
with axially extending axle elements 96 snapped into the apertures
90 of the lip elements 88. The guide members 94 each have
diametrically extending, generally rectangular guide channel 98
therein, in which the control members 12 are supported.
The control member 12 consists of a narrow elongated shaft 54 which
extends through and is slidably seated in the guide channel 98 of
the guide member 94. It is provided with a handle 56 on the outer
end, and a magnet assembly, generally designated by the numeral 58,
located on the inner end thereof. As is seen in FIG. 4, the handle
56 has a longitudinal slot 60 extending inwardly from one end
thereof, which adapts it for fastening upon the shaft 54 in either
a coaxial position (the phantom line representation) or a
perpendicular position.
The magnet assembly 58 includes a support member having a
disk-shaped body portion 62 with a circular recess 64 in its upper
surface, and a short radially extending sleeve portion 66 having a
rectangular slot 68 therein. The end of the shaft 54 is retained in
the slot 68 by the fastener 70; a disk-shaped permanent magnet 72
is seated in the recess 64 and is preferably bonded or otherwise
secured therein.
Since the shaft 54 of the control member 12 is slidably received in
the guide channel 98 and since the guide member 94 is pivotable in
the support fixture 74, as is illustrated in FIG. 3, the control
member 12 may be manipulated within the passageway 86 to position
the magnet assembly 58 at virtually any location beneath the panel
30; the longitudinal ends of the two lip elements 88 are vertically
spaced apart to avoid interference with the control member 12, in
the extreme portions of the arc of pivoting thereof.
Turning now in detail to FIGS. 7-10, a player piece, generally
designated by the numeral 100, is illustrated therein and consists
of a football player figure 102, mounted upon a hollow base 103
having a curved forward end 104, with a thin plate 106 of ferrous
metal interposed therebetween. The figure 102 has a short
round-headed pin 108 projecting from the bottom of each of the feet
thereof, and a pair of apertures 110 is provided in the top wall of
the base 103 and the plate 106 to receive the pins 108, and to
thereby assemble the parts of the player piece 100.
As can be seen in FIG. 9, the hollow base 103 is open downwardly to
provide a recess in which the magnetic coupling block 112 (in FIG.
7) may be placed and retained by magnetic attraction to the ferrous
metal plate 106. The plate 106 also enables magnetic engagement of
the magnetic football member 114, which is used in the play of the
game. Four resiliently deformable legs 116 extend downwardly and
rearwardly (relative to the position of the figure 102) from the
bottom surface 118 of the base 103. The legs 116 contact the upper
surface 32 of the panel 30 and are sufficiently rigid to support
the weight of the player piece; vibration of the panel 30 by the
mechanism 44 causes the player piece 100 to "walk" upon the legs
116, and the direction in which the legs 116 are disposed will, in
turn, determine the direction in which the piece 100 will proceed.
By appropriately constructing the legs 116, directional changes may
be readily made simply by rubbing or brushing them in a direction
opposite to that in which movement is desired.
Finally, a complete set-up for a football game is illustrated in
FIG. 11 wherein the opposing teams of player pieces 100 (indicated
by the directions of the curved ends 104 of the bases 103 thereof)
are arranged upon the upper surface 32 of the panel 30. With the
mechanism 44 operating to vibrate the panel 30, the teams of
opposing pieces 100 will (assuming the feet 116 thereof are so
disposed) move toward one another. Normally, only selected player
pieces 100' (e.g., one or two on each team) will be provided with
magnetic coupling blocks 112 to render them sufficiently
magnetically susceptible and thereby movable by interaction with
the magnets 72 of the control member 12. If all of the player
pieces as are of the same construction as that illustrated, the
blocks 112 may be interchanged among them to add an element of
surprise to the strategy of play.
In a broad sense, the football game embodiment hereof is generally
played by allowing free movement of the majority of the pieces over
the vibrating panel 30, with each opponent controlling, with his
control member 12, the movement of one or more key players on his
team. Thus, the participant on offense might control the movement
of the ball carrier (i.e., the piece 100 to which the football
member 114 is attached), a receiver, and/or a blocker; the
defensive participant might control the movement of one or more
specific tacklers, with touching of the ball carrier by any
defensive player piece 100 being considered a tackle. The specifics
of play are not critical to the concept of the present invention
and should be considered to impose no limitation upon the scope
thereof. Additional types of player pieces 100, such as those
having passing and/or kicking capability, may be provided, and the
style of the apparatus may be altered quite drastically to render
it more suitable for simulated games other than football. Moreover,
although the vibratory action constitutes a preferred embodiment of
the invention, it is not essential and may be omitted to provide a
game wherein basic propulsion of the pieces is achieved by other
means, or wherein the pieces may be moved only by magnetic
interaction.
As will be appreciated, although the inclusion of a magnet to
render certain of the player pieces magnetically susceptible
constitutes a preferred embodiment, this is not essential and
adequate magnetic susceptibility may result simply by the provision
of an appropriately positioned ferrous element. In some cases it
may be desirable to render the players of the two teams each
susceptible to different magnetic polarity (north or south) by
orientation of the magnets with the poles disposed in opposite
directions. The control member provided to the participants would,
in such a case, have magnets which are disposed in opposite
directions specific to the polarity of that individual's player
pieces. In this manner, a player piece of the one team would be
repelled by the control member for the other team, and vice
versa.
More than two control members and support assemblies may be
utilized to permit simultaneous movement of more than one player on
each team or play by more than two persons, and the positions of
the members may vary from the illustrated embodiment. For example,
they may both be disposed on the same side of the game board if so
desired.
The materials of construction will be readily apparent to those
skilled in the art. The magnets may be of cast metallic or sintered
powder construction, and they may be multipolar, with alternating
regions of polarity therein. Such multipolar magnets will be
positioned in the player piece and control members so as to cause
the flux lines thereof to intersect the game board playing portion
in a direction generally normal thereto, and their usage may be
relied upon to enhance the strength of coupling that is obtained.
If so desired, spaced pole pieces may be provided on such magnets
to isolate and concentrate the magnetic fields of each of the
regions, and to thereby increase the overall field strength
thereof.
The playing portion of the game board is desirably fabricated of a
thin sheet of smooth surfaced (at least on the upper face)
synthetic or resinous material or of a cellulosic, such as
fiberboard. The playing portion must be a material which is not
magnetically susceptible and must be sufficiently thin to permit
the magnetic flux to pass therethrough substantially unattenuated.
The frame portions of the game board are desirably formed of sheet
metal, which will preferably be ferrous to enable magnetic
attachment of the various optional accessories. The base portions
of the player pieces will advantageously be produced from a
synthetic resinous material to afford to the legs thereof the
desired combination of resilient deformability and rigidity
adequate for support and also for directional control of movement,
and the polyamides function well as such.
Thus, it can be seen that the present invention provides a novel
game apparatus having magnetic player piece control members
supported in a game board by means which is adequate to afford
sufficient control, and which is also relatively simple and
inexpensive to produce. In the game apparatus, magnetic and
vibrational effects are combined in a highly desirable manner, and
it provides for the application of sports game strategy and
procedure. The invention also provides a novel game involving the
manual movement of some players of each team and the vibratory
movement of other players thereof.
* * * * *