U.S. patent number 3,779,554 [Application Number 05/301,437] was granted by the patent office on 1973-12-18 for board game apparatus.
Invention is credited to John R. Brix.
United States Patent |
3,779,554 |
Brix |
December 18, 1973 |
BOARD GAME APPARATUS
Abstract
A board game apparatus comprising a transparent game board
having intersecting lines thereon to define a plurality of game
piece receiving areas. A plurality of game, or playing, pieces are
provided which are formed with bottom surfaces to stand upon the
transparent game board, which bottom surfaces are provided with
indicia for identification of the individual game pieces. Mirrors
are located beneath the transparent game board to expose different
playing board areas to the view of different players. The
indicia-bearing bottom surfaces of playing pieces positioned on the
board within such reflected viewing areas are thereby viewable. The
apparatus is adapted for use in playing various games including a
modified form of chess in which the playing pieces are divided into
two groups, with the pieces of one group being visually
distinguishable from those of the other group as viewed from above
as by use of different colors, shapes, or the like for the groups.
Individual chessmen are identified by suitable indicia on the
bottom surfaces of the playing pieces indirectly viewable by
reflection in said mirrors.
Inventors: |
Brix; John R. (San Francisco,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
23163354 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/301,437 |
Filed: |
October 27, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/260; 273/242;
273/288; 273/DIG.14; 273/287 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
3/00895 (20130101); A63F 2009/0623 (20130101); Y10S
273/14 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
3/02 (20060101); A63F 9/06 (20060101); A63f
003/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/130,131,132,133,134,135,136,122 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,039,429 |
|
Sep 1958 |
|
DT |
|
369,283 |
|
Feb 1923 |
|
DD |
|
Primary Examiner: Lowe; Delbert B.
Claims
I claim:
1. A board game apparatus comprising:
a game board for receiving thereon game pieces, at least a portion
of said game board being transparent,
light reflecting means beneath the game board for indirect viewing
therein from a position above the board of at least a portion of
the bottom surface of the transparent portion of the game board,
said light reflecting means including at least one mirror inclined
downwardly and outwardly from the bottom surface of the game board,
and
game pieces with indicia-bearing bottom surfaces supportable on
said game board, with the indicia of those game pieces positioned
on the transparent portion of the game board viewable in said light
reflecting means being viewable therein, through said transparent
portion.
2. The board game apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said game
pieces are divided into two groups,
means for distinguishing the game pieces of one group from those of
the other group as viewed from above, every game piece of a group
being indistinguishable from every other game piece of that group
as directly viewed from above.
3. The board game apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein,
said game board is provided with a plurality of intersecting lines
to define a checkerboard pattern thereon, and
said indicia being indicia of chessmen for playing a modified form
of chess game.
4. A board game apparatus comprising:
a game board having an upper surface for receiving thereon game
pieces, the upper surface of the game board and all game pieces
positioned thereon being directly viewable from above the game
board by players at separate viewing locations about the game
board, at least a portion of said game board being transparent,
light reflecting means beneath the game board comprising a
plurality of mirrors inclined downwardly and outwardly from the
bottom of the game board within which mirrors separate territories
of the game board are viewable by individual players at separate
viewing locations about the game board.
5. The board game apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a pair
of spaced side members, and
means for mounting the game board and light reflecting means
between said side members.
6. A board game apparatus comprising,
a game board for receiving thereon playing pieces, at least a
portion of said game board being transparent,
light reflecting means beneath the game board for indirect viewing
therein from a position above the board of at least a portion of
the bottom surface of the transparent portion of the game
board,
said light reflecting means comprising a pair of mirrors having
upper edges adjacent the bottom of the game board and extending
transversely thereof, said mirrors being inclined outwardly and
downwardly from the game board.
7. The board game apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the upper
edges of the mirrors are located adjacent the transverse center of
the board.
8. A board game apparatus comprising,
a game board for receiving thereon game pieces, said game board
being made of transparent material having a plurality of game
receiving areas defined by intersecting lines disposed on the game
board including a transverse center line dividing the board into
two separate territories,
light reflecting means beneath the game board comprising first and
second mirrors with upper edges extending parallel with the
transverse center line of the board, said mirrors being inclined
downwardly and outwardly in opposite directions from the board for
indirect viewing of bottom areas of the game board therein,
a plurality of game pieces formed with bottom surfaces to stand
upon the game board,
indicia on said bottom surfaces concealed from direct view from a
viewing level above the game board, said indicia being indirectly
viewable in said mirrors when said pieces are positioned on the
game board within viewing areas of said mirrors.
9. The board game apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein,
said light reflecting means beneath the game board includes means
for indirect viewing therein from at least two different positions
above the board of at least two different portions of the bottom
surface of the transparent portion of the game board,
the indicia of game pieces positioned on one and another portions
of said transparent portion of the game board being viewable in
said light reflecting means from one and another of said two
different positions above the board, respectively.
10. The board game apparatus as defined in claim 4 including,
a plurality of game pieces divided into two groups,
means for distinguishing the game pieces of one group from those of
the other group as viewed from above, every game piece of a group
being indistinguishable from every other playing piece of that
group as directly viewed from above,
all of said game pieces being formed with bottom surfaces to stand
upon the game board, and
indicia on said bottom surfaces viewable in said light reflecting
means at certain positions of the game pieces on the game board.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a board game apparatus adapted for use in
playing various games, including a modified form of chess.
Board game apparatus which include a plurality of playing pieces
movable across or along a suitably marked board are well known. The
game pieces, in a game such as chess, may comprise two groups of
pieces which are distinguishable from each other as by color, e.g.,
one group of pieces being black and the other being white.
Normally, the identities of all of the game pieces are known to all
of the players regardless of their location on the board by reason
of their shapes for example.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is the provision of more
difficult, and interesting board type games, such as chess, by use
of novel game board and playing pieces whereby the location of all
of the game pieces is known to all players by viewing from above,
but the visual identity of individual game pieces by the players is
limited to those game pieces located in a territory adjacent the
players own end of the board.
The above and other objects and advantages of the invention are
achieved by a board game apparatus comprising a transparent game
board which includes a plurality of discrete playing board areas or
territories divided into a plurality of playing piece receiving
areas. A plurality of game pieces are provided which may be divided
into two groups visually distinguishable from each other as by
color, shape, or the like. However, as viewed from above all of the
game pieces of a group are of identical appearance. Indicia are
provided on the bottom surfaces of the game pieces which indicia
can not be directly viewed from above by any of the players. Light
reflecting means such as mirrors are located beneath the
transparent game board to allow for the indirect viewing of the
bottom surface of the player's own territory to provide such player
with a view of the bottom indicia-bearing surfaces of those game
pieces located within such territory. For use in a modified form of
chess the bottom surfaces of the playing pieces have indicia
representing the various chess pieces. The indicia of those pieces
located within a player's territory are therefore viewable by that
player but are hidden from view of the player's opponent. Players
must therefor commit to memory the identity of chess pieces located
outside of their own territory. Modified game rules also may be
employed which provide for forfeiture of game pieces or loss of a
game upon improper movement of game pieces located outside a
player's territory of view of the indicia.
The invention will be better understood from the following
description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. In
the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same
parts in the several views:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a board game apparatus embodying
this invention and showing game pieces in a starting position for
playing a modified form of chess;
FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1
but showing fewer game pieces and showing portions of the apparatus
broken away for clarity;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3
of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 1 and
showing the bottom of the game pieces as viewed through the
transparent game board, and
FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the bottom
indicia-bearing surface of one of the game pieces.
Referring first to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, the illustrated board
game apparatus is shown comprising a playing board 10 made of
suitable transparent material such as transparent glass, plastic,
or the like. Where the novel apparatus is to be used for playing a
modified form of chess, as illustrated, the board is of square
shape and is divided into squares defined by intersecting
longitudinal and transverse lines 12 and 14, respectively, formed
thereon by etching, painting, taping, or the like. The resultant
squares defined by the lines comprise game piece receiving areas,
there being 64 such areas formed by use of seven longitudinal and
seven transverse lines such as employed in a conventional chess
game board.
With the illustrated arrangement the playing pieces are divided
into two groups of pieces designated 16 and 18, there being one
group for each player. The playing pieces of one group are visually
distinguishable from those of the other group as by color, shape,
form or the like. For example, all of the pieces of one group may
be of a black color whereas those of the other group are white. The
players are thereby able to distinguish their own pieces from those
of their opponents as directly viewed from above the board.
However, unlike conventional chessmen, the individual playing
pieces of one group are indistinguishable from every other playing
piece of that group, as directly viewed from above. For example, as
directly viewed in FIG. 1, all of the playing pieces 16 appear as
identical cone-shaped white pieces while all of the pieces 18
appear as identical cone-shaped black pieces.
In accordance with this invention the game pieces within a group
are distinguishable by means of indicia at the bottom surfaces
thereof. As seen in FIG. 5, the bottom surface 20 of a game piece
is shown provided with the indicium "P" which identifies a pawn.
Indicia for other game pieces may include the letters R, KT, B, Q,
and K to identify rooks, knights, bishops, queens and kings,
respectively. Obviously, other indicia may be employed. For
example, where the apparatus is used for playing a modified form of
chess, as described, illustrations of the conventionally shaped
chessmen may be employed on the bottoms of the playing pieces. For
other games, other indicia may be used.
The game pieces are adapted to rest upon the game board 10 with
their bottom surfaces in supporting contact thereon. Consequently,
the indicia is hidden from direct view of the players at eye levels
above the game board. In accordance with this invention selected
areas or territories of the transparent game board are indirectly
viewable through light reflecting, or directing, means such as
mirrors 22 and 24 located beneath the board to enable the players
to view the bottom indicia-carrying surfaces of the game pieces
positioned within such areas. For purposes of illustration, the
board game apparatus is shown comprising opposite side members 26
and 28 having inwardly facing horizontal channel members 30, 30
along the upper edges thereof to receive opposite side edges of the
game board 10. Downwardly and outwardly diverging channel members
32 also are provided on the side members beneath the horizontal
channel members to receive the opposite side edges of the mirrors
22 and 24. The mirrors and game board are clamped in fixed position
between the side members by use of a bolt 34 extending through the
side members and wing nut 35 at the threaded end of the bolt. The
apparatus may be readily disassembled by simply loosening the nut
35 and spreading the side members for removal of the mirrors and
game board from their respective channel supporting members. With
the illustrated arrangement the mirrors 22 and 24 also serve as
legs for support of the apparatus. Suitable mirrors include those
comprising glass, plastic, or the like material provided with a
suitable light reflective coating. Alternatively metallic mirrors
formed with smooth highly reflective surfaces may be used, as well
as light directing prisms, or the like.
In the illustrated modification of my invention the uppermost edges
of the inclined mirrors 22 and 24 extend transversely of the board
adjacent the center dividing line designated 14A. The board is
thereby divided into two equal areas or territories opposite the
center line 14A individually viewable from the bottom by the
players 36 and 38 through the mirrors 22 and 24, respectively. The
mirrors, of course, may be viewed through the transparent game
board as illustrated by the lines of sight shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.
As seen in FIG. 3, the bottom indicia-bearing surfaces of all game
pieces to the right of the game board transverse center line are
viewable in the mirror 22 by the player 36 from a viewing location
at one side of the game board, whereas the bottom indicia-bearing
surfaces of all game pieces to the left thereof are viewable in the
mirror 24 by the player 38 from a viewing location at another side
of the game board. It will be readily apparent then that although
both players have a view of all of the game pieces and their
locations on the game board from above, the indicia-bearing
surfaces of only those game pieces in the player's own territory
may be seen by such player whereas the indicia-bearing surfaces of
those pieces in the opponent's territory remain hidden from view of
the player.
Where the novel board game apparatus is used for chess, the bottom
surfaces of the game pieces are provided with indicia of the
conventional chessmen and the game commences by placement of the
chessmen in their conventional starting positions illustrated in
FIG. 1 and 3. At the start of a game both players know the position
of all game pieces even though the indicia of only those game
pieces within the player's own territory are visible in a mirror to
that player. Once game pieces are moved, the players must rely upon
memory for identification of those pieces at the opponent's end of
the board, thereby adding another element of skill to the game,
i.e., the requirement to remember the location of such game pieces.
The game may be played under substantially the same rules as
conventional chess. Possible rule changes involve penalties for the
improper movement of game pieces, which penalties may include the
forfeiture of the move, loss of the game piece, or even loss of the
game. For example, the modified rules may provide that a player
making an improper move (i.e., a move prohibited under conventional
rules) loses the game pieces so moved. Also, if the improperly
moved piece is declared by the player to place the opponent's king
in check, then the modified rules may provide for forfeiture of the
game. Because rule changes may be kept to a minimum, any player
with a knowledge of conventional chess may readily understand and
play the illustrated modified chess game of my invention.
It will be apparent that the board game apparatus is not limited to
use in a modified form of chess. Other games may be played
utilizing my invention, including games in which the playing pieces
may be randomly located on the game board at the start of a game
rather than at predetermined locations. In such games the identity
of a player's group of pieces may remain unknown to an opponent
until the pieces are moved into the opponent's territory.
Obviously, indicia other than that for chessmen may be used on the
game pieces. Also, the game board is not limited to that of the
illustrated checkerboard type. The apparatus is adapted for other
board games, such as track games in which one or more tracks are
depicted on the board and along which game pieces may be moved.
In addition to the use of different grids, tracks and indicia on
the game pieces, structural changes and modifications will suggest
themselves to those skilled in this art. Different support means
for the transparent game board and mirrors will be readily
apparent. For example, the transparent game board may comprise the
top of a box inside of which box the mirrors are mounted, with the
mirrors being viewed through the transparent top. The box could be
provided with a separate or an attached cover. Space for storage of
the game pieces could be provided within such a box. Also, the
apparatus could be constructed with but a single mirror for viewing
by a single player; or with more than the illustrated two mirrors
for viewing by more than two players. For example, the apparatus is
readily adapted for use with three player chess board games by a
different arrangement of mirrors and a differently shaped and
marked board. In addition, the mirrors 22 and 24 illustrated in the
drawings may be spaced apart rather than converging at the game
board center thereby providing a "no mans" area between the
player's territories which can not be viewed from the bottom by any
player. For example, the two rows of square game piece receiving
areas adjacent the center line 14A may be hidden from view in the
mirrors 22 and 24 simply by spacing the mirrors apart the width of
said two rows. A similar result may be obtained by making some
portions of the board opaque and other portions transparent whereby
game pieces located at the opaque areas would not be visible in a
mirror. Also, apertured areas in an opaque game board through which
the indicia-bearing bottom surfaces of game pieces located thereon
may be indirectly viewed in the light reflecting means are
contemplated.
It is intended that the above and other such changes and
modifications shall fall within the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *