U.S. patent number 3,879,040 [Application Number 05/410,451] was granted by the patent office on 1975-04-22 for three-dimensional tic-tac-toe game apparatus.
Invention is credited to W. Ronald Smith.
United States Patent |
3,879,040 |
Smith |
April 22, 1975 |
Three-dimensional tic-tac-toe game apparatus
Abstract
A three-dimensional tic-tac-toe game apparatus comprising a
plurality of like trays having exterior and interior walls dividing
the trays into compartments arranged in rows, which compartments
are adapted to receive game pieces. The trays are separable and
each has a different indicia thereon, identifying the relative
position of each tray when the trays are physically or mentally
assembled to form a cube structure for playing three-dimensional
tic-tac-toe. During playing of the game, the trays are arranged in
any desired relationship with respect to each other.
Inventors: |
Smith; W. Ronald (Long Beach,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
23624785 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/410,451 |
Filed: |
October 29, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/241;
273/282.1; 273/283 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
3/00094 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
3/00 (20060101); A63f 003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/13R,13AB,13B,13AC,13C,131AC,131B,131D,136D,136E,136GB,136K |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Pinkham; Richard C.
Assistant Examiner: Strappello; Harry G.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Shlensinger, Arkwright, Garvey
& Dinsmore
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A tic-tac-toe game apparatus comprising:
a. a three-dimensional structure comprising at least three like
support members stacked together,
b. each of said like support members having vertical and horizontal
rows of playing zones,
c. game pieces for selective placement in the playing zones,
d. said support members being separable to permit playing of the
game of three dimensional tic-tac-toe with the support members in
variety of relative positions, and
e. different indicia means applied to each of said support members
for identifying the relative vertical position of the support
members and the orientation thereof in a horizontal plane, when the
support members are physically or mentally stacked together to form
the three-dimensional structure.
2. The game apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
a. each of said support members are substantially square and the
number of playing zones in the vertical and horizontal rows
corresponds to the number of support members.
3. The game apparatus of claim 2, wherein:
a. said support members comprise a plurality of trays each having a
bottom wall and exterior walls providing front, back and side walls
extending outwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall,
b. a plurality of spaced interior walls extending between said
front and back walls and between said side walls, said interior
walls being equally spaced from each other and from said exterior
walls, thereby providing a plurality of like compartments in
vertical and horizontal rows, and
c. complemental game pieces of cube shape for selective placement
in said compartments by the game players.
4. The game apparatus of claim 3, wherein:
a. said different indicia means for identifying the relative
vertical position of the trays in the three-dimensional structure
and the orientation thereof in a horizontal plane consists of a
single identification member affixed to the bottom of each
tray,
b. the single identification member of each tray bearing a
predetermined relationship to the single identification member of
every other tray.
Description
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS
Various apparatus has been devised for playing the game of
three-dimensional tic-tac-toe, illustrative of which are U.S. Pat.
Nos. 2,313,473; 2,676,018; 2,801,107; 2,880,001; 3,481,603;
3,556,526 and 3,561,774.
The apparatus disclosed in these patents is characterized by the
restrictions placed on the playing of three-dimensional tic-tac-toe
by the use of stable, unchanging component parts, which
restrictions severely limit the manner of play. This causes the
game to take on a "sameness," with little variation or imagination
possible, much in the same way as two-dimensional tic-tac-toe. By
the same token, the mental challenge of these games is extremely
limited so that, after a short period of time, the lack of
variation and challenge causes interest in the game to wane.
It is an object of this invention to provide a three-dimensional
tic-tac-toe game apparatus wherein the component parts thereof are
so constructed and related to each other that many variations in
playing three-dimensional tic-tac-toe are possible, while at the
same time providing a mental challenge which extends over a wide
range, the degree of the mental challenge being determined by the
players themselves.
Another object is to provide a game of the character described
wherein component parts comprising members for the reception of
playing pieces are separable from, but bear a specific relationship
to each other, thereby permitting the members to be placed in many
different relative positions, and accordingly offering great
versatility in the playing of the game.
A further object is to provide apparatus of the character described
including a plurality of compartmented trays having identifying
indicia thereon to indicate the relative position of the trays when
physically assembled to form a cube as is conventional practice in
the playing of three-dimensional tic-tac-toe, the identifying
indicia permitting the trays to be arranged in various unstacked
positions with respect to each other during the playing of the
game, thereby requiring the players to mentally and conceptually
integrate the trays in a form of a cube in order to determine their
moves.
A further object is to provide a game of the character described
for testing the players' ability to mentally integrate a plurality
of differentiated component parts bearing a specific relationship
to each other for playing the game of three-dimensional
tic-tac-toe, which component parts are movable independently of
each other and may be rearranged before and/or during the playing
of the game.
A still further object is to provide a three-dimensional
tic-tac-toe game or apparatus as described employing a small number
of economical parts, the structural arrangement of the parts being
such that wide versatility in the playing of the game is
effected.
Other objects will be apparent from the following description of
the presently preferred form of the invention taken in connection
with the appended drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game apparatus of the present
invention, showing the trays comprising the game apparatus in
stacked or assembled relationship;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the trays comprising
the cube in exploded form;
FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of one of the trays of the present
apparatus, a portion thereof being shown in section;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3,
looking in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a player piece constructed in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the apparatus of the present invention
illustrating one arrangement thereof, and
FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a second arrangement of
the game apparatus.
The game apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of
trays, preferably four in number, and designated 10, 12, 14 and 16.
Each tray is of like, square construction and preferably of a clear
plastic or other transparent material and includes a bottom wall 18
on which is imprinted indicia, the indicia for the four trays being
indicated at 20, 22, 24 and 26.
The indicia 20, 22, 24 and 26 for trays 10, 12, 14 and 16
preferably comprise the numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, to
identify the relative position of the trays when stacked together,
i.e. the trays are stacked in the order of 1, 2, 3 and 4 or 4, 3, 2
and 1 as viewed from top to bottom. The indicia is preferably
painted on the trays with translucent paint or with other means
which permit good visibility when the trays are stacked. In
addition to identifying the position of the trays in the stack, the
indicia also indicates the orientation of the trays with respect to
each other, in a horizontal plane, i.e., the front and the back
since, when stacked, the indicia all face in the same direction, as
shown in FIG. 2.
Each tray is provided with exterior walls which comprise a front
wall 28, a back wall 30 and side walls 32 and 34 which are
determined by the location of indicia 20, 22, 24 and 26, and which
extend outwardly from the peripheral limits of bottom wall 18, a
predetermined extent. Each tray is further provided with a
plurality of interior walls 36, 38 and 40 which extend between
front wall 28 and rear wall 30, the interior walls being equally
spaced from each other and from side walls 32 and 34. Interior
walls 42, 44 and 46 also extend between side walls 32 and 34, walls
36, 38 and 40 being also equally spaced from each other and from
the side walls.
The exterior and interior walls are of the same height, the height
being such that the tray may rest on any of the exterior walls
during playing of the game. By this arrangement, there are provided
a plurality of compartments or zones 48 for receiving game pieces,
which compartments are of like, cube shape. It will be noted from a
consideration of the drawings, that the arrangement of the interior
walls is such that vertical and horizontal rows of compartments are
thereby formed, the number of rows in both the horizontal and
vertical direction corresponding to the number of trays comprising
the game apparatus. Compartments 48 are adapted for the selective
placement of game pieces comprising complemental cubes 50 which may
be of different colors to identify the pieces of different players.
Cubes 50 are preferably of STYROFOAM, but also may be of wood,
plastic, metal or other suitable material as desired.
It will be noted from a consideration of the drawings that the
structure of the trays permits the same to be positioned on a
planar surface resting on bottom wall 18, front wall 28, back wall
30 or side walls 32 or 34.
In playing the game of three-dimensional tic-tac-toe with the
present apparatus, the trays are arranged on a planar surface in
any desired fashion with the bottom walls thereof resting on the
planar surface; the front, back or side walls resting on the planar
surface; or a combination of the two, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and
7. In addition to this arrangement, the trays may be placed with
the various indicia 20, 22, 24 and 26 facing in any desired
direction, as also illustrated in FIG. 6.
The game of tic-tac-toe is played in conventional fashion by two
players, each player in turn placing a different colored cube 50
into a selected compartment 48 of any of trays 10, 12, 14 or 16. In
accordance with the rules of tic-tac-toe, a row, either
horizontally, vertically or diagonally is the winner of the game. A
winning arrangement of the game pieces is illustrated in FIG.
1.
It will be noted from a consideration of the drawings that in
playing the game of tic-tac-toe with the present apparatus, the
game is enhanced by the fact that the trays are not physically
assembled as illustrated in FIG. 1 while playing the game, but are
only mentally integrated, thereby requiring considerable conceptual
ability and mental skill on the part of the players to determine
just which move to make when the trays are arranged as illustrated
in FIGS. 6 or 7, or the many other various positions which these
trays may assume.
In initially learning the game, after a player claims to have won
by virtue of having four pieces in a row, the trays may be
assembled as shown in FIG. 1 in order to prove the tic-tac-toe.
After a period of time of playing the game, the skill acquired by
the players will enable them to play the game without physically
stacking the trays.
With the apparatus of the present invention, many variations in
addition to those set out above, are possible in playing the game
of three-dimensional tic-tac-toe. For example, a complete game may
be played with the trays remaining stationary throughout the game,
or the trays may be moved around during the progress of the game to
further test the ability of the players to conceptualize the
integration of the trays to form the three-dimensional stack of
FIG. 1. Additionally, each player may employ several different
colored cubes, thereby further complicating the play on the part of
both players.
Although the apparatus of the present invention is primarily
intended as a game, it also stimulates the human conceptual faculty
by exercising one's ability to integrate three or more distinctly
marked and differentiated component parts of a transparent cube
within which players are simultaneously vying with each other in a
three-dimensional game of tic-tac-toe. It therefore constitutes an
excellent method for testing the ability of individuals to
conceptualize and also to improve this faculty.
While there has herein been shown and described the presently
preferred form of this invention, it is to be understood that such
has been done for purposes of illustration only, and that various
changes may be made therein within the scope of the appended
claims.
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