U.S. patent number 3,891,219 [Application Number 05/426,104] was granted by the patent office on 1975-06-24 for game board with color distinguishable play pins and bores.
Invention is credited to Reiner Foerst.
United States Patent |
3,891,219 |
Foerst |
June 24, 1975 |
Game board with color distinguishable play pins and bores
Abstract
A game board which has a top section and a bottom movable toward
and away from each other and continuously urged away from each
other by springs interposed between these two sections while
abutment means associated therewith determine the minimum and
maximum distance between the bottom and top sections. The top
section is provided with a plurality of bores in which there are
respectively arranged a plurality of play pins each of which is
shiftable into two distinct extreme positions and a distinct
intermediate position in each of which it is frictionally held. The
shafts of the play pins are all provided with a common color. The
surfaces of the bores in which the play pins are disposed are
likewise provided with a common color which is distinguishable from
the shaft color, whereby shifting of a play pin into either of its
extreme positions results in the display of one of two
distinguishable colors.
Inventors: |
Foerst; Reiner (527 Gummersbach
1 - Karlskamp, DT) |
Family
ID: |
23689307 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/426,104 |
Filed: |
December 19, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/281; 116/222;
273/271 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
3/00574 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
3/02 (20060101); A63f 003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/136F,135BC,13R,148R,148A ;46/1A,180 ;116/120,135,136 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Oechsle; Anton O.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Becker; Walter
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A game board which includes in combination: a bottom section, a
top section, spring means interposed between said top section and
said bottom section, said top section and said bottom section being
movable relative to each other, said spring means continuously
urging said top section away from said bottom section, abutment
means associated with said top and bottom sections and operable
during a movement of said top section toward and away from said
bottom section to limit the minimum and maximum distance
respectively therebetween, said top section being provided with a
plurality of bores defined by walls having a lower end face
directed toward said bottom section, and a plurality of play pin
means projecting above the game board and respectively frictionally
slidable in said bores with said play pin means being axially
displaceable toward and away from said bottom section, each of said
pin means having a skirt with resilient portions having the
tendency to bend outwardly for frictional engagement with the wall
of the pertaining bore, the improvement therewith comprising a side
surface of said bores having a color different from that of the top
section of the board, said play pin means being shiftable into two
distinct extreme positions and a distinct intermediate base
position in each of which three positions said play pin means are
frictionally held, each play pin means comprising a slidable part
and a handle for pushing and pulling thereof which projects just
above said board in the base position of said play pin means, said
handle and said slidable part being differently colored such that
the surface of the handle and surface of the top section of the
board are uniquely colored whereas the surface of the slidable part
and the side surfaces of the openings in the board are differently
colored.
2. A game board in combination according to claim 1, in which that
portion of the skirt of each pin which is closest to said bottom
portion has a flange for respectively engaging said bottom section
in the lowermost position of the respective pin and for engaging
the respective adjacent lower end face of the pertaining bore wall
in the uppermost position of the respective pin.
3. A game board in combination according to claim 1, in which said
bottom section has outwardly extending peripheral flange means, and
in which said top section has peripheral nose means catching behind
said flange means when said top and bottom sections have their
maximum distance from each other, said top section also being
provided with shoulder means for abutment with said flange means of
said bottom section to limit the minimum spacing between the latter
and said top section.
Description
The invention applies to a game played on a board, with which the
fieldboard is provided with evenly distributed boxes in which play
pins are located which project above the board and are held in
their respective position by resilient elements, said play pins
being axially displaceable.
Games of the above mentioned kind are known. As game elements pins
are employed which are of the same shape but differ in color from
each other. During the game, the game elements or pieces are placed
into the openings or bores by the players in alternate sequence and
withdrawn again. With games of this type it is disadvantageous that
the game elements have individually to be taken out of little
containers and have to be inserted into the openings or bores. The
placing of loose pins or pieces into openings is unhandy and thus
hinders the progress of the game.
Games are also known where the game elements or pieces have already
been inserted into the openings of the fieldboard and prior to the
start of the game are held in their position by spring elements.
The disadvantage of this board game however consists in that all
game pins are during the play pushed downwardly only, which fact
greatly restricts the rules of the game. Moreover, due to the
uniform color of the game pins there is no optical difference in
their appearance during the course of the game.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to improve games of
the above mentioned kind in a way that loose game pins or pieces
are not used and that due to different colors of the game pins and
their location indications, the game is suitable for a wider
variety of rules.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear
more clearly from the following specification in connection with
the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a top view of a possible embodiment of a board game
according to the invention.
FIG. 2 shows a bottom view of the board game according to FIG.
1.
FIG. 3 is a section taken along the line III--III of FIG. 1.
The board game according to the invention includes a fieldboard
with evenly distributed bores extending entirely through the board
and having vertically displaceably arranged therein game pins which
project above the board and are held in their respective position
by spring elements. The game is characterized primarily in that the
vertically displaceable play field plate rests through the
intervention of preloaded springs against the bottom while the
playfield plate along its circumferential edge ends in a bead. This
bead is on its inside provided with an abutment having catches or
noses on its lower end. These noses rest against a collar-shaped
extension at the bottom. Each play pin has that end thereof which
projects beyond and above said plate provided with a handle while
its opposite end is equipped with a collar-shaped extension. Each
play pin comprises a handle and a slidable part which are
interengaged while the outer confinement of the slidable part is
partly angled off outwardly and forms spring elements.
Referring now to the drawings in detail, the game illustrated
therein comprises a fieldboard 1 which rests on the bottom 2
through the intervention of springs 3. The springs 3 are held in
position by dogs 4 and 4a respectively connected to the bottom 2
and the fieldboard 1. The rim 5 of the fieldboard 1 is in the form
of a bead which at its upper part 5a projects beyond the fieldboard
1. At the inner side of the lower part 5b the rim or bead 5 has a
shoulder 6 forming a stop. The lower part 5b of bead 5 forms a
catch or nose 7. The noses 7 rest against a collar-shaped extension
8 on the bottom 2. The lower part 5b of bead 5 is bend-elastic to
permit an easy assembly. The game pin 10 comprises a handle part 12
and a sliding part 14. Both parts catch each other. The outer
confinement of the sliding part 14 is partly angled off outwardly
while forming elastic limbs 11 adapted frictionally to engage the
wall of the pertaining bore in board 1. The upward movement of pin
10 is limited by engagement of its flange-shaped end 13 with the
pertaining edge 1a of board 1.
The handling of the board game and further advantages thereof will
become clear from the play rules briefly set forth below:
The game is played by two persons. Each player sets the color
assigned to him, in alternate sequency by pushing or pulling a game
pin 10. The object of the game consists in setting five marks of
one color in a row. That player who has accomplished this first is
the winner.
The checking of the state of the game is assured at each stage of
the game due to the fact that the outsides of the sliding parts 14
of the pins 10 and the insides of the openings 9 are differently
colored and furthermore that these two colors differ from the
common color of the handles 12, of the top sides of the pins 10,
and of the top side of the fieldboard 1.
Canceling of the game is accomplished by first pushing the pulled
pins 10 downwardly either by pressing them inwardly manually or by
turning the board game upside down, placing it on a smooth surface,
and pressing downwardly while overcoming the tension of the springs
3. In this way all pressed-in pins 10 are returned to their initial
position.
The board game according to the invention has the advantage that no
loose game pins or pieces are used and that nevertheless the game
is suitable for rules requiring game pins of two different colors.
According to the invention, the game pins are slidable in the
openings or bores of the fieldboard. The shape of the pins in
connection with their distinguishing colors against the fieldboard
and the insides of the holes permits a good survey over the game
and easy handling thereof. This also applies to the canceling out
of the game which does not require the players resetting each
playing pin to its initial position.
It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is,
by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawings, but
also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended
claim.
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