US456069A - Game-board - Google Patents

G. M. SNOW. GAME BOARD.

(No' Model.) 7

No. 456,069. P atented-lul'y'l l, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. SNOV, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

I GAME-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,069, dated July 14, 1891.

Application filed May 16, 1890. Serial No. 352,048. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. SNOW, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Game-Board, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a gam e-board more particularly designed for the play of a game using marbles or balls or such like, and which Ilh ave devised and designate The Game of 3 The game-board of this invention, in substance, consists of a flat board of rectangular shape, having a surrounding guard-rail and at one end portion a cross-line on which to place and from which to propel the marbles in the play of the game, and at the other end portion a series of hemispherical pockets or cavities suitable to receive the marbles, in combination with upright pins, one for each pocket, and also preferably a Wicket, all as hereinafter particularly described.

In the drawings, A represents the gameboard, made of wood or other suitable material, wood being preferable, and of rectangular shape,and surrounded on all sides by a guard-rail B. There are four game-boards A shown, severally placed side by side, but with their ends presented in opposite directions, as shown and hereinafter appears.

A is the end of each board, from which a play with a marble (not shown) or such like ball is to be made, using a one C to propel it, and A is the end portion of each board, having pockets or depressions D, severally of corresponding hemispherical shape and suitable to receive and fit the marbles. As shown, the pockets D are eleven in number. Six pockets, at given distances apart, are in two lines, three in each line, extending lengthwise of the board at equal distances from and parallel with the opposite side rails B of the board. Each of the line-pockets is designated bya figure placed against it at its side toward the playing end A of the board, and the figures of one set are respectively 5, 6, and 9 and of the other set 4, 3, and 1. The line-pockets 5 and 4, respectively, are nearer, and the linepockets 9 and 1, respectively, are the farther from end A -of the board, from which a play is made, as hereinafter appears. Three pockets are in the outline of a triangle and are located midway of the Width and beyond the farther pockets D D of the line-pockets, and the pocket at the apex of the triangle is at the greater distance from the said farther pockets, and the other two pockets axially are on a line at right angles to the axial lines of the line-pockets.

Each triangular pocket is designated, the pocket at the apex by the letter X and the other two pockets by figures 10 and 8,1'espeotively, and the latter are located at the sides of the pocket X and toward the end A of the board from which a play is to be made, as before referred to. Two pockets, the balance of the total of eleven pockets, are inside of and slightly beyond the farther pockets B B of each set of line pockets and axially at an obtuse angle thereto, and each pocket is designated by the figures 2 and 7, respectively, placed against the side of the pocket toward the playing end A of the board.

E are pins located at the farther side of 'each table-pocket B, and F is a gate or wicket located and straddling the space between the pockets D and D of the triangular pockets.

The board is surfaced with paper G, known in the trade as ingrain wall-paper, and fully described in the United States Letters Patent No. 204,446, dated June 4, 1878. The paper surface G is most desirable, in that it is comparatively inexpensive, and a surface is secured for the roll of the marbles-or balls used in the play greatly resembling that of the cloth used on billiard, .scippio, and other like tables.

The designation of the several pockets, as described, is made upon the paper surface G by printing, painting, stamping, or otherwise marking thereon the representative characters named.

The one 0 consists of a stick and of a squaresided head 0 having one of its sides a beveled off, as shown in Fig. 3. The cue-head is placed by its beveled side a on the board in position against a marble, and so placed, on then forcing the cue forward over the board, the marble is thereby propelled all somewhat as a billiard-ball is propelled by a player using a mace in playing the game of billiards. The cue-stick as usedis more or less inclined to the surface of the board and the bevel-edge of the cuehead presents the head to the marble in a more or less directly upright position, and thereby obviates liability of its being forced into the paper G as the eueis impelled forward.

The end of the board from which a play is to be made, as described, has a heavy crossline H, on which the marble is to be placed preparatory to its being propelled with a cue, as explained.

The particular relative arrangement of pockets and pins, and also of the wicket and cross-line II, all as described, exposes each pocket for a marble to be propelled along a straight line directly into it, provided the marble preparatory to its being propelled is placed at a proper or stated point on the crossline 11 of the table, and that it otherwise is suitably impelled by the cue. It is the selection of this point from which to propel a marble, coupled with the handling of the cue and impelling of the marble, that necessitates on the part of the player the exercise of skill, thought, and care, or otherwise the marble will not enter the desired pocket, but, on the contrary, some other pocket, if it should enter any at all, according as it may be thrown out of its course by impingement on the pins or the wicket or by passing over a pocket or pockets.

The board described, and as before stated, has been particularly designed for the play of a game which I have also devised and have named The game of 31. This game may be played by any number of persons, and preferably a board is to be provided for each player, and again preferably the several boards are to be placed 011 a table side by side and to alternate with each other, and thus to have the players 011 opposite sides of the table, and each of whom is to have a board, a sufficient numberas, for instance, nineof marbles, and a cue. Furthermore, cards separately and distinctly numbered-as, for

instance, Nos. 0, 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,

15, 16, 17, 20, and 21and counters are to be provided, the former-to wit, the numbered cardsfor the purpose, by dealing, of determining who is to play first and the order in which the other players shall follow or otherwise, as may be determined, and also of providing each player with a numbered card to be held by him and to which he is to add according to the rules of the game, and the latter-to wit, the counters-for the purpose of keeping the record under the rules of the game made by each player.

Rules for the game of 31.--To begin the game one of the players is chosen dealer.

He must first mixthe cards well and give one to each player. The one receiving the highest-numbered card plays first, the player at his left following, and so on. This decided, these cards are returned to the dealer, who, after shufiiing them, again gives one to each player, this time face downward, as only the player receiving it is to know its number. The card now received is to be kept until some player makes 31, which he must then announce by crying 31, and show his card to prove himself correct. All the cards are then to be returned to the dealer and in like manner shuffled and distributed for the next play. The player last making 31 begins the next play. The player or side that first makes 31 five times wins a set or game, (this score is to be kept with the counters,) and in playing partners a 31 made by either partner counts one point for the side toward the set or game. Partners must play alternately between the players of the opposing side and must seat themselves at the table in such order. Play is begun by shooting a marble with the cue from any chosen point on the black line, and the players turn continues until he fails to shoot a marble into a pocket, when it becomes the play of the next in order. Such marbles as do not go into the pockets are to be at once removed from the alley and may be used again. The aim of the player is to make exactly 31 before his opponents do so. If more than 31 is made, either by error or accident, the player must cry over, and remove the marbles from all the pockets in his alley and yield his turn to the next in order. He can, however, play again in his usual turn, and, if he chooses, may exchange the card he holds for another by so requesting the dealer. To make 31 it is necessary to shoot marbles into those pockets whose numbers on being added together will, with the figure on the card held by the player, make a total of exactly 31. The marbles must be left in the pockets (excepting those shot into the X pocket) until a 31 is made and proven, when they are to be removed from all thepockets of each alley for the next play. A marble shot into the X pocket al lows the player to remove from the alley of one of his opponents any marble that he may choose and also allows him to continue playing. When both of the 1 pockets are filled, the X pocket may also be used twice as a 1 pocket for the purpose of making the last two of a 31; but when the player so chooses to count the X pocket he loses the right to remove a marble from his opponents alley. Marbles shot into this pocket are to be taken out at once, so that it will be always open. If a player finds that he cannot make 31 with his unfilled pockets and the possible two that may be made by filling the X pocket twice, he is fast, and must at once so announce, which entitles his opponent to a 31. If three are playing, the player having the highest pocket-count takes 31 and a new play is begun. It is suggested that the player on receiving his card mentally subtract its number from 31 and keep the remainder in his mind as the pocket-count needed. As an illustration, suppose he receive the 17-card, a pocketcount of 1 1 is needed, the 14 being the figure to be kept in mind rather than his card-number. For quite young players this will be found of much aid. The board described may be used for the play of other games, among them the games of Nine turns, Pocketta, and Kluger, and which I have devised. These games are especially for the amusement of small children, and the rules for the play of each are as follows:

For the game of Nt'ne-ttwna-The winner to be the player, who in shooting nine marbles can fill the most pockets, (no account to be taken of the pocket numbers.)

P0cketta.The winner to be the player or,

side that first makes a pocket-count of 55 or over, (the cards not to be used,) the players turn to continue until he failsto shoot a marble into a pocket, when play passes to the next in order. As soon as a player has filled six pockets on his alley he must remove the marbles from them, first giving their total to the scorer as a record of his count and will continue play until failing. .Pockets count as numbered,'except the X pocket. A marble shot into this pocket reduces the players score by ten. The marble is always to be taken out of this pocket at once, so as to leave it always open.- The score of this game may be kept by one of the players with pencil and paper or slate. The rules of 31 as order of play apply also to pockett-a.

For the game of K'luger.This game'is to be played the same as 31, with the exception that the cards are not to be used, and that 25 is the exact count needed to make 1 toward a set or game. It is preferable to have three pockets in eachset of line-pockets, but more or lessthan three. may be provided. Otherwise, however, than this the arrangement of pockets and pins should be in all respects as has been explained. vThe wicket may be dispensed with, but it is preferable to use it, and

again the portion of the guardrail at the playother end portion having pockets E in two' parallel rows, one near each side portion of said guard-rail, a pocket at each angle of a triangle and the three midway and beyond the end pockets of the parallel'rows of pockets, the farther removed from said play-line H, and a pocket located beyond each of said end pockets and between them and said triangular-arranged pockets and toward the central line of the board, in combination with fixed upright pins E, one at each of said pockets and the side thereof, the farther removed from said play or cross line H of the board,

substantially as described, for the purposes In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand-in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

c110. M. snow.

Witnesses:

ALBERT W. BROWN, .RUFUS H. SPALDING.