US1797742A - Game - Google Patents

Description

March 24, 1931. WARD 1,797,742

GAMF! Filed Dec. 6, 1929 I Patented Mar. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES 3'. HUGE WARD, F ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS our:

Application filed December 6, 1929. Serial No. 412,054.

This inventionrelates to a racing game. The principal object of my inventlon is to provide a game simulating an actual horse race as closely as possible. With this object in view I have provided a miniature race track marked olf in a certain number of lanes in each of which a game piece or symbol corresponding to a horse is played and arranged to be advancedon each play according to the throwing of dice. I realize that racing games of this general description have been proposed before, but most of them involved such features that there was no close similarity to an actual horse race, and, consequently, they were not particularly popular. In the game of my invention, the lanes for the different horses are marked ofl into different numbers of spaces, the inside lane along the rail having the least number of spaces, and the outside lane having the greatest number,

and those in between having spaces proportionately greater in number than the inside lane according to how far removed they are from said lane. The dilferent lanes are given distinctive colors, and dice of the same distinctive colors are provided, one for each lane and all numbered alike. Thus, when the dice are thrown, the 'difierent horses are advanced according to the numbers appear- 3() ing on the different dice. The horse on the inside lane, the favorite, has the least number of jumps to make to reach the finish line, and the others in the other lanes have greater numbers of jumps to make according to their 5 lanes. Thus, there is injected into this game much of the element of chance that makes horse races so popular. For example, every horse has a chance to either win, place, or show, and the odds are, of course, more in favor of the favorite and less in favor of the horse in the outside lane. According to my invention, players may select horses to win, place, and show, and in accordance with a predetermined schedule of odds for the different horses.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a game board or card embodying my invention, and

'cheapness, has thereon a representation of a race track at 4, and below it or to one side, a schedule of odds 5. 6 is the start-finish line at one end of the home stretch 7, the track being preferably made oblong like an actual race track, having a back stretch 8 and turns 9 and 10. According to my invention, the track 4 is marked olf into any suitable number of separate lanes preferably d'ifi'erently colored, as for example, the inside lane 11 is shown green; the next lane 12, yellow; the next 13, blue; the next 14, brown; the next 15, white; and the outside lane 16, red. Now, these different lanes, each distinctively colored as stated, are marked ofl into a certain number of spaces, starting with say, 30, for the inside lane 11 along the rail, and increasing the number of spaces for the other lanes in proportion as the are more "remote from the inside lane, so t at lane 12' has say, 32 spaces; lane 13, 34 spaces; lane 14, 36 spaces; lane 15, 38 spaces, and lane 16, 40 spaces, measuring from the start-finish line around the track and back to said line. Game pieces or symbols corresponding to horses are provided for the difierent lanes, and these may or may not be colored, but preferably are, to match the lanes. The game pieces are numbered 11 to 16. Associated with these game pieces, I provide dice, or any other suitable play-controlling devices, colored to match the lanes, numbered 21 to 26, respectively. The dice are all numbered alike-O to 5. Now, to complete the game, I have marked off the schedule 5 in six columns colored to correspond with the lanes and the dice, as shown, and numbered 31 to '36, re

. the start of the race.

spectively. The difierent fi res in each column are for win, place, and show, as indicated, and it will be noticed that the odds are increased in proportion to the number of spaces in the particular lane with which the column in the schedule is associated, and, of course, the odds are less to place than to win, and still less to show.

In playing the game, any number of players, that 1s, two or more, can pllay. One of the players may be elected ban er and given a certain number of chips or tokens to allot a certain number to each player. Each of the players selects a certain horse to win, another to place, and another to show, and, accordingly, deposits two chips in each of three places on the schedule 5. Then, the horses 11 to 16' are placed on the line 6 for The banker throws the dice, and the horses are advanced after each throw according to the numbers appearing on the dice. The horses appear in Fig. 1 advanced according to the throw of the dice shown in Fig. 2. Thus, horse 11 has been advanced one jump to agree with dice 21; horse 12' three jumps to agree with dice 22; horse 13 two jumps to agree with dice 23, etc., the horse 16' being shown advanced five jumps to agree with dice 26. It will be observed that one horse of the six has not been advanced, owing to the fact that O has been thrown with the dice 24. It will be evident from observation of the horses as they appear in relation to one another after the first throw of the dice how the game offers much of the excitement of an actual horse race, and, furthermore, how the chances of the diiferent horses to win, place or show may look favorable or unfavorable during the progress of the game. At the finish of the race the banker gives the player whose horse has won, a number of chips corresponding to the number given on the schedule. Thus, if the blue horse 13 wins, ten chips are given inreturn for the two placed in that space at the beginning of the race, and in like manner the banker gives chips to those whose horses were in to place or to show. All of the other chips go to the banker. Obviously, several players can select a certain horse to win, to place, or to show. In case two or more horses tie at the finish of a race, the one with the lowest odds is regarded as first; the one with the next lowest, second; and so on. If one horse wins but there are two tied to place, whichever one of the two that are tied has the lower odds is considered second, and the other third. In like manner there may be two tied to show. In that event, whichever one has the lower odds is consid ered third in the race. The rules may be varied from what has just been given to suit the preference of the players. Furthermore, the odds given in the schedule 5 are not necessarily fixed, but may be changed as desired.

The following claims are drawn with a view to coverin the invention in such terms as to embrace alllegitimate modifications and adaptations such as are apt to occur to others after my disclosure.

I claim:

1. In a horse racing game or the like, the combination of a game board embod a track having a start and finish line and divided into a series of lanes, each in turn divided into successive spaces, there being different predetermined numbers of spaces in the said lanes, a schedule of odds divided lengthwise into a series of sections equal in number to the lanes, there being one section associated with each lane the schedule being divided cross-wise so asto rovidethree spaces in each section, one suita ly designated for win, the next for place, and the next for show, the spaces having suitable le ends therein pertaining to odds, theodds ing proportioned in two ways, namely, in proportion to the number of spaces in the lanes and as between win, play and show, game pieces to represent horses, one for each lane, and pla controlling devices, such as dice, one for eac game piece and all numbered alike and arranged to be played at one time so as to determine the simultaneous advancement of the pieces in the lanes as chance determines, each lane and the schedule section and die related thereto being colored alike in contrast to the others, the diiferently colored sections of the schedule being arranged in the same order as the difierently colored lanes.

2. In a racing game, the combination of a game board embodying-a track having a start and finish line and divided into a series of lanes, each in turn divided into successive spaces, there being different predetermined numbers of spaces in said lanes, a schedule of odds divided lengthwise into sections equal in number to the lanes, there being one section associated with each lane and the sections having suitable legends therein pertaining to odds, game pieces, one for each lane, and play controlling devices, such as dice, one for each game piece and all numbered alike and arranged to be played at one time so as to determine the simultaneous advancement of the pieces in. the lanes as chance determines, each lane and the schedule section and die related thereto being colored alike in contrast to the others, and the differently colored sections of the schedule being arranged in-the same order as the difierently colored lanes.

3. In a racin game, the combination of a nature.

F. HUGH WARD.

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