US2370229A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 2 7, 1945.

J. M. BUCKLEY GAME APPARATUS Filed Dec. 31, 1942 Patented Feb. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

2,370,229 GAME APPARATUS James M. Buckley, Chicago, 111.

Application December 31, 1942, Serial No. 470,734

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in game apparatus and it consists oi the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

One of the objects of the invention is to rovide a game apparatus which, while not limited to such use, is adapted 'to be used by'a number of players and which will aflord an instructive and educational pastime for the players in the building or developing of words, the number of letters in said words and the first and last letters thereof bein determined by a play of the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction for the purpose indicated having movable parts which must be actuated, which parts shall be so designed as to minimize danger of breakage, thus increasing the potential life of the game apparatus.

Other objects of the invention, as well as the advantages thereof will more fully appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a game apparatus embodying the preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the apparatus as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, 5 indicates the base for the apparatus and which is preferably square in shape. At the center of said base i an upright post 6, the bottom end 1 of which is engaged in an upwardly opening recess 8 in said base. Said post has a radial flange or shoulder 9 that engages upon the top surface of the base about the recess Ii. The post is formed above the flange or shoulder 9, with a plurality of stepped cylindrical parts lI-il and I2 respectively of successively reduced diameters, the upper ends of the portions It and H forming radial shoulders for the bottom ends of the parts I l and Rotatably rnounted on the post 6 is a plurality of circular discs [3-H and E5 of different diameters. The disc l3, which is the bottom one, is of the largest diameter and has rotative bearing on the post part The disc l, which is the top one, is of the smallest diameter and has rotative bearing on the post part I2 while the disc M which is the intermediate one, is of a diameter between those of the discs I3 and I5 and has rotative bearing on the post part H. A finishing button i6 is disposed upon the post part I2 above the disc [-5 and serves to prevent displacement thereof.

Preferably, but not necessarily so, the base member 5 is provided along its four sides with upstami-ng walls H" of such height as to dispose the top edges thereof in substantially the place .of the top surface of the button l6 as best appears in Fig. 2.

cessive pluralities oi the unit numbers 3" "4 5 and 6" respectively.

With the discs arranged as described, it is apparent from Fig. 1 that the marginal part of the disc I4 is visible outside the edge of the disc [5 and the marginal part of the disc I3 is visible outside of the disc M. The visible marginal arts of the discs l4 and [Bare each provided with radial delineations 2| and 22 which divide said parts into spaces or areas 23 and 24 respectively. In the said spaces 23 and 24 are provided characters in the form of letters 25 "and 26 respectively and which letters are those found in words of three, four, five and six letters each and more commonly used in ordinary language.

With the stepped arrangement of the discs in conjunction with the differences in diameters thereof, said discs when spun or whirled about the axis of the post 6 will stop at different times due to differences in kinetic energy which the parts contain;

In connection with the rotatably mounted discs just above mentioned, I provide an indicator which is common to all of said discs. This indicator, which bears the reference numeral 21, comprises a member rising from the base 5 and arranged radially with respect to the axis of the post 6. Said member is preferably disposed cornerwise of the base and is fixed at the bottom thereto while one end thereof overhangs a peripheral marginal portion of all of said discs as best appears in Fig; 1. The member 21 is stepped along the underside of saidw end as at 28'29 and 30 respectively and each step is associated with and is spaced slightly above the marginal portion of the associateddisc l3l4 or 15. In this instance the step 28 is associated with the disc I3, the step 29 is associated with the disc l4 and the step 30 is associated with the disc l5 a obvious from Fig. 2.

In the play of the apparatus, all of the discs are given a simultaneous spinning action or rotation and due to difference in kinetic energy, they will generally stop at difierent times and in different positions. Whensaid discs have stopped, say in the position shown in Fig. 1, the indicator part 30 in connection with the character numeral 5 will indicatethat the word to be built or developed, has five letters therein. The indicator part 29 will indicate that the first letter of the word is s" and the indicator part 30 will indicate that the last letter of the word is r. As an example of such a word the word saver is mentioned.

The game is easy to play and is instructive and educational and afiords an enjoyable pastime for the players.

It will be observed that the indicator is a stamass to give good action. Again, because of their shape, there is little danger of the operator breaking them. Hence, the game apparatus will give long and satisfactory service.

While the discs are shown as being solid or imperforate throughout, except for the central opening, it will be understood that they need. not necessarily be solid throughout. Hence the term disc in the claims is not to be construed as covering only a solid member.

While in describing the invention I have referred in detail to the form and arrangement of the parts involved, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A game apparatus of the kind described, embodying therein a plurality of rotatably mounted discs, each disc having indicia positioned on its face in an area around its axis, and a single relatively stationary indicating means having dif ferent defined portions which are respectively individual to the indicia carried by each disc.

2". A game apparatus of the kind described and embodying therein a plurality of rotatably mounted discs, each having an annular portion divided into spaces, the spaces of one disc each having a numeral thereon indicating the number of letters in a Word to be built and the spaces 'of each of the other discs each having a letter thereon, the letters in the spaces of one of the other of said discs designating the first letter of the Word to be built and the letters in the spaces of the other of said other discs designating the last letter of said word, and a single nonrotative indicator member having defined portions respectively individual to the numerals and the letters of all of said discs.

3. A game apparatus of the kind described and embodying therein a plurality of rotatably mounted discs, each having an annular portion divided into spaces, the spaces of one disc each having a numeral thereon indicating the number of letters in a word to be built and the spaces of each of the other discs each having a letter thereon, the letters in the spaces of one of the other of said discs designating the first letter of the word to be built and the letters in the spaces of the other of said other discs designating the last letter of said word, and a single fixed indicator member having defined parts respectively individually arranged to each of said discs.

4. A game apparatus of the kind described and embodying therein a plurality of discs arranged one above the other and all rotatable about a common axis, an annular portion of each disc being divided into spaces, the spaces of one disc each having a numeral thereon indicating the number of letters in the word to be built and the spaces on each of the other discs each having a letter thereon, the letters in the spaces of one of said other discs designating the first letter of the word to be built and the letter in the spaces of the other of said other discs designating the last letter of said word and a single nonrotative indicator member having defined portions respectively individual to the numerals and letters of all of said discs. I

5. A game apparatus of the kind described and embodying therein a. plurality 01' discs arranged one above the other and all rotatable about a common axis, an annular portionof each disc being divided into spaces, the spaces of one disc each having a numeral thereon indicating the number of letters in the word to be built and the spaces on each of the other discs each having a letter thereon, the letters in the spaces of one of said other discs designating the first letter of the word to be built and the letter in the spaces of the other of said other discs designating the last letter of said word, and a fixed indicator member having parts overhanging said discs and adapted to be associated with each of said discs.

6. A game apparatus of the kind described and embodying therein a plurality of discs arranged one above the other and all rotatable about a common axis, said discs being of successively decreasing diameters so that annular portions of all discs are presented to view, the annular portion of each disc being divided into spaces, the spaces of one disc each having a numeral thereon indicating the number of letters in the word to be built and the spaces on each of the other discs each having letters thereon,

the letters in the spaces of one of said other discs designating the first letter in the word to be built and the letter in the spaces of the other of said other discs designating the last letter of said word, and a fixed indicator means having stepped parts, one step overhanging each respective one of said discs and close to the same so as to be associated with the numerals and letters in the annular portions thereof.

7. A game apparatus embodying therein three discs of different sizes, means mounting said discs upon a base for free independent rotation about a common axis, indicia arranged on said discs in a plurality of difierent areas around said common axis, and an indicator member fixed to said base and having defined parts respectively individual to said indicia on said different areas of said discs.

8. A game apparatus embodying therein three discs of different sizes and arranged one above the other, means mounting said discs upon a base for a free independent rotation about a common axis, indicia arranged upon the peripheral margin of said discs and concentric with said axis, and an indicator member fixed to said base and having stepped parts on its bottom edge that overhang said margins and are respectively individual to the indicia thereon.

JALTES M. BUCKLEY.

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