US2653027A - Game apparatus for simulating a roller derby - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 22, 1953 BARASH 2,653,027

GAME APPARATUS FOR SIMULATING A ROLLER DERBY Filed July 28, 1950 IN V EN TOR.

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Patented Sept. 22, 1953 UNITE S'idi'id acne? QFHQE GAME APPARATUS FOR SIMULATIN G A ROLLER DERBY 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a game comprising a game board track having a plurality of lanes divided circumferentially into spaces, about which two or more individual teams each represented by several members, one of which is in each lane, are mounted to advance a variable number of spaces by chance movement of regulating devices, such as a pair of dice. The game is primarily adapted to simulate a roller skating derby comprising a plurality of teams.

At least two teams, but as many as four, may play. Each team has as many members as there are lanes in the track, at least three but preferably five, are advanced forward in their respective lanes by chance numbers made available by a chance indicating device, for example, by throwing dice.

The general objective of the game is to so regulate the disposal of men of a team advanced in parallel lanes of a track, by distributing among them chance authorizations to advance a certain number of spaces circumferentially around the track in a manner to allow one member of the team to advance beyond the others, while using the other members of the same team to obstruct the advance of members of the opposing team. Obstruction of movement is obtained by corresponding members of different teams operating in the same lane.

While it is possible to advance the movement of members of a particular team by various chance indicating devices, it is preferred to use the numerical indication of each both of a pair of dice. By using the total of a particular throw of both dice to advance one member or the team, in the case of a roller skating derby, called the jammer, and to advance other members of a five member team, for example, two thereof by the indication of one of the dice, while advancing the other two members as indicated by the other die of the same throw, a single throw serves to advance the whole team in an irregular manner variable with the choice of the player.

Fig. 1 shows the playing board and markings thereon as well as several playing pieces.

Fig. 2 shows a chance device such as a pair of dice.

As shown in Fig. l the board has marked thereon an ovular track subdivided into a plurality of lanes. Each lane is further subdivided with a plurality of markings into circumferentially disposed spaces, each space indicating a team member position.

The game is provided with playing pieces each corresponding to a member of a team. Such playing pieces may be quoits, discs, blocks, mounds or figurines representing each member distinctively and attractively colored to distinguish one team from the other, and further bearing numbers, letters or other indicia identifying individual members of the team. There are as many playing pieces as there are members of all teams, thus for example for five lanes in the track there would be five members of a particular color representing a team, each bearing a number corresponding to the position of such lane, in which the member is to operate, on the track. The next team will be similarly composed of an equal number of members similarly numbered but distinctively colored to distinguish this team from the first. As indicated there may be two to four teams so that two to four people may play this game.

The game board It has mounted thereon an annular track ll, subdivided into a plurality of lanes i2, i2'l2 each lane being parallel to and concentric with the general configuration to define the track. Each lane may be colored or marked to attractively delineate the boundaries thereof, if desired, to avoid confusion as to which lane a particular member is following.

The track H has marked at a particular position comprising a starting lane or point it at which point play is begun for each of the teams, each member lining up in their respective lanes at the particular position indicated thereby. The playing pieces l4 distinctively colored for each of the teams are arranged each member in a lane at the starting point i3 and after one aligned team is moved away from the starting point as play is initiated the next team is mounted in the same starting place and it moves off either to advance a greater or shorter distance, i. e., number of circumferential spaces as directed by the chance play, of a pair of dice Pi thrown on the board.

As indicated by the rules for a roller derby set forth her-einbelow, it is possible for players to incur penalties for which purpose, and to satisfy the penalty, a member of a team may be removed from its lane and placed in a penalty box id of which there are as many penalty boxes as there are teams. The penalty boxes are preferably placed in the track enclosure but may be placed in any position on the board outside the track.

For simulating a roller skating derby the play is approximately as follows, using for example two teams:

The person playing for one of the teams will roll the dice and the person playing for the other team will roll next to determine by the number indicated by the dice which team will line up on the track first. The highest number on the dice wins first position and that players team accordingly will move first. That team is then lined up the track, each member of a team in its respective lane, and the two dice are rolled by the first player. One of the members of the team is designated by the player as the jammer and is moved out the number of squares as designated on the chance sum of the two dice thrown. The remaining four players are designated as the pack, assuming that there are five lanes and five players on each team, and two thereof are moved the number of circumferential spaces indicated by the one of the dice, and the other two men are moved the number of spaces shown on the other dice. For example, should a six and four be rolled on the dice, the jammer would be moved spaces, two members of the pack six spaces, the other two members of the pack, four spaces. Thereafter, the second team is placed at the starting point and moved similarly by a throw of the dice by the second player. The principle of the game is for the jammer of each team with the advantage of throwing the greater number of spaces moved, to circle the track and come up behind the slower moving pack and then pass opposing members of the pack. This is done by continuing the rolling of dice by each player.

The jammer moving around and coming up behind the pack ultimately passes members of the opposing pack and scores points according to each opposing member passed. Thus if the jammer passes one or two opposing members a point is scored; if he passes three or four of them, two points; and the player may have a choice after moving a jammer past the opposing pack of either continuing around the track to try to catch up with the opposing jammer and pass all five men to score five points or terminate the play. Of the two jammers, who have moved out beyond their packs, the leading jammer may have the privilege so long as he is leading to terminate the play and in that way either protect the members of his team or to just waste time if he only has a small lead, to obtain a winning score resulting from a certain predetermined' playing time.

If in the roll of the dice one or two or as many as four of the members of one pack find it possible to land on top of or occupy the same space as the corresponding members of the other pack in the same lane, the opposing member so covered is restrained from movement, until the pinning member is advanced, thusfacilitating a jammer in passing the pinned pack number and thereby score. If one of the jammers pass all five members of the opposing team for five points, the play is then automatically stopped. As a reward for passing all five members of the opposing team, it may be jam skaters privilege to place a penalty on one of the members of the other team. Then one of the members of that team is taken from the track and placed in the penalty box, out of action until another point has been scored by either team. The penalized member may then automatically go back into 4 play at the starting position as a member of his pack. If by the chance play the jammer of a particular team is himself stopped another member of the team may be designated as the jammer.

As thus described a game comprising a track is divided into lanes, comprising radial spaces whereby two teams are simultaneously operated by chance indication of a number of spaces which individual members of each team may be advanced. The essential feature 01' the game is that where a plurality of teams are operating against each other in the same track, individual members of one team may block the advance of members of the other team.

Various modifications of the rules of such game, as well as various types of penalties may be included, and while the example given above is intended to simulate that of a typical roller derby, other types of games may be included within the structure described in the drawings herein.

I claim:

A game adapted to simulate a roller skating derby, comprising in combination a playing board having an annular track thereon, said track comprising a plurality of annular lanes each of which is subdivided from a starting point common to all lanes into an equal number of spaces, a plurality of teams each composed of several playing pieces, one playing piece for each lane of said track, each playing piece being sized to fit within each of said spaces, the group of playing pieces comprising each team being characteristically marked to designate the team, said marking being distinguished from markings on the group of playing pieces designating another team, whereby playing pieces for each team mounted in each lane may be positioned to obstruct one or more players of an opposing team similarly mounted for movement in each lane for simultaneous play by movement piece-wise, one team against the other, said playing board having further marked thereon away from said track marking at least one marking designating an enclosure comprising a penalty box, said penalty box marking enclosing a space large enough on the surface of said board within which several of said playing pieces may be placed, and a chance device comprising a pair of dice adapted on chance throw thereof to indicate two digital numbers, said numbers being less in sum than the total spaces in a lane in said track for designating a number of spaces to be moved by one or more players from space to space about said track, whereby each member of a team may be moved a chance controlled irregular number of spaces about said track variable among the players of each team.

ROBERT F. BARASH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,448,201 Cornell Mar. 31, 1923 1,493,738 Cowan May 13, 1924 1,797,742 Ward Mar. 24, 1931

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