US1750620A - Arithmetical top and dice game - Google Patents

Description

Patented Mar. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VERTNER D. BRITTINGHAM, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'JTOy JOE- OLIVER NAYLOR, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS ARITII-(ETICAL TOP ANI) DICE GAME Application filed May 2, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in games and has special reference to an arithmetical game that can be played by means of specially marked dice and a special top'.

It is the object of this invention to produce an educational game that will afford amusement and entertainment for children and grown people and which at the same time will give the participants extensive practice in arithmetic.

The game apparatus, briefly described, consists in a piece of cardboard or other suitable material whose surface is artistically ornamented and on which is outlined a tortuous path. This path is bordered on one side by a row of stones which are referred to as milestones. In the example given, there are one hundred fifty-live stones. The first stone is numbered 1 and the other eleven stones are numbered 2 to 12, inclusive. The remaining stones are numbered from O to 12, in groups, there being eleven such groups besides the first group which contains only twelve stones. Each player is provided with a marker, which may be a checker of a certain color, cach player having a. marker of a different color. The moves are determined in the following manner. A cube of solid material of a size and shape resembling a dice is provided with one arithmetical sign on each side, instead of the ordinary spots. Each of the six sides is marked with one of the arithmetical signs: l, or and therefore when the cube is rolled it will stop with one of these signs exposed on its upper side. Instead of a solid cube, asquare or octagonal top can be used and the sides thereof be marked with the arithmetical signs. If the players have any preference, they may use either the dice or the top and it is also permissible to use two dice or two tops or a dice and a top; each player thereby obtaining the privilege of selecting for his operation the sign that will be most advantageous. This gives practice in quick mental arithmetic as the player must decide quickly which one of the alternate operations he desires to adopt. Instead of dice or a top, it is also possible to determine the arithmetical operation by any other suitable means of chance, such as by having a plurality of Serial No. 359,972.

cards, each of which has one arithmetical sign and selecting one or two at random. For the purpose of explanation it will be assumed that the arithmetical operations are determined by means of a four-sided top.

When the top is spun it will come to rest with one of its four. sides on top and the arithmetical sign on this side will determine the operation. vWhen the play starts the first player places his marker on the stone numbered 1 and spins the top. If the top stops with sign lon top, the player will move his marker 1+1 or two spaces because when the game starts, all of the markers are assumed to be located on stone 1 and the rule is that the player scores the sum, difference,

product or quotient obtained by the arithmetical operation indicated in which the number on the nearest rivals space is used as the first numer in the example. The order of the numbers are, of course, of importance only in division and subtraction. If the sign had been instead of lthe score Would be 1-1=0 and the player would fail to score. After the markers have all left the first space, the score may vary from minus 12 to plus 144 and may also be a mixed number or a fraction. If the .score is a mixed number, the player moves the number of spaces represented by the nearest whole number and if it is a fraction, the same is true. Thus, if the score is less than one-half, the player cannot move; if it is one-half or more, he moves one space. In a score represented by a mixed number in which the fraction is one-half the player scores the next higher number, thus 3+2=11/2, the player will then move two spaces.

After the first move has been made, the other player puts his marker on space number 1 and chooses between rolling the dice and spinning the top. Let us assume that the dice stops with the plus side up and that the first players marker is on space number 2, the move will then be determined by adding 2 to 1 which will give 3 as the sum. The second player than moves his marker to space number 4. If a third player takes part, he proceeds as the other two, but his moves arey determined by using the number of the space on which the marker of the player nearest to him rests as the first number in the problem by means of which he determines his moves. In this way any number of players can take part. If the operation indicated is subtraction and the subtrahend is larger than the minuend the player must m'ove his marker rearwardly a number of spaces equal to the difference between the numbers. The above description gives a. fair ideaof the manner in which the game is played and for the purpose of describing the same and the apparatus more in detail, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing in which the preferred embodiment of the apparat-us has beenV illustrated, and in which:

Fig. l is a` drawing showing the upper face of the board;

Fig'f2 is a perspective view of a dice employed in this game; Y

Figp a development of the surface of the'ldice andvv y Figi 4 is a perspective view of a top employed as a substitute for the dice.

In Fig. of the drawing I have shown a representation of the board on which the game isplayed; rIphe path is represented by letter I. This path is bordered on one side by a larger number of spaces S which represent stones. The path is supposed to start at the cave C and to end at the smally house II. In thel drawing I have shown one hundred fiftyfive spaces or stones. VThe stone nearest the cav'e' isnumbered l and each stone is nun bered' in succession from l to l2. The thirteenth stone from the beginning is numberedzero and stones 14 to 25 are numbered l to 12; The remaining spaces or stones are numbered 0 to`l2. In the example shown there is one group numbered l to l2 and eleven groups numbered 0 to l2, but any other number of groups may be used. It is evident that the groups may contain a larger or a smaller number of spaces, but the number 12 has been chosen because the multiplication tables do not usually go higher than l2.

The central square space Q may have the rules printed thereon and may be used for any other purpose. The ldice shown in perspective in Fig. 2 and shown developed in Fig. 3 differs fromthe ordinary dice in this, that the'side's are each provided with one of the arithmetical signs instead of dots. The top sho'wn in Fig. 4 has the two invisible sides marle'd and and therefore when it comes to rest one of the signs will always be visible on the upper or top side of the top.

Having described my invention what is claimed as new is:

l'. An arithmetical game comprising, a chart having a single continuous curved path outlined thereon, said path being divided into a plurality of spaces, each of which is numbered, said numbers comprising a plurality of similar groups, two markers, each of which serves to identify a numbered space, and means having areas provided with indicia representing the four arithmetical signs for determining by chance the arithmetical operation to which the two numbers corresponding to the positions of the markers must be subjected so as to determine the number of spaces each player may move his marker.

2. An arithmetical game comprising, a chart having a single continuous curved path outlined thereon, said path being divided into a plurality of spaces, each of which is numbered, said numbers recurring in a plurality of similar groups, two markers, each of which serves to identify a numbered space, and means comprising a top having areas provided with indicia representing the four arithmetical signs for determining by chance the arithmetical operation to which the two numbers corresponding to the positions of the markers must be subjected so as to determine the number of spaces each player mayv move his marker.

3. An arithmetical game comprising, a chart having a single curved path outlined thereon, said path being divided into a plu'- rality of spaces, said spaces forming a plurality of groups, the spaces comprising the groups being numbered, the same numbers being used for each group, markers for idenf' tifying some of the numbered spaces, and means for determining by chance the arithmetical operation to which any two of the numbers identified are to be subjected for the purpose of determining the number ofv spaces one of the markers is to be moved.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature.

VERTNER D. BRIT'IINGI-IAM.

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