US2471202A - Chance controlled hemispherical game piece - Google Patents

Description

lil 24, 1949.

SEARCH ROOM H. DESAULNIERS 2,471,202

CHANCE CONTROLLED HEMISPHERICAL GAME PIECE E? 5 A 8 nllllliidir EI5 El Filed Jan. 11, 1946 jlvenz Zesou/nz'ens fil /or g Patented May 24, 1949 SEARCH ROOM CHANCE CONTROLLED HEMISPHERICAL GAME PIECE Hubert Desaulniers, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application January 11, 1946, Serial No. 640,427 In Canada December 17, 1945 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a new type of gamepiece adapted for use in various recreational games involving luck and chance.

The game-piece of the invention is designed particularly to be employed in a game devised by the inventor which is known as Seven- Eleven-these two numbers being as is well known, the approximate relation in size of the diameter of a sphere to its semi-circumference. As this name implies, the game-piece is constructed preferably of two members loosely associable manually to form a sphere or other symmetrical body.

Hitherto, for use in games in which luck rather than skill essentially determined the winner of the game, as for example in the well known game of dice, it has been customary to use a unitary playpiece, adapted to be projected or thrown through space in convenient manner and to come to rest with one numbered face resting on the playing surface such as a table or floor, another face, bearing a number, being upwardly presented simultaneously, the latter number constituting the throwers score for that particular throw.

Such types of playing piece were subject to the great disadvantage that by experienced players, they could be manipulated by sleight of hand with the very undesirable result that the element of luck essential to afford every player an equal chance of winning a game, was thereby greatly diminished. Other devices of this class were objectionable in that they could easily be loaded in such a way as to afford an unfair advantage to their users.

These and other disadvantages inherent in prior proposals are obviated in the game-piece of this invention which embodies what is in the nature of a new principle involving a game-piece having two complementary portions. The separate portions are adapted to separate when thrown together upwardly in the air and come to rest separately on a table or floor in one of four possible positions, a predetermined sequence of which positions must follow according to the rules of the game before any particular throw can be counted for scoring purposes by a thrower.

The game-piece according to the invention, therefore, comprises freely associable complementary portions, said portions having corresponding defining surfaces, at least one of which on each portion has its parts lying substantially in a plane. The complementary portions which together constitute one piece, preferably each comprise a single plane surface and a single curved surface, but the invention may be embodied in other forms defined by the claim appended.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the game-piece as assembled for throwing.

Figure 2 is a plan of the game-piece.

Figure 3 is a plan of one complementary portion of the game-piece.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one complementary portion of the game-piece, and

Figures A, B, C and D represent the four possible thrown positions of the portions of a game-piece.

By reference to the drawings it will be seen that the piece" generally represented by the numeral 20 comprises two portions, each respectively indicated by the numerals 2| and 22. The latter portions are each substantially identical in form being defined by a circular plane surface as 23 and a hemispherical surface 24. Each sur face 23 bears concentric circles, as 25, of radii such that any diameter as 26 of the circular plane 23 is intercepted thereby to form seven equal divisions or spaces as respectively indicated by the numerals 21 to 33 inclusive, seen in Figures 3 and 4.

Both herispherical surfaces of the piece" are divided by concentric circles 34 into zones each having its width substantially equal to the spaces such as 21, there being thus eleven such zones such as 35 and 35A, symmetrically arranged with respect to a polar axis 36 taken normally at the centre of both circular planes 23, when the latter are arranged to form the spherical piece as seen in Figure 1.

The portions 2i and 22 which constitute a piece may be of any convenient size and may be of any convenient material, resilient or nonresilient, as desired, including bone, rubber, resin, glass, wood, metal, ivory, plastic, etc. Each portion is coloured differently, one portion being red for instance, and the other portion being white. The reason for this is explained further in the rules of the game.

When used in play, the game-piece is preferably thrown manually, a player holding matching portions 2| and 22 arranged as seen in Figure 1, so that they together form substantially a complete sphere, either by means of his three fingers, thumb, forefinger and second finger, or alternatively, in the palm of the hand. The piece is thrown in the air where the portions separate, coming to rest on the table or floor on which the game is played. A convenient way of employing such "pieces" in a game will now be described in connection with the game Seven-Eleven" referred to earlier herein. This game may be played by two or more players and may be for ten points or more as agreed beforehand between the players. When played by two players it is played in the following manner. Each player chooses his colour and takes a piece composed 01. a portion having his own colour and a portion having his opponent's colour. Ii red and white are used each player thus has an identical piece half red, half white. One of the players takes the two portions forming one piece and he proceeds to the throwing. Let it be assumed that one portion is white and the other is red and that the first thrower has been asigned the white portion. He throws the piece" in the manner described above until he succeeds in obtaining either of the groupings of the separate portions represented in Figure A or B. If in three throws the first player does not obtain either combination A or B he loses his turn to throw and loses one point; he also loses his turn to throw and loses one point, if three times in succession he obtains C, or D, or a combination A and B, or C and D three times in succession.

In order to win, the first player, after he has succeeded in making A or B in two throws, must follow with another move, C or D according to the colour assigned to the player, in which a half sphere of one colour is in the same position as it was in the preceeding throw. For example, if the white plays A, he must follow by playing C to win. If he plays the opposite D, he loses his turn to throw and loses one point. Similarly, if the red plays A he must play D to win and i! he plays B he must play to win. To recapitulate, ii the first player plays A or B three times in succession, he loses his turn to throw and loses one point. If he plays C or D three times in succession, he loses his turn to throw and loses one point. I! he plays a combination of A and B or a combination of C and D three times in succession he loses his turn to throw and loses one point. If he plays the piece" three times in succession and the separate portions come to rest touching each other, he loses his turn to throw and loses one point. Thrower must try and play C or D, according to the colour assigned, after he has played A or B, or A and B in not more than two throws.

Example-It the white player throws A, he tries to make C immediately following. If he makes D he loses his turn and loses one point. If he makes C he wins one point and continues to throw.

Example-4f the white player throws 3. he tries to make D immediately following. I! he makes C he loses his turn and loses one point. If he makes D he wins one point and continues to throw.

Example-The white player throws A, then throws B, he must then follow with D immediately, in order to win one point.

Example-If the white player throws B and then throws A, he must now try to throw C immediately following. When the red player throws, the same rules apply. It will thus be evident that every time a player makes a proper previously designated succession of throws, he makes one point and he continues to throw.

It is to be understood that this particular game and its rules are merely given to illustrate one game in which the game-piece of the invention can conveniently be employed. It is evident that a novel game-piece for such games has been provided which may be embodied variously, such embodiments being defined by the claim followmg.

What I claim is:

A game, comprising, a. pair of cooperating identical but completely separate pieces, each piece being a hemisphere solid throughout and having a fiat unbroken surface and a hemispherical unbroken surface, the flat surfaces of the respective pieces adapted to be juxtaposed to mate the pieces so as to form a sphere which can be held in the hand for throwing but of which the hemispheres are free from connection with one another and may readily separate on beingthrown from the hand, the flat and hemispherical surfaces of each piece forming alternative bases on either of which the individual piece can come to rest when thrown on a playing surface, the surfaces oi the respective hemispheres carrying contrasting indlcia adapted to distinguish one piece from the other.

HUBERT DESAULNIERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 810,224 Sachett Jan. 16, 1906 1,561,592 Bott Nov. 17, 1925 1,656,936 Beal Jan. 24, 1928 2,044,122 Michener June 16, 1936 2,219,154 Wahlberg Oct. 22, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 505,452 Germany Aug. 19, 1930

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