US671855A - Parlor game. - Google Patents

Description

No. 67|,855. Patented Apr. 9, 190|. R. CUMMINS.

FRLR` GAME.

(Application led Nov. 5, 1900.1

2 Sheets- Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 67|,855. Patented Apr. 9, I90I. B. CUMMINS.

PARLUR GAME.

'Application filed Nov; 5, 1900.; v (N0 Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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RANDOLPH CUMMINS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PARLOR GAM E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,855, dated April 9, 1901.

Application led November 5, 1900. Serial No. 35,508. (No model.) i

To @ZZ whom t may concern! Be it known that I, RANDOLPH CUMMINs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, inthe county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Parlor Games; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in parlor games; and it consists, essentially, in game apparatus adapted to illustrate the action of troops in the field during a campaign. It is especially adapted to illustrate the effect of the advantages of the concentration of forces, the desirableness of being able to keep up a communication throughout ones own lines, and to keep open a safe line of retreatimportant conditions in actual warfare. In order to introduce the element of chance which would otherwise be lacking, I combine with the other game apparatus a dice-box and dice.

My invention will be more clearly understood after a reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure l representsaplan view of the board on which is designated one or more frontierlines, a number of roads leading to cities, and impassable country between these roads, which are represented diagrammatically. Fig. 2 represents a dummy infantryman used as a piece in the game. Fig. 3 represents a dummy cavalryman also used as a piece in the game. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 represent white, blue, and red flags, respectively. Fig. 7 represents a dice-box and dice. Figs. S, 9, and l0 represent red, blue, and white chips or counters, whichv are used in keeping the score of the game.

Referring now to Fig. l, A B represents a river or other frontier separating the lines of the combatants at the beginning of thegame. The country on which the campaign is to be conducted is shown as intersected by roads C, crossing each other at the small circles or cross-roads, while D represents mountain- K ranges, hills, or other country impassable to the armies.

blue and red chipssay ten white chips, each valued at one; two red chips, valued at ten each, and four blue chips, valued at five each.`

The irst army that loses all of its chips is defeated and that side loses the game. In playing the game I provide a number of footsoldiers or dummy infantrymen,each of which is supposed to represent a division of infan- These infantry divisions move only onespace at a time, the space being determined by the distance between the circles on the try.

roads, and I also provide a number of dummy cavalrymen, each of which is supposed torep-j resent a division of cavalry. These cavalry divisions move either one or two spaces at a time, as may be desired, subject to certain limitations hereinafter to be stated. also provide dummy artillerymen to move three spaces at a time; butthe game will ordinarily be complicated enough if played only with cavalry and infantry.

In practice I have found it satisfactory to use on each side nine divisions of infantry or nine pieces, having the right to move a single space at a time, and three cavalry divisions, or th ree pieces, having the right to move either two spaces or one space at a time, as may be desired by the player. It is obvious that a greater or less number of divisions or pieces may be used for this purpose. I may also provide flags-say of red-to indicate the cities or positions attacked; flags-say of blue-to represent the cities captured, and a white iiag to indicate the downfall of either party; ybut these flags are not necessary to playing the game and they may be omitted, if desired.

In playing the game two armies are distributed as each player may think best on opposite sides of the frontier-line represented- I mayl IOO for instance, by the line A B on the map. or town and it now being his turn` to move,

, Assuming that the river A B is the boundary,

the first party arranges his troops at the circles or cross-roads near this frontier, grouping i them as he thinks best, and when he has so distributed all of his forces he has made his. In distributing his forces, he`

first move.

` would place them at some or all of the various cross-roads 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10, although he may not cover all of these stations, and he may place as many pieces at each station as`V he thinks best. By grouping pieces at any one station he prepares for an attack in force on a given pointnear by, but at the Sametime he weakens his line of defense elsewhere, and it requires great skill to divide up the forces most eiectively, so as to be prepared both for attack and defense, the essence of the game being that he who strikes first and strikes hardest wins. One side having made its first move, the other side then groups his soldiers along the opposite side of the frontier, distributing them as he thinks best adapted either to resist the enemys attack or to perforate the enemys lines-as, for instance, at some of the cross-roads 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20, but not necessarily covering them all. As soon as he has arranged all of his troops he has completed his first move, and it is his adversarys turn for the second move. The first player now has the option of moving any of his infantry-pieces onespace or he may move any of the cavalry-pieces either one or two spaces, provided that he does not move the same piece twice, and provided, further, that he does not cross the position occupied by the enemy. Thus he can concentrate several infantry piecesor divisions and several of the cavalry pieces or divisions on a given point threatening battle c orhe can scatter his men or advance or rel he does not pass any position occupied by the treat as he may elect, provided, however, that enemy without giving battle. Then having `completed his move the adversary moves in a similar manner. Either side may move along any road in any direction and he may move as many pieces as desired. Thus from the point 7 any infantry-piece can move either to 6 16 17 34 G or 61, while any cavalrypiece can move from 7 to the same points as the infantry-piece, if desired, or one space farther, if desired, as from 7 to 5 or to 15 70 71 18 8, &:c. Thus the cavalry can be brought to support either an attack or a defense much more quickly than th infantry, and the outcome of the game largely v depends upon skill in handling the cavalry.

Having moved up or come in touch Aor accepted the attack, the outcome is decided by throwing the dice, eaclr side putting one die in the box for each of his own pieces engaged, and the player throwing the largest `number of spots on the dice Wins the battle.

If one vside has four pieces engaged in the battle and the other two or three, the chances are, of course, in favor of the player throwing the larger number of dice; but it is quite pos-v sible that the player throwing the smaller nu mberof dice may make the larger throw, and thus a factor of'chance enters which in a measure makes up for the certaindefeat that would otherwise occur from the superior play of a more experienced or more skilful player.

Each capital being fortiiied, the troops in the capital are supposed to, be of double the eiiiciency of those outside, and so when the capital is attacked and engagement offered the party besieged therein shakes with two dicefor each of his men inside the capital, while the party outside is only allowed to shake with one die for each of his divisions or pieces engaged.. Being As move, and he attacks and Wins,vhis opponent must withdraw `his defeateddivisions a half-space, choosing vfield (prisoners of war) after defeat and havving no point open to moveto. Not being As move, allAs defeated divisions at any point must be half-spaced until his turn to move, when he must withdraw such divisions-the full space.

Care should be taken in half-spacing defeated divisions, for the opponent may not be through moving and may cut of` retreat.

- Either army may half-space on a point held iby the enemy when in position to clear the same with his next move.

Scoring: This Vis done with any suitable chips or counters, such asthose shown in Figs. 8 to 10, as follows: The party losing an engagement must discard one counter or white chip for each division engaged, and ifl at a city or the capital discard as above and in addition iive, ten, or twenty counters, according to the value of the city lost. Neither army may hold any 'city in the enemys country as such. A city or capital can only be taken once during a campaign. The defeated army only pays once for their loss, though both hostile armies may move through them thereaf- Either army may hold any city, cross ter.

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roads, or point by moving to and covering the same. The enemy cannot pass. He must either drive the opposing forces from their position or move by some other road. The counters are the treasury or sineWs of War. When either side has discarded ifty, that country is bankrupt, that cause is lost, and

that army must lay down its arms and surrender its armies.

A brief practical experience with the game will clearly illustrate the opportunities it affords for skilful play. In practice I have found that a superior player can give an inferior player the odds of one or more pieces, or the odds of an extra spot on each die thrown, and still Win almost invariably. As to the number of possible combinations and the concentration of forces on a given point, it resembles in a large degree the game of chess, although it is otherwise essentially different therefrom.

In order to provide for the varying conditions under which each player fights, the board may be turned end for end, when the conditions may be reversed, or two or more boundary-lines may be shown on the board, such as the river A B and the dotted lines A B', and the players after playing from both sides of the frontier A B may swing the board through ninety degrees and play from both sides of the frontier A B', thus giving four distinct battle-grounds for each player on a board having two frontier lines only.

It will be obvious that three or more frontier-lines may be shown, and also that the opposite face of the board may be covered with a different map with one or more frontier-lines thereon.

It will be obvious that the maps for the game might be adopted from railroad or other maps, in which the roads only are to be followed and the obstructions avoided.

These and various other modifications in the herein-described apparatus may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-' 1. A game apparatus comprising a board or table having delineated thereon a geodetical map showing intersecting roads and intervening obstructions, with cities and crossroads, with a plurality of pieces to be moved along said roads, a number of dice, and chips or counters, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A game apparatus comprising a reversible table or board having delineated thereon a geodetical map showing intersecting roads and intervening obstructions, with cities indicated thereon, and a plurality of frontierlines separating said map into pairs of oppositely-disposed fields for the opposin g armies, with a plurality of pieces to be moved along said roads, substantially as described.

3. A game apparatus comprising a reversible table or board having delineated thereon a geodetical map showingintersecting roads and intervening obstructions, with cities indicated thereon, and a plurality of frontier'- lines separating said map into pairs of oppositely-disposed iields for the opposing armies, with a plurality of pieces to be moved along said roads, a number of dice, and chips or counters, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RANDOLPH CUMMINS.

Witnesses:

GEO. S. DOUGHERTY, JOHN G. DECKERT.

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