US179847A - Improvement in playing-cards - Google Patents

Description

A. DOUGHERTY. PLAYING-CARDS.

Patented July 18.. 1187 5.

N PETERS, -PMOTo-|.|TnOGRAPflER. WASHINGTON, n. C.

UNITED STATES Parana 1GB.

ANDREW DOUGHERTY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLAYING-CARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,847, dated July 15, 1876; application filed May 31, 1876.

To all whom it mag concern Be it known that I, ANDREW DOUGHERTY, of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented an Improved Playing-Card, of which the following is the specification:

The'object of my invention is a playingcard which may be used equally well by different persons, each familiar with but one of the several kinds of cards in use by different nations.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a face view of one of my improved playing cards; Fig. 2, a view showing a card of each suit, and Fig. 3 a face view of a Spanish card, corresponding to the English card shown in Fig. 1.

Spanish playing-cards, although possessing the same relative values as the English cards, also used by the French and Germans, and corresponding in number and in mode of use to the latter, are designated by different names and by different face-figures and forms. For instance, a Spanish card, corresponding in value to and played in the same manner as the English deuce of spades, Fig. 1, will be embellished by two swords, Fig. 3. All Spanish cards, however, contain two designating devices: First, the face-figures, as swords, corresponding to English spades, vases, corresponding to English clubs, 850.; secondly, lines at the top, designating the suit, and figures at the left-hand corner, designating the value. Thus a line, a, Fig. 3, completely across the bottom or top of the card, indicates diamonds, and a figure in the upper left-hand corner denotes the value or number of spots, the knave, queen, king being numbered 11, 12.13, respectively. A line, b, with a single break, indicates hearts; a line, 0, with two breaks, spades; and aline, d, with three breaks, clubs.

Owing to the differences described between English and Spanish cards, players familiar with only one form of card cannot play together.

The objectof my invention is to make a card which parties familiar each with but one of the different forms of card, and igno-- rant of the other, can use as readily as the cards to which they are accustomed.

This object I effect by combining in one card the characteristics of the cards in use by different nations. For English players, the faces of the cards are in all essential particulars made to conform to any of the wellknown forms and figures common in cards of this class. For the Spanish players, I add a line at the top, bottom, or sides, and employ a designating-figure corresponding to the line and figure upon the Spanish card of the same suit and value. Each card is, therefore, available for ready use by those familiar with only the English or only the Spanish form of card.

It will be seen that the Spanish player ascertains the character of his hand by merely exposing the upper edges of his cards one above the other. To give the English player a like advantage, I place a pip, or emblem and number, indicating the suit and value, adjacent to the Spanish number on the card, at the corner outside the border-line;

and in the case of face-cards 1 add a designating-initial, as K, for king, 850. Thus the jack of spades has, adjacent to the figure 11 required on the Spanish card, an emblem or pip, representing the conventional spade and theinitial letter J, and so on. The English player may thus ascertain his hand by exposing merely the corners outside the border line.

It will be apparent that the designating features of" cards of other nationalities than English and Spanish may be combined in like manner. a

I am aware that it is not new to place an emblem and figure in the corner, and do not claim this feature; but

I claim 1. A playing-card, having on its face, and near one or more of the corners or edges, two different emblems or devices, which indicate, in modes employed by two different nations, a card of the same suit and value, substantially as set forth.

2. A playing-card, having, in combination with the conventional suit-emblems on its face, emblems near one or more of its cor- 11ers or edges, indicating, in modes employed by two different nations, a card of the same suit and value, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a playing-card, of to this specification in the presence of two sub the usual faceeemmon to English cards, the scribing witnesses.

broken lines and figures common to Spanish cards, and other emblems arranged at the ANDREW DOUGHERTY' corners, indicative of suit and. value, as speci- Witnesses:

fled. EDWARD E. COOPER,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name WILLIAM H, DOUGHERTY.

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