US2157172A - Apparatus for playing a game - Google Patents

Description

May 9, 1939. R. B. HAYs APPARATUS F'OR PLAYING A GAME Filed June` 20-, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l :wzzzz:

TTONE Y May 9, 1939. R. B. HAYS 2,157,172

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME Filed June 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DRIV ER DRIVER ou one: Torno |00Yos 2 FLuFfeo 50 u 5 n u SLKED |95 l 4 n l. Hooxsn zoo 5 n usnozrsr'nrzzo.. 6 l LONG l 240|' BRASSIE ounblu Patented May 9, 1939 UNlTED STTES PAT OFFICE Rex Boyden Hays, Hove, England, assigner to Tee Up Limited, London, England Application June 20, 1938, Serial No. 214,659 In Great Britain May 10, 1937 2 Claims.

game can if desired be played by several players as a competitive game.

Another object of this invention is to provide a game device consisting of a surface representing a golf course or part thereof, in which a ballsimulating element can be moved to distances and positions appropriate to a variety of drives of a golf ball along a course.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a card game for the playing of a game simulating golf in which a number of holes of a golf course are represented on a number of cards or the like, preferably arranged in book or loose leaf led form, and in which a ball-simulating element can be moved along each card or the like by the players with the aid of an adjustable graduated guide device, and on which the players by utilising a fortuitously controlled indicator such as a die or roulette wheel can enter into a competitive game. Such an embodiment is represented by way of example on the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the book-like assembly of cards.

Fig. 2 represents in plan the guide device.

Fig. 3 is a broken inverted plan view of the support end of the guide device.

Fig. 4 is an opened out plan view of a blank adapted to be folded into a dice box.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the dice box ready for use together with one die.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a card printed to represent one hole of a golf course.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view showing the assembly in a container of a plurality of club cards, i. e. cards individually bearing scores appropriate to a particular club usable in golf, so that the player has in effect a plurality of clubs to select from in playing the game substantially in the same manner as selecting clubs from a golf bag.

Figs. 8 and 9 show four examples of club cards.

Referring to the drawings a number of cards I are assembled in loose leaf booklet form on rings 2 passed through one side of a double folder or cover 3, the other side of which carries various information relating to the playing of the game such as the rules 4 of the game which may be printed in booklet form attached to the folder, and the keys Ei to the fairways and hazards: all as indicated in Fig. l. Also a key to club values 5 may be printed on the folder as shown.

Each card I may be formed of cardboard, thin plywood or other suitable material and as shown in Fig. 6 may bear a printed representation preferably in colours of a hole of a golf course, with the fairway, t, surrounding country 1, bunkers 8 and such like, and hole 9 met with on a golf course. Each card may be printed on both sides so that nine cards will be sufficient to represent the eighteen holes of a golf course. The put- 15 ting green IQ is preferably represented at the top of the card while the tee II is shown at the lower end. If desired there can be printed thereon a representation of the points of the compass as at I2. Preferably each card represents the holes of a well known golf course and drawn to scale as closely as practicable, whereby players can acquire some knowledge of the various golf courses.

The ball-simulating element may comprise a cube I3 of wood, metal or other suitable material, and will hereinafter be termed simply the ball. The guide for said ball is shown in Fig. 2 and comprises a ball guide proper I4 in the form of a strip of metal, card or the like and having a longitudinal slot I5 adapted to fit the ball fairly freely and suitably calibrated opposite sides in suitable distances. At one end the guide I4 is pointed as at I6 and at the other end pivoted by a rivet or pin I1 to a support I8 embodying two divergent arms I9 and 20 symmetrically disposed and marked hook (or pull) and slice respectively and serve to control the position of the guide I4 under the particular circumstances of play to be described, To enable the guide I4 to be lifted clear of the ball when required, the support I8 is provided with a transverse raised rib, step or bevel 2| on its lower side near its lower edge. By exerting slight pressure upon such lower side the guide I4 is rocked on the rib 2l and raised from the ball.

The guide Il is located in the straight drive positive relative to the support I8 by the engagement of a wide V shaped edge 22 of a slide 23 in a correspondingly shaped recess 24 between the two arms I9 and 2t. This slide is a thin metal or other suitable plate lying against the lower face of the guide I4' and having a rectangular recess or hole 25 to receive the ball I3. It is guided by a block 26 (see Fig. 2) on its upper,

sliding in the slot I5, and carrying a cross bar 2l' which slides against the upper face of the guide i4 to retain the slide in connection with the guide. This bar can also serve as a pointer for the graduations on the guide I4. If the requirements of the game indicate a pull or slice, the ball is first moved along guide I4 towards the point a predetermined amount and then the guide I4 is pivoted relatively to support I8 until the former aligns with the appropriate arm I9 or 2u.

The folder 3 may embody pocket or like means to accommodate the guide I4 and a die 28 or dice, when out of use and if desired other elements used in playing the game, e. g. the dice cup "29, which as shown in Fig. 4 can'be folded'out at to t in the desired pocket. This boX can be a base 33 with four foldableside walls 3| with abutments 32 in their edges 'againstwhich can be engaged an elastic band 33 stretched over the sides of the erected box as shown inFig. 5.

As is well known the game of golf whilst requiring skill also has a certain element of hazard and fortuitousness and the present invention aims at providing a game in which the skill factor and the hazard factor are combined in much the same way as in golf.

The element of hazard is obtained by the use of the die 28' or dice, adapted to give indications from say l to 6in a purely fortuitous manner. As indicated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 the' folder 3 carries akey to club values. This comprises a number of cards 34'neatly lstacked in a card case 35 preferably having a strut 35 by which it can be stood upright. The cardsare each formed with an upstanding finger 31, the ngers on the successive cards being staggered as shown to enable individual cards to be selected readily. Each card represents va golf club and therefore each nger 3l has the name of the appropriate club printed thereon, e. g..driver, brassie, spoon, No. l iron, No. 2 iron, No. 3 iron, and so on, and putter. On each` club card is a list showing the length of drive and the nature ofthe stroke for eachvalue thrown on the die: -forexample as follows for the driver:-

Yards 1 Topped ;100 2 Fluied A50 3 Sliced .195 4 Hooked 200 5 Short straight f 210 6 Lon-g straight -5240 It'will'be appreciated that a completeset of cards in the case 35 form in effect the equivalent of a set of clubs in a bag.

At the commencement of the play, Vthe player choosesV the club he willuse by removing the-appropriate card from the case 35, and throws'the die` one or more times. The 'number on the die will then indicate, by reference to the selected club card, the distance the ball is-'to be moved on the card I. The guide I4 isl placed on the card with point directed towards the greenand with the pivoted end on the tee II. 'Ihe ball I3 is now placed in the slide 24 and moved forward in the guide the predetermined amount. If the club card indicates a hook or a slice the guide I4 is turned until it is in-alignment'with the appropriate arm I 9 or 2l). The guide is then lifted off by pressure on the lower edge of the support I8 as already described. It may be found that the ball lies on the fairway in which case the Vprocedure is repeated andanother stroke made towards the green I 0, by a further selection of a club card and throw of the die. On the other hand it may lie in the rough, behind gorse or bushes, behind trees or in a bunker. In such event the clubs which may be used are restricted to a particular club or clubs as indicated in the key 5 to Fairway and Hazards on the folder 3. Thus if a ball falls near trees and the player can get the necessary length to clear and is not less than say 20 yards from the trees a specified club can be used. Otherwise he must attempt to hook or slice. If the ball should fall in the trees, the ball must be lifted and placed not nearer the hole, and the player suiers a penalty of one stroke.

After one or more strokes played in the manner already described the player may reach the green in which case the dice is thrown again an-d the number given is referred to on the appropriate club card which states how many putts this number represents.

Many interesting results can be obtained in this manner because the ball might lie at a point where in order to reach the proximity of the green, it would in actual practice be necessary to effect a sliced drive to avoid a tree or otherobstruction. As this requires some considerable skill and is often only effected fortuitously, the average player would aim away from the obstruction and attempt a slice. The same result can be obtained in the present game, as the guide normally would be pointed so as to clear the obstruction but to point as near as possible towards the putting green. In the event of the player being fortunate and scoring a slice it is possible that'the pointer will thereupon be set to carry the ball to a favourable position.

Speaking generally, when a player is not restricted to a particular club he must decide which club to use before throwing the die.

he rules may be modified to suit players having V`diierent degrees of skill. 'I'hus a player with a high handicap might be required to select the club tobe used and then throw the die once and then play the shot indicated while a more highly skilled player of lower handicap might be lrequired to state also the shot he wishes to make but might be allowed several throws of the die to obtain the desired number.

The method of play may be modied to allow for wind conditions. Before starting play a certain direction of the wind (conveniently the prevailing wind on the course represented on the cards) is arbitrarily selected and a suitable pointer or other indicatoris placed on each card at the part I2 during play in the correct direction determined by the compass points marked on the cards.

The direction of the wind is noted in relation to each particular shot to be played and a correction made from a table forming part of the rules. Thus according to the direction of the wind the shot may be-longer or shorter than indicated on'thekey to club values or a straight shot converted to a pull or slice or a shot which would otherwise be a pull or slice might be converted into a straight shot with `loss or .gain of distance according to direction of wind.

The present invention is educational as it familiarises learners with the nature of clubs most suited to particular circumstances, and also enables golfers to acquire knowledge of courses on which they have not played. Sets of cards can be printed, each representing any desired golf course to aord variety in the game.

Of course the rules of play referred to herein in outline are only mentioned as showing certain methods of using the game and not as restricting the scope of the invention which is defined by the accompanying claims. Also if desired the scoring device need not be entirely fortuitous as scoring may be effected by a dart board and darts or other suitable device in which skill is entailed.

I claim:

1. In a board Igame simulating golf in. which there is combined with a board or card having a printed plan of part of a golf course a graduated arm adapted to guide a ball simulating piece over the playing surface, the provision with said arm of a slide slidable along the arm and apertured to receive freely the ball simulating member, an end member to which one end of said arm is angularly adjustably connected, and means with said end member whereby the arm can be tilted upwards by pressure on the end member to free the slide from the ball.

2. A guide member for guiding a ball simulating element over the playing surface of a board game simulating golf, comprising a guide arm, a slide apertured to receive the said element, a longitudinal slot in said arm along which said element can be displaced, graduations on the guide arm for determining the distance the slide is to be traversed along the guide arm, a support to which one end of said guide arm is pivoted, a centrally located locating recess in said support shaped to receive said slide when the arm is set in the position appropriate to an imaginary straight drive of the ball-simulating element, and a pair of divergent hook and slice or the like locating elements disposed opposite sides of the said centrally located locating slots, to indicate extent of angular movement of the guide relatively to the support appropriate to an imaginary slice or pull or the like, and a fulcrum with said support affording tilting action to free said slide from said ball-simulating element.

REX BOYDEN HAYS.

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