US2572277A - Cribbage scoreboard - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 23, 1951 L.. G. PETERSON CRIBBAGE SCOREBOARD Filed March 9, 1949 figg, a?,

WM a 49M Patented ct. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRIBBAGE SCOREBOARD Louis Grant Peterson, Des Moines, Iowa Application March 9, 1949, Serial No'. 80,448 1 claim. (01.235-1145 The principal object of my invention is to pro- 'vide a manually operated mechanical device for progressively keeping the score gains of players in such card games as cribbage and like.

fmaybe carried in the pocket of the user.

Still further objects of this invention are to provide a lmechanical game play scoring apparatus that is rened in appearance, durable in use, and economical in manufacture.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of mydevice with sections broken away to more fully illustrate its construction.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of the double spring plates retarder located at the center of the device.

While this device may be successfully used to progressively score a series of numbers or plays in many types of games, itis particularly adapted for the use of cribbage or like players. The usual method of progressively designating point gains in the game of cribbage is to use a board having rows of holes therein and into which are detachably placed pegs. As is well known in the game of cribbage, each player, in scoring a gain, moves the trailing peg a number of holes beyond the leading peg equal to the number of points gained on the play. 'I'his leap frog type of scoring the points gained tends to eliminate mistakes, makes mistakes correctible if made, and indicates to both players the progress of the game. The main objections to this method of scoring gains, however, are that the board is bulky and cumbersome to carry on trips and like, pegs become lost even during use, and considerable time is expended in manually getting the pegs in the proper holes throughout the game. I have overcome such objections by providing a mechanical device having rotatably mounted dual indicators and which I will now describe in detail.

The numeral I0 vdesignates the base of my device having a flat top and of substantial thickness, as shown in Fig. l. In the top of the base IU are two spaced apart shallow wells II and I2. The numerals I3 and I4 designate two vertical threaded shaft screws threaded into the bottom dead center of the two wells, respectively. Ro.- tatably mounted on the two screws and resting within the wells are the two discs I5 and I6. Each of these discs has sixty evenly spaced apart notches I l around its periphery. The numeral I8 designates a vertical bearing on the dead center of each of the discs extending upwardly around the adjacent screw shaft to a height substantially above the surface plane of the base, as shown in Fig. 3. The numeral I9 designates a knob rotatably embracing the adjacent shaft screw and secured on each of the bearings I8. These two knobs facilitate the manual rotation of the two discs I5 and I6, respectively. Yieldingly engaging the periphery of each dise I5 and I6, is a spring-loaded pawl 2D mounted in the wall of the adjacent well, as shown in Fig. 1. By this arrangement the discs may be easily rotated but will be yieldingly held against accidental rotation. Furthermore, in rotating a disc, the pawl in passing the periphery notches will produce audible clicks that may easily be counted by the players. The numeral 2l designates an arrow or marker indicator on each of the discs, as shown in Fig. 1. Rotatably embracing the two bearing members I8 are the two plates 22 and 23, respectively. These plates have diameters larger than the diameters of the wells which they cover. Around the periphery of each plate are sixty evenly spaced apart notches 24, as shown in the drawings. The numeral 25 designates a spring means fastened at its center to the center of the base I 0 and between the two plates. One of the free ends of this spring means yieldingly engages the periphery of the plate 22 and its other free end engages the periphery of the plate 23. This construction yieldingly holds the two plates against accidental rotation and when either of the plates is rotated the riding of the spring means over the notches in its periphery will be audible. The notches 24 also act as gripping means for the manual rotation of the plates. The numeral 26 designates an indicator line, needle, hand or like on each of the plates. The device may be made of any suitable material provided the`plates are made of transparent material such as clear plastic. This is necessary so that the players can see through the plates for viewing the pointer or needle indicator on each of the discs, as Well as the xed scale or graph 21 which is on the base surface, around each well respectively, and below the marginal edge portions of the plates. These scales 21 are sixty evenly spaced apart count lines radially extending from each well and conform to the sixty notches on the discs and plates. The plate 22 in conjunction with the disc I6 below it used by one of the players and the plate 23 in conjunction with the disc l5 below it, is used by the other player. These two units are obviously duplicates of each other. At the start all the indicator pointers 2l, and 26 are placed to read at zero which is the dual spring means 25, or if desired the pawls 20. Each player uses one of the units of the base IIJ. The scale 21 of each unit is sixty points. Obviously, the same as when pegs are used, the pointer indicator 2| and the pointer indicator 26 are used alternately for the play counting. A disc is rotated by its knob I9 so that the indicator 2l will register the gained points on the scale 21. This can be done visibly or by counting the audible clicks. A plate is moved by grasping its periphery and rotating it so that its indicator needle will likewise register the points gained on the scale 21 and beyond the indicator needle on the disc. The first player to be able to have a needle indicator 2| or 25, make two complete rotations wins that particular game.

Obviously, there are n'o loseable parts when using my device. The registering of points gained can be seen by all players and also heard as the disc or plate is moved.

A score for games won by a player may be added, and in the drawings I show a scorer for each player. Each recorder merely consists of a vertically mounted rotatable wheel 28 on the base ID, and having numerals one to six thereon.

Some Achanges may be made in the construction and arrangement of my cribbage score board without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may bereasonably included Within their scope.

I claim:V

A cribbage score board consisting entirely of; a base having two spaced apart wells, two discs one rotatably mounted yin each Yofsaicl wells, a plurality of evenly spaced indicia marks on said base and surrounding the peripheries of said wells, two transparent discs one concentrically and independently with respect to said iirst two discs rotatably mounted over each of said wells; four iixed indicators one on each of said discs, a means for independently rotating said first mentioned discs extending above said transparent discs, and means for selectively and yieldingly holding each of said discs with its respective xed indicator in alignment with one of said -indicia marks; whereby Cribbage may be scored by alternately moving the discs of the two associated with each well to indicate the score achieved by one vplayer at succeeding hands in a game of Cribbage. Y

LOUIS GRANT PETERSON.

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

UNITED STATES P-A'INTS France g oct. 29, 1913

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