US2648143A - Word game device - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 11, 1953 F. c. MEEDER WORD GAME DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 26, 1948 INVENTOR. [Fade/var CJdeezZer MMYAWM ATTOR/VFYJ Aug. 11, 1953 F. c. MEEDER 2,643,143

WORD GAME DEVICE Original Filed March 26, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Q E E IQO E .EUAKDHGEQIQEGAG INVENTOR. T R fleae/v'c/r Cd leeaer %-%Maz ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 11, 1953 WORD GAME DEVICE Frederick C. Meeder, Grandville, Mich.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No.

17,330, March 26, 1948. This application February 25, 1952, Serial No. 273,221

1 Claim.

This invention relates to games, and more particularly to a word-forming game device.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved word game device which is simple in structure, inexpensive to manufacture, and which is capable of providing a great deal of stimulating and instructive entertainment to adults as well as children.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved word-finding game device which is adapted to test the scope of a players vocabulary while providing stimulating entertainment, said device being useful in improving the proficiency of the players in spelling and in recognizing words.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claim, and from the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of a folder forming the main portion of a word game device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged rear view of the folder of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the folder of Figure 1 shown in opened position with a plurality of word-forming cards placed on the rear flap thereof.

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal crosssectional view taken through the folder of Figure 1 with a plurality of word-forming cards positioned between the flaps thereof.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the word-forming cards employed with the folder of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, II designates a folder made of cardboard or the like, and decorated on its front flap l2 with a suitable picture, preferably a picture having educational value. The rear flap of folder II is designated at l3 and is formed with four horizontal rows of evenly spaced apertures M. The outside surface of rear flap [3 is marked to the left of each aperture, as viewed in Figure 2, with a vowel letter the apertures being midway between adjacent letters. Designated at l5 are a plurality of rectangular cards, each card having marked thereon four consonant letters, said consonant letters being spaced so as to be registerable with four openings l4 when the card is placed on rear flap 13 in the manner shown in Figure 2.

In playing the game, the folder is opened up, as shown in Figure 3 and positioned with the Outer surfaces of the flaps I2 and I3 facing downwardly. Cards I 5 are selected at random and placed face downward in edge abutment on the rear flap I 3, as shown in Figure 3. The width of flap I3 is such that when the outer edges of the first two cards I5 at the left side of the group shown in Figure 3 are flush with the outer edge of the flap I3, the consonant letters on the first two cards will register with the openings M at the left side of the flap. Additional cards l5 placed on flap l3 in the manner illustrated in Figure 3 will also have their consonant letters positioned in registry with the openings [4 of the remaining portions of flap Hi. When all the openings l4 are thus covered, the folder is closed and turned over. As shown in Figure 2, the consonant letters will then appear through the openings 14 to the right of the respective vowel letters and the player can then pick out words formed by the juxtaposition of the vowel and consonant letters. For example, in Figure 2, it is possible to discern the words Utah, he, at, tire and ire from the letter groupings present. The player's score will be based on the maximum number of words which he can discern from a given arrangement of cards [5 within the folder II.

The flap [3 may carry consonant letters instead of vowel letters. The cards 15 will then carry vowel letters, and words will be formed in the same manner as described above.

While a specific embodiment of a word game device has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A word game device comprising a folder including elongated flaps connected at their ends and adapted to be arranged in closed and opened positions, one flap being provided with a plurality of spaced longitudinal rows of equidistantly spaced openings and having vowels printed upon its outer face adjacent to and at the left side of the openings, and a plurality of separate cards which are much smaller than the flaps so that a plurality of longitudinal rows of cards may be arranged between the flapsand covered by them, each card having a plurality of correspondingly spaced rows of consonants spaced apart equal to said spaced openings printed upon one face thereof, the cards being of such a size and the consonants so oriented 3 thereon that when one card in a longitudinal row has its edge brought into alignment with the free transverse edge of the flap having the openings and the other cards in the row are assembled so that their edges contact, the consonants of all cards in the row will be visible through. the openings of the flap, the arrangement being such that when the flaps are closed they closely confine the cards therebetween to hold the rows of cards in place.

FREDERICK C. MEEDER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Smith Dec. 13, 1921 Favreau Jan. 31, 1922 Morgan Feb. 17, 1925 Snelling June 24, 1930 Goodrich July 26, 1932 Wolfe Jan. 5, 1937

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