US2810578A - Horse racing game - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 22, 1957 T. e. PACITTI HORSE RACING GAME Filed March 16, 1956 I IIIIIIIIIIII? 0 /w M m M n 4 I a 0 a 0 I m u a I m INVENTOR. 779 0MA5 G. ale/r77 BY I HORSE RACING GAME Thomas G. Pacitti, Philadelphia, Pa. Application March 16, 1956, Serial No. 571,908

1 Claim. (Cl. 273-134) My invention relates to a horse racing game and more particularly relates to an improved game played with dice for entertainment and instruction in demonstrating conditions simulating actual horse racing contests.

An important element in horse racing is the strategy of the jockey in avoidingloss of ground by going wide when his mount is blocked by one or more horses directly in the path ahead. Thus the jockeys judgment is a crucial factor in the race, as for example, his decision as to pushing his own horse in such a position to force others to go around at the expense of his own speed or by cooperating with other horses in the race to form blocking combinations thereby retarding the horses behind.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a horse racing game played with dice whereby the participants may exercise judgment and skill in jockeying their game pieces so that the element of chance will not be the sole controlling factor.

. Another object of my invention is to provide a horse racing game which is amusing, exciting and instructive as to the procedure and terms used in an actual horse race.

Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved device of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efiicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the acompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a horse racing game embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the track surface showing the arrangement of lanes of holes therein.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a game piece used with my horse racing game.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, I show a track, generally designated as A, and a plurality of game pieces, generally designated as B, which are numebered 1 to 7 inclusively.

The track A comprises an oval-shaped surface 10 having a plurality of holes 12 which are arranged in lanes and enclosing the track surface is an inner rail 14 and an outer rail 16. In my preferred embodiment, both the entire track A and the pieces B are formed from a plastic material, although the construction is not to be restricted to plastics alone. Four poles, designated P1, P2, P3 and P4 are formed upon the inside rail and divide the track, which simulates a mile-and-a-quarter race, into four racing sections. The section indicated by the reference character A1 between poles P4 and P1 is traveled upon twice by the game pieces, the first quarter mile dash and 2,810,578 Patented Oct. 22, 1957 2 the home stretch, .the'one-quarter mile sections between poles P1 -P2, P2P3, andP3P4 being respectively indicated with the characters A2, A3 and A4, respectively. Atthe pole P4 is a starting line or gate 18 having seven post positions numbered 1 through 7 inclusively, position 1 being adjacent the inside rail 14 and the others progressing in sequence to the outside rail 16. Adjacent the pole P1 is a finish line 20; q

It is to be observed that the first quarter dash section Al has seven lanes. The field then'narrows around the first turn and the number of lanes decreases to three in the second quarter A2; Between poles P2 and P3, back stretch section A3, the number of paths upon which the pieces B are contained is slightly widened to four. Going around the far turn into section A4 and just before entering the home stretch the total number lanes once more progressively increases to seven. It is to be further noted that each lane has a different total of peg holes which requires that a greater number of moves are necessary for players to proceed on the outer paths. As an example, the number of moves in the inside and outside paths are as follows: e i

' Section 7 Inside Outside Rail Rail A1, first quarter dash; 14 19 A2, first tum 14 20 A3, back stretch; 15 15 A4, tar turn"; 13 22 A5, home stretch." 14 19 Total Moves i 70 (a) A pair of dice (b) Play money (c) Racing forms including rules (d) Seven plastic discs numbered 1 to 7 The procedure for playing my horse racing game is as follows:

The play money is equally divided among the players at the beginning of the game. Before each race, each player is required to pay an entry fee, and this goes into a pool which is distributed into win, place, and show prizes for the winner, the second to finish and the third horse respectively.

Each of the players then draws a game piece B from a container, and the number of the piece selected determines the post position. The horses B are then set in their respective holes at the starting gate. The next operation in the course of my game is determining which horse will break away from the starting gate first. This is accomplished by each player drawing a numbered plastic disc from a container which will govern the sequence of each player throwing the dice. The sequence of the breakaway continues throughout the game.

As each player throws the dice, he advances his mount an equivalent number of holes to the total on the dice. However, although backward moves are not permissible, lateral or side-to-side moves are within the rules. Thus, if a player wishes to move diagonally into another lane, he must move his piece one space frontward and one space laterally or vice versa, each space being counted as part of the total rolled on the dice. A player may change lanes at will, land in front of other horses and otherwise jockey for position. However, a player maynever jump over or land in a space already occupied. Furthermore, a player must move the total number of spaces. that he throws on the dice except when he becomes boxed in or blocked. It is to be noted that one may voluntarily assume a boxed in position as a strategy measure although freedom of movement is available. For example, horse B-1 in lane 1, horse B4 in lane 2 one space behind horse B-l, no horses in lane 3, and horse B-4 in lane 2, 3 spaces directly behind horse B-2. It is B-4s turn and he rolls a 7 on the dice. While 13-4 could go diagonally into lane 3, he is near the home stretch and advances 2 spaces forward in lane 2, one space laterally into lane 1, and one space forward in lane 1. Since one cant jump over a piece directly in front, nor move backward, horse B-4 can only take 4 of the 7 moves allotted to him and forfeits the remainder. If a player is already boxed in when it is his turn to roll the dice, it is a forfeiture of the turn.

Upon entering the home stretch each player must obtain a clear field starting at pole P4 and from this point on to the finish line, the rules permit no interchanging of lanes. Because of the irregular location of the holes at the finish line, a horse may be a winner by a nose, at neck or end in a tie with other horses and the same is true for second and third positions.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed. l

I claim as my invention:

A- horse racing game comprising an oval track, a pin rality of lanes of spaced holes annularly disposed about 7 said track, the number of holes per lane increasing with greater annulus from inside lane to outside lane respectively, and a plurality of simulated horse game pieces, each bearing identification indicia and being adapted to interfit within the holes, said track being divided respectively into a first quarter mile dash having seven lanes of holes, a first turn having seven lanes at the initial portion thereof converging into three lanes as movement of the game pieces progresses thereabout, a back stretch having four lanes, a far turn having four lanes at the initial portion thereof diverging to seven lanes as movement of the pieces progresses thereabout, and a homestretch coincident with said first quarter mile dash, whereby each of said game pieces are set at a starting line within a respective post position at the beginning of said first quarter mile dash, the longitudinal advancement of said game pieces being controlled by the throw of dice, the lateral movement of each game piece from lane to adjacent lane being at the discretion of the respective player and included as moves deductible from the total exhibited by the dice on a particular throw thereof, and a finish line laterally disposed across seven lanes at the end of said homestretch, the longitudinally advanced holes of each lane adjacent said finish line being staggered whereby win, place and show horses respectively may beat sub-' sequent horses by a portion of a body length.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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