US3021140A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 13, 1962 E. F. LUSHANSKY, JR 3,021,140

GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 20, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIQVENTOR.

3,021,140 Patented Feb. 13, 1962 ice 3,021,140 GAME APPARATUS Edward F. Lushansky, In, 127 W. 77th St., New York, N.Y. Filed Aug. 20, 1958, Ser. No. 756,258 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-130) The present invention relates to a game and more particularly to a device for use in playing a game of ticktacktoe and which can be made of such a size as to be readily disposed within the pocket.

Heretofore, elforts have been made to provide pocket ticktacktoe games but these have entailed complicated structures and in many cases the O and X symlbols used have been very small and do not conform to the usual practice of filling the square with the symbol.

The present invention overcomes these difiiculties by providing a ticktacktoe game which is simple in construction, readily operated and which provides an X and O indication which substantially fills the square of the ticktacktoe board.

This is accomplished by providing the housing with a top provided with nine openings arranged in rows of three in longitudinal and transverse alignment and by providing means for supporting under each of these openings an elongate member, strip or band having an X or an O thereon capable of being moved from a retracted position to a position in the opening to substantially fill the opening.

A feature of the invention resides in the fact that the structure of the present invention can be readily made, involves a minimum number of parts, and can be readily assembled so as to eifect an economical manufacture.

Another feature of the invention resides in the simplicity of the operation of the device which will permit its use even by young children without requiring any special skill or dexterity.

Other features and advantages or" the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a top view of the device.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the device.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the device.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective View of the support means.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of one of the strips.

FIG. 8 shows a top view of another form of the invention.

FIG. 9 shows a side view thereof.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the supporting means in this form of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along lines 11-l1 of PEG. 8.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along lines 12-12 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 13 shows a continuous band employed in this form of the invention.

As shown in the drawings the device comprises a base 16 having a top 11 secured thereto and provided with nine openings 12 therein arranged in rows of three in longitudinal and transverse alignment. Preferably, the openings are rectangular and each opening has associated therewith an elongate member 13 having thereon symbols 13a such as an X and an O as shown in FIG. 7. While the elongate members may be formed as slides, closed loops, or other similar types of construction, in the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, they are illustrated as a band or strip having the X and 0 adjacent the ends thereof and adapted to be moved into the opening as desired. Although separate means may be employed to move the strip, it is at present preferred to provide each strip with a finger piece 14 at each end thereof to project from the surface with the X and 0 adjacent each of the finger pieces. One of the finger pieces may be distinctively colored as indicated at 15 to facilitate identification of the ends of the strip.

The strip or band may be mounted and guided on the housing in any suitable manner in order to present the symbols in the opening. In the herein illustrated form of the invention a support means 16, such as shown in H6. 6, is provided having a plurality of parallel supporting members 17 connected at one end to a locating bar 18 which is adapted to be mounted in the base so as to position the supporting members adjacent the lower surface of the top as shown in FIG. 4. The other end or" the supporting members can rest on a ledge 19 formed on the interior of the base. It will be seen that this permits the bands or strips to be readily assembled over the free ends of the supports and also provides a space or chamber Zti between the supports and bottom of the base into which the strip can be moved in retracted position as will be explained.

The strips are positioned around the support, as shown in FIG. 5 and are normally disposed with the finger pieces 14 projecting through the openings and located adjacent the end edges 12a, 12b of the openings as shown at the right and left openings of FIG. 5. In this position it will be noted that the ends of the strip having the finger pieces are supported by the edges of the supporting member 17 and the upper surface 17a of the support between the finger pieces will be exposed and form a blank space under the opening. When it is desired to move the strip to expose an X or an O in the opening, the appropriate finger piece is engaged by the finger and the strip slid over the support. To move the strip to place an O in an opening, the finger piece adjacent the O is engaged and moved toward the other finger piece resulting in the location of the O in the opening. If an X is to be disposed in the opening the opposite finger piece is moved across the opening thus sliding the strip until the X is disposed in the opening as shown in the lower right opening of FIG; 1. When the strips are in retracted position, the midportion will form a loop which will be disposed in the chamber beneath the supports while the strips will closely embrace the support when they are moved to the position to expose an X or Oin the opening as shown in the center support of FIG. 5.

Preferably, the finger grips are provided with relatively broad end surfaces 14a to engage the side edges 12c, 12d of the openings and with flanges 14b to engage the undersurface of the top. This will act to guide the strips in their movement and also provide sufiicient friction to hold the strips in their adjusted position.

As shown in FIG. 1, the X and the O are of such a size that when moved to position in the opening they substantially fill the opening as is desired in ticktacktoe.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 8-13, the device comprises a casing 21 having integral top 22 and side Walls 23 with the top wall provided with nine openings 27a arranged in rows of three in longitudinal and transverse alignment similar to those shown in FIG. 1. A bottom 24 is inserted into the casing to close the same. As shown, support means 25 is provided comprising three parallel supporting members or posts 260i substantially rectangular cross-section having rounded off corners as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12. These members are maintained in parallel relation by being mounted on a locating bar 27 which properly locates the supporting members adjacent the undersurface of the top. Each of the support members is provided with three 3 spaced continuous bands 28 such as shown in FIG. 13, each of which is provided on its surface with fingerengaging portions 29 which are adapted to be engaged by the finger to rotate the band on the post.

In assembling the device the three bands are slid over the end of each post and the support means is inserted in the casing with the posts adjacent the top and the bands positioned so as to be disposed in the openings in the top. If desired, the casing can be provided with ribs 30 located between the free ends of the posts to guide them and the bottom can have an inwardly extending lip 31 which engages under and supports the free ends of the posts to maintain them in position under the openings.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 8 to 13, each of the bands has thereon an X and an disposed in spaced relation and has a stop member 32 located between them so that when the bands are rotated on the posts by engagement of the fingers with the finger pieces in one direction an X will appear and completely fill the opening. In this position the stop 32 will engage the undersurface of the top at one side of the opening as shown on the center band in FIG. 12. When the band is rotated in the opposite direction, an 0 will appear and the stop member will engage the underside of the cover at the other side of the opening. The space between the X and O is left blank and is normally positioned under the opening in the top, as shown at the right and left bands in FIG. 12, when the game is not being played.

While the continuous band may be made by securing together the ends of a strip, in the present preferred form of the invention it is made by extruding the tube with the finger projections 29 and stop members 32 integral therewith and then cutting the tube transversely into bands of the required width.

The base, top and support can be readily made by molding or forming plastic, metal, paper or the like and the strips can be made from any suitable flexible material such as plastic material, woven fabric, paper or the like. Inasmuch as the device embodies only four difierent elements, i.e. base, top, support and strip, and involves only a simple assembly operation it can be manufactured at a relatively low cost. Further, since its operation involves merely the sliding of appropriate strips under the openings it can be readily operated even by young children with a minimum amount of dexterity.

Although the device of the present invention is particularly well suited for a pocket size ticktacktoe, it is to be understood that it can be made in any size as may be desirable.

This application is a continuation-impart of my copending application Serial No. 701,006, filed December 6, 1957, now abandoned.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used Without others.

I claim:

1. A game device comprising a casing having a base and a top provided with nine openings therein, said openings being arranged in rows of three in longitudinal and transverse alignment, a flexible member for each opening having finger engaging means thereon, a mounting means, and means comprising three supporting members connected together at one end only to said mounting means, said mounting means being inserted into the casing and cooperating with the base to position said supporting members under the openings, said supporting members slidably mounting one of said flexible members in each opening with the finger engaging means projecting through the openings, said members each having an X and an O thereon and being of a length to permit said X or O to be selectively moved from a retracted position into a position to be exposed through the openings.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the supports are substantially rectangular in cross-section.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the flexible member comprises an endless band adapted to be slipped over the unconnected ends of the support.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein the bands are provided with a stop means to engage the underside of the top to stop the band with an X or an O in the opening.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the flexible member comprises an elongate strip with the finger engaging means being located at the ends of the strip and wherein the casing is provided with a space below the supporting members to receive and store the midportion of the strip.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein the finger engaging means are normally positioned in retracted position adjacent the edges of the opening with the strip disposed in the space below the supporting members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,544,182 Ricks June 30, 1925 1,700,712 Brown Jan. 29, 1929 1,812,600 Martin June 30, 1931 2,126,373 Emanuel Aug. 9, 1938 2,391,520 Smith Dec. 25, 1945 2,593,631 Tognetti Apr. 22, 1952 2,628,838 Smalley Feb. 17, 1953 2,784,972 Mater Mar. 12, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 429,990 Germany June 8, 1926

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