US3124359A - bottini - Google Patents

Description

March 10, 1964 5, -rm 3,124,359

DICE AGITATING AND VIEWING GAME BOX Filed Aug. 3, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 10, 1964- s, T- 1 3,124,359-

DIICE AGITATING AND VIEWING GAME BOX Filed Aug. 3, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,124,359 DICE AGTTATING AND VIEWING GAME BOX Raymond S. Buttini, 511 W. 111th St, Chicago, Ill. Filed Aug. 3, 1%0, Ser. No. 47,275 7 Claims. (til. 273145) This invention relates broadly to games or amusement devices and more particularly to a dice game device or box for the playing of poker dice, peek or peek-a-boo dice, liars dice, or the like.

The game device of this invention facilitates, and provides an improved table top type unit for, the playing of such dice games involving poker-type blufiing as to the value of a roll or shake made by the player then holding the dice box.

According to the broader aspects of this invention, the improved dice box provides a portable and upright container for use on a table top or the like having a suliiciently wide base and stability to prevent accidental overturning or tilting thereof to disturb the dice after they have once been rolled and having a sufiicient weight to aid in this stability. This box is, however, sufiiciently compact and light to be readily slid along a top of the table or other supporting surface from player to player. It may be readily raised if such type of play is desired.

The mechanized box device of this invention includes handle or lever means to shake or roll the concealed dice therein, such handle extending from the side of the upright box and preferably being located adjacent its bottom or lower end. This box or enclosure conceals a dice supporting and movable bottom support plate which is actuated by the external handle.

The dice on this movable bottom are selectively illuminated only by the dice holding player by a light source in the box under the control of an external switch. This switch is preferably located on a side of said box away from the player holding the box and adjacent to its top to thus be readily visible to all players. This tends to prevent the non-authorized use thereof by any player. The upper end of this upright container is closed by a preferably sloped top wall or closure to prevent any viewing of the dice therein except through a special viewing means comprising an eyepiece directed at the dice and requiring that the user indicate its use to the other players by leaning over and applying his eye closely to the eyepiece. This, in combination with the visible motion of actuating the light controlling switch, effectively prevents any player from taking an unauthorized look or peek at the dice after they have been rolled or shaken.

Preferably this eyepiece includes magnifying lens means to make small size dice look much larger or appear to be of bar dice size. This permits a smaller and more compact size for the entire unit.

In the use of the game box of this invention, it will be understood that numerous types and variations of bluffing or poker type dice games may be played by this improved and mechanized game device. However, the well known poker dice or liars dice game, preferably using five dice to give poker type hands, and with the roll or throw of the dice to be concealed from the other player or players except upon a call is disclosed herein as a preferred example of a specific game to be played by the use of this invention.

In using the mechanized game box of this invention to play such game, the player then holding the dice rolls or shakes the dice by one or more rapid or abrupt depressions 0r movements of the dice actuating and projecting handle lever. He then has to make two different motions readily visible to all other players in order to see the dice. For this purpose he manually actuates the light button or control switch (which is exposed to the view of the other "ice players) and simultaneously leans over to apply his eye close to the eye piece on the top wall of the dice box. This top wall or closure is preferably sloped to facilitate the proper tilting of the eye piece for its convenient use. The height of the box also facilitates its use by reducing the amount that the player has to lean over or lower his head to view the dice. v

After this the dice holding player then announces a hand or reading for the dice. The other player can either believe him and accept his announced hand or call his bluff or call him a liar in which event the calling player is entitled to see the dice. For this purpose, the box is slid over to him and the calling player also leans over to view the dice through the eye piece and illuminates them by pressing the light switch. It is preferred that the box he slid along the table or bar top from the dice rolling player to the calling player to prevent any tumbling of the dice or disturbing of their values. If the first player has correctly called the reading of the dice, then the second player loses. If the second player catches the first player in a lie, the first player loses. Since the rules of such games and their variations are well known, they Will not be further explained here. It will be understood that there may be more than two players.

A general object of this invention is to provide an improved blufiing type dice game box and to provide a portable, table top type, and dice concealing container to facilitate the playing of games such as poker or liars dice or the like.

Another and more specific object hereof is the provision of a mechanized box for the playing of blufiing type, dice games to prevent improper peeking or accidental viewing of the rolled dice by requiring that a player wishing to see the dice must make two readily visible and cooperating motions in order to be able to see the dice.

A further and more detailed object hereof is the provision of a mechanized, bluffing type, dice game container preventing viewing of the dice except upon the manual actuation of a visible means to illuminate the otherwise concealed dice in the container and the leaning forward of the viewing player to apply his eye to, or relatively close to, a special viewing unit or eyepiece.

A further and more detailed object of this invention resides in providing in such a game box of improved and simplified means to agitate or roll the dice without the necessity of lifting the box from its supporting surface.

Another and detailed object hereof is the provision in such a dice game box of an improved viewing means to be used only by the dice rolling, box holder or the bluff calling, box holder and requiring that he indicate his use by leaning over or else by lifting the box.

A further and detailed object hereof is the provision in such a dice game box of an improved viewing unit for the dice including an eye piece with magnifying lens means to increase the apparent size of the dice.

Other and more specific objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description of an exemplary embodiment hereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters are used to designate like parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the dice game box of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section taken on the lines II-II of FIGURE 1 with the eyepiece and the dice plate and lever being shown in full;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken on the lines III III of FIGURE 1 with the flashlight being shown in full and with a broken away portion to show its interior; and

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the dice box with the top closure or cover removed.

The dice game box of this invention is designated as a whole by a reference numeral 1. In this specific and 6X- emplary form of the upright table or bar top supported device of the present invention, the upright, stable, and relatively heavy or tilt proof box is shown as being of a preferably elongated, rectangular outer cross-section having the outer front and back provided by substantially ver tical side walls 3 and 4 and the other two outer sides 5 and 6. A preferably sloped and fiat top closure 7 is suitably and removably secured to the tops of the side walls as by removable nails or pins 10 and 11. The outer sides are preferably permanently secured together as by gluing, nails, or the like.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the otherwise open bottom of this upright box is braced and closed as by a suitable horizontal closure 12. As shown, wall 12 preferably has its lower surface substantially flush with the lower ends of the box side walls and fills the space therebetween. It is suitably secured to the side walls as by gluing, nailing, or the like. If desired, this bottom 12 may carry suitble supports or leg forming means such as the two front and rear supports 17 and 18 which are suitably secured in place as by gluing, nailing, or the like.

Preferably, but not necessarily, there are flat inner liner walls 13 and 14 which abut against the insides of the front and rear walls 3 and 4, extend throughout their heights and widths, and are suitably secured thereto.

While it will be understood by those skilled in this art that this box as a whole may be made in various forms, fabricated by various known, conventional, or suitable means and made of suitable materials, yet in my eX- emplary embodiment, the sides, top, bottom and inner liners (or all of the previously described parts) are preferably made of flat pieces of wood or plywood and joined by conventional wood fastening means.

While it is not essential under the broader or all aspects of this invention, yet I prefer to enclose the dice themselves in a conventionally shaped dice cup member 15 which is in the form of an upright tube or cylinder resting on the upper surface of the bottom 12 and tightly engaged between the two sides 3 and 4- and the front and against the inner liner 13. This cylinder may be suitably secured to the bottom 12 as well as to the sides and inner liner 13. As shown, this cylinder extends from the bottom 12 to just below, or substantially flush with, the top of the inner liner sheet 13 and the front side 3.

In or adjacent to the bottom of the upright dice game box of this invention, there is a movably mounted generally horizontally extending, dice supporting plate carrying thereon a plurality of (preferably 5) dice 21. In this exemplary embodiment, this dice plate 20 is in the form of a circular plate or disc positioned in the lower end of cylinder 15 having a loose fit therein to provide for the tilting or swinging of plate 20 as hereinafter described. As shown, plate 20 rests on the bottom 12 when it is in its inoperative or non-actuated position. The upper surface 20 is covered and cushioned as by a suitably cemented on layer of felt 2%. There is a similar second cushion layer of felt 2% on the bottom of plate 20. The bottom layer 20b may, if desired, be on the bottom 12 in the bottom of cup 15.

An external handle or actuator is provided to move or swing this plate 20 to tumble or roll the dice in their cup 15. Preferably this dice tumbling handle is provided by the straight lever arm 22 which is connected at its inner end to plate 20 and has its outer end extending out through the lower end of the users righthand side, side plate 4 adjacent to its bottom or lower end and through the loose fit providing, hole 23 in cup 15 and through the aligned and similarly loose fitting hole 24 in side 4, as shown.

Preferably lever 22 is provided by the long wood screw 25 having the screw and handle providing sleeve or cylinder 26 at its outer end. Sleeve 26 may he of wood or suitable material as will be understood by those skilled in this art. It will be apparent that the outer and lower edge of hole 24 in the side 4 provides a fulcrum or pivot 25a for this handle lever 22 so that when the player pushes downwardly sharply or abruptly its outer end, the dice supporting plate 20 (which forms a part or extension of the lever 22) is rapidly swung or snapped up to tumble or agitate the dice. In normal use several sharp downward pushes on the handle forming sleeve 26 will give an adequate and satisfactory tumbling of the dice.

It is to be noted that lever 22 and its handle forming sleeve end 26 are conveniently positioned for the righthanded use of the normal user. It is closely spaced above the bottom of the box yet with adequate clearance above the box supporting surface so that the users hand can be resting on the supporting surface. It will also be noted that such lever is positioned substantially centrally of the side of the box for its convenient use and actuation.

The top wall '7 is preferably sloped as shown to tilt the eyepiece for the convenience of the viewing player.

The restricted vision viewing means comprises the eyepiece 30 which is directed down at the dice 21 and its focus requires that the user place his eye quite close to the top of the eyepiece to see the dice. It will be understood that binocular type, or two such eye pieces, may be provided, if desired, under the teachings of this invention.

In the specific and exemplary embodiment hereof, this eyepiece 30 comprises a lower cylinder 31, suitably secured as by cementing in the hole 32, extending transversely through the tilted top wall 7 and pointed at the dice supported on the plate 20 in the bottom of cup 15. Plastic tube 31 has suitably secured thereto an upper eyepiece portion 35 conventionally shaped as shown and securing a magnifying lens unit 34 between its lower and upper portions. It will be understood that any other suitable magnifying eyepiece or viewing unit for this purpose may be employed under the teachings of this inventron.

It will thus be apparent that the player using this eyepiece has to place his eye quite close to it in order to see the dice. This requires that he lean over or lower his head if the dice box is left on its supporting surface, as is normally required. Alternatively, such player would have to lift the box to his eyes. In either case, he has advised the other player or players that he has looked at the dice.

The dice game of this invention also includes a second means requiring a readily observable motion by any player seeking to view the dice to thus co-operate to help prevent any unauthorized peeking or any inadvertent viewing of the dice. This second means forms a part of a selectively on-olf light or illumination unit for the concealed dice. For this purpose, there is provided the light unit designated as a whole by 36 and having at its inner end, light bulb 37 positioned to direct its light on the dice.

Preferably, as shown in the exemplary embodiment hereof, this unit 36 is a conventional, one cell pen size diameter flashlight whose casing 38 has a light controlling, switch plunger 38 at its rear end, as shown. This flashlight unit 36 is suitably securely and removably mounted in the opening or notch 40 through the upper end of the cylinder 15, through the closely fitting opening 41 in liner 14, and through the aligned and tightly fitting opening 42 in rear wall 4. The flashlight may be simply frictionally secured or, if desired, additionally clamped in position by the adjustable and releasable wood screw 43 having Washer 44 under its head and extending through wall 4 or 14 to engage the case 38.

This positions the switch plunger 39 for convenient, but readily observable, manual actuation by the authorized player. This position, on the top and back of the box towards the non-using player, effectively prevents any unobserved and hence any unauthorized use of this light switch for the purpose of seeing the dice. In this connection it is also to be noted that the light switch must be actuated simultaneously with the bending over by the viewer to bring his eye close to the eyepiece in order to see the dice, which also advises his opponent that he is looking at the dice.

As pointed out above, the dice game device of this invention may be used for the playing of various types of dice games, particularly those involving blufiing, as well as the preferred poker or liars dice or peek-a-boo dice games as indicated above.

It is to be understood that while the several features of my invention have been illustrated and described in this exemplary embodiment as being used in connection with specific structure, including the rectangular external box and other specific constructional arrangements, yet these features may be used to advantage in other types or arrangements of dice game devices and various other modifications and variations of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A game device for the playing of blufiing type dice games comprising, in combination;

an upright box having a base to support it on a surface and lower means therein to carry dice to be tumbled therein by a player and at least two cooperating means requiring concurrent and readily observable use by a player to permit his viewing of the dice while said box is supported on a surface such as a table top,

said means including a first such cooperating means including dice concealing and illumination preventing, substantially opaque sides and top for said box together with a dice viewing eyepiece means adjacent the top of said box, directed down at the dice and requiring that the using player make a readily observable movement of his head to bring his eye close to said eyepiece in order to see the dice to thus clearly advise his opponents of his dice viewing and second such cooperating means including dice illuminating means having a manual control means to selectively illuminate the otherwise non-visible dice in said supported box only while said manual control means is held by a players hand,

said manual control means being so positioned on the outside of said box that the using players hand on said manual control means is readily observable by his opponents to thus again clearly advise them of his dice viewing concurrently and in cooperation with said first such cooperating means to thereby effectively prevent unauthorized viewing of the dice in the playing of bluffing type dice games.

2. A game device for the playing of blufiing type dice games comprising, in combination;

a portable but normally stationary, upright, table top type box having a base to support it free of human hands on a surface such as a table top during the normal playing of such games,

a lower movable dice carrying member therein,

dice on said lower member,

means to always advise opposing players of any moving of said dice by one player including dice tumbling means comprising a manually actuatable handle means to move said movable member while said box is so supported,

said handle means being so positioned on said box that its use is readily observable by the players,

and at least two separate but inter-cooperating means requiring their concurrent and readily observable use by a player in order to permit his viewing of the dice after they have been tumbled and while said box is so supported, said inter-cooperating means including a first such inter-cooperating means includcluding dive concealing and illumination preventing, substantially opaque walls and top for said box together with a restricted vision and lens type eyepiece means in the top of said box, directed down at said dice and requiring that the using player make a readily observable movement of his head to bring his eye close to said eyepiece means in order to see the dice to thus clearly advise his opponent of his dice viewing and second such inter-cooperating means including a dice illuminating electric light in said box and having a switch means normally resiliently biased to its off condition so that that light is on only while said switch means is manually held on, said switch means being so positioned on the outside of said box that its use by a player is readily observable by his opponents to thus clearly again advise them of his dice viewing concurrently with the similar such advice by said first such inter-cooperating means to thereby effectively prevent unauthorized viewing of the dice in the playing of bluffing type dice games. 3. A game device for the playing of blufling type dice games comprising, in combination;

a portable but normally stationary, upright, table top type box having a base to support it free of human hands on a surface such as a table top during the normal playing of such games, a movable dice carrying and tumbling plate in said box adjacent its bottom, dice on said plate, means to always advise opposing players of any moving of said dice by one player including dice tumbling means comprising a manually actuatable handle forming a lever rigidly connected at its inner end to the underside of said plate and extending out through an opening through a lower portion of an upright side wall of said box to be readily grasped and manually actuated by a player to tumble said dice while said box is so supported, said handle forming lever being positioned so that its use is readily observable by the players to advise them of moving of the dice, a side wall of said box providing a fulcrum for said lever adjacent said opening, and means whose readily observable use is required by a player in order to permit his viewing of the dive after they have been tumbled and while said box is so supported, said means including substantially opaque box side walls and top to prevent normal viewing of said dice, means to illuminate said otherwise non-visible dice in said closed opaque box without permitting viewing of said dice, and means to permit viewing of said dice only during at least one readily observable action by the viewing player including eyepiece means adjacent said top wall and directed down at said illuminated dice, said eyepiece means requiring that the viewer observably move his eye close to said eyepiece means to thus advise his opponent of his viewing by this action to thereby effectively prevent unauthorized viewing of the dice in the playing of blufling type dice games. 4. A game device for the playing of blufiing type dice games, comprising, in combination;

an upright dice enclosing and concealing container having a base to support it on a surface such as a table top at least during dice viewing after dice tumbling and having sides and a top,

dice in said container,

means to manually tumble said dice,

and means to permit only authorized and readily observable viewing of said dice and to advise opposing players of any such viewing,

said means including substantially opaque said sides and top and only one opening means permitting vision into said otherwise closed and opaque container,

said opening means comprising an eyepiece directed down at said dice and including a lens requiring that the user observably move to place his eye close to said eyepiece in order to see said dice to thus advise his opponents of his dice viewing,

and separate means to illuminate said dice without permitting viewing thereof except through said opening means.

5. The game device of claim 4 in which said eyepiece comprises a magnifying type lens means to enlarge the apparent size of said dice to permit the use of smaller dice in said device and a smaller and more compact device.

said lens means requiring the viewer to move his head to position at least one of his eyes close to said eyepiece in order to effectively view said dice.

6. A game device for the playing of blutfing type dice games comprising, in combination;

a dice enclosing and concealing container having a sides and a base to be supported on a surface such as a table top during the normal tumbling as well as the viewing of the dice in said container in the normal playing of a blufiing type dice game,

a lower movable dice carrying plate therein,

dice on said plate,

means to always advise opposing players of any moving of said dice by one player comprising a manually actuable handle means to manually move said plate for the tumbling of said dice while said container is so supported on a surface,

said handle means being so positioned on said container that its use is readily observable by the opposing players and a second means to permit viewing of the dice by any player only by at least one readily observable motion on the part of the viewing player,

said second means including a side wall and top portion of said container to prevent normal illumination of said dice together with a viewing region substantially preventing illumination of said dice to render them non-visible and an electric light in said container positioned to illuminate said otherwise non-illuminated and non-Visible dice with a normally biased off, manually actuable, controlling switch for said light located in a readily observable position on the outer upper portion of said container to illuminate said dice to thereby render them visible for viewing only while the switch is held on by the viewplayer to thereby advise his opponents of this viewing of the dice.

7. A game device for the playing of bluffing type dice games comprising, in combination;

an upright box having a top, side walls and a base to normally always support said box on a surface such as a table top during dice tumbling and also during dice viewing in the playing of bluffing type dice games, a dice carrying and tumbling plate movably mounted in the lower portion of said box, dice on said plate, means to always advise opposing players of any moving of said dice by one player including dice tumbling means comprising a manually actuable handle connected to move said movable plate while said box is so supported on a surface, said handle being so positioned on said box that its use is readily observable by the players and at least two separate but inter-cooperating means requiring their concurrent and readily observable use by a player in order to permit his viewing of the dice after they have been so tumbled and while said box is so supported, said inter-cooperating means including a first such inter-cooperating means including dice concealing illumination preventing, substantially opaque walls and top for said box together with a restricted vision and magnifying lens type eyepiece means in the top of said box, directed down at said dice and requiring that the using player make a readily observable movement of his head to bring his eye close to said eyepiece means in order to see the dice to thus clearly advise his opponent of his dice viewing and a second such inter-cooperating means including a dice illuminating electric light unit in said box and having switch means normally resiliently biased to its off condition so that said light unit is on only while said switch means is manually held on, said switch means being so positioned on the outside of said box adjacent its top that its use by a player is readily observable by his opponents to thus clearly again advise them of his dice viewing concurrently with the warning advice by said first inter-cooperating means, said device being completely self-contained and said light unit comprising an elongated flashlight unit including a battery extending horizontally into the upper end portion of said box with a bulb at its inner end positioned to illuminate said otherwise non-visible dice and with said switch being positioned at the outer end of said flashlight unit and extending to the outside of said box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 503,403 Brinkman Aug. 15, 1893 2,171,295 Shultz Aug. 29, 1939 2,628,840 Laube Feb. 17, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 397,356 France Feb. 20, 1909 774,517 France Sept. 24, 1934 613,286 Great Britain Nov. 24, 1948

Claims (1)

1. 4. A GAME DEVICE FOR THE PLAYING OF BLUFFING TYPE DICE GAMES, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION; AN UPRIGHT DICE ENCLOSING AND CONCEALING CONTAINER HAVING A BASE TO SUPPORT IT ON A SURFACE SUCH AS A TABLE TOP AT LEAST DURING DICE VIEWING AFTER DICE TUMBLING AND HAVING SIDES AND A TOP, DICE IN SAID CONTAINER, MEANS TO MANUALLY TUMBLE SAID DICE, AND MEANS TO PERMIT ONLY AUTHORIZED AND READILY OBSERVABLE VIEWING OF SAID DICE AND TO ADVISE OPPOSING PLAYERS OF ANY SUCH VIEWING, SAID MEANS INCLUDING SUBSTANTIALLY OPAQUE SAID SIDES AND TOP AND ONLY ONE OPENING MEANS PERMITTING VISION INTO SAID OTHERWISE CLOSED AND OPAQUE CONTAINER, SAID OPENING MEANS COMPRISING AN EYEPIECE DIRECTED DOWN AT SAID DICE AND INCLUDING A LENS REQUIRING THAT THE USER OBSERVABLY MOVE TO PLACE HIS EYE CLOSE TO SAID EYEPIECE IN ORDER TO SEE SAID DICE TO THUS ADVISE HIS OPPONENTS OF HIS DICE VIEWING, AND SEPARATE MEANS TO ILLUMINATE SAID DICE WITHOUT PERMITTING VIEWING THEREOF EXCEPT THROUGH SAID OPENING MEANS.

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