US3649017A

US3649017A - Simulated baseball game

Info

Publication number: US3649017A
Application number: US17480A
Authority: US
Inventors: James W Kirkpatrick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-03-09
Filing date: 1970-03-09
Publication date: 1972-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 1989-03-14

Abstract

A simulated baseball game having a gameboard with a baseball diamond, a scoreboard, an outs indication, and an inning indication thereon. An area is provided for placing a many sided playing piece which is struck by a bat, moved, and upon the cessation of movement of the playing piece, the side that is up is read to obtain the next play of the game. The playing piece has nine sides each bearing play indicating indicia, and when it comes to rest on one side, two other sides are equally uppermost opposite the side on which it comes to rest. Indicia are provided on the end of the playing piece to determine which of the two uppermost sides is to be read.

Description

United States Patent Kirkpatrick [151 3,649,017 [451 Mar. 14,1972

[54] SIMULATED BASEBALL GAME 211 App]. No.: 17,480

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,462,170 2/ 1949 Dube "273/90 229,791 7/1880 Wunderlich ..273/95 F 1,795,562 3/1931 King et al ..273/95 F UX 2,444,516 7/1948 Lenbom ..273/93 R X 2,944,823 7/1960 Gilbert ..273/93 R X Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro Attorney-Herzig & Walsh [57] ABSTRACT A simulated baseball game having a gameboard with a baseball diamond, a scoreboard, an outs indication, and an inning indication thereon. An area is provided for placing a many sided playing piece which is struck by a bat, moved, and upon the cessation of movement of the playing piece, the side that is up is read to obtain the next play of the game. The playing piece has nine sides each bearing play indicating indicia, and when it comes to rest on one side, two other sides are equally uppermost opposite the side on which it comes to rest. Indicia are provided on the end of the playing piece to determine which of the two uppermost sides is to be read.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented March 14, 1972 w x w W n W, I M

OOO\OO POOOOOK%KOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOO\OOOOOOOOOO00000OOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O00OOO000000OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOG0 0000000000 ooooooooooooooooooooooooooobnvooowowoMoooo OOOO INVENTOR.

SIMULATED BASEBALL GAME SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a game and more specifically to a game simulating baseball.

Oftentimes it is desirable for people to be able to play a simulated baseball game indoors. Such a game can be both entertaining and competitive. Furthermore, a baseball game that can be played indoors can be instructional to those who are learning how the national game of baseball is played.

Formerly, it has been difficult to provide a baseball game which in its elements of chance, variety of plays and suspense closely resembles the actual game of baseball.

The baseball game of the present invention comprises a gameboard having a baseball diamond thereon together with areas for representing the score, number of outs, inning and number of players. The game is chance controlled by means of a novel playing piece and plays are disposed of similar to the manner done by actual players on a baseball diamond.

In light of the foregoing, the primary object of the invention is to provide a baseball game having a novel gameboard.

Another object is to provide a baseball game having a novel playing piece as a play controlling device for the game.

Still another object is to permit a variation in the possibilities of any one play in the game.

Yet another object is to provide a baseball game without changing the proper proportions between the various types of plays.

A further object is to provide a baseball game which may be played by a plurality of players in which its elements of chance, variety of plays, and suspense will closely resemble the actual game of baseball.

Further objects and additional advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description in the annexed drawings, wherein;

FIG. I is a plan view of the gameboard of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the playing piece of the present invention wherein the periphery of the body is unfolded;

FIG. 3 is a view of another playing piece which may be used with the present invention, wherein the periphery of the body is unfolded; and

FIG. 4 is a view taken along lines 4-4 ofFlG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, FIG. 1 shows a gameboard on which is indicated a baseball diamond 14 having a first base 16, second base 18, third base and a homeplate 22. A playing piece 26 is shown positioned in batting area 28 ready to be struck by bat 30 for the next play of the game in a manner to be described below.

Playing piece 26 is more clearly shown in FIG. 2 and has

conical ends

36 and 38 and a generally cylindrical body 34 which is shown unfolded. On the periphery of the cylindrical body is an inscribable surface, around which are eight flat sides having eight different inscriptions, one on each side. Inscriptions which may be on the periphery are indicated in FIG. 2 and are typically: Out, Homerun, Out, Triple, Single, Out, Walk and Double. The occurrence of a plurality of positions that have the word Out inscribed thereon is consistent with the general procedure at a typical baseball game wherein an Out is the predominant play that occurs. This playing piece having eight sides may typically be used in a playing piece ball game in the National League, wherein the top side calls the play action in a manner which will be explained below.

In FIG. 3, playing piece 42 is shown having

conical ends

44 and 46 and on the periphery of the playing piece is also an inscribable surface. However, on the periphery of this playing piece there are nine fiat sides and nine inscriptions, one inscription being on each side. For example, the inscription might typically read as follows: Out, Double, Out, I-Iomerun, Out, Walk, Single, Out and Triple. Again, there are a plurality of plays Out and this is generally consistent with the normal occurrence in a baseball game. This playing piece with nine sides may generally be used in a playing piece ball game in the International League or the Universal League. If this playing piece is used in the International League, the top right hand side facing the marked end will govern play action in a manner which will be explained below. If this playing piece is used in a Universal League game, the top left hand side facing the marked end will govern play action in a manner which will be explained below.

Turning back to FIG. 1, scoreboard area 56 is shown having

score indicating areas

58, 60 and 64. While more score indicating areas can be provided to accommodate more players, for the purposes of this description, four areas will be shown. In each of these sections are holes 68 for positioning markers 70. As seen in FIG. 4, marker 70 has a lower portion 72 of such a size to readily fit within holes 68 in gameboard l0. Marker 70 may be of different colors to indicate different players that are in the game. As can be seen, up to four players can participate in the game of the present invention as described in the preferred embodiment.

Gameboard 10 provides an area 76 for the ready display of the outs that have transpired in the particular inning at hand. Specifically, a representation is made for Out I wherein an indicator such as marker 70, described above, is inserted in hole 68 in section 78. Similarly a marker inserted in section 80 indicates Out 2 and a marker inserted in section 82 indicates Out 3.

Also shown on gameboard 10 is an area 86 for representing the inning that the game is in. This area has provisions for innings 1 through 9 and can accommodate as many players that may be playing at one time, here shown typically to be four players, whereas in a regular baseball game, two teams are all that play. Again, holes 68 are utilized in conjunction with typical markers 70 for the required indication of the inning that the game is in.

Area 90 on gameboard 10 is used to coordinate the player and the inning representation. Thus, a player may indicate what color marker 70 he is using by inserting in space 92 a marker of a specific color, thereupon the inning column above this marker 92 is representative of the inning that this player has completed. Similarly it can be seen that another player can place his color marker in space 94 and the column above this space will represent the inning the player has completed.

Spaces

98 and 100 in the player indication area 90 may be utilized as spare spaces and the color markers that are not being used on the particular game may be stored here as ready reminder of their current non-use.

In operation, playing piece 26 is placed within batting area 28. Bat 30 is utilized by the player to hit the playing piece 26 at its right end and causing it to spin upwards and forward onto the playing field. After the playing piece stops moving, it is read. If the eight-sided playing piece is being used for a Na tional League game, the top side rules play action, however, if the nine-sided playing piece is utilized in a Universal League or International League game, the top right side for the International League or top left hand side for the Universal League may rule play action. After the playing piece is read, the marker pin used by the player at bat may be appropriately moved to either first base, second base or third base as the play dictates. The only runs that can score, of course, are those runs that are forced in by the indications of the playing piece. The player continues to turn until he makes three outs and then it becomes the next player's turn at bat.

It is noted that the inning representation area 86 indicates nine innings. In the event that a tie game results at the end of nine innings, the game is allowed to move into extra innings and the beginning of the inning representation area 86 is reused.

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will readily observe and understand the nature and construction of the invention and the manner in which it achieves and realizes all of the objects and advantages set forth in the foregoing as well as the many additional advantages that are apparent from the detailed description.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of a preferred form of the invention and is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, the invention to be accorded the full scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A baseball game comprising a playing piece having a body which has nine flat sides and two conical ends, the flat sides of said body having different plays of a baseball game inscribed thereon, whereby said body will come to rest on one of said flat sides, one end of said body being marked to identify which of the indicia inscribed on exposed flat sides is to be used, a bat, a plurality of marking devices and a gameboard including a baseball diamond thereon, said baseball diamond having a home base, a first base, a second base, and a third base, said playing piece being adapted to be struck at said conical end by said bat and moved thereby, thereafter coming to rest on a flat side so that an inscription faces upwardly to indicate the next play of the baseball game, and wherein markers are positionable at each of said bases to indicate the status of the game.

2. A baseball game as in claim 1 wherein said gameboard further comprises means for indicating the score, inning, and number of cuts

Claims

1. A baseball game comprising a playing piece having a body which has nine flat sides and two conical ends, the flat sides of said body having different plays of a baseball game inscribed thereon, whereby said body will come to rest on one of said flat sides, one end of said body being marked to identify which of the indicia inscribed on exposed flat sides is to be used, a bat, a plurality of marking devices and a gameboard including a baseball diamond thereon, said baseball diamond having a home base, a first base, a second base, and a third base, said playing piece being adapted to be struck at said conical end by said bat and moved thereby, thereafter coming to rest on a flat side so that an inscription faces upwardly to indicate the next play of the baseball game, and wherein markers are positionable at each of said bases to indicate the status of the game.

2. A baseball game as in claim 1 wherein said gameboard further comprises means for indicating the score, inning, and number of outs.