US718147A - Game-table. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903-.

J. T. NIENTIMP.

GAME TABLE.

APPLIOATION PIL ED AUG. 30, 1902.

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J. T. NIENTIMP. GAME TABLE.

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'NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. NIENTIMP, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES A. LEIMGRUBER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

GAM E-TABLE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 718,147, dated January 13, 1903. Application filed August 30, 1902. Serial No. 121,691. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, J oHN T. NIENTIMP, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game-Tables; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to provide a table having thereon a top section in which may be arranged a number of gameboards provided with the fields arranged for I 5 playing such games as checkers, chess, backgammon, pachisi, or the like and supported therein so that one or another of the boards may be easily and quickly placed in position when desired.

My invention has for its further object to provide suitable receptacles for the various appurtenances'for playing such games located in the top section, in which they may be retained when not in use, the whole being 2 5 adapted for application to a table of the usual or any preferred construction.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements in construction and combinations of parts, all as will be more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the.

specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a table-top constructed in accordancewith my invention.

Fig. 3 is a view on the line 00 as of Fig. 1 looking upwardly. Fig. 4 is an enlarged crossscctional view on the line 3 y of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line a z of Fig. 3.

Similar reference-numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

A device constructed in accordance with my invention may be made as part of or applied to the top of an ordinary table or other suitable support, and in the present instance I have shown such a table having the usual top 1, supported upon the legs 2, and hinged thereto at one side is a game-board, preferably rectangular in form, consisting of an in- Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

ner frame and outer frame composed of the side portions or molding-strips 3, having the upper edges 4,extending above and overhanging the inner frame, as shown particularly in Figs. 4: and 5. The inner frame, arranged within the molding, is composed of the inner and outer vertically-extending walls 5 and 6, connected at their upper ends by a platform 7. These walls form the sides of the frame and are of such a height that a small channel is provided between the upper surface of the platform and the overhanging portion 4:, forming a channel in which the edge of a sheet of plate-glass or other transparent material (indicated by 8) may be secured, and to form a suitable backing for the glass I provide upon the platform 7 a covering of flexible material I 9, composed of felt or the like, and at the corners of the board this material is drawn down to form pockets 9, above which the glass or material is provided with cut-out portions, as shown. The aperture inclosed by the walls 5 is adapted to contain a number of sheets of cardboard, paper, or similar thin material, upon the surfaces of which may be provided the usual fields for various games such as checkers, backgammon, or pachisi--= and which are retained in position in the recess by a movable back or follower 10. To secure the latter, I provide upon theopposite 8o sides thereof fastening devices adapted to cooperate with the inner faces of the walls 5, consisting of small cam-plates 11, pivoted at Y12 and provided with operating-handles l3, and as the follower 10 is not otherwise supported whe'n the frame is in the normal position I- provide the walls 5 at the points opposite the fastening devices with the surfaces 15, which extend outwardly toward their upper edges, as shown particularly in Fig. 4., so that 0 any tendency of the follower to move downwardly will cause the edges of the cam-plates to more firmly engage therewith.

In order to form convenient receptacles in which the various appliances used in connec- 5 tion with diderent games for which the device maybe employed may be retained, I proe vide between the walls 5 and 6 transverselyextending partitions 16, and at their upper edges and in their proximate faces I form with a covering of baize or similar suitable material,so that when said surface is arranged uppermost the table is adapted for playing card-games, while the opposite side of the section may be plain and when uppermost converts the device into a plain-top table.

The frame which I have described may be employed as a game-board without reference to any particular form of support, or it may be constructed as part of a table-frame; but the construction which I have shown enables me to apply it directly to a table-top of the ordinary construction, to which it may be attached by the hinges 23, arranged at one edge, and in order to limit the opening movement of the frame I provide jointed arms 24 and 25, which are pivotally connected to a table top and frame, limiting their relative opening movement, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The operation of the device will be readily understood. When it is desired to arrange the board for playing any desired game, the frame is first opened to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to permit access to the removable back or follower 10. The latter may then be removed by disengaging the securing devices 11 and the required card bearing the field for the particular game selected. This is then placed uppermost in the aperture against the lower side of the glass 8, with the remaining cards in rear thereof, when the follower 10 is replaced and secured, so as to compress the card tightly against the glass, after which operation the frame may be lowered to its normal position.

The device as a whole is simple and capable of being easily and cheaply manufactured, and by arranging the frame with the central aperture, in which a series of game-boards or cards may be retained, it further provides a device that may be quickly arranged for playing a desired game and also readily converted for playing a different one, and the particular construction employed enables the device to .be conveniently employed as an ordi nary table.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a game-table, the combination with a frame having an aperture therein and a transparent covering arranged above the aperture, of a closure for the aperture movable relatively to said covering and means for securing it in adjusted position.

2. In a game-table, the combination with a frame having an aperture and a covering of transparent material extending over the aperture, of a closure arranged in the aperture and movable relatively to said covering whereby a game-board may be compressed against it, and means on the closure engaging the walls of the aperture to secure it in adjusted position.

3. In a game-board, the combination with a frame having an aperture and a covering of transparent material supported on the frame, of an outer frame having an overhanging edge engaging the upper surface of the covering material and secured to the inner frame and a closure for the aperture in the latter.

4. In a game-board, the combination with a hollow frame having a central aperture and provided with compartments and doors for closing the latter, of a covering of transparent material arranged above the aperture and a closure for the latter, operating at the lower side of the aperture.

5. In a game-board, the combination with a platform having an aperture, a covering of transparent material supported on the platform and a rim extending around the upper side of the platform, of a temporary cover adapted to lie within said rim having a tongue engaging therewith to support the cover, a support arranged in the aperture in the platform and means for securing it thereto.

6. In a game-board, the combination with a platform having an aperture, a covering of transparent material supported thereon and molding-strips extending around the platform having overhanging edges engaging the covering material and forming a rim extending above the platform, of a temporary cover adapted to lie within the rim having a tongue extending over the rim and engaging therewith to support the cover and a closure for the aperture in the platform.

7. In a game-board, the combination with a platform having an aperture, a covering of transparent material supported on the plat form having cut-out portions forming pockets, of a rim extending around the platform and a closure for the aperture in the latter.

8. In a game-board, the combination with a platform having an aperture, a covering of transparent material supported on the platform having cut-out portions and a flexible pad arranged between said material and the platform forming pockets beneath said outout portions, of molding-strips surrounding the platform having overhanging edges engaging the upper side of the covering materialand a closure for the bottom of the aperture in the platform.

9. In a game-board, the combination with a frame having an aperture at its center and composed of inner and outer side walls connected at their upper edges by a platform and a covering of transparent material supported on the platform and extending over the aperture, of an outer frame consisting of the side walls recessed at their inner sides to fit over the inner frame and forming an overhanging edge engaging the upper side of the covering material, a closure for the aperture in the platform and devices for securing it therein.

10. The combination with a support, of a frame having an aperture therein, a covering of transparent material arranged above the aperture and a closure for the lower side of the aperture, devices for securing the closure therein and hinged connections between the 10 frame and support whereby access is permitted to the lower side of the frame.

JOHN T. NIENTIMP. Witnesses:

G. WILLARD RICH, C. A. LEIMGRUBER.

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