US918207A - Score-board. - Google Patents

Description

M. J. SHIMER.

SCORE BOARD.

APPLIOATION FILED 0020.10, 190e.

918,207.. Patentd Apr. 13, 1909.

OOO OO/OOOO 0000 000'00 0260-0 a Il A TTOHNEYS MILTON I. SHlMER, OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

S GORE-B @ARD To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, MILTON J. Sii-Imran, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and .improved Score-Board, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in score boards for use in connection with dilierent games, but more particularly for the game commonly called Cribbage The boards commonly employed in scoring this game are provided with series of apen tures in their top surface and extending from one end of the board to the other, and into these apertures are placed removable pins which may be moved from one aperture to another' as the game progresses.

The special object of the present invention is to provide for the storage of these pins when the game is not being played, and the invention consists of an improved form of metal board supported above the table and having a movable tray pivoted to the under side thereof in such a manner as to be normally held in place, but readily movable to such a position that the pins may be taken therefr in or inserted therein.

Reference is to be had to the accompany ing drawings, forming a part of this specication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the ligures, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a device constructed in accordance with my invention, a portion of one corner thereof being broken away; Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 8 of Fig. 2; Fig. a is a longitudinal section through a portion thereof; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of one of the scoring pins.

The main body of my improved board is preferably formed of a plate 10, of cast metal having legs 11 cast integral therewith at each end thereof, to support the plate above the table or other object upon which the device is placed. The legs, which may be of any ornamental form desired, each preferably terminate in a downwardlyextending projection or stud 12, to which is secured a ball or block 13 of rubber or other soft rel Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 10,

Patented April 13, 1909.

`1908. Serial No. 457,09).

silient material, so thatthe device will not scratch or mar a polished surface when placed thereon. The plate constituting the body7 of the board is provided with al double row of apertures 1d, extending longitudinally thereof along each side, and in which the pins are placed to score the points during the game. Intermediate these point-scoring apertures, are two rows of apertures 15, one adjacent each end of the board, and in which additional pins may be placed to score the number of gaines. These two rows are in alinement and are spaced apart a consider able distance intermediate the ends of the board` At the outer end of each row 15, there is preferably provided an additional aperture 1G in which one pin may be placed at the beginning of the gan'ie and before any points have been scored.

For scoring the points and games, l provide a plurality of pins 1T, each formed of inet-al and of slightly greater diameter than the diameter of the apertures, At one end of each pin, there is formed a read 18 of greater diameter than the body of the pin, and at the opposite end is a reduced portion 19 of slightly less diameter than that of the apertures and separated from the main body of the pin by a shoulder 20. Each pin may be readily inserted in any one of the apertures, but the distance to which it may be inserted is limited by the shoulder of the pin. The length of the reduced portion is sul stantially equal to the thickness of the body of the board, so that the lower ends of the pins do not project to any appreciable ei:- tent below the under surface of the board. For storing these pins when not in use, l provide a tray 21, substantially semi-cylindrical in form and having closed ends and an open top. The tray at one end thereof is provided with a longitudine.lly-extending lug 2Q, the upper surface of which lies in substantially the same plane as the upper surfaces of the edges of the tray. A pivot pin 23 extends through the body of the board and through this lug and terminates in a head at each end. rlhe upper end is preferably countersunk in the body of the board, so that it lies tlush with the upper surface of the latter, while the head on the lower end is spaced a short distance below the under surface of the lug 22. Intermediate the under surface of the lug and its lower head, l mount a coil spring 24, which normally acts to torce the lug and the tray upwardly against the under surface of the board and hold them resiliently in position, yet permitting them to be moved in a horizontal plane about the pin 23 as a center. The piniis disposed closely adjacent one edge ot the board, and the tray is of such length that the end opposite to said pin comes adjacent the opposite edge or" the board.

F or normally holding the tray in position, the board is provided with two lugs or projections 25 and 26, cast integral therewith and so disposed as to receive one edge of the tray between them when the tray is beneath the board and eXtending at substantially right angles to the general direction ot the length ot the board. The sides of one ot these projections, 26, are inclined at a much smaller angle to the surface of the board than are the sides ot the other projection, 25. As the tray is swung about the pivot pin, the edge may come into engagement with the side of the projection 26 and the edge or" the tray will be forced away from the under surface of the board a slight distance and the spring will be slight-ly compressed. The edge of the tray may pass over the projection into the recess between the two projections, but the side of the projcction 25 is at such a sharp angle that turther movement ol the tray is prevented. lThe tray, when in the position indicated in the drawings, is secured held against accidental displacement, and the score board may be moved about at will without danger of the tray swinging out from beneath the board and the pins becoming lost. Vilhen it is desired to play the game, the tray may very readily be swung in one direction by passing the edge of the tray over the project-ion 26, and after moving the tray through an angle or" approximately one hundred and eighty degrees, the tray will reach the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. and the pins may be removed and inserted in the proper apertures in the board. rlhe spring and the two projections thus constitute the locking means :tor automatically holding the tray in position beneath the board but permitting of its being easily moved to the open or uncovered position.

The tray, as previously stated, is disposed intermediate the ends ot the board, and the rows of apertures 15 do not extend to the center. Thus, the tray swings beneath a portion of the board in which there are none ot the apertures of the two rows 15. The apertures in the rows 15 are for counting the games won, which is usually more important than the score of a particular game, so that if the reduced portions ot the pins be otl slightly greater length than the thickness ol toe board there is no liability of dislodging these pins and losing therecord of the score in games by the movement ot the tray. Only one pin is commonly employed in each row 15, and it this pin be displaced, a dispute might arise as to the particular aperture in which it should be inserted, and l avoid liability ot such displacement by separating the two rows of holes and so placing the tray as to permit ot its movement beneath a portion of the board in which there are no apertures of either row 15.

For econon y of space, it is desirable that the rows 1a extend uniformly from one end ot the board to the other, but as two separate pins are used in scoring Vthe points of the game, the displacement ot one ot these pins ot no particular importance, and should the other pin be displaced, the last hand played will be sutliciently fresh in the memory ot the players to enable them to ascertain beyond question, the number of points obtained by the playing ot the last hand and thus enable the particular position in which the pins should be reinstated to be determined without dispute.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters TEatent:

1. A score board having the body thereof termed ot a plate provided with a series ot apertures therein, a tray having an open top and a longitudinally extending lug in substantially the plane of the top ot said tray, a pivot pin extending downwardly troni said board and through said lug, and a spring engaging with the under side ot said lug for holding said lug and tray in resilient engagement with the under surface ot the board.

ln combination, a plate, a tray having an open top, and movable in a horizontal plane along the under surface of the plate, a longitudinally-extending lug in substantially the plane of the top ot` the tray, a pivot pin extending down from said plate and through said lug, spring in engagement with the under side ot said lug tor holding said tray in resilient engagement with the `under surface of the plate during the movement of said tray, and projections extending down from said plate for engagement with said tray for normally locking the tray in position beneath said plate.

il, score board having the body thereoiE termed ot a plate ot metal provided with a series of apertures therethrough, means for supporting said board, a tray having an open top and a longitudinally-extending lug in substantially the plane or" the top of said tray, a pivot pin extending through said lug and said board, a spring encircling said pivot pin for holding said lug and tray in resilient engagement with the under surface name to this specification in the presence of of hthe lloboarol, and piojections interal two subscribing Witnesses. Wit sein oa-id and upon the under sur ace T thereof, for engagement With said tray for MILTOB J SHMER' 5 limiting the movement of the latter and Witnesses:

normally locking' the tray in position. S. D. SHIMER,

In testimony whereof I have signed my HARRY J. MiKsoH.

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