US2511774A - Magnetic game board and cover therefor - Google Patents

Description

f June 13, 1950 R. H. GoLDsMm-l MAGNETIC GAME BOARD AND COVER THEREFOR Filed Aug. 5o, 1945 HTTORNE Patented June 13 1950 PATENT OFFICE manna-Ic GxME Boum Arm i menorca.

e nahen n. Guianmiih, New York, N. Y. muammm so, 194s, seem 613,492

invention relates. to came. boardsespeisuited `for use by travelers, .-ishexjein disduudinsome detail. as embodied in. l? structure .fil which the; playing. board Surfacefarma Per-t 'ef-l llicht box. provided drawrsfr, -h01ding the men or pieces used in playing thegame. providedwith holding devices which may take 'the form. of magnetic for holding the [nnen when placed upon the .squares or other divisions of the board surface.' I,

V`Attempts have been lmade .in .the past .to .prodi'desznall game ,boards convenient for travelers, -or im' use by an invalid, -butythemboards have aptoved unsatisfactory. ASome of .these boards were Jxnade xof thick Wood with holes bored .central-ly of Vthe squares .sothat pegs on the bases l-the playing )pieces could `be thrust `into WB and thus hold a playeddpiece where set, ibut the device was bulky, the *movements Aof a playcrisvhand lin 'moving a lpiece seemed unther boards .included .a flat pocket 4at each .f odu'are .so l.that a .tab on va playing piece .could hcltted into the pocket to hold the piece, r.the iplc'e gusua-lly being a ilatiform .of cardboard printed to resemble a .standard type .of playing new..

It been also .proposed to v.provide playing 'pieces .carrying .magnets embedded in them, on gassumption .that the .minute .magnets would Liholdthe ypieces :to .a .magnetic metal `playing board whereverplaced.

Except for lfthe `board provided with ...pockets vpegs. all .these prior boards ei'rercised .such fa weak hold .upon `the pieces that the pieces bedisplaced when .the board Awas .shaken ,or tilted, and so were found unreliablaavhen the hoard was set .aside by .i nteririiptioii of -the, game, it was later attempted :togo -on -vvith l.the :game on the assumption that the piecesfremained fin theinset positions. y

.fAccor-ding `.to -the `.present .invention lthe yforevteasing and 1other .difi'culties and :Objections .are @overcome .fand a :game vboard is provided .in which a magnet forms part of each square of the board, is effective .on magnetic .units :carried vby ithepieces. .Thus the Kmagnetstend -tocenter the Ainthe:squares.of the board.

This makes it possible yto .apply z-a cover -to .the Mend :partitioned .01T so Jas lto .hold each playing piece :in its .-set position. Thus Ithe .pieees .are fiif'eadytoicontinue agame which was-interrupted .assured that the :pieces vhave .remained vundis- Wbe '-Thadrawersgfor.holdingfthe;playing pieces,may occupy any .desired .position, preferably below -itheisunface'lof 4the board -and 'withdrawable ;at theaends of 4the board.

The cover :may take the .form vof van arched of `plastic extending completely overA tqpcoverlremoved;

e (ci. 273-136.)

.2 :board and covering the ends .of the drawers and carry the partitions on its lower face so that they serve as stiffening `gklders enabling the cover to beforined of exceedingly light material.

The body of the board is advantageously made from synthetic plastic, and the playing face may have a transparent sheet, such .as lum-arith, cellophana oelluloid .or n.other transparent ,material adapted to take painter :ink non its .under side, thus making it .impossible for .the colors 4of squares to [be Worn .off when the marking aff of squares is on the under side of the plastic One y.object .of .the vinvention is to provide a convenient compact playing board.

.Another object Kof the invention is .to provide a sixed playing board .ior reliably holding Another f-obect of the invention is .to provide .a .cover 4with positive means for holding playing pieces in their played position.

Another object lof invention .is to provide in zboard in which playing pieces are held against fordinaryjolting.

Another :object :nf `the .invention is to :provide an mitonmtic closing receptacle :for :pieces 4not in use.

Another-objectief .the invention is to :provide a compact complete unitary playing board :and playing piece .holding device Another object of the invention is to :provisie .a boa-rd the .pattern lof .which unmanned diy holes, exposed `:metals '.or other appurtenances.

Another 'object `of the :invention 4:is i'to :furnish ua cover which .may remain win removable .combi- :nation .with the .playing board when :the playing :surface "istuncovered, .f

Other vand ',fur'ther objects 'of the invention will -be obvious vnupon van understanding :of the iillustrative embodiment rabout to "be described, :or will indicated intheappendedclaims, and fvarious @advantages rnot referred 'to herein Y-will occur 'Ito Lone frskilled in the `art fupon employment of the 'inventionn'practlce preferred 'embodiment '-o'f the invention fhas bee'n "chosen for purposes "of illustration land description and is shown iin the aecompanyin'g drawings, Jforming a `part of `the specification, wherein `Fig. 1 Yis atop plan view ofone form 'of the invention with vcertain parts broken away;

5 Fig. 2is 1a section side v'iew on the .'brokenline Fig. is asimilar .viewion theline 4 4;

`Eig. ,5. is -a ,perspective .view of tthe, closedboard; Figo is.a fmsmentarsyplan.viewnfrthe bca View on lthe broken In the form shown the board structure includesi a plastic base board Il) which 'is'shownt asmold ed in the form of a thick sheet having a bor'elor cylindrical opening II below each square I2 the playing surface t3.

Each bore I l is shown as carrying'a'closely fit-"'- ting, glued in, or otherwise bonded to the Vbasa. ,I

cylindrical permanent ,magnet I4 which is often-=v ysatisfactory if a pieec'pf magnetized steel but may holdmore strongly if made of one of the vhighly magnetizable special alloys; rihe magnets I4 are preferably all setwith the same pole up :and about three eighths cf an inchlong and-three ..sixteeiiths of an inch in diameter.v

The board shown for convenience is a checker .board with eight squares on each side', and the magnets I4 are adapted to hold checker men I5 -lby magnetizable cores I6 in the men I5. The (cores I6 also serve to magnetically hold super- :imposed checkers in place when -a checker is crowned.

Where the men I5 are adapted to be used either end up, the core I6 may be made of soft iron so that either end of the core is equally eifective. When chess men I1 are used, which are always played the same end up, the core I8 may take the form of a iiat hard steel magnetized bottom I9 for the man, which is magnetized so that all the chess men present the same pole to the magnets I4, and if the magnets are set north end up, all the chess men bottoms I9 are magnetized with north end up. For use in locationsy where vibration is great or violent, the bottoms I9 rmay 'he of a special highly magnetized alloy. In Fig. :9 is shown a core I9a which may be a polarized .magnet within a chess man. i

It is found, however, that steel magnets I4 are :magnetizable suiciently for ordinary purposes to lhold the cores I6 without resorting to thehighly L;

magnetizable alloy. l.

Thecover 2| shown may be a thin sheet of synthetic plastic having downwardlycurved edges 22 that rest on aperipheral bottom ledge 23 that yruns around the bottom of the. plastic baselboard I0, so that the inner faces ,of thecurved edges 22 fit snugly against the periphery .24 ofthe board and are firmly supported.: Thus -a very thin and light cover isk of ample strength,

In theform shown the cover 2I. carriescrossl bars 25 on the inner surface of its top, and the cross-bars in the form shown, are adapted to rest just clear Vof the dividing lines between the squares I2, and are cementedA to or molded Vintegrally with the cover 2I. Thus itcomes .about thatcross-bars 25 lie 'around anyplaying piece I5 vor I1 whichmay be standing on any square I2, and hold it against being displaced while the cover is on. vTo utilize this holding of playing pieces thecross-bars 25 are only slightly deeper thanfthe ,highest chess man, or than the height of two superposed checker men which are called a king.

The cover 2l carries, for this purpose, not only across-bar 25 for the dividing line between ev-v ery two squares I2, but also carries across-bar 25 at each margin of the outer'squares I2.

By using playing pieces I5, I1 which are more than half the width of a square I2 and of a satisfactory height thel best results ar'e obtained.

able' device.

a and an uninterrupted game setting is perfectly preserved, ready for resuming, by placing the coverlrZI downy on the board so that Yits cross-bars ,2;*25'of' satisfactory width hold the mengin place 'until the cover is removed. Themagne'ts I4 hold the men while the cover is being removed even if ""the board is somewhat shaken.

. .To allow vfor slight deviation from position of chess or checker men when cover is applied the faces of eachcross-bar 25 are beveled adjacent eration.' Y,

The cover 2I may beheld in place by any suit- Inthe form shown, the cover' 2l carries,l centrally on l'two'opposite' en:ls, =a; vpair oflatches 26 havinghooks 21 adapted to'enter `lundercut openings 28 in the plastic baselo'oard as they swing onpivots 29 mounted onears 30 fastened to the cover. v I

In the form shown thelatches 26 are provided With outer faces 3| which lie ush with 'the curved surface that ends in theedge 22,' and includecam faces 32 adapted to camthehoks 21 outward as thecover 2| is pushed down. When thehooks 21 have been swung out by the cams to slip down the end of the board, theycatchi'n theopenings 28 because they are spring-pressed into engagementl by light springs 30h, lbut are easily released by pressing at the outer-"surface 32a of the latch atydepressions 33a`near their A:ternal 4extensions 30a that hold them against overthrow.

It is `convenient to keep the men in-'a receptacle with the board, and in the form shown,` thel board carriesslidable drawers 33 which may slide under the magnets, if desired, but areishown as sliding inside extensions 34 of the plastic base board I0, so that the extensions 31' give'la hand rest, and the board I0 is a little thicker Athan the-length of the magnets I4. i' F In the form shown the squares I2 are painted on the back of athin sheet 35 of transparent plastic such as cellophane or Celluloid film. Thus the rulings and colors of the squares lI-2 can never become worn. The playing surface formed by the squares I2, lies in the open central face of the overlying molding orstrips 36 which'may be moldedV from a single piece of plastic,"prefera-' bly opaque, which serves to protect the edges ofsheet 35 and also to act as a central portion for extensions 31.

The'strips 36 may broaden into plates 31 over thedrawers 33, and serve as covers forf'tle drawers'33. l

Thethin sheet 35 and the integral squares |12 'are cemented by glue or other material 20 to the are each held closed because each is connected by along spiral spring 38 andcord 39 to the fac'-1ng drawer 33 at the opposite end of the board I0, each spring lying ina bore 40 in the body of `the board I0, andY located along a dividing line of squares I2, so that it lies between magnets'f'l4.

Cord 39 is continuous between opposite pairs of drawers, being knotted to both ends of theVspiral spring 38 andpassing throughthev spiral spring 38. The portion of thecord 39 passing through thecenter 39a of thespiral spring 38 possesses a suiiicient length of slack to limit the degree of opening of one drawer. This degree of opening may be such as to permit the drawer to be canted in a horizontal plane when in open position so that it will remain open, thereby facilitating removing or replacing of characters.

The length of cord is such that only one of each oppositepair of drawers may be fully opened to the desired degree at one time. Hence the two drawers containing chess men are located diagonal to one another on opposite sides of the board and similarly for the two drawers containing checker men. The cord may be knotted inside the end of one drawer and pass through the end of the other drawer as at 44 and be clamped within the drawer by any suitable clamp (not shown).

Thecover 2| may include symmetrically placedlugs 4| adapted to fit in correspondingopenings 42 in the peripheral ledge 2 l, thus making it possible to invert the cover and iit it upside down on the bottom of the plastic base I0.

Thedrawers 33 shown includehigher fronts 43 which limit the pull of adrawer 33 inward by itsspring 38.

Notches 31a in the edge of the extension 31 make it possible to easily pull out thedrawer 33.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacricing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination of a generally planar sheet having a surface marked into squares, a baseboard supporting said sheet, and. having a socket underlying each suuare, a magnet in each socket adapted to magnetically hold to the sheet a playing piece embodying a magnetic substance, a cover conforming generally in shape and size to that of said baseboard adapted to overlie the baseboard and having edges fitting down over edges of the baseboard, and dividing members intersecting each other extending downwardly from the inner surface of the cover and forming squares conforming generally to those of said sheet adapted to iit between playing pieces on said sheet to hold them against displacement.

2. In a device of the class described, the combinaton of a game-playing board having marginally disposed lug-receiving openings. a cover selectively ttable over upper and lower surfaces of the game board having edge walls projecting downwardly. and lugs proecting downwardly from said edge walls adapted to t into said lugreceiving openings in the game board. so that the lugs of the cover fit the openings when used as an upper cover and the lugs fit the openings when the cover is inverted to fit under the board.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a game-playing board, an outwardly projecting ledge around the game board including 'a plurality of lug-receiving openings extending therethrough, a cover for the game board selectively ttable over top and bottom surfaces of said board having skirt-like edge walls to rest at their lower ends on the ledge, and a plurality of lugs on the skirt-like edge walls to iit in the lugreceiving openings when used as a cover and adapted to t in the lug-receiving openings when inverted and placed against the bottom of the board.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a game-playing board having a game-playing surface, of a cover for the game board selectively flttable over top and bottom surfaces of the board having a plurality of vertical partitions located -within an area corresponding to said game-playing surface forming a plurality of open-ended chambers adapted to hold playing pieces in set positions on the gameplaying surface of the game board, downwardly projecting edge walls o-n the cover, a ledge on the board on which said edge walls of the cover may rest having lug-receiving openings, lugs on the edge walls of the cover adapted to iit in openings in the ledge of the board, whereby the cover may be inverted and lugs thereon fitted in the openings of said ledge.

5. The combination of a generally planar sheet having a surface marked into a plurality of divisions, a baseboard member supporting said sheet, a cover member conforming generally in shape and size to that of said baseboard adapted to overlie the baseboard, one of said members having portions fitting along portions of the other member, and intersecting dividing means extending downwardly from the inner surface of the cover member and forming divisions conforming generally to those vof said sheet and adapted to t between playing pieces on said sheet to hold them against displacement.

6. The combination of a generally planar sheet having a surface marked into a plurality of divisions, a baseboard member supporting said sheet, and having a recess underlying each division, a magnet in each recess adapted to magnetically hold to the sheet a playing piece embodying a magnetic substance, a, cover member conforming generally in shape and size to that of said baseboard adapted to overlie the baseboard. one of said members having portions fitting along portions of the other member, and intersecting dividing means extending downwardly from the inner surface of the cover member and forming divisions conforming generally to those of said sheet and adapted to t between playing pieces on lsaid sheet to hold them against displacement.

ROBERT I-I. GOLDSMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 28,085 Hughes May 1, 1860 514,051 West Feb. 6, 1894 565,737 Gildersleeve Aug. 11, 1896 1,153,185 Allen Sept. 14, 1915 1,286,385 Minoif Dec. 3, 1918 1,376,670 Boyum May 3, 1921 1,459,399 Hirsch June 19, 1923 1,532,069 Oritz Mar. 31, 1925 1,605,703 Brown Nov. 2, 1926 1,793,256 Shulman Feb. 17, 1931 1,877,154 Weaver Sept. 13, 1932 1,888,980 Dingledine Nov. 29, 1932 2,257,687 Huiiaker Sept. 30, 1941 2,316,674 Dow Apr. 13, 1943 2,364,007 Stanton Nov. 28, 1944 2,420,482 Janik May 13, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,992 Great Britain 1868 284,536 Great Britain Feb. 2, 1928

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