GB2058583A

GB2058583A - Playing cards

Info

Publication number: GB2058583A
Application number: GB7933191A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SAMARASINGHE S
Current assignee: SAMARASINGHE S
Priority date: 1979-09-25
Filing date: 1979-09-25
Publication date: 1981-04-15

Abstract

In a pack of playing cards, each card has a fixed number of positions 1, 2, 3 which are marked with one of four colours. The number of cards in the pack is equal to the number of possible permutations, i.e. 64. The centre of the card comes rings 5 denoting the value of the card given by the colour in space 2. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A pack of cards for playing a game This invention relates to a pack of cards for playing a game. In fact, the pack of cards can be used for 'playing a large number of different games.

According to the invention, there is provided a pack of cards, each card of which is marked at a fixed 'number of positions with colours which are chosen from a fixed number of colours and are arranged in a particular order, the arrangement of colours on any one card making the card unique in the pack, and the number of cards in the pack being equal to the number of permutations of the number of colours taken on numbers equal to the number of positions.

In a preferred pack, the fixed number of positions is three and the fixed number of colours is four. With these numbers, the pack has sixty four different cards.

Conveniently, the fixed positions are arranged at a corner of each card, and may be repeated at a diagonally opposite corner and in the centre of the card. The positions may be marked by circles which are coloured by one of the colours.

The marking at the centre of each card conveys the same information as the markings at the corner or corners, but may be arranged in a different form.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows, without the use of colours, four different cards appearing in a pack according to the invention.

On each card there is an outer spot 1, a centre spot 2 and an inner spot 3. This series of three spots is repeated at diagonally opposite corners of each card.

At the centre of each card, there is an outer circle 4, and within the circle a number of rings 5 varying from one to four.

In the example ofthe invention being described, four colours green, blue, yellow and red will be refer red to. It will be seen that there are three positions (the three spots) for these colours.

The colour in the outer spot 1 denotes the "suit" of the card. In a pack of sixty four cards, there will clearly be sixteen cards with a blue outer spot 1, sixteen cards with a red outer spot, etc. There will therefore be four suits of sixteen cards each.

The centre spot denotes the number of points associated with the card. The colours used are ranked in a particular order such as fourfor blue, three for green, two for yellow and one for red. The colour of the centre spot 2 therefore determines the number of points carried by the card, and this number is repeated on the card by the number of rings 5 within the circle 4. Thus, using the point score mentioned above, card I in the drawings will have a red centre spot 2; card II will have a yellow centre spot 2; card Ill will have a green centre spot and card IV will have a blue centre spot 2.

The inner spot 3 indicates the rank of each card in a given suit. The rank will follow the same order as the point scoring mentioned above. Thus a card with a green inner spot 3 is stronger than a card with a yellow inner spot. The colour of the rings 5 inside the circle 4 repeats the colour of the inner spot 3. The colour of the area between the two circles at 4 repeats the colour of the outer spot, i.e. the suit.

The pack of cards described could be used as a teaching aid in mathematics to demonstrate the rules applying to permutations and combinations.

The results of permutations and combinations of numbers up to three and four can easily be visually checked by a student by counting the number of cards in the pack which have the particular permutation or combination required, using the number of positions and the number of colours. For some exercises, less than the total number of colours or positions could be considered.

A particular advantage of the pack described is that it is independent of language, in that only colour symbols are used.

A number of different games can be played with this pack of cards. Some games can use a system of picking up cards from a face-down pile, and discarding other cards in order to try to obtain sets of cards with particular characteristics. Other forms of possible game have similarities with whist or bridge, in that each player plays to a trick, and the ranking of the cards determines which player takes the trick.

One of the suits may be declared as trumps.

1. A pack of cards, each of which is marked at a fixed number of positions with colours which are chosen from a fixed number of colours and are arranged in a particular order, the arrangement of the colours on any one card making the card unique in the pack, and the number of cards in the pack being equal to the number of permutations of the number of colours taken on numbers equal to the number of positions.

2. A pack of cards as claimed in claim 1, wherein each card has at one corner three coloured spots, and the fixed number of colours is four, the pack containing sixty four cards.

3. The pack as claimed in claim 2, wherein the information indicated by the spots in one corner of the card is repeated in a different form in a design at the centre of each card.

4. A pack of cards substantially as herein described wherein the cards are as shown in the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A pack of cards for playing a game This invention relates to a pack of cards for playing a game. In fact, the pack of cards can be used for 'playing a large number of different games. According to the invention, there is provided a pack of cards, each card of which is marked at a fixed 'number of positions with colours which are chosen from a fixed number of colours and are arranged in a particular order, the arrangement of colours on any one card making the card unique in the pack, and the number of cards in the pack being equal to the number of permutations of the number of colours taken on numbers equal to the number of positions. In a preferred pack, the fixed number of positions is three and the fixed number of colours is four. With these numbers, the pack has sixty four different cards. Conveniently, the fixed positions are arranged at a corner of each card, and may be repeated at a diagonally opposite corner and in the centre of the card. The positions may be marked by circles which are coloured by one of the colours. The marking at the centre of each card conveys the same information as the markings at the corner or corners, but may be arranged in a different form. The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows, without the use of colours, four different cards appearing in a pack according to the invention. On each card there is an outer spot 1, a centre spot 2 and an inner spot 3. This series of three spots is repeated at diagonally opposite corners of each card. At the centre of each card, there is an outer circle 4, and within the circle a number of rings 5 varying from one to four. In the example ofthe invention being described, four colours green, blue, yellow and red will be refer red to. It will be seen that there are three positions (the three spots) for these colours. The colour in the outer spot 1 denotes the "suit" of the card. In a pack of sixty four cards, there will clearly be sixteen cards with a blue outer spot 1, sixteen cards with a red outer spot, etc. There will therefore be four suits of sixteen cards each. The centre spot denotes the number of points associated with the card. The colours used are ranked in a particular order such as fourfor blue, three for green, two for yellow and one for red. The colour of the centre spot 2 therefore determines the number of points carried by the card, and this number is repeated on the card by the number of rings 5 within the circle 4. Thus, using the point score mentioned above, card I in the drawings will have a red centre spot 2; card II will have a yellow centre spot 2; card Ill will have a green centre spot and card IV will have a blue centre spot 2. The inner spot 3 indicates the rank of each card in a given suit. The rank will follow the same order as the point scoring mentioned above. Thus a card with a green inner spot 3 is stronger than a card with a yellow inner spot. The colour of the rings 5 inside the circle 4 repeats the colour of the inner spot 3. The colour of the area between the two circles at 4 repeats the colour of the outer spot, i.e. the suit. The pack of cards described could be used as a teaching aid in mathematics to demonstrate the rules applying to permutations and combinations. The results of permutations and combinations of numbers up to three and four can easily be visually checked by a student by counting the number of cards in the pack which have the particular permutation or combination required, using the number of positions and the number of colours. For some exercises, less than the total number of colours or positions could be considered. A particular advantage of the pack described is that it is independent of language, in that only colour symbols are used. A number of different games can be played with this pack of cards. Some games can use a system of picking up cards from a face-down pile, and discarding other cards in order to try to obtain sets of cards with particular characteristics. Other forms of possible game have similarities with whist or bridge, in that each player plays to a trick, and the ranking of the cards determines which player takes the trick. One of the suits may be declared as trumps. CLAIMS