US3674272A

US3674272A - Magnetic board game apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3674272A
Application number: US91929A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ferdinand J Wszalek
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-11-23
Filing date: 1970-11-23
Publication date: 1972-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 1989-07-04

Abstract

A game is disclosed including a transparent game board and magnetized playing pieces. The game board is mounted vertically for play with a tic-tac-toe design visible on the two opposite faces of the transparent board. Supports are provided on both board surfaces within the pattern to receive the magnetized pieces and winning and losing combinations of the pieces are arranged by the players on these supports with the players'' skill plus a random choice of the magnetic polarity of the pieces as played determining the outcome of the game.

Description

[ 51 July 4,1972

6/1949 Munn.................................273/l30A .273/130 A [54] MAGNETIC BOARD GAME 2,474,365 2,819,904 1/1958 Nelsonctal......................

APPARATUS [72] Inventor: Ferdinand J. Wszalek, 606 Nichols SL, primary E i -D lb B,L0we

Utica, 13501 Attorney-Norman Nllolland Nov. 23, 1970 ABSTRACT [22] Filed:

3,082,004 3/1963 Friedman...........................273/l30A 4Claims,4DrawingFigures MAGNETIC BOARD GAME APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a novel game for two players in which the suspense and interest in the game are increased and in which its outcome is influenced by a random selection of the positions of magnetized playing pieces during the game. More particularly, the game includes a vertical playing board and accompanying magnetized playing pieces which are played on the board in a game which combines skill and chance in a game of interest for persons of all ages.

There are numerous prior games utilizing game boards and individual playing pieces where the players attempt to lay out a particular winning pattern of the playing pieces with or without any knowledge of the position of each others pieces. The present game is based upon the well-known game of tictac-toe with a novel modification which adds a combined element of skill and chance to the game based upon an arbitrary or random positioning of magnetic poles provided in the play mg pieces.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel game comprising a game board and magnetic playing pieces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a game of the tic-tac-toe variety which incorporates additional elements of skill and of chance by the use of magnetized playing pieces.

Another object of the present invention is to provide th novel type of gameboard which has elements of chance and excitement for players of all ages and wherein an element of chance makes the game attractive for two players who may have differing ages or skills.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple game with means for playing a variety of games which incorporate chance and skill and which may be of differing grades of difficulty.

Other and further objects of invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view illustrating the game board and playing pieces with a game in progress;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the game board of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary enlarged detailed views illustrating the action of the magnetized playing pieces when played in repelling and attracting positions respectively during the game.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As illustrated in FIG. 1, the game I in accordance with the present invention preferably comprises a flat and preferably transparent game board 2 adapted for being detachably mounted on a suitable slotted base block 3. The design 4 for the particular playing pattern to be used on the board 2 may be affixed to either or both of the board surfaces. In the particular board illustrated, a regular tic-tac-toe design 4 is shown which may be used for convenient tic-tac-toe or other related games, as for example, a game where the winning player at tempts to first form a row of three pieces 5 or to place a playing piece 5 in each square of the design 4 before his opponent.

Support means are provided to removably position the playing pieces 5 in the appropriate squares or other playing areas of the board 2. A preferred embodiment of these supports ing his play. For this reason, the ledges 6 preferably have a relatively smooth surface to facilitate the rejection or removal of the opponents piece 5.

Although the playing pieces may take almost any desired form as long as they will remain on the supports 6 after being placed there, a convenient form for the pieces 5 comprises a rectangular block as illustrated in the drawing. The pieces 5 each include magnets 7 arranged to provide opposite magnetic poles on opposite sides of the playing pieces 5 as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing. The magnets 7 are so arranged with respect to the pieces 5 that the players cannot determine the polarities of the individual playing pieces before playing them.

This is a feature which adds the element of chance and suspense to the game. A player, during the course of the game, may be in a position where he may win the game or may stay in the game if he can displace his opponents playing piece 5 from a particular ledge 6 on the board. This result can only be obtained by the players making a correct guess as to the appropriate position of his playing piece 5 which will repel his opponents piece in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3, i.e., hav ing like polarities on the adjacent ends of the magnet 7. The desired result of removing the opponents piece is seen to depend both upon the particular position initially selected by the opponent and the position later selected by the other player. If the other player ends up with a like polarity for his piece 5 when placed onto the ledge 6 adjacent to the playing board, the opponents piece 5 will be removed as illustrated in FIG. 3. On the other hand, if opposite polarities result from the particular arrangement selected by the other player, the opponent s piece 5 will be attracted and will be more firmly held in position on the playing board 1. This additional element of chance and selection is seen to add a significant element of suspense and interest to a tic-tac-toe type of game or to other games such as where the players might be seeking to be the first one to occupy all ledges 6 or to otherwise make some predetermined arrangement such as an arrangement of battleships, or aircraft or other patterns which might be of interest for a particular group of players.

The ledges 6 are spaced vertically and horizontally from one another so that there are no disturbing magnetic forces between adjacent pieces 5 on the same side of the board.

The board 1 is made of a suitable non-magnetic material which does not provide any significant interference withthe magnetic fields of the magnets 7. A clear plastic is most desirable although other non-magnetic materials may be used and apertured boards may take the place of transparent boards to permit opponents to see each others plays.

It will be seen that a relatively simple game utilizing a game board and including magnetic pieces has been provided which lends itself to a variety of games which incorporate both skill and chance. Additionally, the game in accordance with the present invention, provides novel means for playing a variety of games which will be of interest to players of all ages and in which an element of chance is incorporated which permits the game to be played between persons of differing ages or skills.

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 sacrificing 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 described my invention, I claim:

I. A magnetic game comprising the combination of a transparent game board, means for supporting said board in a generally vertical position, spaced article support members on opposite sides of said board with each support member on one side of the board being opposite a support member on the opposite side of the board, a plurality of playing pieces proportioned to be removably positioned in one of two alternate positions on said support members and including magnets with opposite magnetic poles being located adjacent to opposite ends of said playing pieces whereby similarly positioned playing pieces on opposite sides of the board at adjacent support members will attract one another and oppositely positioned playing pieces will repel one another, and each of said support members being spaced sufficiently far away from other support members on the same side of the board so that playing

Claims

1. A magnetic game comprising the combination of a transparent game board, means for supporting said board in a generally vertical position, spaced article support members on opposite sides of said board with each support member on one side of the board being opposite a support member on the opposite side of the board, a plurality of playing pieces proportioned to be removably positioned in one of two alternate positions on said support members and including magnets with opposite magnetic poles being located adjacent to opposite ends of said playing pieces whereby similarly positioned playing pieces on opposite sides of the board at adjacent support members will attract one another and oppositely positioned playing pieces will repel one another, and each of said support members being spaced sufficiently far away from other support members on the same side of the board so that playing pieces positioned on members on the same side of the board do not move one another.

2. The game as claimed in claim 1 in which said support members comprise projecting ledges.

3. The game as claimed in claim 1 in which said game board comprises a plastic sheet.

4. The game as claimed in claim 1 in which said support members are arranged in a pattern of horizontal and vertical rows.