US1492339A - Map game - Google Patents

Description

April 29, 1924.

K. SAKANASHI MAP GAME led Nov. 11.

INVENTOR. mli K Sakmza-shi QW.%M MH ATTORNEY Fatented Apr. 29, 1024.

KENZOSAKANASHI, 0F STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

MAJ?

Application filed Itovember 11, 1922. Serial 110. 600,362.

To all whom it mayconcem:

Be it known that I, KENzo SAKANASHi, a subject of Japan, residing at Stockton, county of San Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Map Games; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference marked t ereon, which form a part of this application.

Thisinvention relates to an indoor game, the principal object being to devise a game of chance using the map of the United States as a basis, which besides being amusing Will be instructive not only to children but to adults as well, since in playing the game, the location of the different States of the Nation relative to each other is brought clearly to the players attention. In the case of children, they thus acquire knowledge of a geographical nature, while adults are reminded of facts possibly forgotten since their school days, as I have noticed that a good many apparently well educated people are somewhat ignorant from a standpoint of the geography of the country.

I have also provided that with the playing of the game, a rough or general idea of the population of the different States will be given the players, which is also a pointon which a good many persons plead ignorance.

A further object is to provide a game not limited to any definite number of players, which is simple to play and inexpensive to produce, and which may be marketed in a very small and compact form. A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet'one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views. V

Fig. 1 is a plan of the map-board, as used with the game, and greatly reduced in size.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a pair of the dice used in playing the game. I

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a pair of scoring-chips.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a. Pair Of movemarkers as used by the individual players.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, I employ inthe game a flat board 1 on which is mounted or printed'a map 2 of the United States; a plurality of dice 3, a plurality of scoring-chips i, and a plurality'of individual markers or men 5.

The board 1 may be a rigid flat member, but itis preferably made as game-boards frequently are, that is, the board is cut into a number of pieces connected and hinged to.- gether by cloth or the like, so that the board may be folded into a small area.

The map is divided 'by lines into areas representing the difierent States, each area being named accordingly, the map being preferably drawn with the correct proportions so that its appearanceis that of a regular map. r

In each State-area is printed a certain figure or symbol as at 6, this number having a certain arbitrary relation to the population of the different States. For instance, I have used the figures from zeroto ten, the

States marked 0 having a total popula- 7 tion of less than 500,000; those marked 1 having over 500,000 but less than 1,500,000; those marked 2 having over 1,500,000 but less than 8,000,000, and so on.

A certain point 7 on the map, preferably at one edge or outside boundary, is selected as the starting point. In this case, the National Capitol at Washington, D. C. is designated as such.

As many of the chips 4 are used as there are States, and they are all numbered as at 8, said numbers corresponding in dimension and quantity to those marked on the Stateareas.

Three of the dice 3 are used, each face of each of which has a certain letter of the alphabet thereon, as at 9, said letters being the initial letters of the names of the States. It will be evident that three dice have together eighteen faces, and it will be noted that while there are of course many more States than this number, the initial letters of the names of all of them are included in eighteen letters of the alphabet.

Asmany of the men 5 (which may be ofv any desired fanciful shape) are employed as there are players. These are either differently numbered or distinctly colored, so that no confusion can arise.

When the game is to be played, the mapboard is laid out flat and the various chips 4 are placed in the various Stateareas, with their numbers corresponding to those printed in said areas.

The object of the players is to move their different men over the board, and collect asmany as possible of the chips, or those having-the highest score value, the play of course being subject to certain rules and restrictions.

The game is played as follows:

Assuming that the players have decided upon their order of play, the first man up places his marker of man 5 upon the starting point 7. He then shakes the dice in the usual manner, his move, if any, being governed by the uppermost letters appearing on the dice after they have been rolled or shaken.

One of the rules of the game is that a player can only move his man from the starting point or from any State to any State immediately adjacent thereto. In other words, he cannot jump, but must move successively across the States. If then the upper letters on the dice are V, P, and A, he may move his man to any adjacent State whose name begins with such letters. From a perusal geographical knowledge along with the playing of the game he will note that the only adjacent State beginning with any of the dice letters is Virginia, and he will move the member 5 thereon, re-

moving the chip therefrom, giving him a score of two.

If both V and M appeared on the dice at one time, he could move either into Maryland or Virginia, but his policy would be to move to the latter, since the scoring value (which also denotes the population) is greater.

. Should none of the above letters appear on the dice, he can make no move, and the play passes to the next player.

Assuming however, that he has 'moved to Virginia with the initial throw of the dice, he may again throw the latter without relinquishing his turn, his next move depending on whether any of the letters N, T K M or W (the initial letters of the States adjacent to Virginia) turn up or not. The same player continues to shake the dice until the letters turned up do not correspond to any States adjacent his last position.

This continuation of play after the first move as outlined in the two last preceding paragraphs, may however be omitted or cut down by the players at their option.

Aftera player has removed the chips from certain States, any of the other players may again traverse said States in an endeavor to reach a State having a high score value, but of course score nothing while so doing.

The game is automatically terminated when all the chips have been removed from the board, the winner being the one whose chips count up to make the highest number.

It will be evident of course that while I have shown the map of this country as the basis of the game, it need not necessarily be used.

The map of any foreign country, divided into its different political subdivisions, be they called States, Provinces or otherwise, could of course be used just as well, as could the map of any individual State divided into its counties. a

' It will also be evident that while in the present instance three dice are just ample for the purpose, when using other maps as a basis of the game, a lesser or greater number of dice may be necessary.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

'While this specification sets forth in detail the'present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A game comprising a map of a country, and the like divided into political subdivisions, each designated by its geographical name and each having an arbitrary score value, dice to be shaken by the players, having on their faces the letters of the alphabet corresponding to the initial letters of said names, and individual markers for the players to move across the map from a predetermined starting point into any adjacent subdivision and from one subdivision to another in successive order, any move thus made being determined by the letters on the upper faces of the shaken dice.

V 2. A game comprising a map of a country and the like-divided into political subdivisions each designated by its geographical name and each having an arbitrary score value, dice to be shaken by the players, having on their faces the letters of the alphabet corresponding to the initial letters of said names, individual markers for the players to move across the map from a predetermined starting point into the various subdivisions in a predetermined order, any move thus made being determined by the letters on the upper faces of the shaken dice, and scoring chips bearing on their faces the scoring values of the subdivisions and adapted to be placed thereon prior to the commencement of the game and to be removed by the players as their markers are moved into the different subdivisions. r

3. A game comprising a map of a country, and the like divided into olitical subdivisions, each designated by its geographical name and each having an arbitrary score value, and individual markers for the players to move across the map from a predetermined starting point into any adjacent subdivision and then to another adjacent thereto, and means manipulated by each player in turn for determining such move, the scoring value of said subdivisions hearing a predetermined relation to the population thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

KENZO SAKANASHI.

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