US1501477A - Counterset - Google Patents

Description

Patented July 15, 1924.

UNITED s'milrzsv PA'rliNT oFFlcE."

HARRY J. CUNNINGHAM ANDCARL G. A. ROSN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AS- SIGNORS TO TUNG- FOON COMPANY, F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A COPARI- NERSHIP COMIEOSED` OF HARRY J'. CUNNINGHAM, CARL G. A. ROSEN, AND JOI-IN J'.

ODONNEL;

COUNTERSET.

Appucation flied october' 22, 1923. serial No. 670,010.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, HARRY J. CUN- NINGHAM and CARLG. A. RosN, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city and county of San Francisco, State of Calivfornia, have invented a newV and useful Counterset, of which thev following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a counter set particularly adapted for use in connection with playing card games and Chinese games; such as, Mah Jong, Mah Chuck, VVoo,7 etc.

One object of the invention is to provide a counter set of the character described in which the individual units yor racks have the same elements and are adapted for use in the same manner as the ordinary racks, but can be fitted together when not inuse to collectively occupy a minimum space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a counter set which is extremely attractive in appearance yet cany be manufacturedV at a low cost. Y

The invention possesses other objects Yand features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth inthe following description of the preferred form of our invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification.v It is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the showing made in the said drawings and descrip tion, as we may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of our invention as set forth in the'claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figures l and 2 are perspective viewsof a pair of the racks of the set.'

Figure 3 ,is a section View of a pairr of racks fitted together.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing all the racks of the set fitted together.

The game of Mah Jong, herein referred to as one of the games with which the counter sets may be used, is played with sets of tiles having thereon characters denoting the suits, and also having numerals from 1 to 9. The game is played by the players matching up the various tiles by suits until one of the players has matched all of the tiles in his hand, when he will Mah Jong. The other players then pay the winner suitable amounts in counters, the

Vvalues of which are vdetermined by the rules of the game.-

The racks usually used in counter sets of the character described consist of a row ofpegs or pins on an elongated base and l adapted to receivel perforated chips or coins,

the' diiferent pegs being adapted to receive coins of different KYvalue so as to permit the ready counting and paying of the coins. This form of counter set, while ellicient in operation, makes a cumbersome collection of the racks when gathered together for convenience in carrying, storing, etc. In accordance, however, with our invention, although the racks are adapted to be used in the usual manner, when not in use they may be fitted together with such compactness that the entire set of racks will occupy a space practically no larger than the space required by a single rack. Furthermore, the foregoing feature has been accomplished without detracting from the appearance of the racks, in fact, the racks as designed in 'accordance' with ourA invention are more pleasing inv appearance than the old type.

Briefly expressed the counter set as here shown 'comprises rtwo pairs of racks having their bases from which eXtend'the coin-receiving pegs and which are formed with a concave` bottom and convex top to allow the nesting of the bases. The pegs on one of the racks of each pair are formed hollow and large enoughr to fltover the other pegs; in this manner when the bases of a pair of racks are nested, the pegs of one rack may lie within the pegs of the other. Four pegs are provided on each base, and are positioned thereon to define the corner portions of a square. The bases are also pro vided witlrperforations corresponding in Vnumber to the pegs and positioned between Y and in the same relation as the pegs. This pegs.

of the first mentioned racks ,is nested in thek base of the second, the pegs 17 will extend into the pegs 16.

The pegs as previously stated are positioned on the base so as to define the corner portions of a square, the spacing of the pegs bein such as to readily permit the coins to be paced on all of the pegs. Formed in the bases are openings 1S which are arranged in staggered relation to the pegs but spaced similarly thereto. The openings in each pair of racks are aligned when the pegs 17 are fitted into the pegs v16; and furthermore the openings are large enough to accommodate the-pegs 16. In this manner either pair of racks may be nested in the other by allowing the pegs of one pair to be Ipassed through the openings of the other pair, as clearly illustrated in Figure et. With the racks thus fittedtogether, the pegs extending through the openings will lie between the other pegs, however, sufficient distance remains between the latter pegs to permit the coins to be stored thereon when the device is not in use. It will nowbe evident that the counter set of our invention requires a `minimum space and as a result can be readily carried with the game apparatus without any difficulty.

The bases ar-e ypreferably provided with voctagonal sides 21, thus giving the racks an extremely attractive appearance, and at the same time permitting a uniform construe'- tion of the racks without impai-ring their ability to properly nest'when the pegs of one pair of racksare not aligned with the pegs of the other pair.

Anotherv feature of our set is the provision of a hump or shoulder A22 at the base of the This facilitates the removal of .the lowest coin on the pegs.

We claim:

1. A counter set, .comprising la rack provided with a plurality of hollow pins positioned to receive chips of different representations, a second rack adapted to nestin the first and provided with correspondingly positioned pins arranged to engage in the pins of said first rack when the racks are nested.

2. A counter set, comprising a rack having a base with a concave bottom, a chip receiving tubular pin extending upwardly from and open at said base, a second rack having a base with a convex top of substantially the same form as the bottom of base of the first mentioned rack whereby said second base may nest in the first, and a chip receiving pin on said second base adapted to lie within said first pin when the racks are nested.

3. A counter set comprising a rack having a perforated base and a chip receiving pin extending upwardly therefrom, and a second rack having a base and a chip receiving pin extending upwardly therefrom and arranged to engage in a perforation of said first base when said latter base is superimposed over the second.

,4. A counter set comprising aV pair of racks having perforated bases and a plurality of chip receiving pins extending upwardly therefrom, the pins of one of said racks being hollow whereby the pins of the other rack may engage therein when the first rack is superimposed on the second, said perforations being aligned when said pins .are in engagement, and a second pair of racks adapted to be superimposed on the first pair and provided with pins similar thereto and arranged to engage in said perforations when said first pair of racks is super*- imposed on the second.

5. A counter set comprising two pairs of racks having octagonal bases formed with a concave bottom and a convex top of substantially the same shape whereby said bases may nest within each other, hollow pins extending upwardly from the bases of one rack of each pair, pins on the other rack of each pair adapted to engage in the rst pins when the first racks of each pair are super` imposed on thc second racks, Vsaid'loases having perforations arranged to be aligned when the pins of a pair of racks are in engagement', said perforations being positioned on the bases in the same relation as the pins whereby the pins of one pair of racks may engage in the perforations of the other pair of racks.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto Vset our hands at Oakland, California, this 17th day of October, 1923. f

HARRY J. CUNNINGHAM. CARL G. A. RosN.

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