US2043482A - Board game apparatus - Google Patents

Board game apparatus Download PDF

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US2043482A
US2043482A US66827A US6682736A US2043482A US 2043482 A US2043482 A US 2043482A US 66827 A US66827 A US 66827A US 6682736 A US6682736 A US 6682736A US 2043482 A US2043482 A US 2043482A
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states
state
player
players
game
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US66827A
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Oswald B Lord
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Parker Brothers Inc
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Parker Brothers Inc
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    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63FCARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F3/00Board games; Raffle games
    • A63F3/00003Types of board games
    • A63F3/00138Board games concerning voting, political or legal subjects; Patent games
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63FCARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F3/00Board games; Raffle games
    • A63F3/00003Types of board games
    • A63F3/00006Board games played along a linear track, e.g. game of goose, snakes and ladders, along an endless track

Definitions

  • Fig. 1 is a plan view of a board acting as the playing field which in this embodiment of my invention is a map wfthe United States with its 15 State sub-divisions, and certain notations and indicia to be hereinafter referred to;
  • Fig. 2 represents one each of a plurality of sets of pins or other markers used by the players respectively;
  • Fig. 3 represents three dice preferably employed as the chance-expressing device
  • Fig. 4 represents one of a series of disk-like pin cushions or receivers that may be provided for the sets of pins or markers;
  • Fig. 5 represents as a modification one of a series of envelopes that may be used for the pins or markers instead of the pin cushions;
  • Fig. 6 represents one only of the pieces of play money used in playing the game
  • Fig. 7 represents three only of a series of preferably twenty-eight so-called speech cards, each of which declares a policy and also indicates advantages gained by the player enunciatlng'such policy by playing the card;
  • Fig. 8 represents one of the score cards or tally sheets.
  • Fig. 1 represented a map of the United States and while I shall describe in detail the disclosed embodiment of the game as typifying or containing features incident to the election of a president of the United States, I desire it to be understood that my invention is not for all purposes limited to a game based upon or pertaining 45 to an election of a president of the United States,
  • I may use as a 5 playing field any country having political divisions, whether States or departments or other divisions, where a head or ruler is elected, as, for example, a president of France, Mexico, etc., or a prime minister, as in Canada, British 55 Isles, etc. Obviously, however, the chief and absorbing interest of the game resides in portraying an election of a president of the United States.
  • the present 10 embodiment thereof is intended to simulate a contest for the electoral votes ofthe various States of the United States. This is accomplished as a game in the following manner.
  • I indicate'within the outline of each State the actual number of electoral votes of that State. I also indicate the capitol city of the State. In order to simulate a contest in the State to gain the electoral votes thereof, I mark upon each State sub-divisions or sub-areas thereof. This I prefer to do by indicating the "counties of each State. I purposely do not attempt to indicate the actual number of counties in each State. After much experimentation I have provided the same number of counties in each State excepting in the four States of smallest area, namely, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island. In each of all the other States I have represented seven counties, four counties being indicated in said four States of smallest area.
  • I provide a plurality of sets of pins or other suitable markers, one set being furnished each player. These pins or markers are contrastingly colored so that the pins or markers of the different players will not be confused. They might instead be contrastingly shaped, or otherwise differentiated.
  • Some chance-expressing device is provided, preferably several dice A, to be used by the players in turn and which determine the movements 40 0f the pins of markers of the players.
  • the movements of said pins or markers are, however, not determined wholly by the throw of the dice or other chance determining elements, inasmuch as I provide a series of so-called speech" cards 4 to be hereinafter more fully described, and each of which has indicia thereon indicating or describing an advantage gained by the player holding and playing such card.
  • the advantage consists in the right of the one playing such card to move a pin or marker forward in certain States.
  • I also provide play money preferably in the sum of $6,000,000 in scrip and which is distributed among the players at the outset of the game as will be hereinafter fully described.
  • I also provide a score card or tally sheet which contains an alphabetical list of all the forty-eight States, the
  • the card is marked with vertical columns, one for each player, so
  • Each player endeavors to elect himself president of the United States by securing a. majority of the total electoral votes of the States, this being, in the present embodiment of the game, 266 or more outof a total of 531.
  • the board is represented at I. It is of any suitable material and preferablyis provided with a hinge 2, so that it may be folded up or closed like a book.
  • the board has a playing field which herein is a map of the United States, indicated generally at 3. Each of the forty-eight States is represented in proper geographical position, also the capital city of each State is indicated and the name thereof appears upon the map. For the purpose of the game the capital city of each State is, however, placed to theeast (that is, to the right) of all the county lines of that State. Also the number of electoral votes to which each State is entitled is printed upon the State, preferably within a circle.
  • each State is preferably indicated as county lines, representative ones whereof are designated by the numeral -3.
  • the said county lines are parallel, running north and south, and in area of the State.
  • each State said county lines are seven in number excepting that the States of Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware have but four county lines each.
  • suitable relation to said county lines and preferably directly be neath them is a number which indicates the taking value of each county or sub-division or sub-
  • Such numbers are not entirely arbitrarily assigned, but have an approximate relation to the actual number of electoral votes to which the States are respectively entitled. While the said numbers have an approximate relation to the electoral votes of the respective States, they are also chosen with the idea of grouping the States according to their electoral votes, thus permitting the States of each group to have a distinctive color. This permits the counting of the electoral votes belonging to each player to be very quickly done or closely estimated.
  • Such grouping and contrasting coloring does not in the present embodiment of the invention apply to all of the States, as will appear from the following:
  • Each State with respect to which the taking value of a county line is one, is herein colored yellow.
  • This group includes four of the New England States, Delaware and ten western States.- Another group of States, namely, those in which two is the taking value of a county line, is colored blue, namely, Connecticut, Maryland, West Virginia,five southern States and four Western States.
  • Another group of States wherein three is the taking value of a. county line is colored red. These States are mainly in the south and in the central part of the United States.
  • Another group of States wherein four is the taking value ofa county line is colored purple, namely, the States of Massachusetts, New Jersey and Michigan.
  • the players are preferably two to six in number. Each of them is provided with a suitable number of pins or markers, one each of which is indicated at 4 in Fig. 2.
  • pins the heads of which are colored as follows: Red, blue, yellow, white, green, black. They may be otherwise differentiated.
  • a suitable number of pins is provided for each player, as, for example, fifteen or more.
  • I might provide holes or sockets in the county lines to receive blunt pins or short rods or sticks.
  • pins with contrastingly colored heads are provided.
  • I may provide any suitable holder or receiver for the pins 4. For example, they may be all placed loosely in the box which receives all the parts of the game excepting the board. I prefer, however, to provide an individual holder for each player. This may take the form of a disk such as indicated at 5 in Fig. 4. Said disk would desirably consist of two circular'or square cardboard disks suitably held together and receiving .the pins between them in radial position. Or, if preferred, I may employ a series of small envelopes 6, one to receive the pins or markers of each player. Desirably the elements 5, 6, if employed, have colors corresponding to the pin heads of the different groups of pins.
  • I also provide a quantity of play orsimulated money.
  • This is preferably in the form of scrip indicated at I in Fig. 6.
  • This game money or scrip may be in any suitable denominations and any desired amount.
  • I prefer to provide $6,000,000, and to have the same in denominations of $10,000, $20,000, $50,000 and $100,000.
  • the scrip is contrastingly colored according to the denominations, as, for example, red for scrip representing $10,000, green for scrip representing $20,000, blue for scrip representing $50,000, and black for scrip representing $100,000.
  • I also provide what I term speech" cards, three only of which are indicated at 8 in Fig. 7.
  • These cards have two functions in the present embodiment of the invention. They each have data thereon indicating briefly a policy that, according to the game, is favored by the player holding the same. They also each have data specifying an advantage gained with respect to progress in securing additional counties in certain specified States. Each such advantage is supposed to be gained because of the decla ation of each such policy, that is, the playing the card declaring such policy.
  • Each of the said cards specifies the winning of i a county or counties in some one or more States.
  • Any suitable number of said speech" cards may be provided; in the present embodiment of the invention I have provided twenty-eight as the game is actually marketed.
  • I also provide a series of score cards or tally sheets which are sumciently indicated at 9 in Fig. 8.
  • Each of such score cards or tally sheets contains an alphabetical list of all the fortyeight States in a vertical column at the left. The next adjacent column specifies the actual number of electoral votes for each of said States.
  • Six additional-columns are provided which are headed with an indication of the colors of the pins used by the different players, in this instance, white, black, red, yellow, blue and green.
  • the players ascertain from the position of the pins on the various States whatstates have been won by each'player. The result is thenwritten down in the respective columns under the color of pin pertaining to each player. It may be here pointed out that actually: the counting of the vote may be very speedily done with the sacrifice of a very little accuracy in the following manner:
  • a preliminary throw of dice determines the first player who again throws the dice to, determine the extent of his move. The play proceeds to the left.
  • the number thrown determines the number of points which that player moves. Such total number inay be divided as the player pleases, regardless of the fact that there are three dice units. That is, he may capture, or enter one or more pins at, one or more counties in any one or more States, until the total number ,of points of his throw has been exhausted. For example, the player throwing, fifteen could capture two counties in Montana, one in Arizona and two in Ohio;
  • the first pin to be placed in any county line of a State should be placed at the uppermost or northern end of that line and the pins of the otherplayers, when and if they capture or enter that same county, should be placed to the south of or below the first pin in order of priority. If a player chooses to capture an additional county in a'State after he has moved his pin to the seventh or easternmost county line of that State (fourth in the case of Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island), he 'places a pin in the State capital. This signifies that such player has. won that State outright and that fact prevents the other players from making any moves whatsoever in that State while the said pin remains in the State capital. Under the conditions or rules as further set forth herein, however, that pin may be removed from the State capital.
  • no speech cards may be played until the dice have been around the table twice. Thereafter a player may pla.y a speech card any time he chooses, upon payment of a $20,000 radio fee to the expense fund. That player must announce his intention after'one player or candidate has played and before the next one has rolled the dice. The player then moves his own pins as directed on the speech card which he has just played, placing those pins in accordance with the gain that is set forth on the speech card he has just played. This playing simulates the gain or supposed gain accruing to a presidential candidate in the progress of the campaign in certain localities upon the public announcement that he favors certain policies.
  • I provide that each time any player rolls a seven or eleven, and after he has made his play, the top speech card on the unused portion of the pack is turned up, read aloud and auctioned off in scrip to the highest bidder.
  • the bidding may be opened by the player who has thrown the seven or eleven and proceeds to the left.
  • the highest bidder pays the amount of his bid into the expense fund and thereupon he takes the card, to be played by him at whatever time he wishes, upon the payment of the $20,000 radio fee when he actually makes the play.
  • An important feature of the game is that of closing the board. Whenever there is at least one pin in every State, the board is said to be closed. This does notstop the play, but prepares the way for a tabulation of the votes at that stage of the game. The leading players will usually find it advisable to close the board as quickly as possible in order to prepare the way for the elimination of some of their competitors.
  • the vote of a State is never divided among the players, but always goes as an entirety to the winner of that State, even though he has captured only one of its seven counties.
  • the game may be played without the expense fund or campaign fund, as for example, by having the drawings from the speech cards controlled by the throwing of the dice. For example, a player throwing a seven or an eleven might draw the top speech card.
  • a board actin as a playing field, said playing field being marked to represent a country wherein an election is to be held to choose the political head thereof, said country being also marked to indicate different main political divisions or main areas thereof, each said main political division or main area of such country having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such division or area; a series of markers for each player and which are difierentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players according to chance determining means; and a set of socalled speech cards marked to indicate policies favored by the players holding the same and also marked to indicate a movement of markers with respect to certain of said political divisions or areas.
  • a board acting as a playing field said playing field being marked to represent a country wherein an election is to be held to choose the political head thereof, said country being also marked to indicate different.
  • main political divisions or main areas thereof each said main political division or main area of such country having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such division or area; a series of markers for each player and which are differentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players according to chance determining means; and a set of cards marked to indicate an advantage gained when playing the same with respect to certain of said political divisions or areas.
  • a board acting as a playing field said playing field being marked to represent a country wherein an election is to be held to choose the political head thereof, said country being also marked to indicate diflerent main political divisions or main areas thereof, each said main political division or main area of such country having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such division or area; and a'series of markers for each player tions; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a pluralityof players according to chance determining means.
  • a board acting as a playing field said playing field being marked to represent a country wherein an election is to be held to choose the political head thereof, said country being also marked to indicate diiierent main political divisions or main areas thereof, each said main political division or main area thereof, each said main political division or main area of such country having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such division or area and each main political division being marked to indicate the number of electoral or like votes thereof; a series of markers for each playerand which are differentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players according to chance determining means; and a set of cards respectively marked to indicate an advantage ous movement on the playing field by the playing of such cards.
  • a board acting as a playing field said playing field being marked to represent a country wherein an election is to be held to choose the political head thereof, said -country being also marked to indicate different main political divisions or main areas thereof, each said main political division or main area of such country having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such division or area, each main political division being marked to indicate the taking valueof each said portion of such division or area; a series of markers foreach player and which are differentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players according to chance determining means; and a set of cards respectively marked to indicate an advantageous movement on the playing field by the playing of such cards.
  • a board acting as a playingfield said playing field being marked to indicate a map of the United States and the respective States thereof, each State having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such State; a series of markers for each player and which are differentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players 5 according to chance determining means; and a set of cards respectively marked to indicate an advantage gained when playing the same, with respect to certain of said series of arbitrary indications.
  • a board acting as a playing field said playing field being marked to indicate a map of the United States and the respective States thereof, each State having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such State; and a series of markers for each player and which are differentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players 20 according to chance determining means.
  • a board acting as a playing field said playing field being marked to indicate a map of the United States and the respective States thereof, each State having a se- 25 ries of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such State; all States that-are marked with the same taking value for such arbitrary indications being marked as a group in contrast with marking for all the other groups of States; a 30 series of markers for each player and which are differentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players according to chance determining means; and a set of cards respectively marked to indicate anadvantage gained when playing the same, with respect to certain of said arbitrary indications.
  • a board acting 40 as a playing field said playing field being marked to indicate a map of the United States and the respective States thereof.
  • each State having a substantial number of approximately parallel lines each of which signifies a portion of such State, 45

Description

June 9, 1936- o. B. LORD BOARD GAME APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 3, 1936 O Z0 ZdB-L d, a s a or 8 3 .y
June 9, 1936. Q LORD BOARD GAME APPARATUS s Sheets-She et 2 Filed March 5, 1936 Invenioa- OswaZdBJiord June 9, 1936- 0. B. LORD 2,043,482
BOARD GAME APPARATUS Filed March 3, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I declare h fizwr af la /er income faxes.
Wm one zowyfy sac/1 171 New Mar/((47), and Permsy/aama (36). 8
a [declar favor of aaamedl 9 z e fhe budget in Win one counfg sac/1 Ohio (26), I l'noi-s (29) SPEECH CHRDS.
lnvenior:
OswaZdB.Lord,
Patented June 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE noAan GAME APPARATUS Oswald B. Lord, New York, N. Y1, assignor to Parker Brothers, Inc., Salem, Mass., 9. corporation of Maine Application March a, 1936, Serial No. 66,827
v 9 Claims. This invention relates to board game apparatus and is intended primarily to provide a game of 10 embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a board acting as the playing field which in this embodiment of my invention is a map wfthe United States with its 15 State sub-divisions, and certain notations and indicia to be hereinafter referred to;
Fig. 2 represents one each of a plurality of sets of pins or other markers used by the players respectively;
20 Fig. 3 represents three dice preferably employed as the chance-expressing device;
Fig. 4 represents one of a series of disk-like pin cushions or receivers that may be provided for the sets of pins or markers;
25 Fig. 5 represents as a modification one of a series of envelopes that may be used for the pins or markers instead of the pin cushions;
Fig. 6 represents one only of the pieces of play money used in playing the game;
30 Fig. 7 represents three only of a series of preferably twenty-eight so-called speech cards, each of which declares a policy and also indicates advantages gained by the player enunciatlng'such policy by playing the card; and
Fig. 8 represents one of the score cards or tally sheets.
While I have in Fig. 1 represented a map of the United States and while I shall describe in detail the disclosed embodiment of the game as typifying or containing features incident to the election of a president of the United States, I desire it to be understood that my invention is not for all purposes limited to a game based upon or pertaining 45 to an election of a president of the United States,
inasmuch as in other embodiments of my invention (which, however, would not possess all the interest incident to the use of the disclosed embodiment of the invention), I may use as a 5 playing field any country having political divisions, whether States or departments or other divisions, where a head or ruler is elected, as, for example, a president of France, Mexico, etc., or a prime minister, as in Canada, British 55 Isles, etc. Obviously, however, the chief and absorbing interest of the game resides in portraying an election of a president of the United States.
Accordingly, I will describe in detail only that specific embodiment of my invention which does portray or typifytheelection of a president of the United States without in all respects limiting. my invention by reason of such specific description.
Before proceeding to the complete description of the invention, it is pointed out that the present 10 embodiment thereof is intended to simulate a contest for the electoral votes ofthe various States of the United States. This is accomplished as a game in the following manner.
I indicate'within the outline of each State the actual number of electoral votes of that State. I also indicate the capitol city of the State. In order to simulate a contest in the State to gain the electoral votes thereof, I mark upon each State sub-divisions or sub-areas thereof. This I prefer to do by indicating the "counties of each State. I purposely do not attempt to indicate the actual number of counties in each State. After much experimentation I have provided the same number of counties in each State excepting in the four States of smallest area, namely, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island. In each of all the other States I have represented seven counties, four counties being indicated in said four States of smallest area.
I provide a plurality of sets of pins or other suitable markers, one set being furnished each player. These pins or markers are contrastingly colored so that the pins or markers of the different players will not be confused. They might instead be contrastingly shaped, or otherwise differentiated.
Some chance-expressing device is provided, preferably several dice A, to be used by the players in turn and which determine the movements 40 0f the pins of markers of the players. The movements of said pins or markers are, however, not determined wholly by the throw of the dice or other chance determining elements, inasmuch as I provide a series of so-called speech" cards 4 to be hereinafter more fully described, and each of which has indicia thereon indicating or describing an advantage gained by the player holding and playing such card. The advantage consists in the right of the one playing such card to move a pin or marker forward in certain States.
I also provide play money preferably in the sum of $6,000,000 in scrip and which is distributed among the players at the outset of the game as will be hereinafter fully described. I also provide a score card or tally sheet which contains an alphabetical list of all the forty-eight States, the
actual number of electoral votes of each State bei g ven upon said card. The card is marked with vertical columns, one for each player, so
that the number of electoral votes gained by each player at the stages of the game hereinafter explained, may be marked.
Each player, as the object of the game, endeavors to elect himself president of the United States by securing a. majority of the total electoral votes of the States, this being, in the present embodiment of the game, 266 or more outof a total of 531.
Having now referred to the salient features of the invention, I will specifically describe the actual structure of the apparatus employed and the preferred way of playing the game.
The board is represented at I. It is of any suitable material and preferablyis provided with a hinge 2, so that it may be folded up or closed like a book. The board has a playing field which herein is a map of the United States, indicated generally at 3. Each of the forty-eight States is represented in proper geographical position, also the capital city of each State is indicated and the name thereof appears upon the map. For the purpose of the game the capital city of each State is, however, placed to theeast (that is, to the right) of all the county lines of that State. Also the number of electoral votes to which each State is entitled is printed upon the State, preferably within a circle.
The sub-divisions or portions of each State are preferably indicated as county lines, representative ones whereof are designated by the numeral -3. For the purposes of the game, the said county lines are parallel, running north and south, and in area of the State.
the case of each State said county lines are seven in number excepting that the States of Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware have but four county lines each. In suitable relation to said county lines and preferably directly be neath them is a number which indicates the taking value of each county or sub-division or sub- Such numbers are not entirely arbitrarily assigned, but have an approximate relation to the actual number of electoral votes to which the States are respectively entitled. While the said numbers have an approximate relation to the electoral votes of the respective States, they are also chosen with the idea of grouping the States according to their electoral votes, thus permitting the States of each group to have a distinctive color. This permits the counting of the electoral votes belonging to each player to be very quickly done or closely estimated. Such grouping and contrasting coloring does not in the present embodiment of the invention apply to all of the States, as will appear from the following:
Each State with respect to which the taking value of a county line is one, is herein colored yellow. This group includes four of the New England States, Delaware and ten western States.- Another group of States, namely, those in which two is the taking value of a county line, is colored blue, namely, Connecticut, Maryland, West Virginia,five southern States and four Western States. Another group of States wherein three is the taking value of a. county line is colored red. These States are mainly in the south and in the central part of the United States. Another group of States wherein four is the taking value ofa county line, is colored purple, namely, the States of Massachusetts, New Jersey and Michigan. In
California and Texas, the taking value of a county line is five and these States are colored pink, constituting a group. The remaining group of States is colored green, namely, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. In these States the taking value of the county lines is not the same throughout. In Illinois and Ohio, it is six, in Pennsylvania eight, and New York nine.
The players are preferably two to six in number. Each of them is provided with a suitable number of pins or markers, one each of which is indicated at 4 in Fig. 2. Preferably I provide pins the heads of which are colored as follows: Red, blue, yellow, white, green, black. They may be otherwise differentiated. A suitable number of pins is provided for each player, as, for example, fifteen or more. I prefer to employ sharp pointed pins and in such case the board or playing field is of such character, as, for example, card board, that the pins can be impaled readily upon the county lines. Within the scope of my invention, however, I might provide holes or sockets in the county lines to receive blunt pins or short rods or sticks. Preferably, however, pins with contrastingly colored heads are provided.
I may provide any suitable holder or receiver for the pins 4. For example, they may be all placed loosely in the box which receives all the parts of the game excepting the board. I prefer, however, to provide an individual holder for each player. This may take the form of a disk such as indicated at 5 in Fig. 4. Said disk would desirably consist of two circular'or square cardboard disks suitably held together and receiving .the pins between them in radial position. Or, if preferred, I may employ a series of small envelopes 6, one to receive the pins or markers of each player. Desirably the elements 5, 6, if employed, have colors corresponding to the pin heads of the different groups of pins.
I also provide a quantity of play orsimulated money. This is preferably in the form of scrip indicated at I in Fig. 6. This game money or scrip may be in any suitable denominations and any desired amount. I prefer to provide $6,000,000, and to have the same in denominations of $10,000, $20,000, $50,000 and $100,000. Preferably "the scrip is contrastingly colored according to the denominations, as, for example, red for scrip representing $10,000, green for scrip representing $20,000, blue for scrip representing $50,000, and black for scrip representing $100,000.
I also provide what I term speech" cards, three only of which are indicated at 8 in Fig. 7. These cards have two functions in the present embodiment of the invention. They each have data thereon indicating briefly a policy that, according to the game, is favored by the player holding the same. They also each have data specifying an advantage gained with respect to progress in securing additional counties in certain specified States. Each such advantage is supposed to be gained because of the decla ation of each such policy, that is, the playing the card declaring such policy.
These cards, therefore, are intended to simulate the condition supposed to exist or actually existing in national politics, namely, the advantage that a candidate will secure in certain States if he declares himself in favor of some policy that has or is supposed to have the adherence of a majority of voters in such State or States.
For example, the three cards which are shown in Fig. '7 declare respectively as follows:
ment of a policy a statement of the number of counties won in certain States because of the declaration of such policy. For example, card No. 1 is declared to win or gain one county in New York and also in Pennsylvania; card No. 2 one county each in Ohio, Illinois and Indiana; and card No. 3 one'county each in New York, New Jersey and Illinois. entire list of the policies specified upon these cards, but in the present embodiment of the game there are preferably eight cards all specifying a policy, as follows:
I declare in favor of a local issue.
Each of the remaining cards specify some other policy, but a few of which are herewith given as representative examples:
I declare in favor of increased aid to cotton growers. a
I declare in favor of a high tariff on imported lumben I declare in favor of Government ownership of the railroads.
I declare in favor of further relief for farm mortages.
I declare in favor of Share the wealth" movement.
I declare in favor of unlimited coinage of silver.
Each of the said cards specifies the winning of i a county or counties in some one or more States.
Any suitable number of said speech" cards may be provided; in the present embodiment of the invention I have provided twenty-eight as the game is actually marketed.
I also provide a series of score cards or tally sheets which are sumciently indicated at 9 in Fig. 8. Each of such score cards or tally sheets contains an alphabetical list of all the fortyeight States in a vertical column at the left. The next adjacent column specifies the actual number of electoral votes for each of said States. Six additional-columns are provided which are headed with an indication of the colors of the pins used by the different players, in this instance, white, black, red, yellow, blue and green.
At the proper time provided by the rules, the players ascertain from the position of the pins on the various States whatstates have been won by each'player. The result is thenwritten down in the respective columns under the color of pin pertaining to each player. It may be here pointed out that actually: the counting of the vote may be very speedily done with the sacrifice of a very little accuracy in the following manner:
Each player multiplies the number of yellow colored States he has won by four. the number of blue colored States he has won by eight, and the number of red colored States he has won by twelve. He then adds the electoral votes of the green, the pink and the purple States won by him to make his total. If the two lowest totals are within a few points of each other (say, five), the two players concerned should accurately check their results, counting the actual number of votes of each State won by them respectively. I
Having thus described the entire game apparatus, I will now set forth in detail the manner of playing the game. 'I'henumber of players .may vary, but the greatest interest results if two'to six, players participate. Each player-is given a quan- It is unnecessary to give an a tity of pins of his color, a million dollars in scrip and three speechf' cards which, are dealt to him face down one at a time. The remainder of the pack of "speech cards is placed face down on the table about which the players are seated. so that they may be conveniently drawn from at the proper times. Each player then immediately pays $250,000 in scrip into the Expense fund,
and he examines his three speech cards to ascertain in which States they give him an advantage when playing the same. A preliminary throw of dice determines the first player who again throws the dice to, determine the extent of his move. The play proceeds to the left.
The number thrown determines the number of points which that player moves. Such total number inay be divided as the player pleases, regardless of the fact that there are three dice units. That is, he may capture, or enter one or more pins at, one or more counties in any one or more States, until the total number ,of points of his throw has been exhausted. For example, the player throwing, fifteen could capture two counties in Montana, one in Arizona and two in Ohio;
or he could capture three counties in Texas; or
five counties in Louisiana and one county in California; or any other combination totalling fifteen, that he chooses. If the next player should throw a low total as, for example, six, he could distribute that total number as he wishes according to the value of a county in any State.
When a player captures his first county in a State, he places a pin of his color in the westernmost county line, and thereafter moves the pin eastward one line at a time as additional counties are captured by him in that State, or hemay, if
he prefers, move the pin no further in that State until an opponent enters that State. As a strategic move a playermay prefer to enter as many States quickly as he can, instead of concentrating on a few States. The first pin to be placed in any county line of a State should be placed at the uppermost or northern end of that line and the pins of the otherplayers, when and if they capture or enter that same county, should be placed to the south of or below the first pin in order of priority. If a player chooses to capture an additional county in a'State after he has moved his pin to the seventh or easternmost county line of that State (fourth in the case of Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island), he 'places a pin in the State capital. This signifies that such player has. won that State outright and that fact prevents the other players from making any moves whatsoever in that State while the said pin remains in the State capital. Under the conditions or rules as further set forth herein, however, that pin may be removed from the State capital.
According to the preferred rules of the game, no speech cards may be played until the dice have been around the table twice. Thereafter a player may pla.y a speech card any time he chooses, upon payment of a $20,000 radio fee to the expense fund. That player must announce his intention after'one player or candidate has played and before the next one has rolled the dice. The player then moves his own pins as directed on the speech card which he has just played, placing those pins in accordance with the gain that is set forth on the speech card he has just played. This playing simulates the gain or supposed gain accruing to a presidential candidate in the progress of the campaign in certain localities upon the public announcement that he favors certain policies.
If several players announce their desire to.
I provide that each time any player rolls a seven or eleven, and after he has made his play, the top speech card on the unused portion of the pack is turned up, read aloud and auctioned off in scrip to the highest bidder. The bidding may be opened by the player who has thrown the seven or eleven and proceeds to the left. The highest bidder pays the amount of his bid into the expense fund and thereupon he takes the card, to be played by him at whatever time he wishes, upon the payment of the $20,000 radio fee when he actually makes the play.
An important feature of the game is that of closing the board. Whenever there is at least one pin in every State, the board is said to be closed. This does notstop the play, but prepares the way for a tabulation of the votes at that stage of the game. The leading players will usually find it advisable to close the board as quickly as possible in order to prepare the way for the elimination of some of their competitors.
Even though the board is closed, the playing continues until some player throws a pair or three of a kind. Thereupon the game is temporarily stopped before that play is actually completed, and the votes are counted. In counting the votes, the player who has captured the most counties in any State (that is, the player who has moved his pin furthest east in such State) receives the entire electoral vote of that State, as shown by the figure in the circle upon that State. If two or more players have captured the same number of counties in the same State, the player who first captured the easternmost county, as shown by the position of his pin at the northern end of the final county line, or who has first advanced farthest in a State, receives the entire electoral vote of that State.
According to the preferred rules of the game. the vote of a State is never divided among the players, but always goes as an entirety to the winner of that State, even though he has captured only one of its seven counties. I am aware that it has occurred in national elections in the United States that the popular vote in some State has been so nearly evenly divided between the two principal candidates that one or more electors of one party win in that State, and the remaining electors of the other party win in the same State. This, however, is a veryrare occurrence and I consider it best not to attempt to simulate this possible contingency, though it isv evident that within the scope of my invention the game may be played in such a way as to provide for that contingency,
If, upon such tabulation of the- States, it is found that none of the players has secured a maiority of the electoral votes (namely, 266 or more) the player with the lowest number of votes is eliminated each time the votes are counted, and he must remove all of his pins from the board and surrender his speech cards, both those played and those unplayed, to be shuflled with the unused portion of the pack, or, if desired, all but the three players having the highest scores at the first tabulation of votes may be eliminated, thus speeding up the game. If, however, only the lowest player is eliminated, the remaining players proceed as before, closing the board again before the next tabulation of votes if it develops that the board has been "opened by the removal of the eliminat- 5 ed players pins. In case of a tie for lowest place, no player is eliminated and the play proceeds until the throwing of the next pair or three of a kind.
The million dollars in scrip given to each player at the beginning of the game is understood to be his campaign fund and to insure its use strategically, it is understood to be given on the understanding that he may not obtain any more.
The game may be played without the expense fund or campaign fund, as for example, by having the drawings from the speech cards controlled by the throwing of the dice. For example, a player throwing a seven or an eleven might draw the top speech card.
Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.
I claim:
1. In a board game apparatus, a board actin as a playing field, said playing field being marked to represent a country wherein an election is to be held to choose the political head thereof, said country being also marked to indicate different main political divisions or main areas thereof, each said main political division or main area of such country having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such division or area; a series of markers for each player and which are difierentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players according to chance determining means; and a set of socalled speech cards marked to indicate policies favored by the players holding the same and also marked to indicate a movement of markers with respect to certain of said political divisions or areas.
2. In a board game apparatus, a board acting as a playing field, said playing field being marked to represent a country wherein an election is to be held to choose the political head thereof, said country being also marked to indicate different. main political divisions or main areas thereof, each said main political division or main area of such country having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such division or area; a series of markers for each player and which are differentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players according to chance determining means; and a set of cards marked to indicate an advantage gained when playing the same with respect to certain of said political divisions or areas.
4 3. In a board game apparatus, a board acting as a playing field, said playing field being marked to represent a country wherein an election is to be held to choose the political head thereof, said country being also marked to indicate diflerent main political divisions or main areas thereof, each said main political division or main area of such country having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such division or area; and a'series of markers for each player tions; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a pluralityof players according to chance determining means.
4. In a board game apparatus, a board acting as a playing field, said playing field being marked to represent a country wherein an election is to be held to choose the political head thereof, said country being also marked to indicate diiierent main political divisions or main areas thereof, each said main political division or main area thereof, each said main political division or main area of such country having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such division or area and each main political division being marked to indicate the number of electoral or like votes thereof; a series of markers for each playerand which are differentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players according to chance determining means; and a set of cards respectively marked to indicate an advantage ous movement on the playing field by the playing of such cards.
5. In a board game apparatus, a board acting as a playing field, said playing field being marked to represent a country wherein an election is to be held to choose the political head thereof, said -country being also marked to indicate different main political divisions or main areas thereof, each said main political division or main area of such country having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such division or area, each main political division being marked to indicate the taking valueof each said portion of such division or area; a series of markers foreach player and which are differentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players according to chance determining means; and a set of cards respectively marked to indicate an advantageous movement on the playing field by the playing of such cards.
6. In a board game apparatus, a board acting as a playingfield, said playing field being marked to indicate a map of the United States and the respective States thereof, each State having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such State; a series of markers for each player and which are differentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players 5 according to chance determining means; and a set of cards respectively marked to indicate an advantage gained when playing the same, with respect to certain of said series of arbitrary indications. 10
7. In a board game apparatus, a board acting as a playing field, said playing field being marked to indicate a map of the United States and the respective States thereof, each State having a series of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such State; and a series of markers for each player and which are differentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players 20 according to chance determining means.
8. In a board game apparatus, a board acting as a playing field, said playing field being marked to indicate a map of the United States and the respective States thereof, each State having a se- 25 ries of arbitrary indications each signifying a portion of such State; all States that-are marked with the same taking value for such arbitrary indications being marked as a group in contrast with marking for all the other groups of States; a 30 series of markers for each player and which are differentiated for the different players and adapted to be placed on said indications; each of said indications being of an extent to receive markers of a plurality of players according to chance determining means; and a set of cards respectively marked to indicate anadvantage gained when playing the same, with respect to certain of said arbitrary indications.
9. In a board game apparatus, a board acting 40 as a playing field, said playing field being marked to indicate a map of the United States and the respective States thereof. each State having a substantial number of approximately parallel lines each of which signifies a portion of such State, 45
and a series of markers for each player and which are differentiated for the difierent players and adapted to be placed on any of said lines accord ing to the indications of chance determining means.
OSWALD B. LORD.
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Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2526300A (en) * 1946-08-16 1950-10-17 Parker Brothers Inc Stock market board game apparatus used with two contrasting dice
US2598969A (en) * 1948-10-05 1952-06-03 Elaine F Burton Apparatus for playing card games
US2717157A (en) * 1952-06-26 1955-09-06 Stanley A Dylewski Educational game equipment
US3368816A (en) * 1964-12-31 1968-02-13 Paul J. Milazzo Political game
US3525526A (en) * 1966-11-02 1970-08-25 Marie A Kenrick Board game apparatus for simulating a presidential election
US4092028A (en) * 1977-01-05 1978-05-30 Salvadore Marse Board game apparatus
US4299390A (en) * 1979-10-15 1981-11-10 Raul Delgado Election board game with campaign promise markers
US4709926A (en) * 1983-10-21 1987-12-01 Diegidio Leo C Electoral college game
USD377811S (en) * 1996-03-08 1997-02-04 Levy Richard C Board game
US5624120A (en) * 1995-10-10 1997-04-29 Frank-Opigo; Emmanuel A. U.S. presidential campaign and election game
US5660390A (en) * 1995-01-05 1997-08-26 Ginzburg; Eric J. Election game apparatus based on multiple player's choice
US20070040329A1 (en) * 2005-08-19 2007-02-22 Bright Red Ideas, Llc Board Game Apparatus For Teaching Electoral College, Historical and Geographical Concepts
US20140077455A1 (en) * 2012-09-18 2014-03-20 Jason Armstrong Baker Geographic origin of a music game

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2526300A (en) * 1946-08-16 1950-10-17 Parker Brothers Inc Stock market board game apparatus used with two contrasting dice
US2598969A (en) * 1948-10-05 1952-06-03 Elaine F Burton Apparatus for playing card games
US2717157A (en) * 1952-06-26 1955-09-06 Stanley A Dylewski Educational game equipment
US3368816A (en) * 1964-12-31 1968-02-13 Paul J. Milazzo Political game
US3525526A (en) * 1966-11-02 1970-08-25 Marie A Kenrick Board game apparatus for simulating a presidential election
US4092028A (en) * 1977-01-05 1978-05-30 Salvadore Marse Board game apparatus
US4299390A (en) * 1979-10-15 1981-11-10 Raul Delgado Election board game with campaign promise markers
US4709926A (en) * 1983-10-21 1987-12-01 Diegidio Leo C Electoral college game
US5660390A (en) * 1995-01-05 1997-08-26 Ginzburg; Eric J. Election game apparatus based on multiple player's choice
US5624120A (en) * 1995-10-10 1997-04-29 Frank-Opigo; Emmanuel A. U.S. presidential campaign and election game
USD377811S (en) * 1996-03-08 1997-02-04 Levy Richard C Board game
US20070040329A1 (en) * 2005-08-19 2007-02-22 Bright Red Ideas, Llc Board Game Apparatus For Teaching Electoral College, Historical and Geographical Concepts
US7520508B2 (en) 2005-08-19 2009-04-21 Bright Red Ideas, Llc Board game apparatus for teaching electoral college, historical and geographical concepts
US20140077455A1 (en) * 2012-09-18 2014-03-20 Jason Armstrong Baker Geographic origin of a music game
US9186572B2 (en) * 2012-09-18 2015-11-17 Jason Armstrong Baker Geographic origin of a music game

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