US2154891A - Card playing game - Google Patents

Description

April 18, 1939. R. l.. DoDG CARD PLAYING GAME Filed March 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l k Rao-0aL/ge INVENTOR auw M ATTORNEY.

April 18, 1939. R. L.. DODGE CARD PLAYING' GAME Filed Maron 23, 195,7

IN O SHIPS QCHHQ S IHS ONI B A R K e or more masied vessel. Hermast bcing and ged,wht'le1he t' are square rigged.

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he q att ng masts RaZp/7L-D0afge INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED s'rA'ri-:s

VCARD PLAYING GAME Ralph Laurence Dodge,'Wilmington Del. Application March 23, 193,7, Serial No. 132,484 `3 Claims. (Cl. 273-152) This invention relates to a series of games, which I herein designate by the distinctive and descriptive term, ,"Ino game series". [My invention is especially intended for members of youth organizations, like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America. By playing the games the players will learn fundamental facts of scouting besides being entertained. My invention has for its further purpose to provide a series of. cardrplaying 0 games adapted `to be played by two or moreperv sons, adults or children, wherein the questiony of occurrence of chance plays an important role,

but wherein also the individual ability or alert-y ness of the respective players may be shown with 7 interesting and surprising results. The more specific objects and advantages of theV invention will become apparent from a consideration of the description following, taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating cards from games in the series.

,Each game of my invention consists of a plurality of play sets (preferably eight) ofpla'y cards, each play set containing the same number of cards, the number of cards in each play set being a perfect square, preferably 25, and in addition a single master set of' master cards, which contains a number of cards at least equal to the number of play cards in anyone play set, preferably forty-five master cards. The cards of the play sets, as well as those of the master set 'comprising a single game in the series covered by my invention, are of uniform, shape,`preferably but not necessarily 31/2 inches high by 21/2` inches wide.

Each play card has drawn, printed, stamped or otherwise marked on one side (hereinafter referred to as the -face) an unlabeled symbol representing a. selected object, person, scene, or concept. It will be understood that by the use of the word object I mean to include objects which may be either animate or inanimate. Each master card has drawn, printed, stamped or otherwise marked on its face a'symbol, and in addition may have a.l legend giving the correct name or names of the symbol thereon, and in addition a short description of some of the salient facts peculiar to the symbol thereon.

Each different symbol on the cards comprising a single game in the series may represent an object, person, scene, or concept commonly grouped under a single general category. For example, the symbols shown on the drawings in Figures 1 and 2 represent objects commonly grouped under the general category of knots, and illustrate the faces of two cards in the Ino Knots game of the Ino game series. As a further example, the symbols shown on the drawings Figures 3 and 4 represent objects commonly grouped under the general category of ships", and illustrate the faces of two cards in the Ino Ships game of the Ino game series. t

It is obvious that one skilled inthe art may vary the symbolsto cover other categories thanv those previously referred to and illustrated without departing from'the spirit of my invention.

It is proposed to `design the play cardsofeach game in the'series covered by my invention and to so arrange the same that there are no duplicate symbols in` any one set of play cards, although all sets of play cards need not be, and preferably are not, identicalin their face composition. The reverse side (hereinafter called the back) of eachv play card may have adesign, the name of the game and a numeral, which indicates the set number to which the card belongs.4 This numeral may also appear on the face `of each lli` meral 1 clearly printed, stamped, or otherwise marked on the back, as illustrated in Figure 5.

(The similarmarking of the cards in the Ino Ships game is illustrated in Figure 8.) In a similar manner each of the twenty-five cards belonging to set number 2 of this game has the same design, the words Ino Knots and the numeral 2 clearly printed, stamped, or otherwise marked on the back, etc.

It is furtherproposedto design the master cards of each game in the series covered by my invention and to so arrange the same that there is for each of the play cards containing different symbols, one master card having printed, stamped or otherwise marked on its face a duplicate of the corresponding symbol appearing on the play card.

Each of the mastervcards preferably has onl its face, in addition to the symbol, a printed legend giving the correct name o r names of the symbol thereon. Below the correct name, and preferably in smaller type,'may also be printed suitable pertinent data. descriptive of the symbol thereon, as illustratedin Figures 2 and 4. `The back of the master cards in a game, as illustrated y in Figures 6 and '7, has printed, stamped or otherwise marked thereonthe same designand the same name as appears on the back vof the play cards of the same game, and` in place of the numeral appears a letter, preferably M", vto indicate that the card belongs to the master set. This letter may also appear on the face of each of the master cards. y

The master set is designed so that there is no duplication of symbols and legends among the cards of the master set. The number of cards comprising a master set will obviously depend upon the number of different symbols included in the play sets. For example, the number of different symbols appearing in a single Ino game with twenty-five play cards per set is, preferably,

forty-five, in order to' insure that some play sets 'will contain symbols not appearing in all the and to further insure that several of the symbols will appear in each of several of the play sets. It is obvious that the number of diierent symbols appearing in a single Ino game can be varied between a lower limit equal to they number of play cards in one play set, and an upper limit equal to the number of play cards in any one play set multiplied by the n umber of play sets in the game, without departing from the spirit of my invention. y

'I'he game is best played by one player for each of the play sets in use, although moreplayers thanI the number of play sets provided inl the game can participate by having two or more players collaborate on separate play setsas partners; in vwhich case, the players'vcollaborating on any one play set constituteY a team.

Before the play starts one of the participants '.is selected by lot, or volunteers, to act as leader.

When the game is being used primarily for purposes oi instruction, the group teacher is normally thev leader. The leader does not play in the game.

The leader gives to each player or team one of.y the play sets, for example, of twenty-fiveA cards y each. Each player (or team) deals his cards face up into a pattern before him. The pattern has the i'or'm. of a rectangle, five cards high and ilve cardswide, in thecase rof a playl set of twenty-flve cards in this preferred example, six cardsY high and six cards Wide in the case of a play set of thirty-six cards, etc'. When the patterns of all the players (or teams) have been properly arranged. the leader shuiiles the master set. He then turns one master card ata time from the top oi the master'set, in suchma way that the face of the turned master card cannot be seen by any of the players. He reads aloud irom the legend the 'correct name of the symbol appearing thereon, andas much of the pertinent data as he deems advisable. He then places the f called master card face down in a pile for later checking. y

Each' player, asv soon as he recognizes in 4his own pattern of playy cards the play card bearing the symbol representing the name called by the leader, turns the recognized play card face down in its original position in his pattern. 'I'he turning and calling of 'master cards by the leader is continued at regular intervals, at a speed suited to the skill of the players, until one of the players (or teams) hasy acquired in his (or its) pattern of play cards, five cards (in the case of the preferred example) face down in a straight row, either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. The player-or any memberof a team) first acquiring a straight row of turned play cards either vertically,horizontally, or diagonally across his rectangular pattern calls Ino (pronounced Eye-know") and the game halts until his turned row is checked back against ythe turned master cards to be sure that the player (or team) has correctly identified the symbols. If the identification is correct the player (or team) wins the game. If the player (or team) first calling Ino`i has failed to identify correctly the symbol. on any one of the pla cards comprising the straight row, he (or it) is eliminated from further play in this particular deal, and the leader resumes turning and calling the master cards until a correct winner is found.

Another deal is started by redealing the play cards face up as before, reshufiiing the entire master set and repeating the above directions.

VIn thus playing the games'comprising the Ino game series, it will be evident that the players soon learn the correct names of and pertinent facts concerning the objects, persons, scenes or concepts illustrated by the symbols on the cards. Rules for playing other than those detailed above may be used.` a.

Various changes may be made in the details of the invention without departing therefrom or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

I claim: Y

'1. A game'comprising a plurality of play sets, each play set containing the same number' of cards, the number of play cards in each play set being a perfect square, each play card 'having an unlabeled symbol, theyindividual play cards in any one play set differing from the other play cards in the same set with respect to the un# labeled symbols'thereon, each play card having a distinguishing marking indicating the play seti to which the play card belongs, and a single master set containing a numberof master cards at least equal to' the numberof play `cards in any one play set, each master card having a diil'erent symbol, which duplicates one of the different unlabeled symbols on theplay cards, each master card having a distinguishing marking indicating that it belongs to the master set.

2. A game comprising a plurality of play sets, each play set containing the same number of cards, the number of play cards in each'play set being a perfect square, each play card having an unlabeled'symbol, the individual play cards in any one play set differing from thel other play cards in the same set with respect to the un-4 labeled symbols thereon, eachA play card havingv set, each master card having a different symbol which duplicates one ofthe different unlabeled symbols on the play cards and having on the same side of themastervcard as thevsymbol 'a' legend, each master card having a distinguishing marking indicatingv that it belongs fto the master set. i

3. A game comprising a' plurality of play sets, g

each play set containing the same number of cards, the numberk of play cards in each play set l being a perfect square, each play card having an unlabeledV symbol, the individual play card's'inv any one play set differing from theV other play cards in the same set with 'respect to the unlabeled symbols thereon, each play card having a distinguishing marking indicating the play setiv to which the play card belongs, and a single mas? ter set containing a number of cards at least equal to the number of play cards in any one play set, each master card having a different symbol, which duplicates one of the different un labeled symbols on the play cards, and having on the same side of the master card as the symbol a legend which gives the name and a description of thel symbol, each master card having a distinguishing marking indicating that it belongs to the master set. 'Y

RALPH LAURENCE DODGE.

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