US3560127A - Racing game - Google Patents

Abstract

A GAME APPARATUS FOR SIMULATING A HORSERACE, SAID APPARATUS CMPRISING A BOARD HAVING A TRACK PRINTED THEREON, U-SHAPED FENCE AT ONE END OF THE BOARD FOR ROLLING DICE, A REMOVABLE STARTING GATE FOR HANDICAPPING PURPOSES, EIGHT SIMULATED HORSES BEARING DIFFERENT SYMBOLS, AND FIVE DICE HAVING A FIRST SYMBOL ON SIX FACES, EACH SECOND SYMBOL ON FIVE FACES, EACH OF THIRD AND FOURTH SYMBOLS ON FOUR FACES, A FIFTH SYMBOL ON THREE FACES, EACH OF SIXTH, AND SEVENTH SYMBOLS ON THREE FACES, AND AN EIGHT SYMBOL ON TWO FACES.

Description

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ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,560,127 RACING GAME Joseph Imperato, Seldon, N.Y., assignor to Riders Up, Inc., Seldon, N.Y., a corporation of New York Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 728,526,

May 13, 1968. This application Oct. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 771,488

Int. Cl. A631 3/02 U.S. Cl. 273-134 1 Claim ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A game apparatus for simulating a horserace, Said apparatus comprising a board having a track printed thereon, U-shaped fence at one end of the board for rolling dice, a removable starting gate for handicapping purposes,eight simulated horses bearing different symbols, and five dice having a first symbol on six faces, a second symbol on live faces, each of third and fourth symbols on four faces, a fifth symbol on three faces, each of sixth, and seventh symbols on three faces, and an eighth symbol on two faces.

This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 728,526, filed May 13, 1968, now abandoned.

The invention relates to games and more specifically to an improved racing game which approximates an actual horserace.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a racing game wherein people of any age may have the thrill of playing a game involving imaginary racehorses.

Another object of this invention is to provide a racing game wherein the player who successfully wagers on each of the races and thereby builds his bank roll higher than any other player is the winner of the game.

Still another object of this game is to provide a racing game that can be manufactured and retailed at a very low price.

These and other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the followng detailed description `when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the gate forming a portion of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a hedge used in one embodiment of the game;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a typical game card used `with the invention.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the `several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a flat rectangular game board 5, on which is printed a racetrack 6, having a plurality of contiguous spaces for horseracing. A vertically disposed game card 7 is removably or foldably mounted on one end 8 of the aforesaid game board 5.

A vertical U-shaped fence l9 is located on the forward end and right hand side of the aforesaid game board 5. A plurality of numbered cubes 10, which are five in number, are adapted to be tossed within the confines of the fence 9 for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. A player selection or wagering chart 11 is printed or otherwise mounted on the right-hand side of the game board.

The game includes a plurality of movable members 12, which are eight in number, with each member 12 formed in the shape of a racehorse and having a different symbol 3,560,127 Patented Feb. 2, 1971 ICC 13 imprinted thereon. The game further includes a starting gate 14, a plurality of rectangular blocks 15 painted to represent hedges when the gaine of steeplechase is played, and a plurality of flags 16 which indicate different starting positions.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a typical game card 7 which describes the length of the race, (e.g., in the first race the distance is six furlongs), and the weight, odds and payoff for each of the eight horses. The weight of each of the horses coincides with a numbered space in the starting gate 14 as shown in FIG. 2. The starting gate 14 is adapted to be placed such that the first space marked is placed at one of the flags 16 which indicates the length of the race to be run. Thus, for example, in the first race as shown in FIG. 4, the first horse is placed on the line indicating 121 lbs., the second at 117 lbs., etc., and in this manner the horses are handicapped such that they have different starting positions. In addition, each of the horses is further handicapped in that there are eight racing horses 12 and only five cubes and a horse may only advance if a top face of one of the cubes has a symbol corresponding to the symbol 13 on the horse. Thus the cubes, which contain a total of 30 faces, have the following symbols imprinted thereon:

Six faces -with (#1); five faces with (#2); four faces with (#3); four faces with (#4); three faces with (#5), three faces with (#6); three faces with (#7); and two faces with (#8). This symbol permutation requires that each of the cubes have a different combination of symbols thereon. For convenience, the number of faces associated with each `symbol is shown in the lower right corner of the odds column of the game board 7.

The way in which this racing game is played is as follows:

One of the players is elected Commissioner and his duties include acting as a banker in collecting and disbursing ficticious money, and placing the horses 12 at the starting gate at the beginning of each race. To start the game, the Commissioner gives each of the players bills of different colors (a different color to each player) in the amount of 100, which is the BankrolL Each player wagers and collects money in his particular color. The Commissioner places a new game card 7 on the game board at the beginning of each race to be run. The typical game card 7, as illustrated in FIG. 4, shows the length or distance of the race, and the starting weight of each of the eight horses in the race, as well as the odds and the amount of money a player may win if he wagers $2 to win, place, or show on any of the horses. If a player wishes to wager on any horse in the race finishing first, second, or third (win, place, or show), he may do so by placing the amount to be wagered in the box in the players selection chart 11 of the game board 5 which corresponds to the number of the horse which he has selected. Only the amount shown in the Payoff section of the game card 7 will be paid by the Commissioner to the player, if the horse selected finishes either in the position selected or in a higher position. For example, if a player chooses horse #l to finish second (place) and horse #1 wins, the player collects only the place amount. The player does not collect either the win amount or the show amount.

After all the wagers have been completed, the Commissioner will place the starting gate 14 lengthwise on top of track 6 such that the space with the lowest number, i.e., 110, is at a furlong or distance flag 16 on the track which corresponds to the distance designated at the top of the game card 7. The Commissioner will also place each of the eight horses on the starting gate 14 at the weights specified on the game card 7.

The race is run by advancing by one space only the numbered horse or horses which correspond to the symbols on the top cube faces of cubes 10. For example, if three of the cubes show the symbol 4 on the top cube face, then horse #4 is moved ahead three spaces.

The players take turns in rolling the cubes from a cup (not shown) onto the area encompassed by the fence 9. The first player rolls the cubes and the Commissioner calls aloud the symbol on each top cube face and moves the horse which has the corresponding number one space for each such cube, as previously described.

The game is continued, the players rolling the cubes 10, whereby the horses 12 are moved around the track until three horses land in a finish box (not shown) at the end of the track. The rst horse to enter the finish box is designated as the win horse, the second horse as the place horse, and the third horse as the show horse. If two or more horses land in the finish box on the same roll of the cubes, the Commissioner declares a dead heat for that position of nish. In the event of a dead heat or more than one winner in any race, the payofIr is divided by the number of winners. For example: If two horses finish in a dead heat, the payoff, which includes both win and place wagers, is shared equally by the two winners and there is no place winner. However, there is a show winner. If there are three horses that finish in a dead heat, the payoff, which includes win, place, and show wagers, is shared equally by the three winners, and there are no other winners.

After the race is completed and the Commissioner has paid the winners, the Commissioner replaces the game card 7 with a second game card, which may be for a different type of race, eg., a steeplechase, or may have a different length or distance for the horses to run, different starting weights, odds, or payoff. The players Wager on the second race, in accordance with the odds shown on this second game card. The second race is run in a similar fashion as the previously run race, after which the Commissioner pays the winners of the second race. Thereafter, the third, fourth, fifth, etc., races are run. The winner of the game is the player having the greatest amount of money at the conclusion of the tenth race.

When it is desired to play a steeplechase race, a game card is selected which indicates this type of race, and in accordance with such a game card, the hedges 15 are placed around the race track at positions designated thereon. In this type of race, when a horse approaching a hedge 15 lands in the last space before the hedge, it requires at least two cubes, each having a top cube face with the number corresponding to the horses number (on al single toss of the cubes) before the horse can make a jump or advance into the next space. Thus, for eX- ample, assume horse number two is at the last space before a hedge 15; then the symbol two must appear on at least two of the top cube faces when the cubes are tossed, before the number two horse can advance to the next space.

It should be understood that the nforegoing disclosure relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modilications of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention:

What is claimed is:

1. A horse racing game apparatus comprising,

a game board having a racetrack in the form of a plurality of continguous spaces printed thereon and a plurality of starting positions with a single finish position,

a vertically disposed U-shaped fence located at one end of said game board,

a plurality of symbolized cubes having a symbol on each side of each of said cubes, said cubes comprising five dice having six sides with a first symbol, five sides with a second symbol, four sides with a third symbol, four sides with a fourth symbol, three sides with a fifth symbol, three sides with a sixth symbol, three sides with a seventh symbol and two sides with an eighth symbol, said dice adapted to be tossed on said game board within said U-shaped fence,

eight movable means, each representing a different horse and carrying a single symbol corresponding to one of said symbols on said dice and each of said moveable means adapted to be moved one of said spaces on said game board whenever, after tossing of said dice, said corresponding symbol is on the top side of one of said dice, and

a starting gate comprised of a board having a plurality of longitudinally contiguous transverse spaces of the same dimensions as said game board spaces printed thereon to be placed on said game board with the leading one of said spaces aligned on one of said starting positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,660,505 2/1928 Hacker. 3,416,802 12/1968 Montes 273-134 672,354 4/1901 Comstock 273-136 2,109,736 3/1938 Roth 273-86 2,546,347 3/1951 Rengel 273-134 2,629,602 2/1953 Bach et al. 2,658,760 11/1953 Brost 273-134 3,057,623 10/1962 Barnes 273-134 3,115,115 12/1963 Lang et al. 3,352,558 11/1967 Lucas 273-134 FOREIGN PATENTS 724,533 12/1965 Canada 273-134 778,873 7/1957 Great Britain 273-146 DELBERT B, LOWE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. XR. 273-146

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