Amusement devices: games – Board games – pieces – or boards therefor – Game piece
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-27
2002-05-28
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Board games, pieces, or boards therefor
Game piece
C273S267000, C273S271000, C273S275000, C273S264000, C273S261000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394455
ABSTRACT:
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to board games, more particularly to a checkerboard-style game board and to stacked nesting pieces for play thereon.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Board games are many and varied. Numerous examples exist wherein pieces are played on boards having regular rows and columns of playing squares. Games wherein the object is to line up a specified number of one's pieces in adjacent formation are also known. Many such games have a predictable quality of play. For example, in many, once a player plays a piece of one color on a square, that square is required to be occupied by the same piece throughout the remainder of the game. Differing rules of capture also are taught in the art, many of which may be difficult to remember—at least until a player's facility with the game is developed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a board game comprising a rectilinear playing board having sixteen squares arranged in four rows of four squares each. Each player receives twelve pieces arranged in three stacks of nested pieces, four pieces to a stack. The object of play is to occupy squares on the board forming a continuous straight line of four pieces of the same color.
FEATURES AND ADVANTAGES
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved board game with nesting pieces which has all, or nearly all, of the advantages of the prior art, while simultaneously overcoming many of the disadvantages of play and construction normally associated therewith.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved board game with nesting pieces which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
A further object or feature of the present invention is a new and improved board game with nesting pieces which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a novel board game with nesting pieces which is of high quality but susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the public, thereby making the board game with nesting pieces economically available to consumers.
Another object or feature is a new and improved board game with nesting pieces that is easy to use, attractive in appearance and suitable for mass production.
An object of this invention is to disclose a small, simple game board comprised of only four rows of four squares per row.
Another object is to disclose stacking game pieces, namely, pieces of four sizes (which sizes hereinafter will be referred to as extra-large, large, medium and small). One small size piece fits under and into a medium size piece. One medium size piece fits under and into a large size piece. Finally, one large size piece fits under and into an extra-large size piece. In this manner, an extra-large piece may have a large, a medium and/or a small piece nested within it.
Accordingly, a feature of this invention is a board game apparatus including a playing board; said playing board forming a rectilinear grid of at least four rows of squares, at least four said squares per row; and a plurality of playing pieces divisible into a first set and a second set of equal number, said first set being visually distinguishable from said second set, said first and second sets each comprising at least a plurality of small pieces, a plurality of medium pieces, a plurality of large pieces, and a plurality of extra-large pieces, wherein said small pieces nest within said medium pieces, and said medium pieces nest within said large pieces, and said large pieces nest within said extra-large pieces.
A preferred feature is that said first set has three first-set small pieces, three first-set medium pieces, three first-set large pieces, and three first-set extra-large pieces, and said second set has three second-set small pieces, three second-set medium pieces, three second-set large pieces, and three second-set extra-large pieces.
Still another preferred feature is said first set has a first exterior color and said second set has a second exterior color, wherein said first exterior color is visually distinguishable from said second exterior color.
Preferably, a feature is that said pieces are hollow cylinders.
Still another feature is a method of playing a board game, comprising the steps of providing a playing board forming a rectilinear grid of at least four rows of squares, at least four said squares per row; providing a plurality of playing pieces divisible into a first set and a second set of equal number, said first set being visually distinguishable from said second set, said first and second sets each comprising a plurality of small pieces, a plurality of medium pieces, a plurality of large pieces, and a plurality of extra-large pieces, wherein said small pieces nest within said medium pieces, and said medium pieces nest within said large pieces, and said large pieces nest within said extra-large pieces; and placing said pieces on said squares of said playing board one piece at a time, first one piece from said first set, then one piece from said second set, and alternating thereby until a continuous straight line of a predetermined number of pieces of one of said sets is formed on said playing board, wherein said small pieces may be placed on said squares only on empty squares, said medium pieces may be placed on said squares either on empty squares or on top of said small pieces, said large pieces may be placed on said squares either on empty squares or on top of said medium pieces or said small pieces, and said extra-large pieces may be placed on said squares either on empty squares or on top of said large pieces, said medium pieces or said small pieces.
Other novel features which are characteristic of the invention, as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this disclosure. The invention resides not in any one of these features taken alone, but rather in the particular combination of all of its structures for the functions specified.
There has thus been broadly outlined the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form additional subject matter of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based readily may be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trade-mark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The Abstract is neither intended to define the invention of this application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope
Layno Benjamin H.
Mendiratta Vishu K
White Douglas E.
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