Amusement devices: games – Board games – pieces – or boards therefor – Word – sentence – or equation forming
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-21
2004-02-17
Pierce, William M. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Board games, pieces, or boards therefor
Word, sentence, or equation forming
C273S243000, C273S146000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06692002
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates generally to board games wherein movement along a pathway, defined on a playing board, is controlled by rolling dice for each of several players. More particularly, the instant invention pertains to a board game wherein spelling skills are enhanced, by building words comprised of individual letters appearing on the faces of several unique dice.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Diverse games have been devised to increase the word building, and/or spelling skills, for players of all ages. To illustrate, U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,328, Krantz, discloses a word game wherein words are formed by the arrangement of letters of the alphabet, appearing on the faces of a set of dice. The set of dice usually consists of twelve dice with six faces apiece.
Another word building game is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,348, Marzoni, which employs five dice with a particular distribution of vowels and consonants on the dice.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,034,633, Mansfield, discloses a board game wherein movement of each player around the board is controlled by five dice, or cubes, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, bearing different letters on each face of the dice. When a player spells a word, he is able to move one of his markers (or scholars) one space for each letter used in constructing the word; note page 1, lines 96-108. Each player attempts to move from his “home” position, in a corner of the rectangular game board, along road
11
toward schoolhouse
7
, around the school house, and then return “home”; the game simulates a spelling bee.
Yet another board game, that enhances one's vocabulary, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,482, Bryson. The board game disclosed in the Bryson patent consists of a game board (12), vowel cube playing pieces (28; 30) playing pieces, a die (32), a star cube (36), free pass tokens (38), point tokens (40), scoring method cards (42), vocabulary cards (44), playing position cards (58), a timer (60), pencils (62), pads of paper (64), and storage files (66) for the vocabulary cards. The object of the game is for a player to accumulate as many points as possible, to beat the opponents, by knowledge of vocabulary words, stopping on the player's own vowel space (on the perimeter of the game board) by the roll of the die, and rolling a star on the star cube.
The word games noted above may be too challenging for young children (to illustrate, note that Bryson relies upon six hundred alphabetical vocabulary cards, as noted in column 6, lines 34-64), and may not succeed in generating interest in word building.
Thus, the quest for a board game, that will enhance word building skills, in a pleasant environment, for players of different ages, and skill levels, remains unfulfilled. Applicant's unique game strives to fill such void through the integration of consonants and vowels on the exposed faces of a set of several interrelated dice, plus two distinct decks of cards, identified as Pick A Card and Letter for Life cards, which introduce elements of luck and strategy into the game.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the instant invention is to provide a board game, that combines word-building skills, with good fortune, and strategy, to produce an entertaining and educational game that will retain the interest of several players, for an extended period of time.
Another object is to provide a board game that is challenging enough to appeal to two to four players, ranging in age from six years to adult, so that the board game may be played as “family” entertainment.
Another object is to provide a board game with an aesthetically pleasing game board, decorated with interesting graphics, for appeal to game enthusiasts of all ages.
Yet another object is to provide a board game comprising a game board, four pawns or markers, a deck of “Pick A Card” cards, a deck of “Keep a Letter” for Life cards, six dice with a different letter on each face, and a sheet of instructions. The components of the board game are stored in a decorated paperboard box, with the tradename THE GREAT WORD RACE, prominently displayed thereon. The board game is capable of being manufactured, assembled, distributed, and ultimately sold, at a competitive price, in line with other established board games.
Additionally, it is another object to provide a board game relying upon a plurality of dice to enable each player to build words from the individual letters displayed on the exposed faces of the dice, after the player has rolled or thrown same. The plurality of dice consist of six dice, and the six dice include a pre-selected, unique distribution of consonants and vowels.
The distribution of letters, on each die, is different, and has been selected to maximize the educational, and amusement, values associated with, and attributable to, applicant's board game. Other objects and advantages will occur to the skilled artisan when the ensuing specification is construed in harmony with the appended drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1034633 (1912-08-01), Mansfield
patent: 1203473 (1916-10-01), Branch
patent: 2070608 (1937-02-01), Mitchell
patent: 4055348 (1977-10-01), Marzoni, Jr.
patent: 4592553 (1986-06-01), Mammen et al.
patent: 4877254 (1989-10-01), Yuscavage
patent: 5167503 (1992-12-01), Jordan
patent: 5316482 (1994-05-01), Bryson
patent: 5511792 (1996-04-01), Simmons et al.
patent: 5558328 (1996-09-01), Krantz
patent: 5743740 (1998-04-01), Visser et al.
patent: 5876211 (1999-03-01), Schmoyer et al.
patent: 6367798 (2002-04-01), Lawal
Hoffman Wasson & Gitler
Pierce William M.
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