Abstract:
A game apparatus for playing matching games involving colored pegs wherein two players, one on each of the sides of the apparatus will select four pegs of color and place them in a particular sequence unknown to his opponent. A game board provided has apertures for receiving pegs in horizontal rows so that each player can mark on the game board the peg color and sequence arrangement he guesses to be the arrangement selected by his opponent. The game board then is rotated 180° and each player checks his opponent&#39;s lineup of pegs and indicates on the board with additional marking pegs whether the opponent matched the player&#39;s colors and/or mated the position of the player&#39;s pegs. The board is then rotated 180° again and each player again attempts to deduce or guess the opponent&#39;s colors and mate the order of colors on a different line of apertures. Play continues until one player matches both the colors and the order of colors of his opponent.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 395,392, Filed Sept. 10, 1973, now abandoned for Apparatus For Playing Matching Game. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to game apparatus for playing matching games. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Matching games have long been popular and the way of scoring matching games is varied quite considerably. The usual way for scoring such games is simply to keep score on a piece of paper or the like. 
     In the present device, a matching game using colored pegs for score keeping is presented with a movable game board that aids in keeping score and increases the playability and fun of the game. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a game board apparatus for playing matching games which has a central board mounted about an upright axis that can be pivoted about this upright axis a full 360° and can be locked at each 180° of rotation. 
     The board is mounted in a frame, and the frame is supported at a base that includes a number of compartments for containing pegs for scoring. 
     The board is provided with apertures for receiving the pegs in rows. The board is used for playing a matching game wherein players sitting on opposite sides of the board will, unknown to their opponent, select in provided receptacles, a plurality of different colors in a particular order. Then, the players, without seeing the opponent&#39;s selection, will first attempt to guess what their opponent&#39;s selection of colored pegs is. The guessing player will place this selection in a horizontal row in provided apertures on his own side of the board. 
     Means are provided for scoring. If there is a match of colors (in other words if the opponent selected any one of the player&#39;s colors) the match will be marked by the player in a provided location. If a colored peg placed by the opponent corresponds not only in color but also in relative position to one selected by the player, this is called a &#34;mate&#34; and an appropriate marking peg is placed in another group of apertures on the board to indicate that a mate has been achieved. The scoring apertures are arranged in rows for convenient scoring. 
     Then, the board is again rotated 180° so the original sides of the board face the player that made the selections on the board, and the player will again make a second selection in a second different row of apertures after seeing whether he made any matches of the opponent&#39;s selections or mates of the opponent&#39;s selections. The play is continued then until one of the players mates all of the opponent&#39;s selections both as to color or other indicia and also as to order or position. 
     The board is made so that it will rotate easily, and can be locked into place with suitable locking means. The base of the board contains compartments for colored pegs with a sliding cover over the compartments to keep the pegs retained in place when the board is not being used. The frame for supporting the playing board can be removably mounted so that the unit can be disassembled for storage. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a fragmentary prospective view of a game apparatus made according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken as in line 3--3 in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the center portions of the game board of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken as in line 5--5 in FIG. 2, with the game board rotated 90° to show its position during rotation; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken generally along the same line as FIG. 5, showing fragmentarily the lower portions of the locking means in the game board locked thereon; 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of a movable indicator used by the players for ease of indication of portion of markers; 
     FIG. 8 is a front view of the movable indicator of FIG. 7; and 
     FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the game apparatus illustrating the use of the device of FIG. 7, but with a hood broken away for sake of clarity. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring first to FIG. 1, it can be seen that a base member 10 for the game apparatus comprises upright peripheral walls 11, and a center pedestal or support member 12 formed between the sides of the base and extending transversely. The center member 12 divides the unit in half in transverse direction. The center member 12 is raised up slightly above the upper edges of the rest of the walls, as shown. The interior partitions 13 are positioned on opposite sides of the center member to make a plurality of individual small compartments 14, on opposite sides of the center pedestal. 
     The side walls 11, of the base are provided with small grooves 15 which are of size to receive a cover member 16 which can be of a clear plastic so that articles in the receptacles 14 can be seen without opening the cover. 
     The receptacles are designed to hold a plurality of individual pegs 20, as shown schematically, and as will be explained subsequently during explanation of the play, each of the pegs is a particular color. Each of the receptacles 14 hold a plurality of pegs 20 of a particular color. Each of the receptacles 14 is designed to hold a separate one of ten colors used in playing the game. A larger receptacle 21 on each side of the board is used for holding marking pegs 22 which are of a distinctive color used in scoring the play of the game. 
     A support framework 23 is mounted in the center portions 12 of the board. The framework has upright side legs 24, and a cross piece 25. The legs 23 are of I beam configuration, as shown, and at the lower ends thereof one flange of the framework legs is cut away so the lower ends thereof will slip into receptacles in the top wall of the center portions 12, so they may be held into place. The lower end of the inner flanges of the I beam legs 24 are removed as can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 and the lower end of the flange forms a support for the framework 23 on the top wall of the center portions 12, as can be seen in FIG. 4. 
     The framework cross member 25 has a small shaft 26 mounted thereon, and the center member 12 has an upright support shaft 27 which is coaxial with the peg 26. Shaft 27 is surrounded by a collar 28, as seen perhaps best in FIG. 5, and a pair of flanges 29, which are also seen in FIG. 4 are positioned on diametrically opposite sides of the shaft 27. The peg 26 and the shaft 27 are used for rotatably mounting a game board 30 thereon. 
     The game board 30 is hollow, having first and second spaced walls 31 and 32, respectively, on opposite sides thereof and walls 31 and 32 are joined by peripheral walls 32A. The top and bottom peripheral walls 32A are provided with openings for receiving the peg 26 and shaft 27, respectively. 
     The lower peripheral wall 32A is provided with the opening of configuration to receive the flanges 29 when the unit is at its locked position as shown in FIG. 4. The opening in the bottom peripheral wall of the game board member is made of size so that the wall will be supported on the top of the flanges 29 when the game board 30 is rotated out of position generally parallel to the plane of the framework 23. In addition, in order to lock the game board securely in its playing position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of dogs 33 are mounted on the top wall of the center member 12 of the support or base, and the dogs 33 are positioned to align with and enter openings 34 in the bottom peripheral wall of the game board when the board is in its working position. When in position as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 the game board will drop down onto these dogs 33 and be held positively in place for play. 
     However, the game board can be lifted quite easily upwardly to clear the dogs 33 and the flanges 29, and then rotated about the axes of pegs 26 and shaft 27 180° and then drop back into place, or the board can be rotated a full 360° if desired. 
     A plurality of tubular receptacle members 36 are mounted on the near side of the cross member 25, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 and tubular members 37 are positioned on the opposite side of the cross member. The tubular members are of size to receive individual pegs 20. As can be seen, the pegs 20 have a large shank, approximately 1/4 inch in diameter, and then a small end member approximately 1/8 inch in diameter that would fit into the openings in the tubular members 36 and 37. Also, on the upright legs 24, on the right hand side of the unit as each player faces the playing apparatus, there are tubular members 38 and 39, respectively, for holding pegs as will be more fully explained. 
     The individual game board panels or walls 31 and 32 are each provided with a plurality of apertures indicated at 40 that are arranged in horizontal rows, and also in vertical rows. As can be seen, there are fifteen apertures 40 in each of the vertical rows, and there are eleven apertures 40 in each of the horizontal rows. The first four vertical rows on the left hand side of each of the wall, when facing the walls generally align with the tubular members 36 or 37 directly above them. The first four vertical rows on the left are the playing portion of the game board. The division of these four rows into the playing group 42 is indicated by a dotted line 41 on wall 32 in FIG. 2. 
     The second group of four vertical rows of apertures on the walls, as generally indicated at 44 on wall 32 between dotted lines 41 and 43 in FIG. 2, comprise a section for scoring any matching of the colors by an opponent of the pegs in the tubes 36 or 37 with pegs in the first four apertures of each horizontal row of apertures. This will be more fully explained, but it is to be understood the game board is thus divided into a first playing section 42 comprising the first four apertures on the left hand side of each horizontal row of each wall, and the second scoring section 44 comprising the next four apertures of each horizontal row between the dotted lines 41 and 43. This leaves the last three apertures of each horizontal row as a group indicated at 45 which comprises the &#34;mate&#34; scoring. 
     In explaining the game, it should be understood that there are pegs of ten different colors. As an aid in explanation of how the game is played, the following code for different colors will be utilized: 
     A- red 
     B- yellow 
     C- dark Blue 
     D- green 
     E- white 
     F- gold 
     G- pink 
     H- light Blue 
     I- purple 
     J- brown 
      22- Black 
     In order to play the game, there will be two players, one facing the wall 32, and one facing the wall 31. The person facing the wall 32, and who also will be facing the tubes 36, will be called the player, and the other person will be called the opposer for sake of explanation. The object of the game is for the player and the opposer to each select a particular combination of colored pegs and place these into their respective tubes 36 and 37. Then they each also guess what combination of colors are selected in the tubes of the other party. For example, the player will attempt to guess what the colors and order of pegs are in the opposer&#39;s tubes 37 and the opposer will try to guess and show the exact order and color combination of the player&#39;s pegs in tubes 36. 
     In each of the compartments 14 there will be fifteen of the pegs 20, so there will be fifteen of each of the different colored pegs. By way of example, assuming that the player inserts pegs C, B, D and E in his tubes 36 so that there would be a dark blue, a yellow, a green and a white peg respectively, and assuming that the oppposer inserts pegs 20J, 20G, 20H and 20I in his tubes 37 so that he would have a brown, a a pink, a light blue and a purple peg respectively. The object of the game, after this initial selection has been made, is for the opposing party to guess the colors and the order of the colors of the pegs in the other party&#39;s tubes at the top of the frame. 
     To play, for example, the player will then pick out four different colored pegs and place them in the upper horizontal row in the playing section 42 of the wall 32. For example, if he puts in pegs 20A, 20G, 20D and 20F in the apertures of his side of the board, and the opposer then makes a selection of four colors for example, 20J, 20A, 20C and 20E, that he will put in his section 42. The opposite sides of the board will then look as shown in Table I. 
     TABLE I 
     
                       TABLE I______________________________________  PLAYER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME______________________________________Tubes 36 -       C B D ETop Row of Wall 32 -            A G D F × × × × × ×            ×______________________________________ 
    
     OPPOSER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME 
     
         ______________________________________  OPPOSER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME______________________________________Tubes 37 -       J G H ITop Row of Wall 31 -            J A C E × × × × × ×            ×______________________________________ 
    
     The game board is lifted up off its dogs or stop members, and rotated 180° so that the pegs placed by the player will then appear on the left hand side of the opposer. Assuming that the board has been rotated, the sides of the board will be reversed. Wall 32 will face the opposer and wall 31 will face the player. The board will appear as follows in Table II. 
     TABLE II 
     PLAYER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME 
     
                       TABLE II______________________________________  PLAYER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME______________________________________Tubes 36 -       C B D ETop Row of Wall 31 -            J A C E × × × × × ×            ×______________________________________ 
    
     OPPOSER&#39;s SIDE OF FRAME 
     
         ______________________________________  OPPOSER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME______________________________________Tubes 37 -       J G H ITop Row of Wall 32 -            A G D F × × × × × ×            ×______________________________________ 
    
     It can be seen that the player will have his peg 20G, which is the second from the outside peg, aligned with the opposer&#39;s peg 20G in the tubes 37. This is a mate, being not only a correct color, but in the correct position under the color of the opposer into the second from the outside tube 37 so the opposer will then place one of his black pegs in the player&#39;s section 45 of the wall 32 in the mate section. 
     Likewise, the opposer&#39;s selection of colors on his section 42 of the playing board, will be aligned with the tubes 36, and if there is a color match (any colors selected by the player and also selected by the opposer and colors match as shown in Table II), the player will place a black peg in the sections of the apertures 44 on the first row of apertures to indicate that there is a match of colors by the opposer. The player has a dark blue peg on the outside tube 36, and the opposer placed a dark blue peg on the third from the left aperture. Also, the opposer had a mate with the player&#39;s tubes 36 as can be seen in Table II. The white peg placed by the opposer mates with the white peg (E) of the player&#39;s. Then the player would also insert a black peg in the match section 45 (the right hand three vertical rows of apertures) to indicate that the opposer had a mate. Then, before any further play occurred, the board would be again disengaged from its locked means, rotated 180° so that the original wall 32 would again be facing the player and the player would see that he had one match. The opposer would see he has a match and a mate. After scoring and rotation, the board will appear as shown in Table III 
     TABLE III 
     PLAYER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME (After Scoring and Rotating) 
     
                       TABLE III______________________________________PLAYER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME (After Scoring and Rotating)______________________________________Tubes 36         C B D ETop Row of Wall 32 -            A G D F × × × × 22 ×            ×______________________________________ 
    
     OPPOSER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME (After Scoring and Rotating) 
     
         ______________________________________OPPOSER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME (After Scoring and Rotating)______________________________________Tubes 37          J G H ITop Row of Wall 31 -             J A C E 22 × × × 22______________________________________             × × 
    
     Then each of the player and the opposer would again select four colors of pegs and arrange them in the second from the top horizontal row of apertures and in the playing section 42 of that respective board to try to mate all of the pegs of the other party. For example, the board may look as shown in Table IV. 
     TABLE IV 
     PLAYER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME 
     
                       TABLE IV______________________________________  PLAYER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME______________________________________Tubes 36 -       C B D ETop Row of Wall 32 -            A G D F × × × × 22 ×            ×Second Row of Wall 32 -            G A D H × × × × × ×            ×______________________________________ 
    
     OPPOSER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME 
     
         ______________________________________  OPPOSER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME______________________________________Tubes 37 -       J G H ITop Row of Wall 31 -            J A C E 22 × × × 22 × ×Second Row of Wall 31 -            C J G E × × × × × ×            ×______________________________________ 
    
     After rotating the board 180° so wall 32 faces the opposer and wall 31 faces the player the game would appear as shown in Table V for scoring. 
     TABLE V 
     PLAYER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME (With Wall 31) 
     
                       TABLE V______________________________________  PLAYER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME______________________________________    (With Wall 31)Tubes 36 -       C B D ETop Row of Wall 31 -            J A C E 22 × × × 22 × ×Second Row of Wall 31 -            C J G E × × × × × ×            ×______________________________________ 
    
     OPPOSER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME (With Wall 32) 
     
         ______________________________________  OPPOSER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME______________________________________    (With Wall 32)Tubes 37 -       J G H ITop Row of Wall 32 -            A G D F × × × × 22 ×            ×Second Row of Wall 32 -            G A D H × × × × × ×            ×______________________________________ 
    
     The player then notes that the opposer has two mates (C and E) but no additional matches. The player then places a black peg in the second vertical row of apertures in section 45 and also aligned in the second horizontal row of the wall 31, which is the opposer&#39;s playing wall. 
     The opposer sees that the player has lost his mate, but has two matches of colors so a black peg would be placed in the second horizontal row of apertures and in the second vertical row of group 44 of the match scoring apertures on wall 32 by the opposer. 
     The board would then again be rotated 180° to its original position and the scoring would appear as shown in Table VI. 
     TABLE VI 
     PLAYER&#39;s SIDE OF FRAME 
     
                       TABLE VI______________________________________  PLAYER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME______________________________________Tubes 36         C B D ETop Row of Wall 32 -            A C D F × × × × 22 ×            ×Second Row of Wall 32 -            G A D H × 22 × × × ×            ×______________________________________ 
    
     OPPOSER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME 
     
         ______________________________________  OPPOSER&#39;S SIDE OF FRAME______________________________________Tubes 37 -       J G H ITop Row of Wall 31 -            J A C E 22 × × × 22 × ×Second Row of Wall 31 -            C J G E × × × × × 22            ×______________________________________ 
    
     The third from the top row would be used for playing to try to match the pegs of the opposite party in their respective tubes 36 or 37. Play would continue until one party had mated all of the colors, and he would be the winner. It should be noted that all pegs are allowed to remain in the apertures until the game is completed. This insures that the players can use deductive reasoning applied to earlier scores and combinations to arrive at the problem resolution. Thus, reasoning power is exercised in playing. 
     The tubes 38 and 39 on the vertical legs of the framework are used for playing pegs of discarded colors so that when it is known by the player that a particular color is neither a match nor a mate of the opposer&#39;s, he would put a peg of that color into one of the tube 38, for example, to show that this color should not again be used in playing the game. 
     The game board thus provides a means for keeping score or track of a matching game wherein an initial four indicia is used to have to be matched and mated in a particular order. 
     The number of colors should be at least double the number of the indicia selected by each player to get good playability. Thus, with four tubes 36 or 37, at least eight colors should be used. 
     In place of colors, pegs may be formed into different geometric cross section shapes or they may be made with shapes representing animals, or they may bear letters or other desired indicia. 
     Referring to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, a modification of the playing apparatus is illustrated. The device of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 is used by a player to permit moving the support members or apertures used for initial selection of the players pegs (Item 36 in FIG. 2) so that as the game progresses, the comparison of the initial selection of pegs or indicia members of a player can be easily compared to the selection made by the opposing player. It has been found that when, for example, the play has progressed to a point where pegs placed in the horizontal rows several rows down from the top of the frame have been used, the distance between the initially selected (problem) pegs supported at the top of the board or playing apparatus and the pegs that were placed by the opposing player for scoring is great enough so that it is difficult to score the selections. The present device permits the moving by a player of his problem pegs to a position adjacent to the pegs last played by the opposing player for ease of comparison. It is to be understood that the game would be played exactly as described previously, but that the cross member 25 would be provided with apertures such as those indicated at 36 and such apertures are indicated at 50 in FIG. 7. The cross member 25 has the apertures of size to receive the pegs, and these apertures can be used, but for sake of illustration a new number is provided for the apertures 50 which would correspond to the receptacle members 36. These apertures would be vertically aligned with the playing group 42 (FIG. 9), as previously explained as well. 
     A movable holder member indicated generally at 51 comprises a base panel 52, and a finger tab or holding tab 53 that is integral with and as shown is inclined at an angle to the base panel 52 to provide clearance along the edges of the game board. It is to be understood of course that this member 51 does not rotate with the game board but would be replaced at the top cross member 25 or held by the respective player out of the sight of the opponent. The base panel 52 has a pair of spaced pegs 54,54 at opposite ends thereof which are spaced apart a distance to fit within at least two of the receptacles 50 and to be removably retained in the cross member 25 or as will be explained to also fit into receptacles or apertures of the game board in location 42. On the opposite side of the panel 52, a hood or shield 57 extends out from the panel 52 along the upper edge, and there are a plurality of tubular receptacle members 55 below the hood 57, each of which has an interior opening 56 of size to receive the end portion of one of the pegs 20, and hold the pegs securely in the same manner as the receptacles 36 hold the pegs. The hood extends far enough to overlie the pegs 20 when they are installed in receptacle members 55. 
     In FIG. 7 a single peg 20 is shown for illustrative purposes but all receptacle members 55 would hold problem pegs for play. The member 51 is placed in the cross member 25 as shown in FIG. 9, and the initial problem pegs one of which is shown in FIG. 9, (four would be used) would be placed at the top cross member in the receptacle members 55. In FIG. 9 the hood 57 is broken away for clarity. Then, in the course of play, the finger tab 53 can be grasped, and the entire member 51 removed from member 25, carrying the pegs 20 that are held in the receptacle members 55 with it. The device can be placed into position directly below the &#34;guessing or playing pegs&#34; of the opposing player and aligned with such played pegs to compare the colors of the pegs in the holder 51 with the pegs that have been played by the opposing player after the board has been rotated. Such a position for holder 51 is shown in dotted lines in FIG. 9, but the pegs immediately above this position are omitted for clarity. 
     Thus, the holder member for the players initial selection of pegs is removable, and can be placed adjacent to scoring or guessing pegs of the opposing player even after the game has progressed a substantial number of turns so that the scoring pegs of the opposing player can be readily scored. The hood 57 shields the one players problem pegs from view of the other player during these manipulations. 
     In this manner the game progresses much more rapidly because it is easier to compare the one player&#39;s initially selected pegs with the other player&#39;s guessing (playing) pegs, merely by moving the member 51 to position adjacent to the last guessed pegs to be scored. The member 51 can be used for checking previous plays as well. It can be moved up and down the board, and hood 57 can be placed vertically against the ends of the pegs in the board for ease of checking and comparison. The &#34;problem&#34; pegs are thus easily compared with the played pegs without confusion. The hood provides an adequate shield to screen the problem pegs from the other player.