Appliances to be used in Playing a New Class of Games.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Appliances to be used in Playing a New Class of Games.
We, PERCY ALEXANDER MACMAHON Major R.A., F.R.S., of 231 Eglinton
Road, Woolwich, and JULIAN ROBERT JOHN JOCELYN, Major R.A., of The
Retreat, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The games are to be played with triangular cards or pieces with or without a
board. Each card or piece is in shape an equilateral triangle and its face is
divided into three triangular portions by lines drawn from the centre of the card or
piece to the angular points or it might be made in the form of a pyramid with three
triangular inclined sides. Each of the three triangular parts of the face of each
card or piece is marked with a distinctive colour or number or mark. For example
they may be marked with pips or numbers as in dominoes and be played with in a
somewhat similar manner without any board or may be played with on a board
marked out into equilateral triangles.
For
For example a pack of cards or pieces marked with treble fours may be used.
In the pack there would be a card corresponding to every partition of 12 and of
numbers less than 12 into three parts chosen from the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4.
example one would have 4 marked on each of the triangular divisions of its face,
another 4 on one face 2 on another and 0 on another and so on. Further when
such partition is into three unequal parts there will be two cards corresponding viz..
one right handed and one left handed, that is the marks on two faces would have
to change place. The three parts of the number partitioned are printed in the three
portions of the card respectively.
A pack of treble fours would consist of 45 cards.
The treble 5 and treble 3 packs contain more and fewer cards respectively.
On the board numbers are placed against certain sides of the triangles say as
shewn in the diagram 1 but other arrangements of numbers might be adopted or
they may be omitted. The pack having been shuffled a certain number, say 8, are
dealt to each player. The remainder form a stock. The commencing player
(see Rules) must place or pose a card in the triangle A-it may be any card.
The next player must pose either in triangle B or in C. If he poses in B
the edge of B placed contiguous to the edge of A must bear the same number
as it does.
If he poses in Che has not only to match an edge of A but also the marked
edge of C. He lias thus to make a double match.
The next player then poses in D or E so as to match as required by the cards
played and by the board."
If a player cannot match when it is his turn he must draw from the stock until
he can play.
Although able to play he may draw before playing as many as he pleases.
Two or more cards, by agreement, can be left in the stock, neither player being
entitled to draw them.
The game proceeds in this manner down the two lines of triangles and then
according to the arrows on the diagram proceeds up the adjacent lines and so
forth.
A player unable to match must if the stock be exhausted say 'no match' and his
if not
opponent must play if able. The previous player then may play if he can;
his adversary continues the game until neither can match or draw or one player is
left with no cards.
The numbers on the remaining cards are then counted; the player with cards

page_text: triangular divisions of its face marked with three different colours or designs. In
half of the pieces the colours or designs would be in the order 1, 2, 3 if regarded
in the direction of motion of the hands of a clock that is to say right handed
and in the other half 1, 3, 2 or left handed. The right handed pieces may also
have a distinguishing mark upon them.
DESCRIPTION.
With triangular cards or pieces so marked a game may be played on a board such
as shewn in diagram 2 by two players, A. and B, each of whom has eleven pieces.
The board consists of a regular hexagon, made up of fifty-four equilateral
triangles. It is divided into six strips called "lines" which are parallel to two
opposite sides. The lines are thus made up of rows of contiguous triangles. Each
player regards the lines from his own point of view, for example A's first line is
B's sixth line, A's second line is B's fifth line and so on.
Upon the two opposite sides of the hexagon, above referred to, two enclosures or
barriers are made, each consisting of eleven triangles, as shewn shaded in the
sketch, it is the object of each player, to occupy his adversary's barrier.
$
A's pieces consist of six right handed' and five left handed' pieces, B's of five
right handed and six left handed.' A's eleven pieces, have in addition a
distinguishing mark, so that they may be known from B's.
By agreement cach player's first line may be considered the "barrier," the game
is then played by A with 4 right handed and 3 left handed pieces and by B with
3 right handed and four left handed pieces.
The Rules of the Game may be as follows:-
1. Each player divides his right handed from his left handed pieces and places
them beside him, face upwards. These heaps constitute his "stock."
2. The right to commence the first game is decided by lot, succeeding games are
begun by each player alternately.
3. The first player draws a piece and plays it with an edge to the side of the
hexagon in his first line; he must, therefore, place it in one of three triangles.
The second player does likewise. Thenceforward each player plays in turn, in
accordance with the following rules.
4. When a player's turn comes to play, he must either "draw" and play a piece
from his stock, or "move" a piece already on the board.
"
5. Except as provided by rule 7, all " moves must be forward; that is, when a
piece is moved, it must be played to another, situated in the same or next forward
line, and must be posed in such a way that its own position is advanced, one or two
lines. It may not be played to a piece more than one line in front of it; even, if
thereby, its position would only be advanced one line. It must be played subject
to rule 8, and a player must always play to one of his own pieces, unless as laid
down in rule 11.
6. If the player elects to draw from his stock, he must play the piece so drawn,
and may pose it anywhere, subject to rules 8 and 11, with the exception that only
three pieces may be played from the stock into the player's own barrier.
If a
game is being played with 7 pieces a side, only 2 can be so played.
7. In filling the adversary's barrier, a piece may be played "laterally" subject to
rule 8 that is a piece outside the barrier, in the player's 5th line may be played to
a piece in the player's 6th line, so that the former, without advancing a line is
brought within the barrier. It must not, however, be again moved by its owner,
unless "put back" by rule 11.
8. All play must be by "matching" that is not only must the edge of the piece
played to, be matched in colour or design, but if other pieces, of either player,
bound a triangle, their edges, also must be matched, or the triangle cannot be

page_text: played into. When the colours or designs round a triangle are such that they
cannot be matched by any piece, the triangle is "blocked."
9. Though when a player "draws" there is no such restriction, when he "moves
he must never play a piece back.
"
10. If a player cannot "move" he must "draw" and play where he can; if he
has no more pieces in the stock and cannot move, he is blocked and must call
pone."
11. By agreement at the commencement of the game, the players may elect
either the "block" or the "forward " game. If the former is agreed upon when a
player A, suppose, has to call " pone B selects any piece of A's, from the most
advanced line A has reached, and plays it to another piece of A's, so that the piece
selected is "put back as far as possible; if there are two or more pieces in A's
first line, or two or more positions equally far back, B may exercise a choice. .
B must then move himself. This penalty must be exacted whenever a player has
to call "pone!"
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If B after putting A back, is himself unable to move or draw, he must call
pone" A will then put B back, as above, and this must continue until A or B
is able to play. All "putting back" must be in accordance with rule 8.
If the forward" game is selected, if A suppose has to call "pone!" B may
then play not only to his own pieces, but to any piece of his adversary he chooses,
observing all the former rules, except the one that obliges him to play to his own
picces. A can do likewise, and the gaine proceeds in this manner. The penalty
therefore of calling "pone!" is, that it gives your adversary the first turn at
the new rule.
12. If a piece is "abandoned," that is to say, left alone, on the last occupied
line-the line in front containing none of the player's own pieces in the block
game or no pieces at all in the forward game-and there being none in his stock-
that piece can never be played and the game is lost.
13. However, in the block game, if the only possible move open to a player will
have the effect of leaving a piece abandoned, he may instead of moving call
pone!"
If he abandons a piece by inadvertence; he may recall the move,
unless his adversary has played.
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In the "forward" game he may not call ". pone" and the game will be lost, if
he is forced to abandon a piece.
14. The game is ended when either player correctly occupies his opponent's
barrier.
15. If desired, the game may be played for points. Each move, after either
barrier has been filled up, count one. A game lost by an "abandoned " piece
counts 13 points.
Dated this 29th day of February 1892.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Appliances to be used in Playing a New Olass of Games.
We, PERCY ALEXANDER MACMAHON, Major R.A., F.R.S., of 231, Eglinton
Road, Woolwich, and JULIAN ROBERT JOHN JOCELYN, Major R.A., of
The Retreat, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The appliances consist of cards or pieces which have 3 straight sides or edges
having distinguishing designs upon them. Ordinarily they would be distin-
guished by different colors extending in triangular form from the edge to the

page_text: centre of the card or piece but they might be distinguished by figures or letters or
other designs. In the drawings, aunexed they are for convenience distinguished by
figures. Any number of designs may be employed on the edges. To illustrate,
suppose there are 'n designs 2, 3 n, then in the case, of 3 playing edges every
permutation would be taken in rotative order of the n'designs 3 at a time and a
separate card or piece would be provided for each permutation.
---
Four designs on three playing edges forms a pack of 24 pieces thus :-
Various games or puzzles may be played with such a set of cards or pieces.
For example to arrange them into the form of a regular hexagon with one color or
design all around the outer edge and so that all abutting edges of the several cards
or pieces shall have on then the same color or design as shown at Figure 1.
Another puzzle would be to range them into the form of a hexagon, with one
color around the margin and with three hexagons each of uniform color or design
in the centre as shown at Figure 2. A great variety of other similar puzzles
might also be given.
Other packs may be formed by selecting certain cards out of packs formed
as above described. Thus five designs and three playing edges yields a 2
pack of 145 pieces but if it be a restriction that a particular design must
occur on each piece then a pack of 21 pieces is formed and so on under various
restrictions particular pieces may be selected from the above complete packs
to form smaller packs. As an example of a game to be played on a board
with selected pieces, the following game can be played by two players with 2
22 pieces all having upon them the same three figures colors or designs selected
from the pack first described on a board marked as shown by the diagram
Figure 3, these pieces may for convenience each have a small handle standing up
from its centre.
The board consists of a regular hexagon made up of fifty four equilateral :
triangles. It is divided into six strips called "lines" which are parallel to two
opposite sides. The lines are thus made up of rows of contiguous triangles. The
players say A and B regard the lines from their own, point of view for example
A's first line is B's sixth and A's second is B's fifth and so on. Upon the opposite
sides of the hexagon two enclosures, or barriers are made each consisting of eleven a
triangles these are shown shaded in the drawing.
"
A's and B's pieces each consist of six "right handed" and five "left handed
pieces. A's eleven pieces have a distinguishing mark so that they may be known
from B's. By "right handed" we mean when the figures on the three sides are in
consecutive order-say-1, 2, 3 when passing round in the same direction as the hands 4
of a watch and left hand when they have the same order when taken in the opposite
direction... The players playcin turn one after the other.
The first player draws a piece from his stock of pieces and puts it on to the
board with one of its edges lying along the side of the hexagon on one of the
triangles in his first line. He must therefore place it on one of three triangles. 4
The second player does likewise-thenceforward each player plays in turn.
When a player's turn comes to play he must either playa..piece.from his
stock or more a piece already on the board.
When a piece is moved it must be played to or placed against another situated
in the same or next forward line and in such a way that its own position is 5
advanced one or two lines.
Whenever a player places a fresh card or piece on the board. he may place
it anywhere against any of his own pieces. In all cases each piece as it is
moved or put on to the board must match in colour or design the. colours or designs
of any piece or pieces which it is placed against.

page_text: In this way and subject to other rules provided for the game each player
endeavours to move all his cards or pieces into his opponent's barrier. The
game is ended when either player occupies his opponent's barrier with all his
pieces.
The game may be played with modifications in the above number of pieces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The appliances for puzzles and games herein described consisting of packs of
cards or pieces with three straight edges colored or marked with permutations of
any number of colors or designs taken as many at a time as there are edges or
sides of the cards or pieces.
2. The appliances for the new class of games substantially as described with
reference to Figure 3.
Dated this 21st day of November 1892.
PERCY ALEXANDER MACMAHON.
J. R. J. JOCELYN.