New or Improved Game, and Apparatus for Playing the same.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Game, and Apparatus for Playing the same.
A communication from abroad by GEORGE FRANKLIN NEWLAND, of Detroit,
Michigan, United States of America, Merchant.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster and 323, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, 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 :-
It is the purpose of this invention to, produce a game interesting both to children
and adults and which from its nature may be called "Militaire."
. In the drawings :-
"
Figure 1 is a plan view of one of the game boards constructed in accordance with
the invention with the men set up in position to begin the game.
Figure 2 is another view illustrating how the men may be moved.
Figure 3 is a sectional view showing some of the men in position.
Figure 4 represents variations in the arrangement of the lines.
A represents the game board. The board is provided with a series of circles B
arranged concentrically with each other and intersected by radial lines C. At the
points of intersection are holes D¹ for the reception of pegs D which represent the
men.
E represents diagonal lines.
The circles B may be of any convenient number. 6 are shown in the drawings.
So also the radial lines C may also be of any desired number, there being 20 shown
in the drawings. Of course with an increase or decrease in the number of circles or
radial lines, there will be a corresponding increase or decrease in the number of
men. The number shown in the drawings makes a convenient game board, and, in
the way the men are set up, employs altogether 74 men, divided into soldiers, colonels
and generals.
The opposing forces are designated by light circles and dark circles. . The colonels
are represented by two concentric circles, the soldiers by simple circles and the
generals by two concentric circles crossed by two diametric lines at right angles.
To begin the game, the men are all arranged as shown in Figure 1, each side having
a main army at the centre F F¹ commanded by a general, and each has a right and
left wing G G. The colonels may be arranged as shown. It will thus be seen that
there is one colonel for every five soldiers, we may therefore assume that each
opposing army is composed of 30 soldiers, 6 colonels and 1 general.
The game is now played as follows :-
The soldiers may move one space only, but may move either on the circular lines,
or the diagonal lines, they may also jump and take an opponent the same as in
draughts or checkers, but can only jump along the circular lines, they may however,
as in checkers, continue to jump one, two or more so long as they are properly
arranged in alternate spaces.
The colonels may likewise move one space only along the diagonal lines, but they
may move any distance which is free for them to move in the direction of a circle or
along a radial line, so also they may jump and take any man on said circle or radial
line, no matter how far it may be from the starting point, so there is a place
immediately beyond it vacant into which the mover may rest, he may likewise,
instead of stopping at this point, move on to any other unoccupied space along the

page_text: same line provided there is no intervening opponent, he may also, as in draughts or
checkers jump a succession of opponents so there is resting place between each one
and the next, and in jumping thus a second or third man, it is only necessary that the
distance to that man is uninterrupted along a radial or circular line from the successive
resting points.
The general may move in all respects the same as the colonels with the additional
advantage that having completed one move to the full extent that a colonel might
move, he may move from this point of rest to another point, he must, however, stop
at that point until the next move. Thus as shown in Figure 2, we may presume a
to be a soldier; he may move on the diagonal lines to b or on the circular line to b¹
one space, but he cannot move along the radial lines. He can only jump on the
circular lines. Thus he may jump over a¹ and may continue to jump over a², but
cannot jump a³ because there is an intervening space, nor can he jump at or a³
because he cannot jump along a radial line nor a diagonal line.
So also if c represents a colonel, he might jump c¹ resting at c² along a radius
line, he might then jump on the circular line and thence take c¹ and rest at c³.
He could not however jump e and e' because there is no intervening space.
Again referring to Figure 2, d may represent the general. He might jump d³ and
rest at d², then continue to jump d³ and d. He is then entitled to one or more
moves, thus he might move to a place of safety d³ or to a point d of advantage to
him when his next turn to move. He cannot, however, make a further move until his
next turn.
It will be understood that these regulations as to moves are not essential, but may
be varied, so also, instead of soldiers, colonels and generals, any other characters
may be employed. Again, the particular arrangement of centre column, right and
left wings may be likewise varied, and the whole army may be grouped at the starting
point into one body.
When either side is reduced to a limited number, say five men, the game may be
regarded as terminated against him or it may be fought until all the men are captured.
So also a colonel may be regarded as equivalent to five men, and whenever a colonel
is taken, the party losing him may, at any time, demand an exchange, either giving
five of his own men from the board therefor, or permitting his opponent to put five
soldiers back on his own board. They shall, however, be put back one at a time, and
having thus placed a colonel or soldier on the board, he shall be regarded as having
moved, thus entitling his opponent to the next move.
The game board is preferably provided with holes or orifices, the men or characters
being in the form of pegs, so that the game may be played in railway carriages or in
any locality without danger of displacing the characters.
Instead of concentric circles, B, they might be arranged in a square or polygonal
form as shown in the variations in Figure 4, and where, in the specification or claims,
the term circles is employed, it is to be understood as embracing either the circles,
souares, or polygons as here explained.
As a matter of embellishment and to add interest to the game, figures representing
military opponents might be printed in the corners of the board. Thus, a board for
use in the United States might have pictures of Grant and Sherman in the corners
adjacent to one player, with pictures of Lee and Johnson in the corners adjacent to
the other player, while, at the centre, might be represented the capitol at Washington,
or a representation of a battle or conflict.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, 1 declare that what I claim is :-
1. A game consisting of a game board A divided by circles, radial lines, and
diagonal lines, substantially as shown, with men or characters resting at and designed
to be played from the points of intersection of said radial and circular lines,
substantially as described,

page_text: 2. The combination, with the board A, provided with circular, radial and diagonal
lines, of orifices at the points of intersection of the circles and radial lines, and in
connection therewith characters in the nature of pegs designed to be set into and
played from said orifices, substantially as shown and described.
T
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.