US3970313A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ancestral educational game apparatus
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-10-31
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Granted: 1976-07-20
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Expires: 1994-10-31
Abstract
Abstract An educational and recreational game for teaching players the engaging and appealing hobby or vocation of genealogy with an object to inspire players subsequently to trace their own real-life ancestors and to preserve a record of their family lineage for posterity. The game includes a multi-sided playing board having a continuous peripheral course divided into a pluality of interconnected playing spaces. Additional game apparatus includes a family tree of genealogy chart with slotted and color-coded stepped lines on which to record family ancestors; player pieces of different color and/or form; a set of male and female "Ancestor" cards playable from dual trays and adapted for particular placement in the appropriate slotted lines of the chart to be arranged in a predetermined manner to try to complete a player's chart; a set of "Grandmother's Attic" cards also preferably playable from a dual tray, which cards have instruction indicia thereon to help direct play of the playing pieces as well as of the "Ancestor" cards; and a chance controlled device to determine the number of spaces a player moves his piece around the peripheral course. The spaces have varied indicia some of which further direct the play of the game responsive to a player landing thereon. The game object is for each player to try to complete his family tree or genealogy chart before the others, from the fictitious ancestors named on the male and female "Ancestor" cards; said cards bearing certain vital statistics of the ancestor. The chart and "Ancestor" cards further have correlative indicia to facilitate correct correlating of the "Ancestor" cards with the slotted lines of the genealogy chart.
Inventors
- 👤 Ernest A. Montemayor
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 23:08
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F3/00; A63F3/04; A63F3/0449; A63F3/00003; A63F3/00006
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
272 words
Game apparatus for playing a game relating to and for educating players about genealogy, comprising in combination: a. a playing board including an endless playing course having a plurality of serially connected playing spaces provided with indicia means for identifying respective spaces adapted to affect game play according to the indicia thereof; certain of said spaces having indicia means for identifying them generally as male and female ancestor spaces respectively; b. a plurality of playing pieces for traversing said playing course by each player; c. chance means operable by players in sequence for determining the number of spaces to be traversed per turn by a playing piece; d. a genealogy type chart for each player, said charts each having horizontal parallel line indicia commencing at one side and disposed in a generally conventional ascending and descending step fashion, of which predetermined horizontal lines, subsequent to an initial single horizontal line at said one side, are vertically aligned to constitute a plurality of laterally adjacent successively preceding generation-recording means; e. "Ancestor" card means including a deck of female ancestor cards and a deck of male ancestor cards, respectively bearing on one face thereof the name and other statistical indicia of female and male ancestors dating back over several hypothetical generations; said "Ancestor" cards adapted to be drawn during game play when a playing piece lands upon one of said ancestor spaces; and f. said "Ancestor" cards and said parallel line indicia of said genealogy chart having correlative indicia means for correlating said "Ancestor" cards and said parallel lines to thereby record on said chart ancestors of each given generation in a predetermined manner.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
272 words
Game apparatus for playing a game relating to and for educating players about genealogy, comprising in combination: a. a playing board including an endless playing course having a plurality of serially connected playing spaces provided with indicia means for identifying respective spaces adapted to affect game play according to the indicia thereof; certain of said spaces having indicia means for identifying them generally as male and female ancestor spaces respectively; b. a plurality of playing pieces for traversing said playing course by each player; c. chance means operable by players in sequence for determining the number of spaces to be traversed per turn by a playing piece; d. a genealogy type chart for each player, said charts each having horizontal parallel line indicia commencing at one side and disposed in a generally conventional ascending and descending step fashion, of which predetermined horizontal lines, subsequent to an initial single horizontal line at said one side, are vertically aligned to constitute a plurality of laterally adjacent successively preceding generation-recording means; e. "Ancestor" card means including a deck of female ancestor cards and a deck of male ancestor cards, respectively bearing on one face thereof the name and other statistical indicia of female and male ancestors dating back over several hypothetical generations; said "Ancestor" cards adapted to be drawn during game play when a playing piece lands upon one of said ancestor spaces; and f. said "Ancestor" cards and said parallel line indicia of said genealogy chart having correlative indicia means for correlating said "Ancestor" cards and said parallel lines to thereby record on said chart ancestors of each given generation in a predetermined manner.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
The game apparatus of claim 1, wherein certain other of said playing course spaces include indicia means for indentifying them as GRANDMOTHER'S ATTIC spaces; and said game apparatus further including a deck of cards having the indicia GRANDMOTHER'S ATTIC and also bearing different instructions which include among others instructions affecting disposition of said "Ancestor" cards, and instructions affecting further playing piece traversal of said playing course.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
the game apparatus of claim 2, further including for each of said decks of cards a dual section card tray.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
The game apparatus of claim 1, wherein said playing board is of four cornered generally rectangular form, and said playing course is peripherally disposed and includes spaces at said four corners bearing indicia which constitute four different combined starting points and ancestral family designations for the respective player's playing pieces, and from which play of playing pieces may be initiated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The game apparatus of claim 4, wherein each side of said game board has at least one of each of said male and female ancestor spaces.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
The game apparatus of claim 5, wherein certain other course spaces are embellished with legend and pictorial indicia respectively which connote real life genealogy research facilities and institutions; said latter-mentioned spaces constituting resting places not requiring any further play by the player whose piece lands thereon by chance.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The game apparatus of claim 1, wherein certain other of said playing course spaces include word indicia means directing further traversal of the playing course responsive to landing thereon by chance.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
The game apparatus of claim 1, wherein certain other course spaces are embellished with legend and pictorial design indicia which connote real life geneology research facilities and institutions; and latter spaces constituting resting places not necessarily requiring any further play by the player.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The game apparatus of claim 1 wherein the playing board embodies multiple sides, and successive spaces of said playing course bear different indicia related to affecting game play, certain space indicia being duplicative along certain sides of the playing board.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
The game apparatus of claim 1, wherein said genealogy chart horizontal lines are slotted, and said "Ancestor" cards each being of a size to facilitate at least part thereof being placed within a slot in a manner so that at least the name indicia thereof is visible to the players.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
The game apparatus of claim 1, wherein said correlative indicia means of paragraph (f) include corresponding number and color indicia on said "Ancestor" cards and the chart lines with which they may be played.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
84 words
The game apparatus of claim 1, wherein said genealogy chart has a plurality of five laterally adjacent generation-recording means; said lines commencing with said initial single horizontal line at one side being numbered from 1 through 31; said deck of "Ancestor" cards including plural series of different family name cards extending over several generations, and at least certain of said series of family name cards on their statistics bearing face also including numbers from 1 through 31 for correlation with said chart numbered lines.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
150 words
The game apparatus of claim 1, wherein said genealogy chart has chart-dividing indicia means for horizontally dividing said chart into respectively upper and lower half portions for respectively representing paternal and maternal ancestors of the ancestor to be denoted on said initial single horizontal line of said chart of paragraph (d); said initial horizontal chart line being of limited linear extent and essentially coextensive with a portion of said chart-dividing indicia means, said initial horizontal chart line constituting depository means for receiving the ancestor card representative of a chronologically most-current generation; said upper and lower chart half portions respectively having a series of plural ascending horizonal lines, the lines of each respective series having common color coding means to thereby distinguish each of said series from one another; and said statistics bearing faces of predetermined ones of said "Ancestor" cards also being similarly color coded to facilitate mutual correlation thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
182 words
A combination recreational and teaching aid card and board game relating to and for educating players about genealogy, utilizing chance controlled, movable playing pieces and card means including a deck of ancestor-data cards, said game comprising in combination: a. a playing board having a playing course comprised of a series of playing-piece-traversing spaces some of which are provided with male and female design indicia; b. a genealogy chart having numbered line indicia disposed in step fashion connecting areas on said chart for identifying successively retrogressing generations and having certain added indicia related to said lines adapted to be correlated to said ancestor-data cards; c. said deck of ancestor-data cards including cards having design indicia connecting certain of said cards as being female ancestor cards, and other cards as being male ancestor cards, said cards adapted to be separated into two sub decks of male and female cards; and d. said ancestor-data cards also having thereon statistical data including an ancestor name and other indicia adapted for correlating said cards in physical association with said genealogy chart lines in predetermined successive generation form.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
182 words
A combination recreational and teaching aid card and board game relating to and for educating players about genealogy, utilizing chance controlled, movable playing pieces and card means including a deck of ancestor-data cards, said game comprising in combination: a. a playing board having a playing course comprised of a series of playing-piece-traversing spaces some of which are provided with male and female design indicia; b. a genealogy chart having numbered line indicia disposed in step fashion connecting areas on said chart for identifying successively retrogressing generations and having certain added indicia related to said lines adapted to be correlated to said ancestor-data cards; c. said deck of ancestor-data cards including cards having design indicia connecting certain of said cards as being female ancestor cards, and other cards as being male ancestor cards, said cards adapted to be separated into two sub decks of male and female cards; and d. said ancestor-data cards also having thereon statistical data including an ancestor name and other indicia adapted for correlating said cards in physical association with said genealogy chart lines in predetermined successive generation form.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
A game as defined in claim 14 wherein said design indicia of said ancestor-data cards includes on one face of some said cards a silhouette of an early American vintage male for the male ancestor cards, and an early American vintage female for the female ancestor cards.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
A game as defined in claim 14 wherein each of said sub decks include several series of cards respectively having indicia to designate as many as 28 different principal or surnames thereon.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
49 words
A game as defined in claim 14 wherein said certain added indicia on said genealogy chart, and said other indicia on said ancestor-data cards, respectively include a common series of different color indicia means for correlating certain of said cards with certain of said lines on said genealogy chart.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
44 words
A game as defined in claim 17, further including predetermined number indicia in association with both said genealogy chart lines and with said ancestor-data cards for helping in the correlation of certain of said cards with certain of said lines on said genealogy chart.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
172 words
A game as defined in claim 14 further including a plurality of different playing pieces, and chance-controlled means for establishing the amount of movement of said playing pieces over said playing course; a plurality of different type cards constituting a deck of play-affecting cards each bearing on one face thereof design indicia depicting an old-time attic scene including an old attic trunk, and further including on an opposite face thereof play-affecting instruction indicia; said cards adapted to be placed in a pile with the attic scene face up during initial game play; said game board also further including a plurality of spaced-apart spaces which have design indicia corresponding to the attic scene design indicia of said different type cards; with said common attic scene indicia serving to corrolate said attic-scene-bearing cards to said playing board; and whereby said attic-scene-bearing cards are adapted to be drawn and the game affecting instruction indicia on the opposite face thereof followed responsive to a playing piece landing upon any such space which bears the attic scene.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
The game of claim 19, wherein said attic scene bearing cards and said corresponding attic scene bearing playing board spaces respectively include word indicia of "Grandmother's Attic" thereon to help correlate the cards and the playing board.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
GB1120642A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-07-20 | 1980-01-19 | 1980-07-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-07-20 | 1984-01-19 | 1984-07-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-07-20 | 1988-01-19 | 1988-07-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |