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US4877248A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Amusement device with playing pieces rearrangable in slots

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1988-04-18
•
Granted: 1989-10-31
•
Expires: 2008-04-18
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Abstract

Abstract An amusement device includes a rigid plate provided with a plurality of elongated slots interconnected with each other, and a plurality of playing pieces different in shape and/or color. The playing pieces are freely slidable in the elongated slots and may be displaced from one slot to another.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hefetz Farraj

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 23:56
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F3/00; A63F3/00173; A63F3/00574; A63F3/00634; A63F9/00; A63F9/06; A63F9/08; A63F9/0803; A63F9/0807; A63F2003/00637

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim 172 words
An amusement device comprising a rigid, double-sided surface, a series of elongated slots, each closed at one end, and a bridging slot which interconnects the other ends of the slots, forming a common passage thereamong, a plurality of playing-pieces each freely slidable along and manipulable from any elongated slot to any other elongated slot via the bridging slot, the playing-pieces constituting a number of groups carrying thereon distinctive features including at least one of color and shape, the number of said groups corresponding to the number of the elongated slots, the number of playing-pieces of one of said groups being such that the passage of playing-pieces of other groups across a junction of the respective slot and the bridging slot is blocked when all of the playing pieces in said one group are disposed in said respective slot, each playing-piece comprising two opposite heads and a stem connecting said opposite heads to each other and passing through the respective slot from one side of the rigid board to the other side thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 172 words
An amusement device comprising a rigid, double-sided surface, a series of elongated slots, each closed at one end, and a bridging slot which interconnects the other ends of the slots, forming a common passage thereamong, a plurality of playing-pieces each freely slidable along and manipulable from any elongated slot to any other elongated slot via the bridging slot, the playing-pieces constituting a number of groups carrying thereon distinctive features including at least one of color and shape, the number of said groups corresponding to the number of the elongated slots, the number of playing-pieces of one of said groups being such that the passage of playing-pieces of other groups across a junction of the respective slot and the bridging slot is blocked when all of the playing pieces in said one group are disposed in said respective slot, each playing-piece comprising two opposite heads and a stem connecting said opposite heads to each other and passing through the respective slot from one side of the rigid board to the other side thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 25 words
The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the number of playing-pieces of one group exceeds the number of the pieces of the remaining groups.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 26 words
The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein, with respect to each group, each head, bears a distinctive feature different from that of its corresponding head.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 12 words
The device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the heads are spherical.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 24 words
The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the elongated slots extend parallel to each other, the bridging slot extending in a crossing direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 17 words
The device as claimed in claim 5 wherein all the elongated slots are of the same length.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 22 words
The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the elongated slots extend in directions radiating from a central location of the surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 17 words
The device as claimed in claim 7 wherein all the elongated slots are of the same length.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 229 words
An amusement device comprising a rigid flat board having a front side and a reverse side and including a series of elongated slots, each closed at one end, and a bridging slot which interconnects the other ends of the slots, forming a common passage thereamong; and a plurality of playing-pieces each freely slidable along and manipulable from any elongated slot to any other elongated slot via the bridging slot, the playing-pieces constituting a number of groups carrying thereon distinctive features including a least one of color and shape, the number of groups corresponding to the number of the elongated slots, each playing-piece having two opposite heads connected to each other and of which one head is exposed on said front side and the other head is exposed on said reverse side, said two opposite heads each carrying thereon a distinctive feature different from that of the opposite head with respect to each group so that when said one of said front and reverse sides is completed to arrange said groups in a uniform pattern the groups of the playing-pieces on the other of said front and reverse sides are arranged at random whereby a game can be re-started by merely reversing said board without reshuffling the playing-pieces on said one side, wherein the number of playing-pieces of one group exceeds the number of the pieces of the remaining groups.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 229 words
An amusement device comprising a rigid flat board having a front side and a reverse side and including a series of elongated slots, each closed at one end, and a bridging slot which interconnects the other ends of the slots, forming a common passage thereamong; and a plurality of playing-pieces each freely slidable along and manipulable from any elongated slot to any other elongated slot via the bridging slot, the playing-pieces constituting a number of groups carrying thereon distinctive features including a least one of color and shape, the number of groups corresponding to the number of the elongated slots, each playing-piece having two opposite heads connected to each other and of which one head is exposed on said front side and the other head is exposed on said reverse side, said two opposite heads each carrying thereon a distinctive feature different from that of the opposite head with respect to each group so that when said one of said front and reverse sides is completed to arrange said groups in a uniform pattern the groups of the playing-pieces on the other of said front and reverse sides are arranged at random whereby a game can be re-started by merely reversing said board without reshuffling the playing-pieces on said one side, wherein the number of playing-pieces of one group exceeds the number of the pieces of the remaining groups.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 62 words
The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the number of the playing-pieces of each group is such that when piled up in its respective elongated slot, such slot becomes substantially filled with the playing-pieces, from its closed end to the bridging slot, allowing, however, the passage of a playing-piece across a junction between the respective elongated slot and the bridging slot.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 54 words
The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the number of playing-pieces of said one group is such that the passage of playing-pieces of other groups across a junction of the respective slot and the bridging slot is blocked when all of the playing-pieces in said one group are disposed in said respective slot.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 39 words
The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein each playing-piece further comprises a stem connecting said opposite heads to each other and passing through the respective slot from one side of the rigid board to the other side thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 12 words
The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the heads are spherical.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 29 words
The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the elongated slots extend parallel to each other, the bridging slot extending in a crossing direction relative to the elongated slots.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 17 words
The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein all the elongated slots are of the same length.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 22 words
The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the elongated slots extend in directions radiating from a central location of the surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 17 words
The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein all the elongated slots are of the same length.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 156 words
An amusement device comprising a rigid, double-sided surface, a series of elongated slots, each closed at one end, and a bridging slot which interconnects the other ends of the slots, forming a common passage thereamong, a plurality of playing-pieces each freely slidable along and manipulable from any elongated slot to any other elongated slot via the bridging slot, the playing-pieces constituting a number of groups carrying thereon distinctive features including at least one of color and shape, the number of said groups corresponding to the number of the elongated slots, the number of playing-pieces of one of said groups being such that the passage of playing-pieces of other groups across a junction of the respective slot and the bridging slot is blocked when all of the playing-pieces in said one group are disposed in said respective slot, and wherein the number of playing-pieces of one group exceeds the number of the pieces in the remaining groups.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 156 words
An amusement device comprising a rigid, double-sided surface, a series of elongated slots, each closed at one end, and a bridging slot which interconnects the other ends of the slots, forming a common passage thereamong, a plurality of playing-pieces each freely slidable along and manipulable from any elongated slot to any other elongated slot via the bridging slot, the playing-pieces constituting a number of groups carrying thereon distinctive features including at least one of color and shape, the number of said groups corresponding to the number of the elongated slots, the number of playing-pieces of one of said groups being such that the passage of playing-pieces of other groups across a junction of the respective slot and the bridging slot is blocked when all of the playing-pieces in said one group are disposed in said respective slot, and wherein the number of playing-pieces of one group exceeds the number of the pieces in the remaining groups.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US524703A Cited
US631737A Cited
US1206054A Cited
US1702873A Cited
US3706457A Cited
US4269414A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1992-10-30 1993-05-01 1993-10-31 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1996-10-30 1997-05-01 1997-10-31 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2000-10-30 2001-05-01 2001-10-31 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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