Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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S~ORTS GEOGRAPHY JACXSTRAW GAME
Background of the Invention
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to games for amusement and
education and, more particularly, to a game utilizing
jackstraws in conjunction with a game board.
- 2. Description of the Prior Art
The game of jackstraws or "pick-up-sticks" is a
classic children's game in which a number of narrow sticks
are tossed into a jumbled heap, the object being to remove
the sticks, one at a time, without disturbing any of the
others. In removing the sticks from the heap a child's
dexterity and patience are developed by way of the game.
The game is tried and true, having been successfully put to
the test by countless children for many years. Further,
such a game is easily manufactured, durable, and in an age
of complex electronic toys, inexpensive to purchase.
Even though the game of jackstraws has been very
successful, the test of a truly beneficial and useful game
is one in which children may learn while still having fun.
Thus, by incorporating an educational bias into an already
successful and attention-holding game such as jackstraws,
the object of amusing yet educating children will be achieved.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention, in response to the fore-
going considerations, presents a novel and improved game
apparatus employing jackstraws bearing various geographic
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and sports indicia in conjunction with a game board having a
map illustrate~ on a playing surface. Receptacles in the
playing surface are positioned about the map in the vicinity
of cities having major sports teams. The game board itself
is comprised of a hinged box. The top and bottom of the box
forming the playing surface when the box is open and the box
halves laid flat. A chamber is formed between the box top
and bottom when the box is closed. The jackstraws may be
stored in the chamber.
In order to play the game, jackstraws are gathered
up and tossed into a jumbled heap. Players must remove one
jackstraw at a time from the heap without disturbing the
heap. Successfully removed jackstraws are then inserted
into the appropriate receptacle in the playing surface.
Determination of the appropriate receptacle is based upon a
player's knowledge of geography since he must locate the
receptacle corresponding to the city indicium on the jack-
straw. Additional points are earned by players who cor-
rectly name the sports team represented by the sports indicium
on the jackstraw. The player who correctly places the most
jackstraws and correctly names the most sports teams repre-
sented by each jackstraw is declared the winner.
Description of the Drawings
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a game board and
jackstraws according to the invention;
FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the game board accord-
ing to the invention, with a map being shown on the playing
surface.
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FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view through the
game board in the open playing position;
FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view through the
game board in the closed position;
FIGURE 5 is an enlarged plan view of a jackstraw
slot in the game board near the abutting sides of the box
halves which form the game board.
FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along a
plane indicated by line 6-6 in FIGURE 5; and
FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of jackstraws
according to the present invention.
Descri tion of the Preferred Embodiment
P
Referring to FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 4, a game board
according to the present invention is generally indicated by
the numeral 10. The game board 10 includes two halves 12,
14 defining a box structure 16 (FIGURE 4). The box halves
12, 14 are joined at their abutting sides 18, 19 by hinge
20. The top 22 and bottom 24 of box 16 together form a
playing surface 26 of game board 10 when box 16 is opened
and the hinged sides 18, 19 of each half 12, 14 abut each
other (FIGURE 3). When the box halves 12, 14 are closed
together, they form a chamber 28 in which playing pieces may
be stored. The box halves 12, 14 are held closed by fas-
teners 30 such as VELCRO tabs.
The playing surface 26 has a map 32 illustrated
thereon. Another map ~not shown) may be included as part of
the walls of the chamber 28 in order to provide answers to
the game to be played. The map 32 in the preferred embodiment
is that of the continental United States and southern pro-
vinces of Canada although any geographic region may be
depicted. Map 14 is divided into political subdivisions or
Tradem~rk
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states 34. Map 14 also may be colored o as to create an
interesting visual effect. Positioned about map 14 are a
plurality of receptacles 36 representing major sports teams
of particular cities. For example, in the vicinity of the
city of Philadelphia, three receptacles 36 are shown in
FIGURE 2. Each receptacle 36 might represent one of three
major Philadelphia based sports teams; for example, the
Philadelphia Flyers (hockey), Phillies (baseball), and
Eagles (football). Another desirable approach (not shown)
would be to provide only one receptacle 36 adjacent each
city; in that event, the game would be played using jack-
straws of only a single sport at any one time.
The receptacles 36 in the preferred embodiment,
best shown in FIGURE 6, have an internal diameter slightly
larger than the outer diameter of a jackstraw playing piece
4C, to thereby snugly hold jackstraws 40 inserted therein.
Jackstraws 40 are elongate playing pieces and in the pre-
ferred embodiment, have game indicia 42 thereon. Examples
of these jackstraws are shown in FIw ~; 7. In the preferred emYx~nent, each
of the jackstraws 40 has an elon~ate stem pori~n having a generally constant
cross-section and a length to width ratio greater than 10, and an end portion
having the game indicia 42 thereon. The end portion is larger than the cross-
section of the stem portion. Game indicia 42 include three-dimensional rep-
resentations of sports equip~ent such as bas~etballs, soccerballs, footballs,
base~all bats, hockey sticks, and the likQ. G~me indicia 42 also include the
n~mes of cities whose major sports are represented ky the sports equipment
indicia. For e~le, a jackstraw 40, sh~ped like a baseball bat and bearing
"Philadelphia", would ~e a jackstraw representative of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Method of Play
To begin play, jackstraws 40 are gathered together
in a container 44 from which the jackstraws are tossed into
a jumbled heap (not shown). Players, in turn, must remove
one jackstraw 40 at a time from the heap without disturbing
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the others. Any disturbance of the heap results in that
player losing his turn to the next player. Once the jack-
straw 40 has been successfully removed, the end of the
jackstraw 40 is inserted into the appropriate receptacle 36
on the playing surface 26. A player must determine which
receptacle 36 is the appropriate one. For example, if the
successfully removed jackstraw 40 has the game indicia 42 of
a football and "Philadelphia", the player must know the
location of the city of Philadelphia on the map 32 in order
to insert the end of the jackstraw 40 into the correct
receptacle 36. Once the correct receptacle 36 has been
selected, a player may earn additional points by correctly
naming the team nickname represented by the indicia 42 on
that particular jack-qtraw 40. For example, jackstraw 40
having a game indicia 42 of a football and "Philadelphia"
would earn points identifying the team represented by the
indicia as the "Eagles".
Once all of the jackstraws 40 have been correctly
placed in receptacles 36 in game board 10, the player who
has correctly positioned the most jackstraws 40 and properly
named the teams represented thereby, is declared the winner.
Although the invention has been described in its
preferred form with a certain degree of particularity it
will be understood that the present disclosure of the pre-
ferred form has been made only by way of example and that
numerous changes in the details of construction and the
combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to
without departing from the true spirit and scope of the
invention as hereinafter claimed.
