Untitled record

Application filed lisy 26,1890, Serial No. 353,274. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Eleanora E. Bliss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have in5 vented certain new and useful Improvements in Games or Educational Devices or Appliances, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

io This invention relates to an improved game or set of devices which can be used eitherfor amusement or for education, it being intended especially for teaching, and providing practice in respect to the mutual relations of num15 bers of certain classes.

I have illustrated in the drawings and will below describe how my invention can be applied in teaching the ordinary multiplicationtable or in playing a game based upon the 20 numbers involved in such a table.

Figure 1 shows a set of cards or strips of suitable material, as wood, ivory, bone, or the like.

In order to simplify the illustration and 25 description of the device, I have limited the basic numbers to six; but itwillbe understood that any number can be used. In practice I have used the numerals 1 to 12, inclusive, they being the basis of the ordinary multiplica30 tion-table. The principle involved is the same with the six to which the illustration is limited herein. The said six cards or slips are each indicated by a or a'. Each is provided with a series of numerals, from 1 to 6, inclusive, as 35 shown at b, and these numerals are to be treated as multiplicands when the device is in use. Again, each has a numeral at c, preferably in a space distinguished from that of the numerals at & by a dividing-line, as at 40 b', or by being differently colored; or this numeral at c can be of a larger size, so as to be readily distinguishable. This numeral at c can be considered as a multiplier in relation to the multiplicands at and it will be 45 seen that these multipliers also extend from 1 to 6, inclusive, regarding the whole set of cards a and a'. I prefer to divide that part of each card which lies at the side of the space occupied by the multiplier at c into two 50 compartments, as at d d', the aforesaid multiplicand-numerals b lying in one of them and the other being left blank, and, further, pre- I fer to divide both these compartments _d d' by transverse lines into as many small spaces as _othere are multiplicands. But as to these de- 55 tails there can be variation, and taste can be followed in several respects. In fact, the blank compartment d' can be omitted and still have the cards adapted to their purpose, as will appear below. 60

Fig. 2 shows a set of relatively small cards, squares, or disks e e of bristol-board, wood, ivory, or bone. Each of these has a numeral on its face, as at /, and these numerals constitute a single series of the multiples deriv- 65 able from the said basic numbers 1 to 6, each one of the total aggregate of possible multiples occurring but once.

Fig. 3 shows a second set of small cards, squares, or disks g of any suitable material, 70 and each being provided with a number. These numbers are also respectively multiples derivable from the base-numbers 1 to 6; but this set in Fig. 3 comprises not only one complete series of such multiples from 1 to 75 36, but also duplicates of some of them, the whole number comprising all of the multiples possible by permutation and combination of the base-numbers from 1 to 6. Thus there are two 3’s, because of the fact that the pro- 80 duct of 1 as a multiplier and 3 as a multiplicand is 3, as it also is when 1 is the multiplicand and 3 the multiplier. For similar reasons there will be four cards or disks, each with a 12, two with 20, &o. In order to have 85 these cards or disks readily distinguishable from those in Fig. 2, they may differ therefrom in color or material or form, or the figures may be of different shape.

One of the ways in which the devices I have 90 above described may be used is the following: Let it be supposed that the game is to be played by two persons. First the cards or strips a a' are shuffled or turned upside down and then divided equally. Fig. 1 shows them 95 in two sets as though thus divided, those of one set being at A and those of the other at B. Then the disks or cards g in Fig. 3 are also shuffled and equally divided. A line of division is indicated in the drawings at h, 100 there being one set at C and one set at C'. Then the cards, disks, or squares e (shown in Fig. 2) are either concealed in a box or otherwise, or are turned face down on a table. After

438,757 the players have obtained, as aforesaid, equal numbers of the cards a an d of the cards or disks g, one of them draws from the box or turns up one of the cards or counters e to disclose 5 the number thereon. As above described, that number will be a multiple of the series of multiples from 1 to 36, and as soon as it is announced each player should ascertain how many times ibis derivable from the multipliers io at c and the multiplicands at b on his cards a or a', and after ascertaining them places in the blank space under each multiplicand, which is a factor in the given product, one of the cards or counters g. If he should not have 15 a number among his counters g such as is called for and such as he perceives to be required by one of his blank spaces at cZ, he is to have the right to call for it from among the cards or counters g of the other player, or, 20 if several are playing, from any one who may have it. As soon as all of the players announce that they have filled all of the blank spaces noticed by them to require the given number another card or counter e is drawn 25 from the box or is inverted on the table and the above-described steps are repeated. This continues until all of the cards or counters at e have been drawn or turned. After they have all been thus drawn or turned all of the 30 cards and countersat g should also have been put in place on the cards a a'. If any remain, it is because mistakes have been made by one or more of the players, and the player making the mistake is founcl from the fact 35 that some of the blank spaces at d' on his cards a or a' are not filled.

It will be seen that success depends upon quickly perceiving the relations between the several multipliers and multiplicands and 40 their products; and when a large number of cards and counters g are in use based upon a comparatively long series of numbers, as from 1 to 12 or 1 to 20, the game calls for close attention, and can be used with excellent results as an instrument of education in the 45 lines for which it is adapted.