US3499646A - Apparatus for playing a game of stock speculation - Google Patents

Description

March 10, 1970 w E JR" EI'AL 3,499,646

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME OF STOCK SPECULATION 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1967 m Z zuOhw m Z 200.5

mil 200.5

INVENTORS J. w. BURGESS, JR,, EI'AL 3,499,646

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME OF STOCK SPEGULATION March 1- 0, 1-970 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 20, 1967 STOCK EXCHANGE BOARD S OCK N STOCK NAME STOCK NAME STOCK NAME STOCK NAME STOCK NAME STOCK NAME STOCK NAME FIG.2

FIG

YES

INVENTORS JOSEPH w. BURGESS, JR.,

BY CLIFFORD E. SEGAL mywwm ATTORNEYS s'rocx PROSPECTUS March 1 0, 1970 J. w. BURGESS, JR" ET AL 3,499,646

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME OF STOCK SPECULATION Filed Dec. 20. 1967 rm suns:

STOCK CERTIFICATE GAME MONEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 v i Price g MCI aay MARKET CHANGES TOCK NAME 1' 00K Mm: 2 i mi. NEWS TIP 1 s j Scientific Data Repeats *2 Forecast of 30% Boost V s'mcK NAME 2 In 67 Revenue From '66 STUCK NAME 1 STOCK NAME And Like Gains in '68 Are Seen; Computer Field Slice Put It 2% INVENTORS JOSEPH W. BURGESS, JR., BY CLIFFORD E. SEGAL z/W 4M ORNEYS March 10, 1970 APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME OF STOCK SPECULATION 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 20, 1967 J. W. BURGESS, JR.,

EI'AL FD SHARE PRICE g 1 1000 1680 1960 2200 2520 2800 5080 55 5 5920 0200 0080 0760 50% 5520 5600 1501500180021002000270o500055 05w 59o002000500 08005100500057006000 1600 1920 2200 2560 2880 5200 5520 5800 0160 0080 0800 5120 50 0 5760 6080 6000 2002000200028m5200500000000000080052005600600060m6800720076008w0 21 2100 2520 2900 5560 5780 0200 0620 5000 5060 5880 6500 6720 7100 7560 7980 8000 INVENTORS JOSEPH W. BURGESS, JR., BY CLIFFORD E. SEGAL RNEYS United States Patent 3,499,646 APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A GAME OF STOCK SPECULATION Joseph Wesley Burgess, Jr., 3 Countryside Lane 63131,

and Clifford E. Segal, 752 Louwen Drive 63124, both of St. Louis, Mo.

Filed Dec. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 692,180 Int. Cl. A63b 67/00; A63f 9/00 US. Cl. 273--1 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A game of speculation including a stock market quotation board having a plurality of rotatable disks displaying current prices of an associated plurality of companies and each having an auxiliary window to display any dividend declaration and its amount. Groups of price disks are provided for each company and are shuflled for the selection of one disk for the play of each game. During the play, the indicating disk is advanced one unit for each corresponding unit of shares bought and moved backward one unit for each corresponding unit of shares sold. A stack of message cards is provided which generally affect the market in relation to the content of the message. During a single round of play, the front face of a message card is read and each player in turn has an opportunity to purchase or sell stocks. After all transactions are completed, the message card is turned over to obtain instructions as to what company disks should be rotated and in what direction and by how many units.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to amusement games and more particularly to games of speculation designed to incorporate the principles and circumstances encountered in connection with a stock market operation.

Stock market games have been known for more than fifty years and have taken a great variety of forms, arrangements, and designs for the purpose of simulating as closely as possible the circumstances involved in an actual speculative situation. However, examination of prior games of this type reveals that decisions which must be made by the players in buying or selling various stocks cannot be based on good judgment by virtue of the fact that these games are designed to fluctuate stock prices upon a chance occurrence such as the rolling of dice, spinning a pointer, drawing a card, and the like. Mainly for this reason, past eflorts in the art have failed to instill among the players a feeling that one is involved in a real situation during play. In an attempt to avoid this shortcoming and broaden the opportunities for exercise of the players investment judgment, one known game employs a plurality of types of stocks grouped in designated classes such as highly speculative stock, blue chip stock, and the like. During play, the players can choose to trade in any type of stock upon considering other conditions indicating a bear or bull market. However, the game design is such that each stock price fluctuation is dependent upon chance.

It is therefore the primary purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved amusement game apparatus of the type described which permits an exercise of speculative judgment and skill not heretofore found in games of this type and which presents to the players a stock market situation including variable factors affecting stock prices more like the real stock market environment found in this countny to further enhance the enjoyment of play.

Briefly described, the invention includes a stock market quotation board having a plurality of rotatable disks dis- "ice playing the current prices of an associated plurality of companies and each having an auxiliary window to display a dividend declaration and its amount. Groups of price disks are provided for each company and are shuflled for the selection of one disk for the play of each game to make it more diflicult for players to memorize price trends or progressions for each company. During play, the indicating disk is advanced one unit for each corresponding unit of shares bought and moved backward one unit for each corresponding unit of shares sold. Generally the stock price increases with the advance of the rotating disk; however, the price progression may be such that the price occasionally stays the same or decreases with an advance of the rotating disk.

A stack of message bearing cards is provided. Each card generally affects the market in relation to the content of the message. For this purpose, one side of the card contains the message and the other side, which cannot be seen upon reading the side bearing the message, bears instructional information as to the direction and unit movement of the disks on the stock market board. During a single round of play, the message on a card is read and each player in turn ha an opportunity to purchase or sell stocks using game money as currency. After all transactions are completed, the card is turned over to obtain instructions as to what company disks should be rotated and in what direction and by how many units. In this way, the players have an opportunity to speculate after they become aware of the message but before the market has a chance to react in view of the message. Also, because the players can themselves vary the price of another players stock by trading the company stock held by the other player, the invention provides a new dimension to the game strategy. Since the object of the game is to acquire the greatest net worth during a given number of rounds of play, the players will try to exercise sound judgment during each round of play.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved stock market game apparatus which fluctuates stock prices according to factors including other than mere chance and provides enhanced enjoyment during play as described above.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent with the following detailed description when taken in view of the appended drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the stock exchange board according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the stock exchange board of FIGURE 1 with disk covers removed.

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view of the stock exchange board taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a front elevation of a company price disk.

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of a cover disk.

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 are perspective views of stacks of news tip cards, stock certificates, and game money, respectively.

FIGURE 9 is a front elevation of a stock exchange chart.

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a die; and

FIGURE 11 is a front elevation of a stock prospectus book.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS With reference to the figures, the apparatus of the game according to the invention includes a stock exchange board generally indicated as 10 serving to display current stock prices for various designated corporations and comprising a panel 12 of suitable material such as cardboard, plastic, metal or the like. A foldable stand (not shown) may be attached to the back of panel 12 to assist in supporting board 10 upright to permit all players to see the face of the board. A plurality, in this example 12, of company price disks 14 (FIG. 2) and an equal number of cover disks 16 overlying price disks 14 are supported at the front face of panel 12 by rivet-like members 18 inserted through the back of panel 12 as better seen in FIGURE 3. Each disk 14 and 16 includes a central opening through which the shaft of member 18 penetrates. Each company price disk 14 rests within a depression 22 formed in the face of panel 12. The outlines of disk 14 and recess 22 follow the same contour which includes a tab or key 24 serving to properly orient the company price disk and prevent rotation thereof at the time cover disk 16 is rotated as described below.

Each price disk 14 has a circular row 26 of figures representing the stock price for a particular company; and, as seen in the example of FIGURE 4, the price progression generally increases counter-clockwise. However, the stock price may decrease or remain the same at certain locations in price row 26 for a progression in the counter-clockwise direction, as desired. A second circular row spaced radially inward from the first includes numbers representing the dividends to be paid out. As seen in FIGURE 4, the lowest figure in the company price row is distinguished, for example, by being underscored and one of the figures a predetermined number of units counter-clockwise from the underscored figure is also marked (for example, by being circled) as the starting price for the stock. The cover disk 16 includes a handengageable tab 30 used for rotating the same and a dividend and price window 32 which when coaxially overlying disk 14 displays the numbers appearing at one arcuate location of the pricing and dividend rows. Instructional indicia may be provided on tab 30 to indicate the gain and loss directions of rotation which in this example comprise counter-clockwise rotation for a gain and clockwise rotation for a loss.

The company prices disks 14 and cover disks 16 are preferably removably mounted on the face of the board 10, and the apparatus of the game further includes a plurality of pricing disks for each company which are distinguished from each other only by having differing price progressions in the company pricing row and dividend rate row. Preferably, the pricing disks for each company are color coded to facilitate gathering the pricing disks for the same company together prior to play. Before the game is begun, the pricing disks for each company are shufiled and one is selected for the play of that game. In this way, the players are less likely to memorize price progressions and fluctuations for individual companies.

A stack of individual news tip cards 31 is provided, each card bearing a diiferent message on front face 34 and instructional information on the back face 36. The latter instructs rotation of the various cover disks in some predetermined relation with the message on the front face 34. Each message on card 31 should be of a nature that normally afiects at least one segment of the business community and may be military, political, scientific, etc., in nature. As seen in FIGURE 6, the information on back face 36 of card 31 bears the names of various companies appearing on the stock exchange board with a positive or negative number next to the name to indicate the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the respective cover disk and by how many units. For example, if +1 appears adjacent a company name, the cover disk for that company should be rotated counterclockwise one unit or until the next succeeding price in row 26 appears in window 32. If l appears next to the company name on card 31, the respective cover disk should be rotated clockwise one unit or until the next preceding figure in row 26 appears through window 32.

Also provided is a stock of stock certificates for each company and it is preferred that each certlficate be numbered for shares. Game money 40' is also provided in, for example, the following denominations: $1,000; $500; $100; $50; and $10.

Optional game apparatus includes a stock exchange char-t 42 which assists the players in determining the amount of money paid or received as a result of a particular transaction, a die 44 two sides of which bear the word YES and four sides of which bear the word NO, and a stock prospectus book 46 comprising a collection of prospectuses for the companies appearing on board 10. The stock exchange chart is to he used to determine the amount of money a player must pay to buy a stock or receive to sell a stock. To determine the amount to pay or receive, the broker locates the price of a stock (shown in its window) on the horizontal row at the top labeled Per Share Price. Then he scans vertically until aligned with the number of shares bought or sold. The figure in the located square is the amount of money the player pays or receives. For example, to see how much a player pays for 30 shares of a stock selling for $18 a share, the broker locates 18 in the Per Share Price row. He then scans downward 3 spaces so that he is in horizontal line with the number 3 0. The buyer then pays the broker the amount shown which is $540. Each prospectus contains information about, the corporation and its stock and may also include information about the stocks past record. One example of an entry in the stock prospectus book is as follows:

Prospectus:

2,000 SHARES TIGER AIRLINE, INC.

COMMON STOCK The corporation:

Tiger Airline, Inc. operates flights to all United States cities with populations over 100,000. It operates also in all major cities in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Its services includes lines equipped with aeroplanes, jet planes, and a wide range of supersonic transportation units. It operates both passenger and freight service, the latter principally serving North Africa. Tiger Air, Inc., having served its customers for over thirty years, has earned fine records for reliability and service.

The record:

The common stock of Tiger Airline, listed on the New York Stock Exchange as TAL, has increased in value steadily throughout its past. Last year, its high was listed as 33 and its low as 20, closing at 28. Last yea-r it issued dividends twice, $2.00 in June, and $1.00 in December. A growth stock, TAL is widely acclaimed as a steadily increasing profitable investment.

Holders rights:

The holders of common stock are entitle-d to cash dividends when and as declared by the Board of Directors. The holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share upon all quest-ions referred to them.

Having described the apparatus of the game, operation pf the apparatus and play of the game proceeds as folows:

OBJECT OF THE GAME Each player tries to acquire a greater net worth than his opponent by buying and selling shares of stocks and by collecting dividends.

SETTING UP THE GAME The price disks 14 are divided into groups each representing a company or corporation, the price disks 14 being color coded to facilitate grouping. The group for each corporation is shuffled and one disk 14 from each group is selected to be used throughout the game. The selected disks 14 are then fastened in their appropriate places on the face of panel 12. A cover disk 16 is then placed and supported for rotation over each disk 14 and disk 16 is rotated until window 32 displays the figure marked (circled) as the starting price for the corporate stock. News tip cards 31 are shufiled and placed such that the words news tip are face up on the table. The stock certificates which are also preferably color coded are divided into corporate groups. The corporation prospectus book 46 is placed in the playing area such that any player may have access to the book at any time. The players may find the entries in this book useful when deciding the effect of the mess-age content of the news tip card upon any individual stock. One person serves as the broker and distributes to each player and to himself, if he wishes to play, $5,000 from the bank as follows:

PLAYING THE GAME The first buying period The broker announces that the first buying period has begun and each player observes the message on the exposed news tip card and buys in accordance as to how he thinks the news tip information will affect each individual stock. The players may use the prospectuses in deciding.

The player to the brokers right rolls the die. If the die lands on YES then the player starts. If the die lands on NO the other players take turns rolling the die, going counter-clockwise from that player, until the die lands on YES. This player then starts and turns continue successively counter-clockwise from him. Each player from the starting player may then make purchases in turn. Purchases, however, must be made in lots of ten. To purchase a stock, a player gives the appropriate amount of money (money determined by the stock exchange chart, if desired) to the broker who deposits it in the bank. The broker then gives the buyer his stock certificates for the number of shares he bought. The broker then rotates the disk cover 16 counter-clockwise as many places or units as the buyer bought lots. The new number in the window is the new price of the stock at .which it must be bought and sold. Players may only buy'as many shares as certificates are available. For example, a player buys ten shares of Tiger Airline, Inc. (one lot) whose price in the window is $30. He pays the broker $300, as determined by the stock exchange chart, and receives from him one stock certificate for ten shares of that corporation. The broker then rotates the cover disk one place counterclockwise so that the next number appears in the window. Anyone now buying this stock must buy a share for the new price ($32) now shown in the window. A player may buy as many shares of as many different stocks as he wants in a turn, provided he has enough money and there are still stock certificates available from the company in which he wishes to invest. A player may not collaborate with other players and he may not rotate the cover disk bzfore the stock has been bought. After each player has taken a turn of buying, the broker then declares that the first period is over.

When a number appears in the DIV. space of window 32, all players owing that stock collect these dividends at once. They receive the amount shown multiplied by the number of shares (not lots) they own. The players collect dividends only when the number appears in window 32 after the broker has rotated the cover disk to that space after someone has bought the stock, or in response to a news tip card. Dividends are collected only when the number of spaces from the previous space to the dividend space is the exact number of units moved. For example, a player buys two lots of Swift Motor Corp. and the broker rotates the disk cover two places counter-clockwise. In the DIV. space appears the number 2. All players immediately receive $2 for every share of Swift Motor Corp. they own, from the broker.

The second playing period The broker takes the top news tip card and turns it over for everyone to see and moves each corporation cover disk 16 the appropriate number of spaces (counter-clockwise for a gain and clockwise for a loss). This will reveal the new buying and selling price for the beginning of the next period. The newly exposed card 31 reveals the news tips for the new period. The last player who took his turn rolls the die. If it lands on YES he takes his turn first in this second period. If it lands on NO the other players take turns rolling the die until it lands on YES and that player begins, with the play continuing counterclockwise from him. In this round players may buy new stocks or sell old ones. To sell a stock a player must own it. During his turn, he turns in to the broker as many stock certificates as he desires to sell and the broker pays him the appropriate amount (the amount determined by the stock exchange chart). The broker then rotates the cover disk 16 clockwise as many places or units as the seller sold lots. The certificates sold may then be bought from the broker at the new price.

Preferably, the rules should not permit a player to buy shares and sell shares during the same period or turn. Dividends continue to be received by the players during the period as described above. Any player who losses all his money and stock loses the game and the others continue to play.

The third and other playing periods Players plays as many period as desired. For example:

Players: Periods 2-4 7 57 6 8 or more 5 At the end of the last period the news tip card is drawn and the stock prices are moved accordingly and dividends are paid. Each player then cashes in all remaining stock certificates for the current price. The player who has the most money after cashing in all stocks is declared the winner.

It will be appreciated that the rules of play may be varied as desired without sacrificing the basic strategy of the game. It will also be understood that various modifications can be made to the herein disclosed apparatus of the game without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for playing a game of stock speculation comprising a stock exchange board for displaying current stock prices for a given plurality of designated companies including a price disk for each company having a row of price figur s arranged in generally uniform spaced relation, most of said figures increasing in value by equal or unequal amounts in relation to their progressive locations in the predefined gain direction, a plurality of cover disks, support means for supporting each price disk stationary on the face of the board and for supporting each cover disk superimposed on an associated price disk for movement relative thereto in the defined gain and loss directions, each cover disk defining a window portion dimensioned and positioned to display only one price figure and having solid parts blocking all other price figures of the associated price disk to prevent the players from seeing the price figures values which will appear through the window upon the unit movements of the cover disk in the gain and loss directions, a plurality of news tip cards each having a front face bearing a message of a nature that affects stock prices and a back face bearing instructions related to the content of the message on the 'front face as to how many units and in what direction each cover disk is to be moved.

2. The game apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of said price figures is other than greater than the next preceding figure.

3. The game apparatus of claim 2 wherein said support means enables removal of each associated price and cover disk pair, the game apparatus further including at least one other price disk for each company so that one of the at least two company price disks can be selected to be mounted on the board for the play of each game.

4. The game apparatus of claim 3 wherein said support means includes a shaft-like member projecting normally from the plane of the board and the associated price and cover disk pair are coaxially arranged on the shaft-like member for rotational movement of the cover disk, said price row being circular, and the face of the board defining a recess within which each price disk is seated, each said price disk having a key-like part and each recess having a key-like part receiving slot to prevent rotation of said disk.

5'. The game apparatus of claim 3 wherein each price disk includes a second row of figures representing dividends, the figures in said second row being spaced from each other in said row, each cover disk having a second window portion dimensioned and positioned to display only one figure of the dividend row and having additional solid parts blocking all other figures of the dividend row, the figures in the dividend row being fewer in number than the figures in the price row so that the cover disk in some positions reveals price and dividend figures'and in other positions reveals only a price figure.

6. The game apparatus of claim 5 further comprising game money and a plurality of stock certificates for each company, the price disks and certificates for each company having the same color markings which are difierent from those of all other companies.

7. The game apparatus of claim 5 comprising a cubic die four sides of which bear the word NO and two sides of which bear the Word YES for rolling by the players to indicate the first player permitted to transact trading during each round of play.

8. The game apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a prospectus book having a prospectus entry for each company to relate to the players the financial history of that company during play.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,536,672 5/1925 Hobbs 273-134 2,673,738 3/1954 Jenkins 273-135 3,163,423 12/1964 Jackson 273-134 3,198,521 8/1965 Kramer et a1. 273-434 3,222,070 12/ 1965 Derrington et a1. 273-135 X 3,254,894- 6/ 1966 Kollmeyer et a1 273134 DEL-BERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 273-446, 148

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