Time to win

• US 5,513,852 A
• Filed: 07/07/1995
• Issued: 05/07/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Natalie F.G. Robinson
• Original Assignee: Natalie F.G. Robinson
• Inventors: Robinson, Natalie F. G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US08/499,660
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 273/429, 273/430, 273/431, 273/432, 434/322, 434/324, 434/335, 434/336, 434/350, 434/351, 434/352
• US Class Current: 273/431
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2467 of a slide
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/1063 Timers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/64 used for radio or television, e.g. television shows; used in front of an audience
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/183 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 3/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

A game of intellectual challenge with at least two players, a host and a plurality of clocks, one for each player and the host, wherein the game is played as a parlor game or on TV, wherein categories of questions are cast as numbered disks and the category is chosen by a designated player wherein the game is divided into two rounds and the winner of the first round is determined by the player whose clock is first moved to a 12 o'"'"'clock position, and the winner of a Jackpot in a bonus round is determined by one of the players that participates in the bonus round answering 12 of 16 questions correctly in a prescribed time period of 2.5 minutes.

Claims

1. A game of intellectual challenge designed for the participation of at least two players comprising a panel containing categories as represented by numbered disks mounted on said panel, said disks being consecutively numbered from 1-12 said disks being arranged as rows, each said row containing four disks, each said numbered disk displaying sequentially three questions, a host containing a replica of said numbered categories, said questions pertaining thereto and answers to said questions, said players being seated adjacent each other with separate clocks, said clocks having at least one hand and being graduated with numbers 1 through twelve, each number representing five minutes, means to control the indication of the position of said hand with respect to the numbers on said clocks, a designated first player chosen by the host to start the game, said player choosing any one of the 12 categories as represented by the numbered disks, said player'"'"'s clock being advanced five minutes for every correct answer to the question in the selected category, each successive designated player following the same procedure, a winner of a first round of the game determined by the first player'"'"'s clock to be advanced to the 12 o'"'"'clock position, said winner of the first round proceeding to a bonus round, a stop clock controlled by the host and graduated in seconds from 1 to 60 and being stopped after 2.5 minutes, said host reciting in rapid succession 16 questions to be answered by said winner of the bonus round within said 2.5 minutes, correct answers being tallied by said host, and a jackpot award given said designated player upon answering at least 12 of said 16 questions correctly within said minutes.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein the winner of the first round along with the other players advances to the bonus round, said winner of the first round being selected as the first designated player and wherein any player whose clock has advanced to a fifteen minute position or a multiple thereof receives a penalty of five minutes if he responds incorrectly to a successive question asked by the host.

3. The game of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each set of questions that comprises a category can be selected from a wide variety of subject matter, said category being defined so that each set of questions has a common theme, wherein after a player has answered the questions from his selected category, the host will question all the players as to what the theme of said category is, and the first player to answer correctly will receive an additional award and his clock will also be advanced an additional five minutes.

4. The game of claim 3 wherein said Game is to be played as a television game, said questions are displayed sequentially on said numbered disk by a projector having a carousel supplied with a plurality of sets of slides, each set containing three questions pertinent to a selected category and said panel is supported on a wall facing said players, said panel being 3.5 Feet long by 7.5 feet wide, each said disk being made of a rigid, brightly colored material, about 1 foot in diameter, each disk being perforated at its center, a stud mounted on said panel and passing through each disk at said center, a flexible rubber ring being bonded to each of said disks on a back side thereof and having a diameter slightly smaller than that of said stud, said disks fitting snugly on said stud and being easily removable therefrom.

5. The game of claim 4 wherein said players are seated at desks closely adjacent each other and said host is located at an elevated platform to the right and somewhat behind said players, each said player having said clock mounted in the front of his desk and on his desk, a control box mounted on the platform of said host, said control box having switches for electronically activating said clocks, said clocks graduated with numbers running from 1 to 12, each number representing a five minute interval, said clocks having corresponding hands for each number, said hands lighting up sequentially and displaying the number of minutes the clock has advanced in response to closing of one of said switches, and an indicator on each of said player'"'"'s desks, said indicator that is first activated apprising said host of the player to answer a question that has been answered incorrectly by said designated player.

6. The game of claim 3 wherein said game is played as a parlor game, each of said players being seated at adjacent desks, a stand in front of said players supporting a panel, said panel having rows of spaced numbered disks independent of said panel but having means for being suspended thereon and 3 disks behind each of said numbered disks, each said disk containing a question thereon, each of said contestants containing a clock on his desk, said clock being numbered from one to twelve, each number representing five minutes, a manually movable hand on said clock, each of said players manually moving his indicator five minutes for every correct answer.

7. A method of playing a game of intellectual challenge with at least two players and a host, comprising a panel having three rows of numbered disks starting from 1 and ending at 12, each number representing a category of diverse subject matter, each said category having a common theme, displaying sequentially a set of three questions pertinent to a category on each numbered disk, choosing a designated first player by asking each player to select a card from a deck of cards, with the player having the highest card starting the game, requesting said first player to choose a category from one of the twelve numbers, prompting the designated player to respond to said displayed questions, and if the answer is correct, continuing the process until all the three questions have been answered, said player having a clock graduated in numbers from 1 to 12, each number representing a five minute interval, each player'"'"'s clock being moved five minutes for every correctly answered question, choosing a second player in the same manner as described above, to pick another category, the procedure continuing until one of the players has reached 12 on the clock, the host declaring said one player to be the winner of the first round, said winner then advancing to a bonus round, said host calling upon said winner to answer correctly 16 questions in a prescribed time frame, an award being given for each correctly answered question of the first round and the bonus round, and the first round winner being awarded a jackpot if said first round winner answers at least 12 of the 16 questions correctly of said bonus round in said prescribed time.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the game is played as a parlor game, the host is chosen by the players and awards given are either play money or amounts determined by the players and after the three questions of a chosen category have been completed, the players will be asked to state the theme of said category and the first player to respond receives an additional award and moves his clock an additional five minutes.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein if a designated player fails to answer any of his questions correctly, the said other players can respond and the player who answers correctly will receive the award and if said other players are responding to a third question, said player with the correct response will be the designated player for the next category and wherein if a player, who has had his clock advanced to a fifteen minute position or a multiple thereof, fails to answer a successive question correctly receives a penalty of five minutes.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the game is played as a television game, and the award for each correctly answered question in said first round and said bonus round is respectively $50 and $25 the winner of the bonus round as determined by a correct response to 12 of the 16 questions receives $12,000.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein after a game has been completed by a group of players, the questions representing each numbered category are changed.