Three-dimensional tic-tac-toe game apparatus
1 Apr. 22, 1975 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1.160.120 7/1969 United Kingdom.......... 273/130 AC Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant ExumincrHarry G. Strappello Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Shlensinger, Arkwright, Garvey &amp; Dinsmore [57] ABSTRACT -A three-dimensional tic-tac-toe game apparatus comprising a plurality of like trays having exterior and interior walls dividing the trays into compartments arranged in rows, which compartments are adapted to receive game pieces. The trays are separable and each has a different indicia thereon, identifying the relative position of each tray when the trays are physically or mentally assembled to form a cube structure for play- GAME APPARATUS W. Ronald Smith, 767 Saint Louis Ave., Eastside, Long Beach. Calif. 90804 Oct. 29, 1973 Appl. No.2 410,451  
  273/130 AC; 273/130 B Int. Cl. A63f 3/00 273/130 R, 130 AB, 130 B, 273/130 AC, 130 C, 131AC, 131 B,131 D, 136 D, 136 E, 136 GB, 136 K References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS f. h mom MW 8 2. .mV. rn r ua u D .W i F d 8 mem n 0 .I. Cn w Hu 2 A ma r .w e D t 7 1mm a S SC m 0Y6 m $3D..l mna C r 6 4 mm A m ee t m o .m. m .u CCXCX AA A 00 l 33 3-w llol Q JNUN 77/ 2232 ..7. 2 t n u n C H &#34;V.&#34; r c mmwmr i i c mmm o m CHCMS 46590 55667 99999 HHHHH 47-293 809 n 960 06776 United States Patent Smith 1 THREE-DIMENSIONAL TlC-TAC-TOE [76] Inventor:  
 [22] Filed:  
 [58] Field of Search......  
  E51&#34; AVAILABLE SHEET 1 UF 2 PATENTEDAPR22 I975 BEST AVAELATJLE COPY PATENTEDAPR22|9Y5 SHEET 2 6f 2 @879040 Fig. 2  
 THREE-DIMENSIONAL TIC-TAC-TOE GAME APPARATUS BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS Various apparatus has been devised for playing the game of three-dimensional tic-tac-toc, illustrative of which are US. Pat. Nos. 2,313,473, 2,676,018; 2,801,107; 2,880,001; 3,481,603; 3,556,526 and 3,561,774.  
 The apparatus disclosed in these patents is characterized by the restrictions placed on the playing of three- 7 dimensional tic-tac-toe by the use of stable, unchanging component parts, which restrictions severely limit the manner of play. This causes the game to take on a sameness, with little variation or imagination possible, much in the same way as two-dimensional tic-tactoe. By the same token, the mental challenge of these games is extremely limited so that, after a short period of time, the lack of variation and challenge causes interest in the game to wane.  
  It is an object of this invention to provide a threedimensional tic-tac-toe game apparatus wherein the component parts thereof are so constructed and related to each other that many variations in playing threedimensional tic-tac-toe are possible, while at the same time providing a mental challenge which extends over a wide range, the degree of the mental challenge being determined by the players themselves.  
  Another object is to provide a game of the character described wherein component parts comprising members for the reception of playing pieces are separable from, but bear a specific relationship to each other, thereby permitting the members to be placed in many different relative positions, and accordingly offering great versatility in the playing of the game.  
  A further object is to provide apparatus of the character described including a plurality of compartmented trays having identifying indicia thereon to indicate the relative position of the trays when physically assembled to form a cube as is conventional practice in the playing of three-dimensional tic-tac-toe, the identifying indicia permitting the trays to be arranged in various unstacked positions with respect to each other during the playing of the game, thereby requiring the players to mentally and conceptually integrate the trays in a form of a cube in order to determine their moves.  
  A further object is to provide a game of the character described for testing the players ability to mentally integrate a plurality of differentiated component parts bearing a specific relationship to each other for playing the game of three-dimensional tic-tac-toe, which component parts are movable independently of each other and may be rearranged before and/or during the playing of the game.  
  A still further object is to provide a threedimensional tic-tac-toe game or apparatus as described employing a small number of economical parts, the structural arrangement of the parts being such that wide versatility in the playing of the game is effected.  
  Other objects will be apparent from the following description of the presently preferred form of the invention taken in connection with the appended drawings.  
 DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game apparatus of the present invention, showing the trays comprising the game apparatus in stacked or assembled relationship;  
  FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the trays comprising the cube in exploded form;  
  FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of one of the trays of the present apparatus, a portion thereof being shown in section;  
  FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;  
  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a player piece constructed in accordance with the present invention;  
  FIG. 6 is a plan view of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating one arrangement thereof, and  
  FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a second arrangement of the game apparatus.  
  The game apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of trays, preferably four in number, and designated 10, l2, l4 and 16. Each tray is of like, square construction and preferably of a clear plastic or other transparent material and includes a bottom wall 18 on which is imprinted indicia, the indicia for the four trays being indicated at 20, 22, 24 and 26.  
  The indicia 20, 22, 24 and 26 for trays l0, 12, I4 and 16 preferably comprise the numerals l, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, to identify the relative position of the trays when stacked together, i.e. the trays are stacked in the order of l, 2, 3 and 4 or 4, 3, 2 and l as viewed from top to bottom. The indicia is preferably painted on the trays with translucent paint or with other means which permit good visibility when the trays are stacked. In addition to identifying the position of the trays in the stack, the indicia also indicates the orientation of the trays with respect to each other, in a horizontal plane, i.e., the front and the back since, when stacked, the indicia all face in the same direction, as shown in FIG. 2.  
  Each tray is provided with exterior walls which comprise a front wall 28, a back wall 30 and side walls 32 and 34 which are determined by the location of indicia 20, 22, 24 and 26, and which extend outwardly from the peripheral limits of bottom wall 18, a predetermined extent. Each tray is further provided with a plurality of interior walls 36, 38 and 40 which extend between front wall 28 and rear wall 30, the interior walls being equally spaced from each other and from side walls 32 and 34. Interior walls 42, 44 and 46 also extend between side walls 32 and 34, walls 36, 38 and 40 being also equally spaced from each other and from the side walls.  
  The exterior and interior walls are of the same height, the height being such that the tray may rest on any of the exterior walls during playing of the game. By this arrangement, there are provided a plurality of compartments or zones 48 for receiving game pieces, which compartments are of like, cube shape. It will be noted from a consideration of the drawings, that the arrangement of the interior walls is such that vertical and horizontal rows of compartments are thereby formed, the number of rows in both the horizontal and vertical direction corresponding to the number of trays comprising the game apparatus. Compartments 48 are adapted for the selective placement of game pieces comprising complemental cubes 50 which may be of different colors to identify the pieces of different players. Cubes 50 are preferably of STYROFOAM, but also may be of wood, plastic, metal or other suitable material as desired.  
  It will be noted from a consideration of the drawings that the structure of the trays permits the same to be positioned on a planar surface resting on bottom wall 18, front wall 28, back wall 30 or side walls 32 or 34.  
  In playing the game of three-dimensional tic-tac-toe with the present apparatus, the trays are arranged on a planar surface in any desired fashion with the bottom walls thereof resting on the planar surface; the front, back or side walls resting on the planar surface; or a combination of the two, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. In addition to this arrangement, the trays may be placed with the various indicia 20, 22, 24 and 26 facing in any desired direction, as also illustrated in FIG. 6.  
  The game of tic-tac-toe is played in conventional fashion by two players, each player in turn placing a different colored cube 50 into a selected compartment 48 of any of trays 10, 12, 14 or 16. In accordance with the rules of tic-tac-toe, a row, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally is the winner of the game. A winning arrangement of the game pieces is illustrated in FIG. 1.  
  It will be noted from a consideration of the drawings that in playing the game of tic-tac-toe with the present apparatus, the game is enhanced by the fact that the trays are not physically assembled as illustrated in FIG. 1 while playing the game, but are only mentally integrated, thereby requiring considerable conceptual ability and mental skill on the part of the players to determine just which move to make when the trays are arranged as illustrated in FIGS. 6 or 7, or the many other various positions which these trays may assume.  
  In initially learning the game, after a player claims to have won by virtue of having four pieces in a row, the trays may be assembled as shown in FIG. 1 in order to prove the tic-tac-toe. After a period of time of playing the game, the skill acquired by the players will enable them to play the game without physically stacking the trays.  
  With the apparatus of the present invention, many variations in addition to those set out above, are possible in playing the game of three-dimensional tic-tactoe. For example, a complete game may be played with the trays remaining stationary throughout the game, or the trays may be moved around during the progress of the game to further test the ability of the players to conceptualize the integration of the trays to form the threedimensional stack of FIG. 1. Additionally, each player may employ several different colored cubes, thereby further complicating the play on the part of both players.  
  Although the apparatus of the present invention is primarily intended as a game, it also stimulates the human conceptual faculty by exercising ones ability to integrate three or more distinctly marked and differentiated component parts of a transparent cube within which players are simultaneously vying with each other in a three-dimensional game of tic-tac-toe. It therefore constitutes an excellent method for testing the ability of individuals to conceptualize and also to improve this faculty.  
  While there has herein been shown and described the presently preferred form of this invention, it is to be understood that such has been done for purposes of illustration only, and that various changes may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims.  
 What I claim is:  
 l. A tic-tac-toe game apparatus comprising:  
 a. a three-dimensional structure comprising at least three like support members stacked together,  
 b. each of said like support members having vertical and horizontal rows of playing zones,  
 c. game pieces for selective placement in the playing zones,  
 (I. said support members being separable to permit playing of the game of three dimensional tic-tactoe with the support members in variety of relative positions, and  
 e. different indicia means applied to each of said support members for identifying the relative vertical position of the support members and the orientation thereof in a horizontal plane, when the support members are physically or mentally stacked together to form the three-dimensional structure.  
 2. The game apparatus of claim I, wherein:  
 a. each of said support members are substantially square and the number of playing zones in the vertical and horizontal rows corresponds to the number of support members.  
 3. The game apparatus of claim 2, wherein:  
 a. said support members comprise a plurality of trays each having a bottom wall and exterior walls providing front, back and side walls extending outwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall,  
 b. a plurality of spaced interior walls extending between said front and back walls and between said side walls, said interior walls being equally spaced from each other and from said exterior walls, thereby providing a plurality of like compartments in vertical and horizontal rows, and  
 c. complemental game pieces of cube shape for selective placement in said compartments by the game players.  
 4. The game apparatus of claim 3, wherein:  
 a. said different indicia means for identifying the relative vertical position of the trays in the threedimensional structure and the orientation thereof in a horizontal plane consists of a single identification member affixed to the bottom of each tray,  
 b. the single identification member of each tray bearing a predetermined relationship to the single identification member of every other tray.