Methods and Apparatus for the Arrangement of Playing Cards

Abstract

A system for the arrangement of cards. One or more connection indices may be located along the edges of one or more cards. Connection indices may permit displaced alignments of one or more cards. Two or more cards having displaced alignments may form an irregular chain of cards. Cards may have constituent pictographs incorporating connection indices of the cards. An irregular chain of cards may form an aggregate pictograph across the connections indices of the cards in the chain. The nature of the constituent pictographs and the locations of connection indices on cards may determine the form of the irregular chain or an aggregate pictograph.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A card arrangement system comprising:
 at least a first card having at least one card connection index located along an edge of said first card;   at least a second card having at least one card connection index located along an edge of said second card;   a card displaced alignment of said card connection index of said first card and said card connection index of said second card relative to one another;   an irregular chain of cards formed from a displaced alignment of said first card relative to said second card at said card displaced alignment of said first card connection index and said second card connection index.   
     
     
         2 . The card arrangement system of  claim 1  wherein each said card has a constituent pictograph incorporating each said connection index of each said card, and wherein said irregular chain of cards forms an aggregate pictograph across said connection indices. 
     
     
         3 . The card arrangement system of  claim 2  further comprising a stock of said first cards and said second cards having differing said constituent pictographs on each said card in said stock sufficient to enable interchange of said first cards or said second cards to create at least two different said aggregate pictographs. 
     
     
         4 . The card arrangement system of  claim 3  wherein each said constituent pictograph comprises an icon of a constituent part of an animal, and wherein said aggregate pictograph comprises an icon of a whole animal. 
     
     
         5 . The card arrangement system of  claim 4  wherein said animal comprises a biologically fictive animal. 
     
     
         6 . The card arrangement system of  claim 5  further comprising at least a third card having a number of said connection indices along the edges of said third card sufficient to connect to at least one said connection index of said first card and at least one said connection index of said second card. 
     
     
         7 . The card arrangement system of  claim 6  wherein said icon of said first card comprises a head end of said biologically fictive animal, wherein said icon of said second card comprises a tail end of said biologically fictive animal, and wherein said icon of said third card comprises a middle section of said biologically fictive animal. 
     
     
         8 . The card arrangement system of  claim 6  further comprising at least a fourth card having a number of said connection indices along the edges of said fourth card sufficient to connect to at least one said connection index of said third card and at least one said connection index of at least one other said card. 
     
     
         9 . The card arrangement system of  claim 8  wherein said icon of said first card comprises a head end of said biologically fictive animal, wherein said icon of said second card comprises a tail end of said biologically fictive animal, wherein said icon of said third card comprises a first middle section of said biologically fictive animal, and wherein said icon of said fourth card comprises a second middle section of said biologically fictive animal. 
     
     
         10 . The card arrangement system of  claim 6  wherein said third card has at least three said connection indices. 
     
     
         11 . The card arrangement system of  claim 10  wherein said icons are selected from the group consisting of:
 said icon of said first card comprises a head end of said biologically fictive animal, said icon of said second card comprises a first tail end of said biologically fictive animal, said icon of said third card comprises a middle section of said biologically fictive animal, and further comprising a fourth card having at least one connection index sufficient to connect to at least one said connection index of said third card and wherein said icon of said fourth card comprises a second tail end of said biologically fictive animal; and 
 said icon of said first card comprises a first head end of said biologically fictive animal, said icon of said second card comprises a tail end of said biologically fictive animal, said icon of said third card comprises a middle section of said biologically fictive animal, and further comprising a fourth card having at least one connection index sufficient to connect to at least one said connection index of said third card and wherein said icon of said fourth card comprises a second head end of said biologically fictive animal. 
 
     
     
         12 . The card arrangement system of  claim 6  wherein said third card has at least four said connection indices ordered as a first connection pair and a second connection pair, and wherein said icon of said third card comprises a first separate icon and a second separate icon, and wherein said first separate icon incorporates both said connection indices of said first connection pair, and wherein said second separate icon incorporates both connection indices of said second connection pair. 
     
     
         13 . The card arrangement system of  claim 12  wherein said icon of said first card comprises a head end of a first said biologically fictive animal, said icon of said second card comprises a tail end of said first biologically fictive animal, and further comprising a fourth card having at least one connection index sufficient to connect to at least one said connection index of said third card and wherein said icon of said fourth card comprises a head end of a second said biologically fictive animal, and further comprising a fifth card having at least one connection index sufficient to connect to at least one said connection index of said third card and wherein said icon of said fifth card comprises a tail end of said second said biologically fictive animal. 
     
     
         14 . The card arrangement system of  claim 3  wherein each said card has the same size and shape, and wherein the positions of said locations of said connection indices along said edges of said cards is varied among a plurality of said cards selected from the group consisting of said first cards, said second cards, both said first cards and said second cards, any said cards that are neither said first cards nor said second cards, and all said cards. 
     
     
         15 . The card arrangement system of  claim 14  wherein each said position of each said location of each said connection index along each said edge of each said card comprises a position selected from the group consisting of a pictographic form determined position and a pictographic space utilized position. 
     
     
         16 . The card arrangement system of  claim 1  wherein said irregular chain of cards comprises an irregular chain of cards formed from displaced alignments of multiple pairs of said first cards relative to said second cards. 
     
     
         17 . The card arrangement system of  claim 16  wherein said irregular chain of cards comprises a chain of cards selected from the group consisting of an asymmetrical chain of cards, a chain of cards having multiple irregular branches, and a chain of cards having mixed landscape and portrait orientations. 
     
     
         18 . The card arrangement system of  claim 3  wherein the form of said irregular chain of cards comprises a pictographically determined form. 
     
     
         19 . The card arrangement system of  claim 18  wherein said stock of said cards comprises a multiply pictographically configurable irregular chain of cards stock of said cards. 
     
     
         20 . The card arrangement system of  claim 3  wherein the length of said irregular chain of cards comprises a length selected from the group consisting of a length of at least four cards and a permissible length equal to the number of cards in said stock of said cards. 
     
     
         21 . The card arrangement system of  claim 1  wherein said displaced alignment of said first card relative to said second card comprises an alignment selected from the group consisting of at least one discontinuous edge of said first card relative to said second card and a discontinuous medial axis of said first card relative to said second card.