P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "BOWLS MEASURE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 1 BOWLS MEASURE Description This invention relates to a device for measuring the distance between bowls and jack with repeatable accuracy irrespective of their shape or size. When two bowls are similar in distance from the jack, a measure can be used to determine the result. At present the most common method of measuring the distance is by having indexing pointers on both ends of a straight line to touch the jack and bowl at points judged to be the shortest distance between them. The length of the line is then fixed and compared with the second bowl in contention and it should then be clear which bowl is closer to the jack. The problem with this method is that by using a hinged pointer on the end of the line it is difficult to guarantee that the pointer follows exactly the direction of the line and the chosen spot on the curved surface of the bowl can be low, high or to one side of the correct position making the measure subject to error and a possible cause of dispute between players. To overcome these problems, the present invention uses vertical indexing bars at each end of the line firmly resting on the floor and in contact with the bowl and jack to replace the pointers and to use the distance between these verticals as the measure for comparison purposes. This method of measuring gives repeatable accuracy. The vertical indexing bars touching the jack and bowl are preferably two substantially right-angled devices positioned on the floor and joined together by an adjustable line and a means of locking the line at a length. One vertical indexing bar may be an integral part of the housing of the well known and widely used bowls measure having a lockable sprung retractable line and positioned in use on the floor touching the jack. Attached to the free end of the line is a vertical indexing bar positioned on the floor with the vertical touching the bowl. This locked line measure is then used to compare the distance to the second bowl. The vertical indexing bar positioned on the floor and touching the jack may have an accurate distance measuring instrument, for example a laser, attached to it. The other 2 vertical indexing bar positioned on the floor and touching the bowl is then the target for measuring the horizontal distance between the jack and bowl for comparison purposes. The features of the present invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 Prior art. The method now used for measuring in Lawn or Flat Green bowls. Figure 2 Prior art. The method now used for measuring in Crown Green bowls. Figure 3 shows the distance which the invention measures. Figure 4 shows an example of the invention using two substantially right-angled devices. Figure 5 shows the invention used as a measure in Lawn or Flat Green bowls. Figure 6 shows an application of the invention for measuring the distance between jack and bowl which is independent of the size or shape of the jack or bowl. Figure 7 shows a top view of the arrangement shown in Figure 6. Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a measure incorporating the invention. Figure 9 shows an alternative perspective view of a measure incorporating the invention. Prior art is shown in Fig 1. For the game of Lawn or Flat Green bowls, the jack 4 is perfectly spherical and of uniform size, 2.5 in or 63.5 mm diameter, and the well known and widely used bowls measure has a pointer 1 on one side, 31.75 mm from the base so that the housing can be placed on the floor with the pointer touching the midpoint of the jack. The hinged pointer 3 on the free end of the line 6 is placed at the point of the surface of the bowl 5 adjudged to be the nearest point to the jack.
3 Prior art is shown in Fig 2. In Crown Green bowls the jack 4 is not spherical in shape and it is larger than the Lawn or Flat Green jack with a minimum diameter 97 mm and maximum diameter 98.5 mm and must conform to an agreed standard profile. The well known and widely used lockable sprung retractable measure designed for Lawn or Flat Green bowls must therefore be held off the floor with the pointer 1 on the housing 2 positioned to an estimated point on the surface of the jack 4 adjudged to be the nearest point to the bowl 5 being measured. There are then two in-built sources of possible inaccuracies, one at the estimated nearest position of the pointer 1 on the jack 4 and the other at the estimated nearest position of the hinged pointer 3 on the bowl 5. Fig 3. The present invention measure the horizontal distance D between the verticals through the nearest points on bowl 5 and jack 4. This is achieved, as shown in Fig 4, by having two, substantially right angled, vertical indexing bars 7 positioned on the floor, one touching the jack 4 and one touching the bowl 5 with an adjustable line 6 between them. Fig 5. In the case of Lawn or Flat Green bowls only, the invention may be applied by having one substantially right angled indexing bar 7 on the free end and resting on the floor to replace the pointer 3 of Fig 1. At the other end of the line the well known and widely used bowls measure with pointer 1 on one side, is placed on the floor with the pointer touching the midpoint of the jack. Fig 6. The invention is comprehensively achieved by having the line housing 2 with an integral moulded vertical indexing bar 8 on one side resting on the floor and positioned against the jack and a substantially right-angled indexing bar device 7 on the free end of the line 6 resting on the floor and positioned against the bowl 5. Fig 7. A view of the arrangement in Fig 6 from above showing the alignment of the line 6. Fig 8 and Fig 9 show a typical configuration of the invention. The largest bowl used in the game is in Lawn or Flat Green bowls where the bowl has a maximum diameter 131 mm and the substantially right-angled vertical indexing bar 7, resting in position 4 on the floor with its vertical touching the bowl must have a height at least half this dimension i.e. 65.5 mm in order for the vertical to touch the bowl at its nearest point to the jack. In the invention this vertical indexing bar is about 70 mm high, moulded in plastic with an eyelet 11 for the connection of the line 6 exiting from the line housing 2. The horizontal leg 12 of the substantially right-angled indexing bar 7 resting on the floor has a length about 55 mm, width about 25 mm and of sufficient thickness to prevent any flexing of the device in normal use. The housing 2 of the sprung loaded line 6 with locking mechanism is a plastic moulding about 70 mm high, 60 mm wide and 25 mm deep with squared corners and a vertical indexing bar 8 moulded into the housing used to position against the jack. The part of the vertical indexing bar moulding on the housing 2 which touches the jack and the moulding on the vertical indexing bar 7 which touches the bowl protrude at right angles forming the shape of a T. This T is used to align the vertical indexing bar substantially perpendicular to the face of the bowl or jack so that the line 6 is in the direction of the alignment marker 9 on the horizontal leg 12 and the alignment marker 13 on the top of the line housing 2 and in a straight line between jack and bowl. The accuracy of this method is not influenced by the shape or size of the bowls. For convenience when not in use the substantially right-angled vertical indexing bar 7 on the free end of the line 6 is mated with the line housing 2 by a locating device 10. One solution is for the vertical indexing bar 7 at the free end to make a sliding fit into the housing body 2. The eyelet 11 to which the line 6 is attached is held away from the housing 2 in the closed position by having a vertical rectangular slot 15 moulded into the end face of the line housing 2 so that the depth of the slot accommodates the eyelet. In use, the locking bottom 14 on the line housing 2 is depressed, which releases the brake on the line, and the vertical indexing bar 7 on the free end of the line 6 is brought up to the bowl to be measured so that the vertical, resting on the floor, touches the bowl and is aligned substantially perpendicular to the face of the bowl and the horizontal leg 12 is pointed in the direction of the jack according to the alignment marker 9. The line housing 2 is then moved towards the jack with the line 6 under tension and placed squarely on the floor, with the alignment marker 13 on the housing 2 pointing in the direction of the bowl and with the vertical indexing bar 8 on the 5 housing 2 aligned substantially perpendicular to and touching the jack. The locking button 14 is then released in order to lock the line at this length. With this fixed length the vertical indexing bar is then, resting on the floor, placed against the second bowl and aligned substantially perpendicular to the face of the bowl and the horizontal leg 12 pointed in the direction of the jack according to the alignment marker 9. With the line 6 extended to its full length and with the housing 2 pointing towards the bowl according to the alignment marker 13 it is then clear which bowl is closet to the jack. In this specification, the terms "comprise", "comprises", "comprising" or similar terms are intended to mean a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a system, method or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include those elements solely, but may well include other elements not listed. The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.