GB2211613A

GB2211613A - Position estimating in a game of bowls

Info

Publication number: GB2211613A
Application number: GB8828960A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Golds
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-12-18
Filing date: 1988-12-12
Publication date: 1989-07-05
Also published as: AU2679188A; GB8729587D0; GB8828960D0

Abstract

A device (2) for use in a game of bowls comprises a sheet (4) of at least partially transparent material of a size and thickness that it acts in a rigid manner when it is held in a person's hand, the sheet (4) of material having a grid (6) and register means (8), and in use it is held in the person's hand, and used to view with one eye a jack and closely positioned woods with the register means (8) being used to register with the jack and the grid (6) being used to line up on the grid (6) the wood that appears to be the nearest to the jack. <IMAGE>

Description

A POSITION ESTIMATING DEVICE FOR USE IN A GAME OF BOWLS This invention relates to a position estimating device for use in a game of bowls, for example flat green bowls. The game of flat green bowls may be played both outdoors and indoors.

The game of flat green bowls is well known. In the game of flat green bowls, woods, also known as bowls, are bowled over the course of an end to a target known as a jack and the player or team having a wood or woods closer to the jack than the nearest wood of the opponent player or team when everyone on that rink has bowled their woods is adjudged to have won that end and obtains a point called a shot for each of their woods so nearer to the jack. The game of flat green bowls can be played as singles with two people assisted by a third person known as a marker who gives impartial advice when requested by either player, as pairs with four persons, as triples with six persons and as fours with eight persons.Problems often arise in determining during the playing of an end which wood is nearest to the jack, such knowledge being critical to the players in deciding the tactical play of any remaining woods of that end.

In singles it is among the functions of the marker when requested by either player to give his or her opinion as to which wood is nearest to the jack. In pairs both the lead bowler and his or her skip give one another advice, in triples the bowler playing second and his or her skip give advice, and in fours the bowler playing third and his or her skip give advice. This is the established etiquette of flat green bowls. The rules of the game of flat green bowls forbid actual measurement to determine the wood or woods nearest to the jack during the playing of an end. Precise linear measuring using a string, tape or ruler can thus only be effected after all the players on the rink have bowled all their woods, thus bringing the end in play to a finish.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the problem of assessing during the currency of an end which wood is the nearest one to the jack.

Accordingly, this invention provides a position estimating device for use in a game of bowls, which position estimating device comprises a sheet of material which is made to allow partial transparency, which is of such a size that it is hand holdable and which is of such a thickness that it is not floppy so that it acts in a rigid manner when it is held in a person's hand, the sheet of material having a grid and register means, and the position estimating device being such that in use it is held in the persons hand and used to view with one eye a jack and closely positioned woods with the register means being used to register with the jack and the grid being used to line up on the grid the wood that appears to the person's eye to be the nearest to the jack whereupon the relative position of the other woods on the grid can then be seen in order to give the person a means of estimating by eye and without effecting an actual measurement which wood is nearest to the jack.

The person can be a player or a marker.

The position estimating device of the present invention can be used quickly, unobtrusively and without hindrance to other persons playing. It acts solely as an estimating device and thus does not offend the rule that no measuring is allowed until the end in play has been completed. The results obtained by using the position estimating device are not intended to be as definitive as that produced by measuring.

The asymmetrical shape of woods, not being round as is sometimes popularly assumed, frequently necessitates actual measurement on the completion of an end as opposed to estimation, especially when the woods in contention for the shot are resting at different angles to the jack and are in close proximity to the jack. A wood is measured from its nearest point to the nearest point of the jack so the plan view given by the position estimating device may not therefore reveal which wood is actually the shot. In such circumstances a measure is required to determine the shot. During play some persons use their fingers to compare the distances between woods and the jack, and some persons may even place a foot on the ground so as to bisect the angle between the jack and the woods, all to assist in estimating the shot wood.Neither practice is illegal within the rules of the game of bowls and so the position estimating device may also be used and to more accurate effect.

The register means may be centrally positioned with respect to the grid, or the register means may be positioned on a side of the grid.

With a centrally positioned register means, the grid may comprise straight lines which extend radially from the register means, and concentric circular lines which surround the register means. With a register means positioned on the side of the grid, the grid may be a series of arcs. Other types of grid may be, for example, those which consist solely of straight lines, or solely of concentric circular lines, or segments arcs cut out of the sheet of material.

Preferably, the register means is a circle, for example formed by a circular line or a circular hole. Other types of register means may be, for example, any uniform geometric shape such as a square or equilateral triangle formed in the sheet of material, or a non-transparent circle or other uniform geometric shape such as a square or equilateral triangle formed on the sheet of material.

Preferably, the position estimating means includes a hand grip portion.

Preferably, the hand grip portion extends from one side of the sheet of the material but the hand grip portion could be a separate device attached in some form such for example as by clips or by glue to the outermost concentric line surrounding the register means.

The sheet of material will usually be a sheet of transparent plastics material. The plastics material may be a cellulose acetate plastics material. The plastics material

may thus be Perspex Other types of materials may be employed where non-transparent material, or material made nontransparent, can be used with sections of the sheet material removed completely or left transparent in the manufacturing process. If desired, the sheet of material may be composite in form.

The sheet of material is preferably of such a size that it fits into a person's shirt, trouser or skirt pocket.

When the grid includes circles, the grid may be any width in diameter but preferably is 3 inches (75mm) in diamater.

The grid and/or the register means may be formed in a variety of ways on the sheet of material. Thus, the grid or register means may be formed in or on the sheet of material by painting, printing, hot foil printing, engraving, etching, drilling, cutting, embossing, impressing or moulding. Thus the position estimating device may be produced such that it is heat and press printed, or screen printed, or produced by blocking, or by cutting.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 - 8 show eight different types of position estimating devices.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a position estimating device 2 for use in a game of flat green or lawn bowls. The device may also be used in a game of federation bowls, crown green bowls, carpet bowls, short mat bowls and the game known on the continent of Europe as boules or petanque.

The position estimating device 2 comprises a sheet of transparent plastics material in the form of a sheet 4 of

clear, transparent Perspe7 The sheet 4 is preferably zmm thick.

The sheet 4 has a grid 6 and a register means 8 which is centrally positioned with respect to the grid 6. The position estimating device 2 also has a hand grip portion 10.

The position estimating device 2 is such that in use the hand grip portion 10 is held horizontal to the ground in a person's hand and it is used to view vertically downwards a jack (not shown) and closely positoned woods (not shown). The register means 8 is used to register with the jack. In other words, the jack has to be centrally located in the register means 8. The wood that appears to a person's eye to be the nearest to the jack is then lined up on the grid, so that what seems to be the nearest edge of that wood to the nearest point of the jack meets visually one of the concentric lines of the grid. With the jack centrally located in the register. means and the estimated shot wood lined up on the grid, the relative distances of the nearest edges of other woods to the jack can then be seen.This gives the person a means of estimating by eye and without effecting an actual measurement with a string, tape or ruler, which edge of which wood is nearest to the jack. In other words, the position estimating device 2 acts as a visual aid for assessing the potential winning shot wood or woods but does not act as a definitive measure.

The register means 8 shown in Figure 1 is formed by the illustrated innermost circular, concentric line 12. The grid 6 is formed by the illustrated straight lines 14 and the concentric circular lines 16 which surround the circular line 12. The lines are preferably in white or yellow or orange or red colour. In a modified embodiment of the invention (not shown) the lines 14 may be omitted.

The grid 6 is 3 inches (75mm) in diameter so that the position estimating device 2 fits easily into a person's pocket and is thus also easily removed when required to be used.

Thus, when a person wishes to obtain assistance in estimating by eye which may be the nearest wood to the jack, it is only necessary for that person to take the position estimating device 2 from his or her pocket, and then, holding the position estimating device 2 in one hand, move the position estimating device 2 towards and away from the eye, keeping the position estimating device 2 always horizontal to the ground, until the jack is in register with the register means 8 and the apparently nearest wood to the jack is satisfactorily lined up on the grid 6. The relative positions of the other woods on the grid will then instantly be seen, thus giving a simple and valuable aid to the person's visual judgement.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, similar parts as in Figure 1 have been given the same reference numerals and their precise construction and operation will not again be given.

In Figure 2, a pair of relatively heavy lines 18 are employed together with a pair of dark areas 20. The dark lines 18 may assist in lining up the edges of various woods. The dark areas 20 are mainly for aesthetic purposes. In Figure 3, the hand grip portion 10 is shaped differently to the hand grip portion 10 as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown a position estimating device 2 in which hand grip portion 10 is shaped as in Figures 1 and 2. However, if desired, the hand grip portion 10 in Figure 4 could also be of the shape shown in Figure 3 or of some bther shape.

In Figure 4, the position estimating device 2 has a central circular hole which acts as the register means 8, and a grid formed by the deletion from the sheet 4, which preferably is 2mm thick, of holes, preferably segmented arcs, whose outer and inner edges 16 are concentric as shown to the register means 8. Thus, in Figure 4, the use of drawn concentric lines no matter how formed is obviated. The material used to form the position estimating device 2 shown in Figure 4 may be transparent, translucent or completely opaque. The material may be, for example, metal, wood, mineral, stone, animal tissue, or other material not found in a natural state but produced by combining naturally found elements separately or with elements not naturally found in a free state.The formed segment, segments or holes give to the person's eye visual access through the position estimating device 2 to the jack and the required woods.

The register means 8 in Figure 4 could be a drilled hole or material left transparent, with the remainder of the position estimating device made opaque or translucent by painting or some other suitable modification in manufacture.

The segment or segments or holes which are defined by the outer and inner edges 16 and through which the woods are viewed, may similarly be left transparent or be cut out and removed in the manufacturing process.

Figures 5 and 6 show position estimating devices 2 in which the register means 8 is positioned to one side of the grid 6, and in which the grid consists of a series of arcs as shown.

Figure 7 shows a grid which is a combination of the two grids of Figures 5 and 6. In Figure 7, the position estimating device may have the grid of Figure 5 on one surface and the grid of Figure 6 on the other surface.

Alternatively, the grids of both Figures 5 and 6 may be on one surface only of the position estimating device 2 shown in Figure 7. The two grids are in contrasting colours for ease of use of the position estimating device 2.

Figure 8 shows a position estimating device 2 in which the grid 6 has more lines than the other illustrated grids. Also, in Figure 8, the position estimating device 2 does not have a hand grip portion 10. The grid shown in Figure 8 is of one colour only.

All of the position estimating devices 2 may be made from plastics sheet material which is 2mm thick.

As indicated above, the material can be transparent, translucent, partially opaque or substantially totally opaque providing that at least a part of the sheet material has the required partial transparency for enabling the position estimating devices 2 to be used as indicated above. The various position estimating devices 2 can be made in various sizes and, if desired, the corners of the position estimating devices 2 can be rounded.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, different types of grid and different types of register means may be employed to those shown. Furthermore, the hand grip portion may be of a different design, either as an extended part of the same sheet of material or as an attachment in the same or different material as the optically effective part of the position estimating device. Materials other than clear plastics may be employed and lines where required in the design may be other than white, yellow, orange or red in colour.

The position estimating device 2 may be sold under the Trade Mark SHOT SPOTTER.

Claims

1. A position estimating device for use in a game of bowls, which position estimating device comprises a sheet of material which is made to allow partial transparency, which is of such a size that it is hand holdable and which is of such a thickness that it is not floppy so that it acts in a rigid manner when it is held in a persons hand, the sheet of material having a grid and register means, and the position estimating device being such that in use it is held in the persons hand and used to view with one eye a jack and closely positioned woods with the register means being used to register with the jack and the grid being used to line up on the grid the wood that appears to the persons eye to be the nearest to the jack whereupon the relative position of the other woods to the grid can then be seen in order to give the person a means of estimating by eye and without effecting an actual measurement which wood is nearest to the jack.

2. A position estimating device according to claim 1 in which the register means is centrally positioned with respect to the grid, and in which the grid comprises straight lines which extend radially from the register means, and concentric circular lines which surround the register means.

3. A position estimating device according to claim 1 in which the register means is positioned on a side of the grid, and in which the grid is a series of arcs.

4. A position estimating device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the register means is a circle.

5. A position estimating device according to any one of the preceding claims and including a hand grip portion.

6. A position estimating device according to claim 5 in which the hand grip portion extends from one side of the sheet of the material.

7. A position estimating device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the sheet of material is sheet of transparent plastics material.

8. A position estimating device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the sheet of material is of such a size that it fits into a persons shirt, trouser or skirt pocket.

9. A position estimating device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.