GB2237211A - A game - Google Patents

Abstract

A croquet mallet has an elongate shaft 12 constructed and arranged so that it may readily be held in the fingers of one hand. The mallet also includes a striking head 11 mounted on the shaft at or adjacent one end of the shaft. In addition, there is a stabilising member 13 mounted on the shaft at or adjacent the opposite end of the shaft to that bearing the striking head. <IMAGE>

Description

A Game This invention concerns a game, and relates in particular to the equipment for use in playing a reduced-scale version of the game of croquet.

The conventional game of croquet, which is played by hittiijg balls with a long-handled mallet with the aim 0F thus passing those balls sequentially through a series of hoops upstanding on a lawn, has for a long time been a popular pastime. However, it is a game which requires a large amount of space (the standard size of the lawn being 36 yards (about 33m) long and 27 yards (about 25m) wide), and one which, on an open lawn at least, can only he enjoyed in fine weather. The provision of an essentially similar, bu smaller scale, game which could be played indoors would seem to avoid these problems. Unfortunately, however, the proportions of the typical croquet mallet, even one manufactured to a reduced scale, are not suited to use in confined spaces, and so it can be difficult to play accurately indoors.

The present invention aims to reduce at least some of these difficulties, firstly by suggesting a specially-designed croquet mallet. The invention follows on from that described in copending Application No: 89 24044.4 In one aspect, therefore, this invention provides a mallet for use in a croquet game, which mallet comprises: an elongate shaft constructed and arranged so that it may readily be held in the fingers of one hand; a striking head mounted on the shaft at or adjacent one end thereof; and a stabilising member mounted on the shaft at or adjacent the opposite end thereof to that bearing the striking head; such that a stroke of the mallet may be executed by holding the shaft in the fingers and guiding the movement of the striking head by manipulating the stabilising member to cause the shaft to pivot.

The shaft of the mallet will generally be rigid and rodlike, and preferably of circular- cross-section. Its exact dimensions may vary, Dut in comparison to the shaft of a conventional croquet mallet it has a relatively small diameter, even though its length may be similar. Thus, the ratio of length to diameter of the mallet should be greater than 70:1, and is preferably between 80:1 and 90:1. A shaft of 75 to 80cm long with a diameter of 0.9cm has been found suitable for use by an adult playing in a typically sized domestic room.

At or adjacent one end of the shaft is mounted the mallet's head. The optimum shape and size of the head will to some extent be a matter of preference (and, indeed, may also depend upon the particular type of shot which is to be played with the mallet), but for general use the head is conveniently a right round or square cylinder, mounted at or about its mid-point at least substantially perpendicularly to the shaft. For a shaft of the dimensions described earlier, the head is most appropriately 5 - 6 cm long and about 2cm in width or diameter. The head may be mounted on the shaft in any manner which is sufficiently strong to withstand the impact when a ball is struck, but preferably the head bears an appropriately-shaped recess into which the shaft is inserted; the joint being secured with a suitable adhesive if necessary.

The stabilising member is in the form of a projecting "handle" which the user of the mallet may grasp and use to achieve greater control of the striking head. In use the stabilising member preferably acts, at least in part, as a counterbalance to the mallet head. The shaft is in this case being held adjacent the stabilising member for pivoting movement about the point being gripped.

The shape and disposition of the stabilising member, like that of the head, may depend upon individual preference and/or upon the type of stroke required. It may be cylindrical, for example, in which case it will generally be mounted transversely of the shaft, and preferably perpendicularly thereto.

Alternatively, it may be spherical, or even in the form of a cross each arm of which is perpendicular to the shaft. More sophisticated examples may be specially contoured in order to facilitate gripping. However, a relatively simple, but very effective stabilising member is a bar slightly longer than the mallet head - thus, for a mallet of the dimensions given above, about 7cm long - and which is preferably mounted transversely of the shaft to lie in the same plane as that in which lies the head.

The stabilising member may conveniently be mounted on the shaft by a joint of the type described earlier in connection with the mounting of the mallet head.

The shaft, head and stabilising member of the mallet may all be constructed from the same, or each from a quite different, material. Suitable materials are a metal, wood, a plastics material or a glass-reinforced plastics material, ideally being neither too light (and thus awkward to control accurately) nor too heavy (and thus tiring to use). Wood is particularly preferred for the fabrication of all three components of the mallet.

The mallet of the invention permits a player comfortably and accurately to play, from a standing position, croquet game of sufficiently small scale to be enjoyed indoors.

In a second aspect, therefore, the invention provides a game comprising: a multiplicity of goal members each of which may be positioned in a stable disposition on a planar playing surface; a plurality of balls at least some of which are distinguishable from others, which balls may pass through the goal members when positioned on the playing surface; and one or more mallets according to this invention as defined above.

When the game is played indoors, the playing surface is conveniently provided by a carpeted floor. Upon this surface a suitable playing area may be specifically defined, but indoors it is convenient to use the whole area of the floor of the room in which the game is played.

The goal members are preferably U-shaped, and should be capable of standing firmly at least substantially perpendicularly to the playing surface, so that when a croquet game is played a ball may be propelled therethrough in the same way as a croquet ball is propelled through a hoop. Adequate stability is most simply achieved by weighting the ends of each goal member so that it will stand upright on the playing surface and be capable of withstanding without moving, at least to a reasonable extent, the impact received if it should be struck in play by a ball.

In addition to the goal members, in a preferred embodiment there is also provided at least one peg to act as a finishing peg, as in the conventional game of croquet. This is conveniently a cylindrical wooden rod weighted in the same way a the goal members, and which may if desired be coloured as are known croquet pegs. The goal members and finishing peg may be arranged as desired within the playing area, but a preferred arrangement is that of conventional lawn croquet.

The balls may be made from any suitable substance such as wood or a plastics material, but are preferably similar in construction (though not in size) to those balls commonly used to play snooker or pool. For use indoors with a mallet of the dimensions stated hereinbefore, the balls are preferably about 2.5cm in diameter, and the goal members sized accordingly. In a preferred embodiment there are provided four balls, preferably one of each of the following colours: blue, red, black and yellow, and four mallets.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, though by way of illustration only, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a perspective view of a mallet of the invention.

The wooden mallet 10 of Figure 1 has a striking head 11 mounted at one end of a narrow shaft 12. At the other end of the shaft is a stabilising member 13 mounted to lie in the same plane as that of the mallet's head.

In use the shaft 12 of the mallet is gripped in the hand and the stabilising member 13 is manipulated so as to cause movement of the head 11 resulting from a pivoting movement of the shaft 12. A stroke of the mallet executed in this way may be controlled relatively accurately, even within a confined playing area.

The mallet may be used to play a game of croquet indoors, using a carpeted floor as a playing surface on which are positioned six weighted goal members and a peg. These pieces are arranged in a similar manner to the hoops and a peg of conventional croquet. The players use the mallet, from a standing position, to hit a set of balls in an attempt to pass each of these through the goal members in a particular order. The rules by which this is done may be those of conventional lawn croquet, or any desired variant thereof.

Claims (12)

CLESS

1. A mallet for use in a croquet game, which mallet comprises: an elongate shaft constructed and arranged so that it may readily be held in the fingers of one hand, a striking head mounted on the shaft at or adjacent one end thereof; and a stabilising member mounted on the shaft at or adjacent the opposite end thereof to that bearing the striking head; such that a stroke of tne mallet may be executed by holding the shaft in the fingers and guiding the movement of the striking head by manipulating the stabilising member to cause the shaft to pivot.

2. A mallet according to claim 1, wherein the head is a square cylinder mounted at or about its mid-point at least substantially perpendicularly to the shaft.

3. A mallet according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the stabilising member is in the form of a bar which is mounted transversely of the shaft to lie in the same plane as that in which lies the head.

4. A mallet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stabilising member is mounted perpendicularly to the shaft.

5. A mallet according to any one of the preceding claims which is made of wood.

6. A mallet for use in a croquet game and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

7. A game comprising: a multiplicity of goal members each of which may be positioned in a stable disposition on a planar playing surface; a plurality of balls at least some of which are distinguishable from others, which balls may pass through the goal members when positioned on the playing surface; and one or more mallets according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A game according to claim 7, wherein there is also provided a peg.

9. A game according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein there are provided four balls.

10. A game according to claim- 9, wherein the balls are one each of the colours blue, red, black and yellow.

11. A game according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein there are provided four mallets.

12. A game according to claim 7, and substantially as hereinbefore described.