US109120A - Improvement in apparatus for parlor-croquet - Google Patents

Description

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ALBERT, P. EASTMAN, 0F WASHI'NCr'lON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

I Letters Patent No. 109,120, dated November 8, 1870 The'Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making parl: of the same.

V I, ALBERT PjEAsTliIAN, of Washington, Washington county and Districtof Columbia, have invented certain improvementsin House-Croquet Instruinents, of whichthe following is a specification.

Figure l is a plan view;

Figure 2'is a side elevation;

Figure 3, a side elevation oi'a turning-stake, showing a secondmethod of attaching the prongs; and

Figure 4 is-a plan view of the bottom of the stake, showing the shoulders on the prongs.

This invention consists of a croquet-wicket, or a socket to receive the end of av croquet-wicket, or a croquet turning-stake, whenv provided with prongs extending horizontally from the lower end of the socket or stake, or the extremities of the wicket, in such manner as to hold the Wicket-socket o1" stake sta# tionary upon the carpet or floor ot' a room in a dweling-house,` by the aid of loops attached to the carpet, in which the prongs are inserted.

The invention also consists ot' a croquet turningstake, made in sections, running lengthwise of the stake and connected by springs, the object of such construction being to admit of the spreading apart of the sections far enough to enable the player to insert the hooks on the endsof the prongs into the loopsof the carpet, after which the springs draw the.

sections of the stake together again, thus confining the hooks in the loops. l

The invention also consists in a wicket, socket, or stake, when provided with the aforesaid prongs, and with a disk attached horizontally at the lower end oi' the stake, or Aat the extremities of the wicket, th e function ot' the. disk being to prevent the wicket or stake from falling laterally.

Referring to the drawinga is a croquetfwicket.

I), a turning-stake.

c, prongs secured in any'suitable manner to the low\er end of the stake, and to the extremities of the wicket, and extending horizontally therefrom when the stake andl wicket are placed vertically upon a carpet.

e are loops attached to the carpet or iloor, through which to insert the prongs.

't are disks, attached to the extremities of the wicket, anti 'extending'iu an opposite direction from the prongs, for the purpose of preventing the wicket from falling.

d are elastic bands, which connect the sections b of the stake.

f, hooks on the ends of the prongs of the stake, and

g, knobs, which may be taken hold of to spread the sections b apart.

The loops ve may he made of thread of the same color as the carpet, and need not be large enough to he noticed, when the instruments are not in use.

In iig. 3 is shown, a turning-stake, having straight prongs c, without hooks, each prong extending under and outside ofthe opposite section b from that to which it is attached. The object of this arrangement is to do away with the necessity of rising the hooks.

The length of the prongs and the radius of the disk shouldbe less than the radius ofthe balls, in order that the balls may not strike the prongs or disk.

In fig. 4 is seen a set of' prongs, arranged, with respect to the stake, on the plan shown in fig. 3, and

provided with shoulders n, either at the periphery of' the stake or outside the same.

The function of the shoulders is, after one prong has been inserted into its loop as far as the shoulder, to hold the section b to which said prong is attached,

by the pressure of the shoulder against the loop, while the player draws back the other-section toward the loop against which the shoulder is pressing, far enough to enable him to insert the other prong into its loop.

A groove, m., may he made above the prong ein vthe bottom of each section b, opposite theloop, in order that the section may clear thc loop as it is drawn over it.

I am aware'that plates provided with vertical tubesv Y to receive the wickets and stakes are no new thing;

but I consider my inventionsuperior to these, f 'or the reason that the prongs may be placed on the upper side of the carpet, while the platesvhave to be placed beneath a piece of carpeting, and holes have'to be made in the carpet for the tubes to project through,

.and a frame has to be provided to inclose and stretch the carpet.

I dispense with the frame and carpeting entirely,

Athus enabling the instruments to he set to the full size

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