US117865A - Improvement in croquet-arches - Google Patents

Description

I FREDRICK M. CLARKE.

Croquet Arch.

Patented August 8, 1871.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CROQUET-ARCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,865, dated August 8, 1871.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK M. CLARKE,

resident of WVashington, county of I/Vashington,

District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Croquet-Arches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification.

In the employment of the ordinary U-shaped croquet-arches much difficulty has been experienced in properly setting them in the ground, owing to the fact that the small. size of the wire used renders it impossible to grasp them tightly with the hands for the purpose of thrusting them in, and their rounded upper outlineprecludes all possibility of driving them down with the mallets. Many attempts have been made to obviate this objection, the most common means being a series of short pegs which is driven into the ground, said pegs having vertical holes, in which the legs of the arches are inserted. These pegs fall very far short of accomplishing the end for which they were designed, as the holes are liable to become tilled with dirt and other obstructions, and are not easily removed when once put down, whereas it is frequently desirable to carry the croquet from place to place, and also'to arrange the arches in different positions on the same ground. With a view to remedy the above defects I have made this invention, which consists essentially in constructing a croquet-arch of such configuration that it shall present a shoulder, angle, or other suitable opposingface or projection adapted to receive a blow, or to furnish a suitable support against a downward pressure, which may be employed for thrusting or driving the legs of said arch into the ground or other support which may be employed to maintain it (the arch) in a vertical position.

Having thus described the nature of my invention, I will now proceed to describe one form which I have adopted for carrying it out.

In the drawing the arch is represented with two shoulders, one to each leg, made by bending the wire outward at such distance from the crown of the arch as it (the arch) is desired to extend above the surface of the ground, as at A, and then downward, as at B, forming shanks B C of suitable length to be driven into the ground.

In practice I usually make the shoulder A 13 about one and a half inch in length, so that it can be readily pushed into the ground with the foot, or driven in by a few blows from a mallet or its equivalent. As the shoulders can be driven down closely to the ground they will offer no obstruction to the passage of the balls in close proximity to the arch proper.

I do not wish to be confined to the construction here shown, as many modifications may be made for accomplishing the same end without departing from the spirit of my invention 5 as, for example, the leg of the arch may be provided with a projecting spur, as shown in dotted lines, or a knob, which will be practically the equivalent of the shoulder, shown in the drawing.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A croquet-arch, provided with a projecting shoulder, spur, or equivalent device, for adapting it to be driven or forced into the ground, as set forth.

F. M. CLARKE.

Witnesses:

EDM. 1?. BROWN, H. H. DOUBLEDAY.

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