US158918A - Improvement in game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

D. n.4 Da cosTA,j Game'Apparatu.

` Patented Jah. 19; 1875.

UNITED STATES EPIOE.

DAVID E. DA oOs'TA, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNOE To EEBEOOAM. DA OosTA, OLIVIA DA* OosrA, AND ALTAMONT DA oosTA,

OF SAME PLACE.

` IMPROVEMENT IN GAME APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,918, dated January 19, 1875; application iled `August 28, 1,874.

To'all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID R. DA CosTA, of the city and county of Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Games; and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear and exact description of the nature thereof, sufficient to enable others skilled in the artto which my invention appertains to fully understand, make, and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, in

Figure 1 is a perspective View or diagragm illustratingv the operation ofthe game. Fig. 2 is a top view of one of the implements of the game. Fig. 3 is a diametric section in line w m, Fig. 2.

` Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts inthe several figures.

My invention consists in a game apparatus, the essential features of which are a series ot' quoit-like disks, termed quoitets, and wickets, and a liberty-pole. It further consists in the construction of the said quoit-like disks, or quoitets whereby they may be most readily manipulated, and the grass will not be cut or the lawn disgured orinjred in any way.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a series of wickets, four in number, which are to be driven in the ground or stood upright, and arranged in the form of a square. B represents what is termed the liberty-pole, which is located at a point centrally between the wickets A. C represents what are termed quoitets, of which Various numbers may beemployed. These quoitets are made of light materials, preferably stamped or struck up of a disk of suitable material, with a central open'- ing, a, and a convex or rounded bottom, l.

It is evident that when the quoitets strike the grass, lawn, carpet, or iioor, the rounded bottom of the former prevents cutting, mutilating, or otherwise injuring the latter.

In the game the terms used and the explanation thereof are as follows:

Quoit--To throw.

. Quoitet--The rings that each player quoits or throws to encircle the wickets and libertypole. y

Wickets-The four corner poles, numbered 1 2, 3, 4.

Liberty-Pole-The center pole, which will be painted preferably red, white, and blue.

Pole or Poling-To quoit or throw the quoitets to encircle a wicket or the liberty-pole.

Shackle or Shackled-An adversary at the start of the game poling quoitets .that count the same number as that poled by the other player.

Trip-To pole all ones quoitets on a wicket without missing any, this giving the player thirty points.

Quoit Tier-To pole all ones quoitets on the liberty-pole without missing, this giving the player fifty points.

Slip or Slipping-To miss poling a quoitet,

which gives ones adversaries a count relatively to color, as follows: red, six; white, four; blue, two. To miss or slip the set successively, the loss is iifteen points.

Range Quoit or Ranger-A quoitet that falls within range of a certain distance from the liberty-pole or wicket, which is measured vby a gage-stick, and a number of points allowed for each color quoitet, according to the distance from the pole or wicket as marked out on a gage-rule accompanying the game. Quoitets falling or rolling beyond the `extent of gage count nothing.

Round of Wickets.-Each player tries to quoit his quoitets on the other wickets-i. c., No. 1 on No. 2. No.2 on No. 3, No. 3 on No. 4, and No. 4 on No. 1-and continues from one wicket to the other, until each player is in po- The rules and regulations of the game are K as follows:

To qnoit correctly, the quoitet must be so handled that the rounded side or bottom thereof falls to the earth or ground.

First. Each couple (or partners) are supplied with three -quoitets-a red, white, and blue.

To prevent mistakes each set is numbered No. 1 and No.` 2, so as to enable the players to understand whose quoitets are poled at any period of the game.

Second. The players station themselves thus: A and B, partners, stand diagonally opposite each other at their wickets, and play with No. 1 set of quoitets; C and D, partners. also take their position in like manner, and play with No. 2 set.

Third. Theliberty-pole (red, white, and blue) is the starting-point. The players now get behind their wickets, and in rotation quoit their quoitets, one at a time, at the liberty-pole, to encircle it, and the player who makes the highest count from the number poled gains the lead to start the game, and is entitled to No. 1

I set of quoitets and to No. 1 wicket, his partner to No. 3 wicket, and adversaries to No. 2 and No. 4; but should all the players fail to pole a quoitet on the liberty-pole, to decide the lead they must resort to the highest number made by slips and rangers, (all of which are recorded as soon as made by each player.)

Fourth. The player who gains the lead takes his (or her) station at the liberty-pole, and tries to quoit (throw) his quoitets over his own wicket, to encircle it. If he fails to pole all of them, his adversaries count fifteen points for the slip, (missin g,) or at the following rates should any of them be poled: six for missing the red, four for missin-g the white, and two for missing the blue. The other players also quoit from the liberty-pole to their wickets, according to rotation of their numbers; but should it happen that an adversary shackles your poling (counting the same) when playing at the liberty-pole at the start ofthe game, your partner and his partner will have to quoit for the lead by playing from their 'wickets to you, (the party who was shackled,) lead oi by trying to quoit your quoitets over your own wicket, and should you succeed irrpoling any, add the number for each color poled to that made at the time you were shackled. Your adversary does the same, recovers his count (or number) which shackled you, and receives all the same advantages, and subject to the forfeits or gains allowed for slipping, &c. The

other players follow in order, and quoit from the liberty-pole to their own wicket in rotation.

Fifth. The players return to their respective stations, (A to No. 1, his partner B to No.

3,' Gto No. 2, and D to No. 4,) and proceed to play a round of wickets, as follows: A, No. 1, tries to pole No. 2 wicket; C, No. 2, tries to pole No. 3 wicket; B, No. 3, tries to pole No. 4 wicket; D, No. 4, tries to pole No. l wicket, each side counting the number they gain, according to rates laid down for slips, quoit tier, trips, range quoits, and poling. The round of wickets'completed, the players recover their quoitets, and from their wickets quoit at the liberty-pole. When all have played, count the number each side has registered, and the highest number made wins the game.

Sixth. Partners do not shackle each other. Every score made or lost counts for the respective sides, according to the rates laid down.

The game may be played with double corners, so as to accommodate eight players. In

this case each corner can either pole their quoitets twice, or they can make two rounds, (one rst of four players, and the other set after;) the latter would be the best. Of course it will be one set of four players playing against the other four.

A register may be employed for keeping count of the game, a suitable form of which is shown at D in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl l. The game apparatus herein described, consisting of the stamped or dish-shaped quoitets C, the series of wickets A, and the libertypole B, all adapted and arranged to operate substantially iu the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. The quoitet C,n1ade of a stamped or struckup disk, and with a rounded bottom, b, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

D. R. DA COSTA.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, A. P. GRANT.

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