US196357A - Improvement in game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

J. HARRINGTON. Game Apparatus.

No. 196,357. Patented Oct; 23,1877,

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JOHN HARRINGTON, OF RYDE, ISLE OF WIGHT, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN GAME APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,357, dated October 23, 1877; application filed September 17, 1877.

lawn or outdoor amusement.

In this present case the game apparatus is 'made of such materials that the furniture cannot be injured by careless playing, and the balls in their movements are comp aratively noiseless.

Figure 1 represents the hubs set in accordance with one form of the game and a ballwithin f the field to illustrate the manner of playing it.

Fig. 2 represents a ball; Fig. 3, a hub in side elevation; Fig. 4 represents modified forms of hubs, and Fig. 5 illustrates one of the mallets.

The game may be played by one or any desired number of players, either separately or as partners. In the game, seven hubs will preferably be employed, six of which will be placed either to form a circle, square, or parallelogram, while the seventh hub, denominated the hubstandard, will be placed in a central position. Each player willhave a ball and mallet. The halls will differ in color, or be numbered, and it is preferred that each ball should be played by a mallet of its same color or number.

The hubs a will be made of wood or metal, so as to present a hard inelastic surface. If of wood, they should be provided with sharp short prongs b to enter the floor; but if of metal, they may be made sufficiently heavy to retain their position and not move when struck by the ball. The outer hard siuface of each hub will be made to present a small surface, 0, against which the ball (I, of india-rubber, may strike, and from which it may rebound.

The hubs may be made in'a variety of shapes to accomplish this object, as shown in the drawin gs, 0 being the portion of the hub to be struck by the ball d, driven by the mallet 6. One hub employed by the standard will occupy a central position, as at g, and the other hubs a will be placed about it in a circle, square, or parallel- -hub standard.

ogram. The hubs will be more or less separated, accordingto the floor-space. .Each hub will preferably be numbered from 1 to 6, and they will be placed in the order of playing.

The india-rubber ball, after striking the hub, will rebound at one side thereof, and will stop in a position more or less favorable with reference to the next hub of the series against which the ball is to be driven, according to the skill of the player, for as the ngle of incidence and reflection will be alike, the game may be studied and played with accuracy, as with billiards.

To play the game, each player in turn will place his ball at the position designated by the ball at, Fig. 1, or anywhere on a line between the first and sixth or last hub, and with the mallet will strike it toward the hub-standard g, so as to hit the hard portion 0, and cause the ball to rebound and occupy a position as near as possible to the hub No. 1.

In Fig. 1, d is supposed to designate the position of the ball d after rebounding-from the The standard having been struck,the player is entitled to another stroke, and will then attempt to drive the ball to the hub 1, and cause it to rebound to a position as near the standard as possible. The standard and then a hub must be hit in succession, and if either is missed the player then forfeits his play.

The following rules explain more in detail the manner in which I propose for the game to be played:

First. The player may start from any part of the circumference or boundary line between hubs l and 6, and must strike the standard, failing which, the ball is brought back, and the next player commences but if he strikes the standard he thereby becomes entitled to a second shot, or to play on hub 1, and may continue playing against the standard and the hubs successively so long as he succeeds in his stroke. A

Second. If a player misses his hub, he must strike his ball from its position to the standard afresh; so his first stroke in each turn will be at the standard.

Third. A ball, having once struck the stand-' ard, shall be played from the position in which it lies.

Fourth. A player hitting another ball, by

carroming froin'the standard or his hub, may, if he chooses, place his ball against the other,

and, if it is his partners, make it hit its next may so advance his partner or retard his adversary, asthe case may be. If the player fails to make the ball strike the hub aimed at, he, of course, loses his stroke.

Fifth. A player, after hitting the standard from his sixth hub, becomes a knight, and is no longer liable to be put back, and may aim at the standard or any hub, and, hitting it, 7 may strike any ball, and continue to play so long. as he does not strike hub 1, or the same ball or hub twice in succession.

Sixth. A player not being a knight, hitting either a ball or another hub without having first struck the standard, shall go back one hub, provided he has made a hub.

Seventh. A knight wishing 'to go out must first hit the standard and then hub l, which takes him out.

Eighth. A knight having advanced his partners ball one hub, cannot advance it another till his partner has made his own ball hit the standard.

I claim- 7 1 A game apparatus consisting of portable hubs 0:, having inelastic surfaces, and of indiarubber balls, and mallets, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

. JOHN HARRINGTON.

Witnesses:

r G. W. GREGORY,

W. J. PRATT.

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