A New or Improved Game, and Apparatus for Playing the same.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Game, and Apparatus for Playing the same.
We, EATON JOHN CALDBECK, of 38, Evelyn Mansions, Victoria Street, London,
S.W., Gentleman, and SI ALBERT ALTMAN, of 64, Aldersgate Street, London,
E.C., Knight, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus employed in playing a new or improved
game which may be played out of doors-on a lawn or the like--or in doors-
upon the floor of any fair size carpeted room--by any number of players, playing
with or without partners.
Upon the ground or floor (which should preferably be rectangular) upon which
it is intended to play, are arranged hoops or rings and one or more "gates," here-
inafter described, through which balls are driven in a given order by the players.
whereafter the said balls are driven into a "pit" or well" located at the top
of a truncated cone or pyramid.
"
A starting stage, boundary tapes or the like, strikers and scoring cards are used.
The hoops employed are preferably shaped like a ring having a split stem
extending upwards, adapted to hold a card bearing a number, and diametrically
opposite is a spike, to be driven into the ground, or a heavy base, which may
be flat with bevelled edges or in the form of a truncated cone or pyramid, either
of which supports the hoop and card in a vertical plane.
The gate is located upon the top of a truncated cone or pyramid and hangs
from a horizontal cross-bar which is supported at its ends by uprights rising
from the said truncated cone or pyramid up whose inclined sides the balls must
roll in order to pass through the gate, whose weight and construction cause it
to be normally closed.
The strikers are formed like long handled mallets having one striking surface
while the opposite end of the head is provided with a scoop, with which to pick
up a ball when desired or place it in position.
The balls used have each a distinctive colour, while the starting stage, bound-
aries and scoring cards are of any convenient construction or form.
Various forms of our new or improved game may be played with the herein-
before described apparatus.
According to one form of game, the players select their balls, and start in
succession, according to a predetermined order, from the starting stage, each
player endeavouring to drive his ball firstly through the gate, then through each
hoop in the order of their numbers and thereafter through the gate a second
time and finally into the "pit" or "well."
The one who "pits" out first scores nothing, while each of the other players
have as many points against them at the time the first player "pits" out, as
the sum of the numbers which indicate the hoops his ball has not passed through.
These remaining players are no longer able to reduce their negative scores by
passing through the remaining hoops, but each in turn plays direct for the gate
and thence to the "pit" or "well," each stroke counting one against its player.

page_text: The winner of a series of games is the one who scores the lowest number of
points..
1
1
1000
E. J. CALDBECK,
ALBERT ALTMAN,
A New or Improved Game, and Apparatus for Playing the same.
We, EATON JOHN CALDBECK, of 38, Evelyn Mansions, Victoria Street, London,
S.W., Gentleman, and SIR ALBERT ALTMAN, of 64, Aldersgate Street, London,
E.C. Knight do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus employed in playing a new or improved
game, which may be played out or doors-on a lawn or the like—or in-doors-
upon the floor of any fair sized-carpetted room--by any number of players, play-
ing with or without partners.
Upon the ground or floor (which should preferably be rectangular), upon which
it is intended to play, are arranged hoops or rings and one or more "gates,"
hereinafter described, through which balls are driven in a given order by the
players who are provided with suitable strikers, whereafter the said balls are
driven into a "pit" or "well" located at the top of a frustrum of a pyramid.
A starting stage, boundaries and scoring cards are also used, all of which we will
now more particularly describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which like letters refer to corresponding parts throughout.
"
Figs. 1 & 2, illustrate the starting stage, in plan and edge view,
Figs. 3&4 are respectively a front elevation and plan of the gate."
Figs. 5 & 6, represent one of the rings, in front elevation and edge view,
Fig. is a front elevation of a ring of smaller dimensions, also used,
Figs. 8&9, show in elevation and plan respectively, a modified form of ring
or hoop adapted for use with the in-door game
Figs. 10 & 11, are respectively a front elevation and plan of the "pit.”
Fig. 12 is the side elevation of a striker,
Fig. 13 is an end elevation of the same, the shaft being broken off,
Fig. 14 is a plan of the ground, showing the apparatus (diagrammatically)
as arranged for playing one form of our new game, and
Fig. 15, illustrates a scoring card.
Referring to the plan of the ground shown in Fig. 14, which is preferably
about 84 feet long, by about 69 feet wide, but may be of any convenient size, the
various parts are located in the positions substantially as indicated.
The ground is marked off by suitable boundaries, a, by well-known means,
similar to those employed for marking tennis courts and the like, or the said
boundaries may consist of tape, string or the like suitably secured by pegs (not
shown) or other convenient means.
At one end of the ground, a starting stage, A, (see Figs. 1 & 2) is provided.
consisting of a flat T-shaped piece of metal or other suitable material, having
holes, b, adapted to receive pegs (not shown) for securing it in position, and an
embossed ring or ball rest, c.
The starting stage, A, is also provided with a series of coloured bands whose
purpose is hereinafter mentioned.
At the opposite end of the ground, the gate, B, (see Figs. 3 & 4) is located,

page_text: which consists of a depending door, hinged to the aprights, e, which are
connected at their upper ends by a cross piece, f while their lower extremities
are adapted to enter sockets, g, in the base or platform, h, which is in form the
frustrum of a pyramid.
Distributed over the ground in the positions indicated are rings, 1, 2, 3, 4,
5 & 6. The four rings, 1, 2, 5 & 6 (see Figs. 5 & 6) are preferably of equal size
while the other rings 3 & 4 (see Fig. 7) are slightly smaller, but of similar
pattern, consisting of a circular hoop,, provided with a spike, j, adapted to
be driven into the ground, k, and an upwardly extending stem, 7, having a
slit, m, into which a plate or card, n, bearing a number is placed.
Alternatively, these rings may be of equal size, or the hoops, C, (see Figs. 8
& 9) may be used in their place. The hoops, C, consist of an arched piece, i*,
provided with heavy broad feet, *, and an upwardly extending stem, *, having
a slit, m, therein adapted to hold a plate or card, n, for the purpose herein-
before stated.
"
The pit," D, (see Figs. 10 & 11) consists of a frustrum of a pyramid, o, pro-
vided at its top with a hole or pocket, p.
The strikers, E, are preferably of the form shown in Figs. 12 & 13, of the
drawings, in which the head, g, provided with a striking surface, r, at one end,
and a scoop, s, at the other, by means of which a ball may be picked up, or,
the said strikers may be of a form similar to those used in playing the game
or croquet, but preferably lighter.
Each player is provided with a striker and a ball bearing a distinctive colour,
each playing successively in the order of the colours, t, u, v, w, t, y on the
starting stage, A, (see Fig. 1).
According to one form of our new game, to the playing of which, the use of
the apparatus is obviously not confined, the players draw their balls from a bag
of any convenient form (not shown) and so determine the order in which they
are to play.
Fach, then, successively, places his ball upon the rest, ie, of the starting
stage, A, and endeavours to drive his said ball with his striker E, first up the
slanting sides of the platform and through the gate, B, in doing which the
door, d, is swung open, and thereafter through the rings 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6,
in the order of their numbers, (see Fig. 14) then through the gate, B, again and
finally up the slanting sides, o, and into the "pit," D.
The passage through the gate or a hoop entitles the player to play again.
"
The first to pit out scores nothing, while each of the remaining players have
as many points against them at the time the first player "pits" out as the sum
of the numbers which indicate the rings his ball has not passed through.
These remaining players no longer have the opportunity of reducing their
negative scores by passing through the remaining rings, but each, in turn, now
plays direct for the "gate" and thence to the "pit," each stroke counting one
against its player. In "pitting" out the ball is pitched with the striker, E, from
its scoop, s.
Each player is provided with a scoring card (see Fig. 15) upon which he
records his score-the smallest total of a given number of rounds winning.
According to a modification, we may dispense with the inclined approaches to
the "gate" and "pit," or we may in addition provide each ring or hoop with
similar approaches.
It is obvious that the number and size of the balls, rings, gate, strikers pit or
other elements of the apparatus or the arrangement of them upon the ground
may be varied without departing from the spirit of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In apparatus employed in playing a new or improved game, the use of a

page_text: hinged gate depending from suitable upright members substantially as described
and for the purpose set forth in the specification.
2. In apparatus employed in playing a new or improved game, the use of a
hinged gate depending from suitable upright members rising from a base or plat-
form having inclined approaches also a pit provided with inclined approaches
substantially as described and for the purposes set forth in the specification.
3. In apparatus employed in playing a new or improved game the use of a
striker having a head provided with a striking surface and a scoop substantially
as described and for the purposes set forth in the specification.
4. The combination and arrangement of elements forming apparatus for play-
ing a new or improved game, all substantially as described and for the purposes
set forth in the specification and shown in the drawings.
Noted this 22nd day of Lune 1900.
A. W. POPLETT,
Agent for Applicants.