A Playing Board for Two or More Players to be used in Playing a New or Improved Game.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 24th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Playing Board for Two or More Players to be used in Playing a
New or Improved Game.
FREDERICK ALLEN, Decorator and FREDERICK WALDOCK Boatbuilder both of
Thames Street Hampton in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
For the purpose of this invention we have a board oblong or otherwise with strips
of metal or other material fixed to the surface of said board, in such a position as
to form a passage or runner for a ball or balls to run or roll in.
We have three balls of wood or other material one of them black one red and
one white. The black ball will in future he called the spot ball. The board has
two pieces of wood fixed beneath it in such a position as to make the balls roll
toward the player. We have a spring of suitable strength and shape fixed at one
corner of the board at the right of the player, this spring has a piece of metal
attached to it extending across the width of the board from right to left, at the left
hand end there is a handle, the screw of which passes through the metal plate and
forms a striker. Opposite this striker & handle a portion of the outer strip of
metal is cut away forming an opening about an inch and a quarter wide this opening
is then nearly filled up by a piece of metal hung or hinged at top to form a door
and this in future we shall call the "door." The object of the aforesaid spring,
handle, striker, and door is to enable the player to propel the ball as it passes
the door.
For the better explanation of the board and game we now call attention to the
drawing attached hereto.
a. a. a. a are the four corners of the board.
B. B. B. B. the passage or runner for balls to run in.
C. is the ring through which the red or white ball is dropped.
D is called the centre of board.
E is the entrance to centre of board.
F the spot on which the spot ball is placed.
G. a series of numbered spaces.
H. throw off pieces of metal to prevent the balls from running over the same
course each time.
1. main passage leading to B. E.
Jbox or block to which spring K is fixed.
K. K. spring and metal attachment.
L. screw for fixing spring.
M. movable piece of metal the door.
N the striker.
O the handle.
P. the player.
Q strips of metal or other material which form the passage B & space D.
Ran indentation for a missed or spent ball.
The game is played by two or more persons thus one player takes up position
at P. he then places the spot ball ou spot at F and with the left hand drops either
the red or white ball through ring at C. at the same time he grasps the handle O
in right hand and pulls it holding the handle steady until the ball that was dropped
through C. arrives at centre of M the player then suddenly releases handle the
spring carries it forward sharply striking the door which in turn strikes the ball
propelling it toward B. E. Should the ball enter passage B it will travel round

page_text: the board and when it arrives at M the player can again strike it as before the
object being to keep the ball moving until it is knocked into E when it will
probably strike the spot ball carrying it along to G the numbers on spaces occupied
by each ball being marked in favour of player.
The spot ball if moved is then replaced on spot and the player goes on playing
by again dropping his ball, through C and striking as before. Should the spot
ball not be moved, the number on space at G in which the players ball stopped is
counted in his favour and he continues playing although the spot ball was not
moved.
Should the player miss striking the ball or should he not strike it hard enough to
go in at E or should his ball stop on the board anywhere excepting at R then the
other player takes up the play with the other hall ench player playing with the
same ball that he commenced to play with throughout the game, thus if A. begins
to play with red ball B must play with white or if A plays first with white then B
must play with red.
In the event of previous players ball stopping on the board and the following
player knocking it in spaces at Git counts in his favour as though it were his own
ball. Should either players hall stop at R it is removed from the board and the
other player commences playing. The rules of the game and other details will be
supplied hereafter.
Dated this 21st day of June 1894.
FREDERICK ALLEN.
FREDERICK WALDOCK.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Playing Board for Two or More Players to be used in Playing a
New or Improved Game.
We FREDERICK ALLEN, Decorator, and FREDERICK WALDOCK, Boat Builder,
both of Thames Street, Hampton, in the County of Middlesex, 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 stateinent:—
This invention relates to that kind of playing board which is made in the form of
an inclined plane and is provided at its lower end with a spring device, by means of
which a ball may be projected over the face of the board. The object of this
invention is to construct a board of this description with a central part and an
exterior curved way so arranged as to conduct the ball, should it enter or be placed
in said curved way, past the spring device to a blank space, pocket, cup or
depression. As it passes in front of the spring device the latter may be operated
and the ball thus kept continuously rolling until it falls into one of a series of
numbered spaces in the central part of the board or into the blank space, pocket,
cup or depression aforementioned.
The
The accompanying drawing is a plan of our improved playing board.
base A of the board may be of any desired shape or configuration and is provided
with feet or is otherwise made so as to incline downwards towards the playing end.
Formed on or secured to the hase A are the vertical strips of wood, metal, or other
suitable material B and C which are arranged in the manner shewn so as to form
the boundaries of the curved way D and central portion E of the hoard. The
exterior strip B is continuous except at M which is an aperture or cutaway portion
through which the spring device operates. The strip B forms the boundary of the
playing part of the board, while the interior strip C commences at the point and
is carried round practically parallel to the strip B until it arrives opposite the
point C when it is curved inwards and terminates at the point C. The strip C
thus forms the main passage J and the inlets D'and E to the carved way D and
central part E respectively. Hand I are cushions or ledges to divert the ball

page_text: from a straight course.
F is a spot or depression on which a ball may
be placed to
form an object to be fired at, and G is a series of numbered spaces into which the
ball or balls will roll after passing across the central part E the number of the
space into which the ball falls being counted to the player. R is a blank space,
cup, pocket, or depression into which the player's ball will fall after it has passed
the aperture or cutaway portion M in the exterior strip B. Situated in rear of said
aperture or cutaway portion M is the spring device consisting of the plunger N
fitting the void M, the handle and the blade spring K secured by the screw L' to
the block L which latter is fastened to the base A of the board. Instead of this
arrangement the plunger N may work as a piston in a cylinder containing a spiral
spring, or any other suitable spring device may be used for projecting the ball over
the surface of the board.
To play the game a ball is placed on the spot F and the player's ball is placed
in the curved way D about half way up. As it is falling down the curved way the
player should draw back the plunger N by means of the handle O and release it
when the ball arrives in front of the void M, whereupon the plunger N will strike
the ball smartly and drive it up the main passage J and into either the central
part E or the curved way D; if it passes into the forner it will fall into one of
the numbered spaces G, and if into the latter, it will be conducted down again past
the void M when the operation should be repeated until the ball passes into one
of the numbered spaces or is missed by the player as it passes the void M when it
will fall into the blank space, pocket, cup, or depression R.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. An inclined playing board having a central part containing numbered spaces,
an exterior curved way leading past a void in the outer boundary of the board to a
blank space, pocket, cup, or depression, and a spring device situated in rear of
said void for projecting the ball over the surface of the board substantially as
described.
2. An inclined playing board having a main passage with two branches leading
respectively to a central part containing numbered spaces and an exterior curved
way, the latter leading past a void in the outer boundary of the board to a blank
space, pocket, cup, or depression, and a spring device situated in rear of said void
and in line with the main passage aforesaid, for the purpose of projecting the ball
along the said main passage substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of September 1894.
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicants.