A New or Improved Game of Suspended Ball for Children and Adults.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1893-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1893
A New or Improved Game of Suspended Ball for Children
and Adults.
I, JOHN BAKER, of 325 Nechells Park Road, Birmingham, Grocer, 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:-
My invention is a game, in which two or more opposing players take part. The
object of the game, is to afford amusement and exercise, by means of striking a
ball suspended on a rope, the rope being tightly outstretched and suspended by
means of stakes, poles, hooks or hooked screws, as hereinafter stated. The articles
used in the said game, are as follow:-
(1) A rope of any suitable material.
(2) A ball of suitable shape, of any material, said ball to have a hole bored
through it, at or near its centre.
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(3) Two or more mallets for use of the players.
(4) Two stakes or poles for suspending the rope out-of-doors, and
(5) Two hooks or hooked-screws for suspending the rope in-doors.
Having stated the articles to be used in my game, I will now particularly describe
the same.
(1) The rope may be of any size strength or material, and is to be marked or
coloured at a suitable distance from each end, in the following manner :-That is to
say the ends of the rope for the space of about a foot, are left plain and without
any colour, other than the ordinary colour of the rope. Having left a plain space
at each end of the rope, a red space of about a foot along the rope is marked out,
next to each of the said plain ends, and next to each of these red spaces so marked
out, a space of about two feet along the rope is marked blue. Thus the first foot
at each end of the rope, is of the ordinary colour of the rope, the next foot red
and the next two feet blue, leaving all the space in the middle of the rope, between
the blue marks, of the ordinary colour of the rope. The length of the rope and
the length of the marks may be made as required.
(2) The ball which has a hole bored right through it, at or near its centre, may
be shaped to afford a fair mark for the players, and the hole of the said ball may
be lined with any hard material, to resist wear and tear. The ball to be of any
required size.
(3) The mallets of any suitable description.
The stakes or poles for out-doors, for driving in the ground, for suspending
the rope, may have a hole bored through them, near the top, for securing
the rope.
(5) The hooks or hooked screws, for suspending the rope for in-door play, may
be made any shape or in any material.
Having now described the articles used in my game, I will now state the method
of play: One end of the rope having been pushed through the hole in the ball,
the plain non-coloured ends of the rope, are secured to the stakes or hooks, as the
case may be, the rope having been drawn tight and the ball suspended thereon, and
the red marks on the rope having been drawn close to the stakes or hooks. A
player now takes up position at each end of the rope, opposite the blue mark on
the rope, which mark forms a basis of play, for each player. The ball is placed
near the centre of one of the blue marks, by one of the players, and the game
begun. The first player strikes the ball with a mallet to his opponent and his
opponent strikes the ball back again. This is repeated over and over, the ball
having a rapid transit from one player to the other, until one of the players fails

page_text: to strike the ball and gets "out" by allowing the ball to reach the red mark on the
rope. When played long enough, the last player has the last blow to his opponent.
The game may be varied or according to rules.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A game consisting of a marked rope, with a bored ball to slide upon and to be
suspended by the said rope, as herein described.
2. The said game to be arranged by means of stakes, poles, hooks, or hooked
screws, and to be performed by the aid of mallets, substantially, as already
described, these in connection with the game, described or mentioned in the
fore-going claim.
Dated this Second day of October 1893.
JOHN BAKER,
Applicant.