IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE GAME OF CROQUET
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Jaques, junior, of the Firm of John Jaques and
Son, of 102, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex, for the Inven-
tion of, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE GAME OF CROQUET."
Partly a communication from abroad by William Fowler Mountford
Copeland, residing at Madeira.
Sealed the 3rd October 1862, and dated the 8th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Jaques at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
April 1862.
I, JOHN JAQUES, junior, of the Firm of John Jaques and Son, of 102,
Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE GAME OF
CROQUET," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the game of croquet.
For these purposes, in order that, the players may know which, if any, of the
players' balls have been played through any of the several hoops or arches

page_text: a marker for each player is used, which is formed in a suitable manner to admit
of its being readily placed on and removed from the hoops or arches, so that
a player having played his ball through an arch or hoop will place his marker
thereon, where it will remain till he has played his ball through another hoop
or arch, when he will remove his marker from the hoop or arch previously
marked and place it on the hoop or arch last played through. The form of
marker preferred, although the same may be varied, consists of a plate of
.elastic metal or other suitable material bent in the middle, but not so that
the two parts may come close together; on the contrary, a space is left
between the two surfaces, somewhat less than the thickness of the hoops or
arches, so that a marker, when pressed down on a hoop or arch will, by its
elasticity retain its position by slight pressure. The markers may be of
different colors, or be numbered, or have devices thereon, in order to indicate
the players to whom they belong, and they may also be made to indicate the
direction in which the balls of the players have been played through the
hoops or arches.
Heretofore the mallets employed in playing the game of croquet have had
cylindrical heads or heads of a circular transverse section; part of this
Invention consists in forming the under surface of the head of a croquêt
mallet of a curved convex shape, with upright or nearly upright sides and
ends, the sides being made somewhat hollow or concave from end to end. The
two ends of the head of a mallet are of different dimensions; the larger end
is of a rectangular form, somewhat wider than it is high, 'the other or smaller
end is also of a rectangular form, but of considerable width as compared to
its height, the object being that this end of the mallet should be used by a
player when striking his ball at the time his foot is placed thereon, which he
is enabled to do with more certainty and advantage.than when using a mallet
with a head having a cylindrical form, or otherwise of a circular transverse
section.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 8
by the said John Jaques in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
· October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
JAQUES, junior, of the Firm of John Jaques and Son, of 102, Hatton Garden,
in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
3

page_text: .
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did; for Hérself, Her' heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Jaques, Her special licence that I, the said John Jaques,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Jaques, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE GAME OF CROQUET," partly the result of com-
munication made to me from abroad by William. Fowler Mountford Copeland,
residing at Madeira, and. partly of invention" and discovery made by myself;
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Jaques, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and: immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Jaques, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly. described and ascertained in. and by the following state-
ment thereof, that is to say:
This: Invention has for its object improvements in the instruments used in
the game of croquet. For these purposes, in order that the players' may
know which (if any) of the players' balls have been played through any of the
several hoops or arches, a marker, for each player is used, which is formed 'in
a suitable manner to admit of its being readily placed on and removed from
the hoops or arches, so that a player having played his ball through an arch
or hoop: will place his marker thereon, where it will remain till he has played
his ball through another hoop, or arch, when he will remove his marker from
the hoop or arch previously marked and place it on the hoop or arch last-
played through. The form of marker preferred, although the same may be
varied, consists of a plate, of elastic metal or other suitable material bent in
the middle, but not so that the two parts may come close together, on the
contrary, a space is left between the two surfaces somewhat less than the

page_text: -thickness of the hoops or arches, so that a marker when pressed down on a
hoop or arch, will by its elasticity retain its position by slight pressure. The
markers may be of different colors, or be numbered, or have devices thereon,
in order to indicate the players to whom they belong, and they may also be:
made to indicate the direction in which the balls of the players have been
played through the hoops or arches.
:
Heretofore the mallets employed in playing the game of croquet have had.
cylindrical heads or heads of a circular transverse section, part of this Inven-
tion consists in forming the under surface of the head of a croquet mallet of
a curved convex shape, with upright or nearly upright sides and ends, the
sides being made somewhat hollow, or concave from end to end. The two ends
of the head of a 'mallet are of different dimensions, the larger end is of a
rectangular form, somewhat wider than it is high; the other or smaller end is:
also of a rectangular form, but of considerable width as compared to its height,
the object being that this end of the mallet should be used by a player when
striking his ball at the time his foot is placed thereon, which he is enabled to
do with more certainty and advantage than when using a mallet with a head
having a cylindrical form; or otherwise of a circular transverse section.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed more -
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a side view, and Figure 2 an edge view of a croquet
marker according to the Invention. The marker is by preference made of
elastic sheet metal, though other suitably elastic material may be employed in
the construction of such markers. The form of marker shewn is the one pre-
ferred, but the shape may be varied. In the centre of the marker, on one
side, is a circle or dark mark, the marker is colored to correspond with the
color of one of the balls used by the players, so that each player will have a
marker corresponding in color with the ball he is playing with, and the
players will know by the central mark in which direction the ball has been
passed through an arch. Any suitable devices may be used on the markers
and on the corresponding balls to denote the players to whom the markers
belong, and also for pointing out'in which direction a ball has passed through
an arch. The marker is readily pressed on to "an-arch when the player's ball
has been played through such arch, and a marker will remain attached to that
arch till the ball of the player has been played through another arch; when the
marker may be readily removed from one arch to the next..

page_text: Figures 3 and 4 shew two views of the head of a croquet mallet made
according to the invention. The striking ends are rectangular in form, but
somewhat convex on the striking faces a and b. The larger striking face a
is the one ordinarily used by the player when striking a ball, whilst the
smaller face 6 is more suitable for striking the ball when under the player's
foot.
according to the invention.
Ine striking ends are rectangular Torm,
somewhat convex on the striking faces a and b.
The larger striking face a
is the one ordinarily used by the player when striking a ball, whilst the
smaller face 6 is more suitable for striking the ball when under the player's
foot.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Jaques, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOHN JAQUES, JUNIOR. (L.S.)