A New or Improved Game of Skill.
Year: 1895

page_text: A New or Improved Game of Skill.
We HOWARD FLETCHER, of No. 42 Jeffreys Road, Clapham, London, Electrical
Engineer and CHARLES AUGUSTUS FLETCHER, of No. 85 Church Hill Road
Handsworth in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows
Our invention consists of a game of skill played by means of appliances used in
the manner hereinafter described.
Our new or improved game is played by two or more persons preferably on a
table by the use of, say, nine pegs or nine pins or like pieces, which pegs or pins
are to be struck and overturned by the back motion of a ring projected by the
player, the said ring being so manipulated by the finger of the player as to give
to it an advancing motion or a motion of translation, as well as a rotary motion.
The striking of the pegs or pins by the return or back motion of the ring
constitutes the essential feature of the game. Of the nine pins or pegs used eight
are of uniform size and one slightly larger than the others the latter peg or pin
being called the "king"; and the said pins or pegs are arranged on the table,
preferably covered with a thin smooth cloth so as to form a rectangular figure,
say eighteen inches square more or less, the king being placed in the middle of
the square. The pegs or pins are of different values in scoring and are marked
with their respective values, and the players take as their scores the several values
of the pegs or pins respectively struck and overturned by them.
The ring, by the return motion of which the pegs or pins are struck, has,
preferably a convex figure externally and is about one and a half inches diameter
but we do not limit ourselves to any particular size or shape of the said ring. It
may be made of hard and smooth wood or ivory but other hard non-metallic
material may be used. The pins or pegs may be made of wood or other material
and instead of pins or pegs, balls or other shaped pieces or men may be used.
In manipulating the ring for the purpose of projecting it forward and causing
it to make a return motion, the ring is placed on the table in a vertical plane
and the player presses his forefinger on the upper and rear part of the said ring
so as to give it an advancing or shooting motion as well as a rotary motion in a
direction proper for giving the return motion. By the compound motion thus
imparted to the ring it is first shot forward and then makes a return or back
motion, the player so arranging his stroke that the ring in its advance motion
passes between or on the side of the nine pins or pegs without touching them but
on its return or back motion strikes and knocks down the peg aimed at by the
player.
The rules of the game as to scoring and other details we do not think it necessary
here to describe.
Dated the Ninth day of January 1895.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: We, HOWARD FLETCHER, of No. 42 Jeffreys Road, Clapham, London, Electrical
Engineer, and CHARLES AUGUSTUS FLETCHER, of No. 85 Church Hill Road,
Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention consists of a game of skill played by means of appliances used
in the manner hereinafter described.
Our new or improved game is played by two or more persons preferably on a
table by the use of, say, nine pegs or nine pins or like pieces, which pegs or pins
are to be struck and overturned by the back motion of a ring projected by the
player, the said ring being so manipulated by the finger of the player so as to give
to it an advancing motion or a motion of translation, as well as a rotary motion.
The striking of the pegs or pins by the return or back motion of the ring
constitutes the essential feature of the game. Of the nine pins or pegs used eight
are preferably of uniform size and one slightly larger than the others, the latter
peg or pin being called the "king"; and the said pins or pegs are arranged on
the table, preferably covered with a thin smooth cloth, so as to form a rectangular
figure, say eighteen inches square more or less, the king being placed in the middle
of the square. The pegs or pins are of different values in scoring and the players
take as their scores the several values of the pegs or pins respectively struck and
overturned by them as explained in the rules of the game hereinafter given.
The ring by the return motion of which the pegs or pins are struck, has,
preferably, a convex figure externally and is about two inches diameter, but we
do not limit ourselves to any particular size or shape of the said ring, the shape
preferred being one which will cause the ring when placed on a horizontal surface
in a vertical plane to retain that position, that is, to stand upright. It may be
made of hard and smooth wood or ivory but other hard and preferably non-metallic
material may be used. The pins or pegs may be made of wood or other material
and instead of pins or pegs, balls or other shaped pieces may be used.
In manipulating the ring for the purpose of projecting it forward and causing
it to make a return motion, the ring is placed on the table in a vertical plane and
the player presses his fore or second finger on the upper and rear part of the said
ring so as to give it an advancing or shooting motion as well as a rotary motion in
a direction proper for giving the return motion. By the compound motion thus
imparted to the ring it is first shot forward and then makes a return or back
motion, the player so arranging his stroke that the ring in its advance motion
passes between or on the side of the nine pins or pegs without touching them but
on its return or back motion strikes and knocks down the peg aimed at by the
player.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is an illustration representing persons
playing the new or improved game constituting our invention and Figure 2 is a
diagram of the ring in the act of being projected forward by the finger of the
player the dotted position of the ring indicating the position to which it has been
shot before commencing its backward motion; the extent however of the forward
motion depends upon the strength of the forward impulse. The arrows in the
said Figure 2 indicate the direction of motion of the ring in the respective positions
described, that is, the arrow a indicates the advance motion and the arrow b
indicates the return and rotary motion of the ring. Figure 3 represents the said

page_text: ring in edge view. Figure 4 is an elevation of one of the nine pins or pegs, the
shape of which however may be varied.
In order to effect the forward motion of the ring and at the same time give. it
the rotary motion required to produce its return motion it is necessary for the
player to press one of his fingers on the ring near its top and on the side nearest to
him, while the ring is in a nearly vertical position as illustrated in Figures 1 an 1 2,.
the pressure being such as to suddenly force the ring forward from between the
finger and the table. In addition to the forward motion referred to the ring by
the action described of the finger on it, has imparted to it a rotary motion in a
direction opposite to that which would cause it to roll forward. The said forward
motion of the ring on the table is therefore a sliding motion and in consequence of
the friction between the said rotating ring and the table the forward impulse is
soon expended and the rotating ring coming momentarily to rest commences a back
or return rolling motion. If the operation is skilfully performed by the player
one or other of the nine pins is struck and overturned on the back rolling motion
of the ring.
Different numerical values are given to the series of pins or pegs employed and
a player's score is augmented by the number attached to the pin which he bas
succeeded in overturning.
The following rules of the game may be adopted ;-
"
1. The nine-pins or "pins "-of which 8 are of uniform size and colour, and one-
differing in colour and slightly larger and called the "king - are placed so as to
form a rectangular figure about 18 inches square, or more or less as may be agreed
by the players, with the king in its centre, on a table which should be bare or
covered with a thin smooth cloth. The mode of playing is as follows:-
66
2. The players of whom there may be two or more, sit round the table and in
turn take the "ring" and from a distance of not less than 6 inches from the nearest
pins," project it forward beyond any row of these, by pressing the first or second
finger on its upper side, in such a manner that along with the projecting force a
rotation of the "ring" itself towards the player is produced causing it when the
outward force is expended to return and knock down any of the "pins
desired.
"
aš
3. The "pins" count as of three values, viz. ;-Those three in the row furthest
from the player count 40 each; those two-to right and left of the king-20 each,
and those three nearest to the player, 10 each, and as a player succeeds in knocking.
down any of these, except the king by the return only of the ring, he shall count
its value to his score; pins so overturned to lie where they fall till the turn ceases.
If any so overthrown pin strikes and overturns another in its fall, the player shall
count both; or if the ring in returning glances from a fallen pin and overturns.
another, it shall also count, but if a player knocks down the king, either by outward
shot or return of the ring or by any occurrence whatever, his turn at once ceases.
and he loses all scores made during said turn. (This penalty may be modified for
beginners by arrangement or as a means of handicapping.)
4. Each player shall have three free shots, and if at the third he scores, he shall
continue to score till a miss concludes his turn, when the ring passes onto the next
player.
5. The pins shall be reset at the commencement of every turn, but never during
its continuance and all pins overthrown by the outward shot instead of return of
the ring, shall be removed from the table till next re-setting.
6. The player or partnership of players whose score first reaches 500 wins the
game.
We wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to these rules as they
may be varied without departing from the essential feature of the game.
In order to protect the operating finger of the player and to facilitate the shooting
of the ring, a thimble or shield of thin india rubber somewhat resembling a short
finger stall may be worn by each player. One of these india rubber thimbles or
shields is represented in Figure 5.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that we claim
as our invention ;-
"
The new or improved game of skill played by means of appliances of the kind
and used in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, the said appliances consisting of a series of arranged pegs, pins or like
pieces to be struck and overturned by the back motion of a ring which ring is so
manipulated by the finger of the player as to have imparted to it a compound motion
by virtue of which the said ring has a forward motion and at the end of the said
forward motion a back or return motion by which back motion the ring, if skilfully
played, strikes and overturns one or other of the arranged pieces substantially as
described and illustrated.
Dated the Twenty-sixth day of September 1895.
HOWARD FLETCHER.
CHARLES AUGUSTUS FLETCHER.