Year: 1899

page_text: We, ROBERT HARRIS SHAW and JOHN FLETCHER SHAW, both of 20, Elvey
Street, Newton Heath, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The object of this invention is to construct a table or parlor game played
with a bail such as football, golf, or the like, which is not automatic but can be
played by two or more persons or competitors actuating mechanical figures by
pressing down levers, keys, buttons or the like so that the result of the game.
depends principally upon the skill of the players.
For this purpose we use a floor or ground of convenient size so as to be placed
upon a table or other support, and on this ground we fix or otherwise mount at
proper intervals and in suitable positions the required number of mechanical
figures (preferably men) and we use a round ball of wood, metal, or other suit-
able material, the mechanical figures being each made with movable limbs 80
that they can be caused to kick or otherwise strike the ball when required, the
whole being preferably enclosed by a net or in a glass or other transparent casing
to prevent accident from the ball being kicked or struck off the board.
The ground or, floor is divided into as many spaces or areas as there are
mechanical figures (say for example six, that is, two men and a goal keeper)
for each player according to the number of players for which the game is to be
arranged.
Each space or area is inclined or hollowed out so that its lowest point is
just in front of the foot of the loose or movable leg (or in the case of golf, cricket,
or the like, the club or bat) of the figure located on that particular space or
area, where there may be a slight depression to arrest the ball.
The end planes or areas representing the goals are made with a transverse
ridge behind the figure and they are sloped downwards from the centre so that
if a ball is kicked (or struck) behind the goal line it rolls back again by gravity
to the striking point in front of the figure.
The movable leg (or arm) of each figure is hung upon a pivot and is con-
nected by a rod which passes down through the fixed leg and through the floor
to one end of a lever beneath the same the other end of the said lever projecting
beyond the edge of the floor so as to be within easy reach of the players so that
by depressing any of the levers or keys with a smart blow of the finger he can
cause the mechanical figure, to which that particular lever or key is connected,
to kick (or strike) the ball. The two figures representing the goal keeper are so
mounted that they can also be turned a certain distance to the right or left by
a lever moving in a horizontal direction so that the direction in which they
kick (or strike) the ball can be varied at the will of the player.

page_text: The figures at opposite ends of the floor or board are preferably painted or
dressed in different colors to represent the different sides, and the two players
each manipulate the figures of their own color only.
The game is played as follows:
Having tossed or otherwise decided which side shall commence, the first
piayer(say the blue). puts the ball in front of his own goalkeeper and by
smartly depressing the lever or key causes him to kick off the ball either to
the right or left or straight according to the position in which he has placed his
man.
The ball rolls about the floor or ground in various directions until it finally
gravitates into one of the inclined or depressed areas and rests in front of the
player fixed in that particular area. If this should happen to be a blue man the
same player gets another kick, but if it should be one of the opposite side (say
red) then the other player actuates this figure by striking the corresponding
lever or key, and so on.
.
"
Whenever the ball goes behind the goal line it is counted as a "goal" to that
side, and the goal-keeper-on- that side is allowed to kick off again. If so
arranged the number of "kicks" may be counted as well as the goals" in
reckoning up the winning side at the end of the game; and the order of playing
the game may be varied in other obvious ways, so. that the game becomes more
interesting and, the players.can. exercise.a considerable amount of skill in play-
ing the game, at the same time that the element of luck or chance gives an
amount of uncertainty to the result.
+
Dated this 20th day of June 1899..
t
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
.Improvements in Games Played with Mechanical Figures.
We, ROBERT HARRIS SHAW and JoHN FLETCHER SHAW, both of 20, Elvey
Street, Newton Heath, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers,
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:―
The object of this invention is to construct a table or parlour game played
with a ball such as football, golf, or the like, which is not automatic but can be
played by two or more persons or competitors, actuating mechanical figures by
pressing down levers, keys, buttons or the like so that the result of the game
depends principally upon the skill of the players.
,
On the accompanying drawings illustrating our invention Fig. 1 is a longi-
tudinal section, Fig. 2 a plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 a view of one of the
mechanical figures (drawn to a larger scale) which are merely represented by
their lower limbs.
: f
For the purposes of our invention we use a floor or ground a of convenient
size so as to be placed upon a table or other support, and on this ground we fix
or otherwise mount at proper intervals and in suitable positions the required
number of mechanical figures (preferably men) represented by the legs and b
and we use a round ball c, of wood, metal or other suitable material, the
mechanical figures being each made with movable-limbs so that they can be

page_text: caused to kick or otherwise strike the ball when required, the whole being
preferably enclosed by a net or in a glass or other transparent casing, (not shown
on the drawings) to prevent accident from the ball e being kicked or struck off
the board u.
The ground or floor a is divided into as many spaces or areas marked 1, 2, 3,
4,5,6 as there are mechanical figures (say for example six, that is, two men and
a goal keeper) for each player according to the number of players for which
the game is to be arranged.
Each space or area is inclined or hollowed out so that its lowest point is
just in front of the foot of the loose or movable leg b (or in the case of golf,
cricket, or the like, the club or bat) of the figure located on that particular
space or area, where there may be a slight depression * to arrest the ball.
The end planes or areas 1 and 5 representing the goals are made with a ridge
behind the figure and they are sloped downwards from the centre so that if a
ball is kicked (or struck) behind the goal line e it rolls back again by gravity in
the direction indicated by the curved arrows on Fig. 2, to the striking point in
front of the figure.
The movable leg b (or arm) of each figure is hung upon a pivot and is con-
nected by a rod f which passes down through the fixed leg and through the
floor to a lever g beneath the same, the outer end of the said lever projecting
beyond the edge of the floor so as to be within easy reach of the players so that
by depressing any of the levers or keys with a smart blow of the finger he can
cause the mechanical figure, to which that particular lever or key is connected,
to kick (or strike) the ball, the lever being returned to its original position by the
coiled spring h. The two figures representing the goal keepers are so mounted
on a pivot or rod fi that they can also be turned thereon a certain distance to
the right or left by a lever k moving in a horizontal direction so that the
direction in which they kick (or strike) the ball can be varied at the will of
the player.
The figures at opposite ends of the floor or board are preferably painted or
dressed in different colors to represent the different sides, and the players
manipulate the figures of their own color only.
The game is played as follows:-
Hlaving tossed or otherwise decided which side shall commence, the first
player (say the blue) puts the ball in front of his own goal keeper and by
smartly depressing the lever or key g causes him to kick off the ball c either to
the right or left or straight according to the position in which he has placed his
man.
The ball e rolls about the floor or ground in various directions until it finally
gravitates into the lowest part of one of the inclined or depressed areas 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, and rests in front of the player fixed in that particular area (see Fig. 2).
If this should happen to be a blue man the same player gets another kick, but
if it should be one of the opposite side (say red) then the other player actuates
this figure by striking the corresponding lever or key g and so on.
Whenever the ball goes over the goal line e it is counted as a "goal" to that
side, and the goal-keeper on that side is allowed to kick off again. If so arranged
the number of kicks"
may be counted as well as the "goals" in reckoning
up the winning side at the end of the game; and the order of playing the game
may be varied in other obvious ways for example, goal posts may be fixed at
the ends of the line e so that the game becomes more interesting and the players
can exercise a considerable amount of skill in playing the game, at the same
time that the element of luck or chance gives an amount of uncertainty to the
result.
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:-
The improved game of football golf or the like plaved by mechanical figures

page_text: actuated by the players, substantially as herein before described and illustrated
by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 19th day of March 1900.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.