A Self-acting Score Indicating Apparatus for use in Playing Games of Skill with Projectiles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1898-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Self-acting Score Indicating Apparatus for use in Playing Games
of Skill with Projectiles.
I, JOHN EDWARD AUSTIN, of West Court, Detling, Maidstone, in the County of
Kent, Gentleman, 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 consists in a self-acting score indicating apparatus for use in
playing games of skill with balls or other projectiles impelled either by mallets
as in croquet, or by throwing, shooting, or otherwise.
The object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive indicating
apparatus requiring, when in use, no personal attention and by which the particular
value of each shot or stroke (presuming it to be successful at all) will be temporarily
but plainly displayed and so may be recorded, thereby saving dispute as to its value.
In fully describing my invention I will refer to the accompanying drawings in
which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus showing one value number
displayed by the action of a ball, and Figure 2 is a back elevation. Figure 3 is
an end elevation showing the normal position of the parts, and Figure 4 the
same view showing changed position of the moving parts when a successful stroke
has been made.
My apparatus comprises a horizontal bar B of any length suitable to the number
of objects to be aimed at and trials of skill required, and it is supported at each
end by standards SS which are cranked or bent backwardly at ss for a purpose
hereinafter explained. Freely hinged to the rear of the bar B is a series of
vertically swinging pendent bars DD which are the objects to be aimed at. Five
are shown as being a convenient number and each has or may have a different
value attributed to it, for example, the centre one may count "7" when struck
and the others less values. This may, of course, be arranged in any desired way,
but the numbers corresponding to the said values are painted or marked plainly
upon the front side of the bar B and normally covered and rendered invisible by
cover plates. These may be conveniently arranged as shown comprising two
plates P P hinged together at pp and bearing the value number inside. The
one P is fixed to the bar B and the other P¹ is adapted to fall freely open forwardly,
then displaying the said value number when the corresponding pendent bar has
been displaced. These cover-plates in the drawings are shown as flat and normally
held up by curved arms dd extending forwardly from the pendent bars DD and
acting on curved surfaces cc formed on the backs of the cover plates P P¹.
arrangement serves the purpose, but obviously many other equivalent means could
be devised and substituted, for example, the front of the bar B might be made of
convex form and cover plates of corresponding curvature hinged to it.
pendent bars D are set at such distances apart that the ball or projectile cannot
pass between any pair without striking one or both, and should a ball strike two
at once the sum of the values displayed may be halved, thus giving the proper value
of the stroke. The bar B is fixed upon its standards S at proper height from the
ground and the player plays his ball from the front, aiming of course at the
This
The

page_text: pendent bar of the highest value, in this case the central one, which may
advantageously be painted white or constructed differently to the others. On the
ball striking any bar 1) it is thereby swung backwards and the consequent with-
drawal of the supporting arm allows the corresponding cover plate P¹ to fall,
displaying for a short time the value number behind it, which is then scored to
the player. When the ball has passed clear through, the return swing of the
pendent bar at once replaces the cover plate over the number. The backward
bend of the standards S above referred to serves to prevent a ball striking either of
them, rebounding against the adjoining pendent bar and thereby causing the
apparatus to indicate a false stroke. The bars DD are preferably made of heavy
material such as oak or ash, or they may be weighted at their lower ends, also
pads of soft material may be interposed where desirable to prevent noise and
injury. Although the apparatus as above described is more specially designed for
use with croquet balls and mallets, its employment is not confined to any special
game of skill or implements for playing same, other than projectiles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
A self-acting score indicating apparatus for use in playing games of skill with
balls or projectiles such as above referred to, in which a series of swinging pendent
bars hinged to a horizontal bar supported on standards normally hold up plates
covering certain value numbers painted upon the said horizontal bar, but release
same and display the corresponding value number when any pendent bar has been
displaced by a projectile and then re-cover the number, substantially as set forth.
Dated this Thirtieth day of September 1898.