IMPROVED MEANS CE AND OTHER GAMES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Soutter, senior, Toy Merchant and Manufac-
turer, and Thomas Christie, Teacher, both of Edinburgh, in the County
of Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS
CE AND OTHER GAMES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Soutter and
Thomas Christie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 11th July 1865.
We, JAMES SOUTTER, senior, Toy Merchant and Manufacturer, and THOMAS
CHRISTIE, Teacher, both of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
MEANS FOR MARKING PROGRESS IN THE GAME OF CROQUET AND OTHER GAMES," to
be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object to provide better and more convenient
means than hitherto in use for marking progress in the game of croquet, and
the improved means are also applicable in connection with other games.
An essential feature of the Invention as applied to croquet consists in
adapting the contrivances for marking progress to the several mallets, so that

page_text: each player may mark his own progress upon a piece which he must neces-
sarily have always in hand, and to which therefore he can always refer with
the greatest possible couvenience, whilst at the same time there is no separate
or additional piece to be carried about.
In one modification of the marking appliances there is fixed on any
convenient part of the handle of each mallet a ring formed with ratchet
teeth, and with this ring there engages a movable ring, also formed with
ratchet teeth. A spring tends to keep the movable ring with its teeth in
gear with those of the fixed ring, but this spring yields to permit of the
movable ring being shifted round. Numbers are put on the movable part,
and an index point on the fixed part, or vice versâ, so that on shifting the
ratchet ring at each step of the game progress will be marked by the relative
positions of the numbers and index.
It will be obvious that various kinds of marking appliances may be
adapted to the mallet handle, such appliances comprising a movable or
adjustable piece and a scale of numbers, or the like; thus, for example, the
movable piece may be a ring arranged to be adjusted along the handle.
In the case of other games than croquet the progress marker is applied to
any convenient piece which the player has to use or carry, such as the cue in
billiards or the bat in cricket.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Soutter and Thomas Christie in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 10th January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
SOUTTEE, senior, Toy Merchant and Manufacturer, and THOMAS CHRISTIE,
Teacher, both of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said James Soutter, senior, and Thomas Christie, Her special licence
that we, the said James Soutter, senior, and Thomas Christie, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James Soutter,
senior, and Thomas Christie, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: 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 "IMPROVED MEANS FOR MARKING PROGRESS IN THE GAME OF CROQUET AND
OTHER GAMES."
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James
Soutter, senior, and Thomas Christie, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, 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 performed, 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 we, the said James Soutter, senior, and Thomas
Christie, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being
had to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
Our said Invention has for its object to provide better and more convenient
means than hitherto in use for marking progress in the game of croquet, and
the improved means are also applicable in connection with other games.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, we have hereunto appended a Sheet of expla-
natory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing three
modifications of our improved appliances. The same reference letters are
used to indicate the same or like parts in all the Figures.
An essential feature of our said Invention as applied to croquet consists in
adapting the contrivances for marking progress to the several mallets, so that
each player may mark his own progress upon a piece which he must neces-
sarily have always in hand, and to which therefore be can always refer
with the greatest possible convenience, whilst at the same time there is no
separate or additional piece to be carried about.
One modification of our marking appliances is shown in elevation and in
section in Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings, these Figures representing the
head A, and part of the handle B, of a croquet mallet. In this example there
is fixed on the handle B, close to the head A, a ring C, formed with ratchet
teeth, and with this fixed ring C there engages a movable indicator ring D, also
formed with ratchet teeth. A spiral spring E, acting between a shoulder on the
handle B, and an internal step or flange formed in the indicator ring D, tends to
keep the ring D with its teeth in gear with those of the fixed ring C, but this
spring yields to permit of the movable indicator ring D being shifted round.

page_text: Numerals are put on the movable indicator ring D, and an index point F on
the handle B (or it might be on the fixed ring C), so that on shifting the
ratchet ring D at each step of the game progress will be marked by the
relative positions of the numbers and index.
Figures 3 and 4 are a side elevation and a section showing a slightly modified
arrangement, in which teeth are formed in the fixed ring C only, whilst a spring
E which in this case is fixed in the movable indicator ring D, engages with
each tooth in succession as the indicator ring D is shifted round step by step.
The iudex point F, and the numerals are shown as applied in the same manner
as in Figures 1 and 2 ; but if preferred they might in both cases be transposed,
and the index point be put on the movable ring D, the numerals being put on
the handle B or fixed ring C. The appliance is shown as adapted for the
numbers 1 to 8, to suit the ordinary game of croquet with sixteen stages, the
first attainment of the number 8 corresponding to the turning post, and the
second attainment of that number indicating arrival at the winning post.
It will, however, be obvious that the marking appliances can easily be
modified to suit any other convenient series of numbers, and that various kinds
of marking appliances may be adapted to the mallet handle, such appliances
comprising a movable or adjustable piece or indicator and a scale or series of
numbers, or the like; thus, for example, the movable piece or indicator may
be a ring arranged to be adjusted along the handle, which modification is
shown in elevation and section in Figures 5 and 6. In this example a
spring E, fixed in the indicator ring D, bears upon serrations G formed on
the bandle B to keep the ring from shaking out of place, but yielding
to pressure applied to shift the ring. The parts may be made in various
materials.
Both the fixed and moveable rings C, D, in the modifications shown in
Figures 1 and 2, 3 and 4, are by preference of brass or other metal, but may
also be made of boxwood, ivory, or the like. In the modifications shown in
Figures 5 and 6 the serrations G might be made on a piece of metal inlaid
into the wood.
In the case of other games than croquet the progress marker or indicator is
applied to any convenient piece or instrument which the player has to use or
carry, as the cue in billiards or the bat in cricket.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, we have to state that we do not
restrict ourselves to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that
what we believe to be novel and original and claim as the Invention secured
to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the applying of

page_text: means or contrivances for marking or indicating progress to mallets used in
the game of croquet, and to pieces or instruments carried or used by players
in other games, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Soutter, senior, and Thomas
Christie, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-six