Year: 1894

page_text: I MARTHA COLE trading as M. Cole & Co. of 31ª Spital Square in the Liberty
of Norton Folgate in the County of Middlesex Toy Manufacturers do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved game of cricket in which the figure of a
batsman is hinged to a board or table representing the field in such a manner that
it is made capable of standing erect as in the act of batting being supported behind
by a hinged support or stay by disconnecting which for convenience of packing it
can be placed in a horizontal position upon the board and at the same time be
kept secured thereto. The arms of the figure are hinged at the elbows, and to its
back a coil or other spring is secured the free end of which is extended downwards
in such a manner as to abut against the hinged part of the arms when the batsman.
is standing erect in position for striking a ball behind the bat, at a proper distance
therefrom a lever is pivotted or hinged to the board and a catch formed at one end
of said lever. This lever is so constructed or mounted that the end upon which
the catch is formed when disengaged from the bat, always falls to the ground. The
batting movement is produced as follows:-The bat secured to the hinged part of
the arms of the figure with the end of the spring abutting against same is pushed
back with one hand till it reaches the catch on the end of the lever which is raised
with the other hand and made to catch on and hold back the bat ready to strike a
ball. On this then being bowled and hitting the bat it releases the catch and the
rebound of the spring causes the ball to be driven by the bat down the field as in
the game of cricket. Holes may be made in the board for the ball to stop in to
indicate runs or "caught out" and the like. A set of wickets, which may also be
hinged to the board, are placed behind the batsman in the usual manner. For
convenience the ball may be attached to an elastic cord with one end of this secured
to the board.
Dated this 7th day of July 1894
I MARTHA COLE trading as M. Cole & Co. at 31 Spital Square in the Liberty
of Norton Folgate in the County of Middlesex Toy Manufacturer 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved game of cricket in which the figure of a
batsman is hinged to a board or table representing the field in such a manner that
it is made capable of standing erect as in the act of batting being supported behind
by a hinged support or stay by disconnecting which for convenience of packing it
can be placed in a horizontal position on the board and at the same time be
kept secured thereto. The arms of the figure are hinged at the elbows. To the

page_text: back of the figure a coil or other spring is secured the free end of which is extended
downwards in such a manner as to abut against the hinged part of the arms when
the batsman is standing erect in position for striking a ball.
Behind the bat and at a proper distance therefrom a lever is pivotted or hinged to
the board and a catch formed at one end of such lever. This lever is so constructed
or mounted that the end upon which the catch is formed-when disconnected from
the bat always falls to the ground.
The batting movement is produced as follows:-
A bat secured to the hinged part of the arms with the end of the spring abutting
against same-is pushed back with one hand till it reaches the catch on the end of
the lever, which is raised with the other hand and made to catch on and hold back
the bat ready to strike a ball.
If the ball is then bowled and hits the bat it releases the catch and the rebound
of the spring causes the ball to be driven by the bat down the field as in the game
of cricket.
66
Holes may be made in the board for the ball to stop in to indicate runs or
caught out," and the like. A set of wickets (which may also be hinged to the
board) are placed behind the batsman in the usual manner. For convenience
the ball may be attached to an elastic cord with one end of this secured to the
board.
Or it may be driven by a horizontal loosely mounted spindle actuated by a spring
such spindle being placed in line with but at the end of the board or field furthest
from the bat, and in order that my present invention may be easily understood and
-readily carried into practice I will proceed to describe the accompanying drawings
in illustration of same in which similar letters of reference represent similar parts :-
Fig. is a plan of the board or held showing the game comprese.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the spring propeller.
Fig. 3 a perspective view of catch.
Fig. a front and Fig. 5 a side view of enclosures.
Fig. 6 a perspective view of batsman in position showing the bat held back by
catch ready for play also stay and set of stumps etc. also dotted view of batsman
and stumps laying down on their hinges for convenience of packing.
Fig. 7 a back view of batsman in Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 a side view of batsman and spring propeller showing
releasing bat.
Fig. 9 a back view of batsman in Fig. 8.
a modified way of
Fig. 10 a cross section showing the rounded surface of the face of bat.
A is the board or field (Fig. 1) with the enclosures e (which I substitute for
holes in the board to indicate runs etc.) ranged round same with their entrances all
in line with the bat. These euclosures e are provided with swinging barriers c¹
(Figs. 4 & 5) made to swing inwardly only so that on the ball entering one of them
it drives back the barrier on its hinges and is made prisoner by this swinging back
again into its normal position against abutment as soon as the ball has rolled
behind it. bis the batsman in position for play with bat held back by catch c
pivotted to support c' secured to the board A. we is a set of wickets hinged to the
board for convenience of packing. is the propeller actuated by coil springs for
aiming the ball at the bat one end of this spring & being secured to the said
propeller and the other abutting against frame upon which propeller p is mounted.
It will be seen that propeller p is provided with a flat-ended striker and mounted
so that its centre-together with the direction of its stroke-is in line with the
centre and the direction of the stroke of bat b¹ (for this purpose mounted per-
pendicularly) consequently if a ball be placed against the centre of the propeller
and aimed at the bat it will strike bat 6' in the centre and be driven by this back
again to or towards the centre of propeller but if a ball be placed out of the

page_text: centre of propeller p viz. at one side of same-and aimed at the bat 6' it will hit
the latter correspondingly on one side and as the striking surface of the bat b¹ is"
circular be driven down the field on that side at an angle with the direction of the
stroke of bat ' depending upon the distance from its centre at which the bat is hit.
By this arrangement as will be easily understood the batsman can be made to drive
the ball into the different enclosures e at will and so score the different. runs indicated
by same and avoid those designated "caught" and the like.
Fig. 6 shows the batsman ready for play supported by stay g one end of which
is pinned to his back and the other hinged to the board. A set of stumps or wickets w
is provided also hinged to the board to permit of their being knocked down by the
ball as also for convenience of packing is a coil spring with one end secured at
the back of the figure above the hinged part of the arms 62 and the other or free
end extended downwards and abutting against the bat secured to the hinged part
of the arms so that to set the bat ready to strike a ball it has simply to be
pushed back and the pin in the bottom of it lodged in the slot made in one end of
the catch c when on a ball being aimed and hitting the bat the latter is momentarily
forced back in the slot which causes this end of catch e to fall and so releases the
bat and the pressure of springs behind this imparts to it a forward movement
which causes the ball to be driven as by a batsman in the game of cricket. In
order to make the batsınan appear more natural the hinge to the arms has been
concealed from view in front up his sleeves.
Fig. 8 shows a modified way of releasing the bat 6 from catch c by pivotting the
latter to a projecting arm or support i made fast to the back of batsman b. A pin 6*
is provided to bat which is held back in position for striking a ball by the pin 6*
being lodged in the slot provided in the lower part of catch c in this figure; to the
upper part of the catch is connected flexible cord m which is then passed over
pulleys n and n¹ mounted at the back of the batsman and over pulleys n² and n*.
mounted beneath the board A the other end of the cord m being secured to the forepart
of the spring
Upon the propeller p being pulled and suddenly let go in the act
of driving a ball the rebound of the springs causes
a forward or vibratory
movement of the propeller p which takes along with it the cord m in communication
with catch e thus releasing the bat b¹ the moment after the driving of the ball by
propeller p and causing it to be pressed rapidly forward (as already described) to
meet the ball and so to drive it as in the game of cricket.
8.
Fig. 3. Instead of the slot in thelend of catch c to hold back the bat the end of
catch may be turned upwards for this purpose, in which case of course the pin
on the end of the bat can be dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A mechanical toy cricket game in which the batting movement is produced
by a hinged part of the arms of the batsman secured to the bat and actuated by a
spring one end of which spring being secured to the batsman above or clear of the
said hinged part and the other or free end extending downwards and abutting
against the said hinged part together with catch c for holding back the bat
substantially in the manner and for the purpose described in the foregoing
Specification and set forth in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a mechanical toy cricket game the figure of a batsman with a hinged part
of the arms secured to the bat such hinged part being actuated by a spring one end
of which spring being secured to the batsman above or clear of the said hinged
part and the other or free end extending downwards and abutting against the said
hinged part such hinged part together with the bat being so mounted that the
stroke of the bat is in line with the centre of the spring propeller p the said bat
having a circular face substantially in the manner, and for the purpose described
and set forth.
3. In a mechanical toy cricket game the figure of a batsman with a hinged part

page_text: of the arms secured to the bat such hinged part being actuated by a spring one end.
of which spring being secured to the batsman above or clear of the said hinged.
part and the other or free end extending downwards and abutting against the said
hinged part such figure being also hinged to the field or board so as to be capable
of being placed in a horizontal position and raised erect supported by stay g
whilst secured to the board substantially as and for the purpose described and set
forth.
4. In a mechanical toy cricket game enclosures e with swinging barriers e¹ so
constructed that the ball can enter but not leave the same substantially as and for
the purpose herein described and set forth.
5. In a mechanical toy cricket game the figure of a batsman with a hinged part
of the arms secured to the bat such hinged part being actuated by a spring one end
of which spring being secured to the batsman above or clear of the said hinged part
and the other or free end extending downwards and abutting against the said
hinged part the hinge of said hinged part being hid from view by the sleeves of
the figure as and for the purpose described and set forth.
6. In a mechanical toy cricket game spring propeller p in connection with
catch and flexible cord m substantially as and for the purpose described
and set forth.
7. An improved mechanical toy cricket game substantially as described in the
foregoing Specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of January 1895.
MARTHA COLE.