Improvements in Toys, Games, or Puzzles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 7th May, 1898
COMPLETE DITUIFICATIO
Improvements in Toys, Games, or Puzzles.
I, JOHN SHIPWAY, of 29, Brierley Street, Rosehill, Bolton, in the County of
Lancaster, Hairdresser, 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 or puzzle, and also to an improved
device for producing a varied travelling motion to certain figures or objects used
in the said game, and also in other toys, games or puzzles.
The said device is designed to imitate the movement of ships, animals, birds or
men in a novel and unique manner. The effect is produced by inverting the
mouth of a small box or casing such as a small pill box over a glass ball or marble.
The marble should be slightly larger in diameter than the depth of the box, so
that when the same is placed upon an inclined surface, the marble will by the
accelleration due to gravity commence to roll. Its motion is, however, impeded
by the inverted box, and instead of moving rapidly from one end to the other of
the inclined surface, its course is continually checked by the inverted box placed
upon it, to which it imparts a rocking, jerky motion, very much resembling the
motion of a ship in sailing, but which may be also designed to imitate the move-
ments of men, animals, fishes or birds or living organism of any kind.
I will now instance the application of my invention as aforesaid to my improved
game or puzzle to be called "Ships at Sea," which will be fully understood by
reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing.
A is a board or plate of any suitable material and dimensions, and formed or
blocked with four flanged edges B. The circular strips C at the four corners with
central openings D represents four foreign ports. The enclosure in the centre of
the board consisting of four strips E and four openings or passages F between
them represent the home harbour. The port openings and harbour openings are
differently coloured according to the colours of four ships, which are placed upon
the spots G. A light-ship, which may be made bigger than the rest, may be placed
on a central spot, and is never intended to leave the harbour, but is allowed to
float about at will, thus having a tendency somewhat to increase the difficulty
of getting the ships from the harbour.
The board may be coloured to imitate the sea. The object of the game is to cause
the ships, which have been placed upon the spots G, to leave the harbour simul-
taneously by their respective coloured openings. This is done by tilting the board
at any angle to produce the desired effect. The ships' destination is to foreign
ports marked D, and after entering the same according to their respective colours,
they must then return home to the harbour. According to the rules, no ship may
enter the harbour while another is in a foreign port. They must all be on their
homeward voyage at the same time. This also applies when making the outward
voyage.
The rules may be varied as desired. Fig. 2 represents my improved device, which
constitutes the essential feature of my invention. This consists of box H, which

page_text: is at its mouth inverted over marble or other ball J, shewn in dotted lines. Fixed
to the bottom of the said box is ship K, which may be stamped out of pasteboard,
tin or other material. When the board A is tilted at any angle, the device is put
in motion, and resembles in a strikingly realistic manner the movement of a ship
in sailing. Instead of being placed in the interior of the box H, the marble may
be devised to roll in an additional compartment on the exterior of the box. The
box H may be provided with an internal flange to prevent the marble leaving its
position.
The movement of other objects such as animals birds and men may be also readily
imitated by the employment of the same invention or a modification thereof, and I
am therefore enabled by merely altering the details of this, as well as other games,
to vary the use of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.
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. The improved device for producing a varied travelling movement to certain
figures or objects used in toys, games or puzzles, substantially as described and
illustrated in Fig. 2.
2. Some such box or casing as H inverted over marble or other ball J for pro-
ducing a varied travelling movement along a tilted board or inclined surface in
games or puzzles, substantially as described and illustrated.
3. The improved game or puzzle, consisting of board A in combination with my
improved device for producing a varied travelling movement to various moving
objects such as ship K fixed thereto, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 14th day of February 1898.
RICHMOND & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant, 12, Standish Street, Burnley.
RICHMOND & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant, 12, Standish Street, Burnley.