Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
I, HENRY LINCOLN HASKELL, of the Town of Ludington, in the County of Mason,
in the State of Michigan, one of the United States of America, 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 game-boards of the class in which disks are propelled
across the face of the board.
The object of the invention is to provide a game demanding peculiar skill, and
enabling the application of carrom and bank shots, and combinations which are
not possible in the ordinary disk games calling only for straight shots or requiring
only accurate direct aim.
The invention consists of a game-board having pockets, baseline, central spot
enclosure, and disks of wood or other suitable material, adapted to rest upon or to
be impelled across the board, and particularly of a corner for the board, devices
for attaching a pocket to the corner, and in other details hereinafter pointed out in
the claims.
Reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein,―
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of the board.
Fig. 2, is a plan view of same.
Fig. 3, is an enlarged detail plan view of one corner of the board looking at
it from the underside, in this view the rim is shown in section in order to illustrate
the recess in the curved corner.
Fig. 4, is an enlarged detail plan view of one corner of the board, looking at it
from the underside, in this view the rim is shown in a different section to that
shown in Fig. 3, in order to illustrate a modification in the construction of the
pocket supporting wire.
Fig. 5, is an enlarged detail plan view of one corner of a board, showing the
application of a clamp for holding one side of the pocket to the rim.
Fig. 6, is a section of a portion of the board on the line, x, x, of Fig. 2.
Figs. 7, and 8, are detail plan and cross sectional views, respectively, of one of
the disks.
The game-board has a flat board, or face, A, secured to a band or rim, B, pre-
ferably by entering grooves in the rim, the rim extending above and below the
plane of the face, A, so as to confine the disks and provide on the obverse a
boundary to which a cushion may be attached and on the reverse a support
or standard to hold the board so that the function of the pockets need not be
disturbed.
The face, A, is preferably composed of veneers of polished wood, with an inter-
posed filling, the grain preferably running in different directions to prevent
warping or splitting, and the edges of the face preferably lying in grooves in the
band or rim, B.
The band or rim, B, is preferably made in two pieces as shown in Fig. 1, in

page_text: which case the corners of the rim are bent to the required shape, or said band or
rim may be made in one piece in which case the corners may be kerfed so that
they may be set in a curve, or said band or rim may be made in sections and joined
by a key.
The openings for the pockets are shown at, D, and in these openings are felt
pockets secured to the side or top of the rim, B, by a clamp, E, and beneath the
inner curve of the pocket upon a wire, F.
This wire, F, may be secured at each end in any of a series of holes, G, or may
lie in a grove, H, in the curved corner of the board, and be held to the face of the
board by staples, I.
K, is a recess in the curved corner of the board. This recess presents a surface
composed of compound curves, so that when a disk strikes the fabric of which the
pocket is formed, the loose fabric is carried into the recess and the curve is such
that the incident force deflects the disk into the bottom of the pocket, from
whatever direction it may come.
It will be observed that the recess curves inward both above and below the
plane of the face of the board. This enables the usual action of the upper curve to
be supplemented by the occasional action of the lower curve, as for example, when
a disk might be deflected from a near part of the cushion to the lower curve of the
recess, the effect being to either turn it directly into the side of the pocket or to
throw it against the upper curve and then down into the pocket. Moreover by
curving the lower part of the recess inward the corner is not weakened as it
would be if the cut were continued in oblique line outward or even in a straight
line downward.
Attached to the rim, B, is a felt strip or lining, L, preferably in the form of
a bevelled felt cushion, triangular in cross section, the apex to be struck by the
playing disks.
The impelling disk, M, and if desired the other disks used in this game, as
illustrated, is bored and counter bored on each face to reduce the weight and the
friction of the disk as it passes over the face, A, and yet leave a full curved surface
for the blow from the finger, and to make it practicable, to give a strong blow
without fear of hurting the finger, and to impart the full force in every case.
On the face of the board, base lines, A¹, are marked as shown on the drawing
and the center of the board is indicated by a distinctive mark as by a spot or by
an inlaid section, A³, contrasting in color with the rest of the face of the board,
or by any of the obvious means by which the center may be determined. On
this center is placed a disk, M³, preferably of green color, marked with a figure
five and around this are grouped twenty-four disks, twelve white and twelve black,
placed somewhat as shown in Fig. 2.
The impelling disk, M, shown in position on the drawings, should be of a
character or color to enable it to be readily distinguished from any of the other
disks, M¹.
It is obvious that the disks may vary widely in size, color, and other details, and
that the board may be modified in the specific relation of the several parts to each
other without departing from the invention as essentially disclosed.
"
It is obvious that the rules governing the game, may vary at the will of the
players; but the principal object is to impel the disks grouped in the center of the
board to the pockets, D, by the impact of the impelling disk, M, "snapped
from within the base line, the aggregate disks caught within any pocket together
with the green disk marked five determining a player's standing in the game.
The cushion, L, and the pockets, D, are arranged with especial reference to the
use of the disks upon a smooth surface, and the relation of the face to the rim is
such that the rim serves as a margin and also a standard for the game-board, so
that the pockets may not be pushed upwards when the board is placed upon a
table or flat surface.
The provisions usually found in billiard and pool tables I have discovered are
not applicable to disks. Where balls are used the cushion must be arranged

page_text: so that the ball strikes below the center of gravity and is held down to the surface,
the ball then rolling into the pocket without further guiding, the line of the
cushion being continued in the rail that holds the pocket, so that the ball may
there strike below its center. The margin of play is smaller with the necessary
small disks, and I therefore arrange the recess, h, with especial reference to the
cushion, L, and yet leaving a full surface at the top and bottom of the corner.
This recess presents a surface composed of compound curves, and the recess, as
shown, extends above and below the plane of the face of the board, and provides
a receptacle for the portion of the loose pocket driven in by the impact of the disks,
so that the force of the motion is absorbed and even after a hard blow each disk
will drop surely into the bottom of the pocket.
I usually make provisions on the reverse of the board for another game; and it
will be observed that the arrangement is such that the pockets and cushions may
be applied so that either side of the face may be chosen for the principal game.
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:-
1st, In a game board the combination of a face, a rim projecting above the face,
and pockets, with sets of disks adapted to be grouped about the centre of the face,
and a disk adapted to be snapped to impel the other disks into the pockets,
substantially as described.
2nd, In a game board, the combination of a face, a rim projecting above the
face, a cushion on the rim, and pockets, with sets of disks adapted to be grouped
about the centre of the face, and a disk adapted to be snapped to impel the other
disks into the pockets, either directly or by the deflecting action of the cushion,
substantially as described.
3rd, In a game board, the combination of a face, a rim projecting above the
face, a base line on said face, and pockets, with sets of disks adapted to be grouped
about the centre of the face, and a disk adapted to be snapped to impel the other
disks on said face into said pockets, either directly or by the deflecting action of
the cushion, substantially as described.
4th, In a game board, a face, a rim, a cushion on the rim, a series of pockets,
and a corner opposite each pocket recessed in the plane of the cushion, substantially
as described.
5th, The combination of a game board, having a face, a rim projecting above
the face, a cushion on the rim, a base line adjacent to the rim and pockets outside
the base line, with sets of disks adapted to be grouped about the centre of the
face, and a disk adapted to be snapped from the base line to impel the other disks
into the pockets either directly or by the deflecting action of the cushion,
substantially as described.
6th, In a game board the combination of a face, a series of pockets, a rim form-
ing the outer boundary of each pocket and having a central recess for each pocket
extending above and below the plane of the face of the board and adapted to receive
the impact of the playing disk and deflect the same into the bottom of the pocket
substantially as described.
7th, In a game board, the combination of a face, a rim, a series of pockets, a
central recess in the rim for each pocket curved in all directions and extending
above and below the plane of the face of the board, and a pocket of felt or similar
material hung loosely in front of the said recess, where by the impact of the playing
(lisk may carry the loose material before it into the recess, and the disk be deflected
into the bottom of the pocket, substantially as described.
Sth,—In a game board, the combination of a face, a rim projecting above and
below the face, openings in the face for pockets, pockets, each secured to the rim,
and to an adjustable wire held in the rim and securing each pocket below the face,.
substantially as described.
9th, In a game board, the combination of a face, a rim, openings in the face

page_text: for pockets, a groove in the rim for each pocket below the face, a wire secured
by each groove and encircling the openings, and pockets held about the openings
by the wires, substantially as described.
Dated this 10th dose of March 1900