An Improved Game and Apparatus for Playing the same either on a Lawn or Garden Ground, likewise Suitable for Indoor Amuse- ment and Recreation.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1888
.. Specification Accepted, 25th May, 1888
An Improved Game and Apparatus for Playing the same either on
a Lawn or Garden Ground, likewise Suitable for Indoor Amuse-
ment and Recreation.
I, JAMES EDMUND HUGHES of Stanhope Road Walthamstow in the County of
Essex, 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:-
By this my present Invention 1 propose to form a light and portable structure
consisting of two or more main upright supports to which angular and cross supports and
struts may be hinged or connected and each or all of the said supports or struts may
by preference be made telescopically, in action, or separate in manner like fishing rod
joints, where they may be extended, reduced or separated apart as the alternative case
may be so as to give compactness and portability when not in use.
I form with and as part of the structure a horizontal table, wherein I construct a
series of pockets having a net or suitable receptacle to each and the whole provided at
the rear and sides of the same with a protective netting or covering in front, as well as
in the rear and sides.
"
The game to which this my Invention refers, and applies is to that to which I wish to
call as a game of "Competition "Reverse Pool" and "Spelling Bee" to be
played in or out of doors, either by Ladies, Gentlemen or Children, where two, three,
four, five, six, or more competitors may take part.
The top of the table is constructed with a series of pocket holes, six or more in
number, and from which the pockets of net work or other material are suspended,
and each of the said openings or pockets have a distinctive mark or prominent badge
around the circular opening or otherwise as may be arranged such as White, Red,
Blue, Yellow, Pink, Green, etc., as the case may be-A net is suspended above,
beneath and around the table of the said pockets curved or tapering at the centre
below the table and having an opening formed therein so that the balls when missing
the pockets may fall or roll downwards into a basket or receptacle placed to receive
same and a further basket or receptacle be placed at the side from which the players

page_text: commence or take action from-The ball or balls must be delivered above the level of
the netting by means of an underhand throw or pitch.
In the case of the game "Competition" the balls are equally divided, each player
taking one or more sets, according to the number playing and take their stand at an
agreed distance and regulated by chance as in the game of "Pool," wherein the
holder of the White Ball plays first followed by Red, Yellow, and the other
colours in their proper order as indicated by the Ivory tablets or indications placed
above or around the pocket corresponding thereto.
Each player in turn throws or endeavours to play it into the corresponding pocket
-if he succeeds in so doing it counts as one, if on the contrary the ball is mis-
pocketed one is taken from the said partys score and transferred to the owner of the
pocket into which it may have fallen. No player however transfers a forfeit if his
score is nil as he is not required to get into debt and the mispocket counts as a miss
simply.
When all the balls have been played they are regathered from the basket or
receptacle and the game thus proceeds with many a forfeit paid until one of the players
attains the winning score of say seven (7) and so ends the game of "Competition."
In the case of the game "Reverse Pool which may consist of two, three, six or
more players When there are six or more players each starts with three lives
and chooses a set of three balls. White opens the game by playing his first
ball into the Red pocket should he succeed he takes a life off Red, but should
he play into his own or any other pocket he loses a life-Red then proceeds to
play his first ball into his Yellow pocket taking a life off Yellow if he succeeds, losing
à life if he mispockets into any other, his own included-in the same way
Yellow plays into the green pocket, green plays into the pink pocket, pink into
Blue and Blue into White. When all the players have played their first ball
white again starts with his second ball followed by the others, and subsequently
with his third, the balls being regathered when all have been played. As each
player has the misfortune to lose three lives he stands out until one fortunate survivor
is left to constitute the winner as in the familiar game of Pool.
When three play at this game first player takes white and green, second player
Red and Pink third player Yellow and Blue. When only two play they then take
alternate pockets, one taking White Yellow and Pink the other Red, Green, and
Blue. In these cases the lives must be considered as attaching to the sets of balls
and as each set loses the three lives attaching to it they cease to be played, the corre-
sponding pocket sharing the same fate-the opponent of that pocket then passes it
over and plays into the next hostile pocket-When a player has lost one set of lives,
he may still win with the other, for instance the holder of Yellow and Blue may win
with his Blue lives after he has lost his Yellow ones.
"
Spelling Bec
وو
In the case of the game
as proposed by me, any number of
persons say from two to six may engage and the word to be spelt may be
any word
chosen. The Balls are placed in a bag or other closed receptacle, each player in turn
draws a ball therefrom and the success of the player depends upon his pocketing it
correctly which counts for one letter in the word which in due course is thus spelt out,
the first to do so being the winner-No forfeit to be paid for mispocketing, but all
balls mispocketed remain impounded there, and when a player correctly plays into
those pockets the impounded balls therein are claimed by the said player and plays
then before the drawing from the bag is resumed. For example if one or more balls
of the wrong colour have accumulated in the white pocket they become the prize of
the player who draws and correctly plays a white Ball, and as he has the right to replay
them immediately, they obviously constitute so many additional chances of his
winning. Balls correctly pocketed are not replayed by way of prize, only the
impounded ones which they release and if by some extraordinary run of ill luck all
the balls are mispocketed and therefore impounded a fresh start must be made-When
the bag is exhausted all the balls except the impounded ones are regathered. I like-
wise provide a marking board for guiding or scoring the before mentioned game,
similar or like to that used in Billiards or other similar games. 1 specially arrange

page_text: and provide a box or case to receive each portion of the apparatus so as to be very
portable and compact as to the struts or main supports whether telescopic or
detachable.
In the accompanying Drawing Figures 1 and 2, I have shewn at figure 1 the
form or class of apparatus fixed and erected in position intended to be used for the
games I wish to designate or call as "Competition" Reverse Pool and Spelling Bee.
At figure 2 I have shewn that the main supports and struts whether telescopic or other-
wise together with the nets or netting may be easily disconnected or uncoupled and
packed in a very portable and compact compass within a case and capable of being
easily removed or transmitted especially for shipment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same may be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The combination of games that may be played by means of the apparatus shewn
and described and when required to be as easily taken apart and packed as to be
erected in position.