Improvements in and relating to Cricket Stumps, Creases and Scoring Indicators.
Year: 1898

page_text: 1.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Cricket Stumps, Creases and
Scoring Indicators.
I, GEORGE ALDERMAN, of Selly Park, Pershore Road, Birmingham, in the
County of Worcester, Storekeeper, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in and relating to cricket stumps,
creases, and scoring indicators, by which I provide a new form of wickets which
are easily fixed and afford a ready means for playing cricket without being de-
pendant upon the state of the pitch and by which cricket may be played equally
as well upon any kind of floor as upon the turf. By my improvement the scrore
may be automatically recorded as also the occasions where the batter is out of
his ground, and these various improvements may all be embodied in one complete
arrangement or may be separately used one without the other as may be desired.
The chief object of my invention being to avoid the disputed judgment of umpires,
to releive umpires of some of their duties and to assist in recording the scores
with certainty and precision. Hitherto cricket wickets have seldom been driven
into the ground so as to be upright and at right angles to the ground, neither are
the stumps always at the accurate and authorized distance from each other; the
hole into which the stumps have been knocked into the ground is constantly
enlarged and time is lost in re-adjustment, but in the spike plate of my invention
the stumps when struck with the ball oscillate and readjust themselves the bails
only requiring to be replaced. I will describe my improvements to the wickets
in carrying which into effect each of the stumps are loaded with lead or other
material and bored in its centre for enclosing a telegraphic or other communicating
wire and placed into a spike plate having holes to receive it instead of being
hammered into the ground. These stumps are balanced and allowed to move with
a pancratic motion by gimbal rings or other suitable fittings, fixed in the spike
plate, or the centre stump only of each wicket may be so placed into the spike
plate, and to the centre of this one stump the other two may be attached and
balanced thus forming the complete wicket of three stumps or an additional stump
may be added in rear, all of which may be supported and balanced by the centre
stump, which is inserted into the spike plate. The side stumps may be hung or
pivoted from the central stumps by several means such as by a horizontal arm.
The side stumps being weighted to cause them to retain their correct position
or flexible bands may be provided for connecting them with the central stump
for the same purpose. The metal spike plate with protected, spirit level and holes
to receive and balance the stumps may be separate from or attached to the crease
or crease platform, and can be easily pressed into the ground and accurately
levelled with the foot of the umpire and so remain during the cricket match. In
making the cricket crease I may form a platform of cork, wood, jute. flax sronge,
metal or other suitable material, and support or balance this platform by pivot-
springs and suitable ground spikes may be fixed under the platform which when

page_text: bearing the weight of the batter is in its normal position level with the ground
but otherwise slightly rises or sinks thus releasing a wire or other object a little
above or partially around the platform and shew's the batter out of his ground,
this elevated wire or object records a run when it is pressed down home by the
bat of the scorer as he regain's his ground, the wire rises from the platform higher,
or the object differs when the bail or bails is, or are knocked off the stumps proving
the batsman out. The platform also may automatically record the number de-
livered by each bowler from the two creases and a graduated block and artificial
pitch may be added to it.
I may make the platform to automatically indicate the number of runs made
and balls delivered at each wicket by telegraphy, magnetism springs or other
mechanical devices conveying by wires the scores to any distant parts of the cricket
field or otherwise.
•
:
The platform crease may be so constructed as to be inserted in the ground or
fastened to wooden and such like floors.
יתוג
1000
LEWIS WM. GOOLD,
Agent for Applicant,
5, Corporation Street, Birmingham.
Improvements in and relating to Cricket Stumps, Creases and
Scoring Indicators.
f
I, GEORGE ALDERMAN, of Selly Park, Pershore Road, Birmingham, in the
County of Worcester, Storekeeper, 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:-
-
**
My invention has for its object improvements in and relating to cricket stumps
creases and scoring indicators by which I provide a new form of wickets which
are easily fixed and afford a ready means for playing cricket without being de-
pendent upon the state of the pitch and by which cricket may be plaved equally
as well upon any kind of floor as upon the turf. By my improvement the score
may be automatically recorded as also the occasions when the batter is out of
his ground and these various improvements may all be embodied in one complete
arrangement or may be seperately used one without the other as may be desired.
The chief object of my invention being to avoid the disputed judgements of
umpires, to releive umpires of some of their duties and to assist in recording the
scores with certainty and precision. Hitherto cricket wickets have seldom been
driven into the ground so as to be upright and at right angles to the ground,
neither are the stumps always at the accurate and authorized distance from each
other, the hole into which the stump has been knocked into the ground is con-
stantly enlarged, and time is lost in readjustment but in the spike plate of my
invention the stumps when struck with the ball oscillate and readjust themselves
the bails only requiring to be replaced.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
with practise I have appended hereunto two sheets of drawings upon which I have
fully illustrated the nature of my said invention.
Figure is a plan of the spike plate.
Figure 2 is a part sectional elevation of same also of wickets one of which is
shewn in section & one in elevation.

page_text: Figure is a section of part of a base and wicket suitable for boarded floors.
Figure 4 is an elevation of an elastic wicket.
Figure 5 is an elevation of suspended wickets.
Figure 6 is a plan of the crease and pitch.
Figure 7 is a section through same.
Figure 8 is a vertical section through one of the crease supports shewing one
form of electrical connection.
Figure 9 is a vertical section shewing the indicator for indicating when batter
is off the creasé.
I will first describe my improvements in connection with the wickets in carrying
which into effect each of the stumps A are loaded at a with lead or other material
at the bottom and bored in its centre for enclosing a telegrapic or other com-
municating wire X or a central walebone or other flexible strip Z may also be
provided so as to allow the wicket to oscillate when struck, a rubber cushion a*
being provided to ensure the stumps A coming back to the perpendicular. The
wickets are placed in the spike plate B having the sinking 6 to receive them
instead of being hammered into the ground and are balanced on universal ball
flexible or other suitable joints such as shewn by and hereinafter described with
regard to Figures 2, 3 and 4 by which the various members when struck by the
ball swing into various position with a pancratic motion. The centre stump only
of each wicket may be so placed into the spike plate and to the centre of this one
stump the other two may be attached and balanced on similar joints a³ as shewn at
Figure 5 thus forming the complete wicket of three stumps while an additional
stump may be added in rear which may be supported and balanced by the centre
stump A in the same manner as the stumps A2 are supported from the centre
stump A.
The side stumps A 2 may be hung or pivoted from the centre stump, by several
means such as by horizontal arms a 3 the side stumps being weighted, at a 4 to
cause them to retain this correct position. The metal spike plate B with protected
spirit level C & holes b' to receive the stumps may be separate from or attached to
the crease or crease-platform and can be easily pressed into the ground & accurately
levelled with the foot of the umpire & so remain during the cricket match. In
making the cricket crease. H I form a platform of cork wood jute, flax planished.
metal covered with ribber or other suitable material and support and balance this
platform úpon springs S which are fixed under the platform H in any suitable
manner such as shewn by Figure 8 so that platform when bearing the weight of
the batter is in its usual position level with the ground as shewn by Figure 8
but otherwise slightly rises or sinks, the crease H being mounted on springs S in
a suitable frame F, suitable electrical contact pieces J and K are attached to one or
more points of the crease H with correspending contact pieces J and K' on the frame
the action of which is as follows. When the batter is on the crease H the crease
is depressed by his weight sufficiently for both contact pieces J and K to be out
of contact but immediately the batter leaves the crease it rises and forms contact
at J J and is conveyed by wire to a suitable indicator in any required position
so as to indicate that the batter has left the crease. When the bowler is on the
crease in addition to the batter the additional weight depresses the crease and forms
contact at K K³, thus indicating the number of balls and also when the bowler
passes the line, a sufficient portion of the pitch M is connected to the crease so as
to render it necessary for the weight of the batter to be on that part of the pitch
when in running he touches the crease by which means contact is broken at J J
and the number of runs recorded upon the indicator.
The rise of the crease when the batter has passed the line may be indicated at
the wickets as shewn at Figure 9 where the flag E which is preferably arranged
between the wickets as shewn by Figures 6, 9 and 10 is pivoted to the frame F
at f and operated by the crease at so that as the crease rises the flag is de-
pressed, a sloth being provided so as to allow the crease to be depressed by the
additional weight of the bowler without actuating the flag and a coiled spring is

page_text: provided on the pivot f¹ to bring flag up again. Of course I do not confine myself
to the details of these connections as I may effect the same by various other means.
For registering the wickets when out electrical connection is made with the pivot
plate at X and through that with each of the side stumps so that a currant passes
up one end stump and through the bales and down the other end stump so that
any disturbance of the wickets is shewn on the indicator by the deflection of the
current.
By these means I cause the platform to automatically indicate the number of
runs made and balls delivered at each wicket by telegraphy or other mechanical
devices thus conveying by wires the scores to any distant part of the cricket field
or otherwise.
The platform crease H may be so constructed as to be inserted in the ground
or fastened to wooden and such like Hoors in which latter case the stumps may be
attached to a stand N and be provided with a ball joint, n', a sufficient amount of
friction being provided in the ball joint to enable the stumps to be set vertical
and in any case I may provide a flexible stump A5 with a stiffining coil wire a
within it or around it as shewn by Figure 4.
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:-
1st. The spike plate B in combination with stumps having flexible bases for
fitting therein substantial such as described and illustrated.
2nd. The stand N in combination with stumps having ball sockets bases or their
equialents substantally such as described and illustrated.
3rd. The flexible stumps such as shewn at Figure 4 substantally as described
& illustrated.
4th. The suspended wickets substantially such as herein described. & illustrated
by Figure 5.
5th. Mounting an artifical crease to rise and fall in combination with electrical
contact pieces for transmitting & recording same substantialy such as set forth
& illustrated.
6th. In combination with a rising & falling artifical crease the means for in-
dicating at the wickets such as described and illustrated with regard to Figures:9
& 10.
7th. The improvements in and relating to cricket stumps creases & scoring
indicators substantially as herein set forth described & illustrated upon the accom-
panying drawing.
Dated this 4th day of January 1899.
LEWIS WM. GOOLD,
Agent for Applicant,
5, Corporation Street, Birmingham.