Games of Skill, and the necessary Apparatus for Playing the same.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1894-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New Games of Skill, and the necessary Apparatus for Playing
the same.
I, ALFRED JOHN GASKING of "Redlingtons," Silver Street Enfield Middlesex,
Manufacturer of Machine Driving Belting 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 :-
The apparatus necessary for playing my new games consists of a flat table
constructed of cardboard, wood, metal, or any suitable material, or combination of
materials. This table may be surrounded by a suitable rim to prevent the balls
from rolling off; and with a bag or net around and beneath the same to catch the
balls which fall through the holes in the process of the game; or it may be
enclosed within any kind of suitable box made of any convenient and suitable
material or combination of materials; and with or without a top or lid constructed
wholly or partially of glass or any other material, or combination of materials.
In this table I make a number of holes of any desired shape or shapes, sometimes
of equal and sometimes of two or more different sizes. In some cases I make cup,
or any other shaped recesses or indentations in addition to the holes. These
recesses and holes, or in certain cases only some of them, are intended to act as
sockets into which some of the balls, and in certain cases all of them, may roll and
be held therein.
These particular holes and recesses or indentations which act as sockets have a
definite value or number belonging to each one; and these numbers count as so
many points or marks in playing the various games.
On this table I place a number of balls some of which are distinguished from
others by a difference in size, color, shape, material, or special marks of
distinction.
The tables boxes and balls may be made in any size and shape and may be
quite plain or ornamented and colored in any desired manner and design.
The games are played in the following way,-and may be played by one only or
any number of players.
Each player in turn first places all the balls promiscuously in the space on the
table called the "starting place." He then holds the apparatus very steadily with
one or both hands, and in a horizontal position, and endeavours by sundry dexterous
movements to roll certain specified balls into particular holes or recesses or
indentations especially into those possessing the highest values or numbers. But
at the same time he must endeavour to keep them and certain other specified balls
from rolling away down through some or all of the larger sized holes into the
receptacle beneath, and in certain cases he must also try to prevent them from
becoming socketed in some or all of the smaller sized holes or recesses
indentations.
or
Success or failure in doing these two things simultaneously, namely rolling
certain balls into, while keeping the same, and others, out of certain specified
holes, is a cause of great amusement and interest; success being rewarded, and
failure being visited with penalties, according to the rules and regulations of the
game being played, or those modifications mutually agreed upon by the players.
It is evident that by varying the numbers, sizes, and positions, of the holes,
recesses, or indentations, and the colors, numbers, sizes, shapes, materials, and
marks, of the balls; and also by altering and changing the rules and regulations,
different games with various names may be played with these apparata, without
departing from the main principle of my invention, which would form the basis of

page_text: them all; namely the combination of a flat table pierced with holes, and in some
cases also indented with recesses, into some or all of which the players seek to roll
certain particular balls, while they simultaneously endeavour to keep the same and
other particular balls from rolling into the same or other holes, or recesses, or
indentations, in accordance with various rules and regulations.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and carried into practise
by any competent person, I have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings which will
serve to illustrate one form of my apparatus, and one of the games which I call
"Cats & Mice" that may be played therewith.
They will also serve to illustrate the principle upon which all other forms of my
apparata must be constructed; and upon which all other games, similar in character
but different in details, must be played.
Fig. 1. is a representation of one form of the complete article, showing the
box a with a sliding glass lid and the table c fixed in the middle of the box.
d, d, d, d, d, are five holes which I call "mouse holes." e, e, e, e, e, e, are smaller
holes which I call "mouse traps f, f, f, f, f, are balls of the same color and size
which call "mice," and g, g, are balls of another color, and also somewhat larger
than the "mice," which I call "cats."
"
The holes e, e, e, e, e, e, have a number attached to each of them namely 10. 10.
20. 30. 40. 50.
"
The player having first placed all the “cats” and “mice" together promiscuously
in the space on the table called the "starting place" endeavours to roll as many of
the "mice "into the "mouse traps "as he is able, and prevent them from rolling away
through the "mouse holes" into the bottom of the box. But while doing this he
must not allow either of the "cats to roll into any of the "mouse holes or
mouse "traps" under the penalty of losing a portion or the whole of the score he
might otherwise make, in accordance with the rules and directions of the game,
which may be either fixed, or varied by the players to suit their own wishes and
skill.
Fig. 2. represents the table of a similar apparatus made in a circular form, and
with the sizes and positions of the holes a, a, a, a, b, b, b, b, and c, c, varied, and
with recesses or indentations d, d, in the surface of the table in addition to the
holes the balls in this form of apparata are of three different sizes and
colors e, e, e, f, f, and 9, 9, 9, each of which have, if possible, to be rolled into
their specified and respective holes and recesses or indentations, without being
allowed to roll away down through any of the larger sized holes.
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―
Various new games and the necessary apparatus for playing the same, consisting
of the combination of a table pierced with several holes of different sizes and
shapes; and several balls of various kinds, which are moved about thereupon
according to the rules of the various games, by means of the motions caused by the
apparatus being held in, and moved by, the hands of the player, substantially as
herein set forth.
66
ALFRED JOHN GASKING,
Redlingtons," Silver Street, Enfield, Middlesex.