Improved Appliances for Ball Driving Games.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st Jan., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Feb., 1895
Improved Appliances for Ball Driving Games.
I, ROBERT RAMS BOTTOM of 81 Market Street Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Sportsmans' Outfitter do hereby declare the nature of this invention to.
be as follows:-
This invention relates to games played with balls and sticks, mallets or drivers
and consists in improved appliances serving instead of holes in the playing of such
games, by means of which, games similar to those based upon the driving of balls
into holes can be played on lawns and tennis grounds without trouble and injury to
the surface by making holes.
"
The improved appliances consist of preferably crescent or horse-shoe shaped forms
constituting "traps
of metal or other suitable material. These may be made
heavy enough to resist the impact of the ball without moving or may be formed of
light material and having spikes upon the undersides to press into the ground.
Each trap is formed with or has in connection therewith a suitable mark or
indicator of such size and shape as to readily indicate to the eye some distance
away the position of the "trap." This indicator preferably consists of a rod about
nine inches high having a flag or plate at the top end, and this rod may be pointed
at its lower end and pass through a hole in the trap into the ground to prevent
the trap from moving as aforesaid.
Various games may be played by means of these appliances according to the
kind of balls and drivers used and the rules made to govern the game. As an
instance I will describe the following game which I propose to call "Putting shoe."
The game is played with 9 or less shoes placed at convenient various distances
according to room at disposal, and with golf balls and putting sticks. The object
of the game is to put a ball successively through the openings so that it will remain
inside the shoes, with the fewest possible strokes, two players striking their ball
alternately starting from a putting place and trying to put the ball into the first
shoe, thence into the second and so on, the one completing the round with the least.
number of strokes winning the game. Or as a variety it may be decided to play
"holes" the one winning most holes or shoes winning the game. Any number of
persons may play in pairs, the second pair starting from the putting place after the
first pair have both made the first shoe and so on. Or pairs of players may be
matched against each other each pair playing one ball. Besides affording
exercise this game enables gollers to perfect themselves in putting without
injuring the lawn.
Other games may be played with balls and mallets as used for the game of
croquet, the object in such games being for each player (or set) to put his ball
into one or more shoes and prevent the others from doing so by canoning their
balls.
A
1
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.

page_text: 1 ROBERT RAMS BOTTOM of 81 Market Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Sportsmans' Outfitter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be pârticularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to games played with balls and sticks, clubs, mallets or
drivers and consists in improved appliances serving instead of holes in the playing
of such games, by means of which, games similar to those based upon the driving of
balls into holes can be played on lawns and tennis grounds, or in rooms and
halls, without trouble and injury to the surface by making holes.
On the drawing appended hereunto the improved appliances are shewn in two
modifications.
"
The improved appliances consist of preferably crescent or horse-shoe shaped
forms constituting "traps of metal or other suitable material. These may be
formed of thin material such as hoop iron as shewn by Figure 1, having spikes
⚫on their under sides to press into the ground. Each trap is formed with or has
in connection therewith a suitable mark or indicator of such size or shape as to
readily indicate to the eye sonie distance away the position of the trap. This
indicator in the case of the light traps consists preferably of a rod Fig. 2, of
convenient length having a plate or flag at the top with a number on it, and this
rod may be pointed at its lower end and pass through a hole in the trap into the
ground as shewn on Fig. 1, to prevent the trap from moving.
Instead of the traps being fixed to the ground by means of spikes, they may be
made similar to that shewn by Fig. 3, sufficiently heavy to resist the impact of
the ball without moving or with sloping sides so that the ball if put into them with
too much force will jump over the edge of the trap, thus imitating a hole more
closely. The indicating plates may be placed horizontally. This kind of trap is
suitable for playing ball driving games indoors.
The form of the trap may be modified provided it consists of an enclosure having
an opening for the admittance of the ball.
Various games may be played by means of these appliances according to the
kind of balls and drivers used and the rules made to govern the game.
As an
instance, I will describe the following game which I have called "Puttinshu."
The game is played with 9 or less shoes or traps placed at convenient, various
distances according to the room at disposal, and with golf balls and putting sticks.
The object of the game is to put a ball successively through the openings of the
traps so that it will remain inside thereof, with the fewest possible strokes, two
players striking their ball alternately, starting from a putting place and trying
to put the ball into the first trap, then into the second and so on, the one com-
pleting the round with the least number of strokes winning the game.
Or, as a
variety, it may be decided to play "holes," the player obtaining most holes or
traps winning the game. Any number of persons may play in pairs, the second
pair starting from the putting place after the first pair have both made the first
shoe or trap, and so on. Or pairs of players may be matched against each other
each pair playing one ball. Besides affording exercise this game enables golf
players to perfect themselves in putting on lawns without injuring them, or indoors.
Other gumes may be played with balls and mallets as used for the game of
croquet, the object in such games being for each player or set to put his ball
into one or more traps and prevent the others from doing so by canoning their
balls

page_text: I do not confine myself to the use of the improved appliances for the games
described above, but
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 :-
The use of traps and indicators formed substantially as hereinbefore described
in combination with balls and sticks, mallets or their equivalents for playing
games.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.