Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Oct., 1895-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1895
I, CHARLES HARRY BENSLY, of 14 Chapel Ash, Wolverhampton,. in the
County of Stafford, Woollen Merchants Assistant, do hereby declare the nature of
my said invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object an improved indoor game which may be played
by two four or more persons and which, while being interesting and exciting, does
not require any special room or table and may be formed into a very portable
compass when not in use.
In carrying my invention into effect I form the board or "field"
upon which
the game is played preferably of stiff cardboard covered with green or other
suitable cloth and so formed that it may be folded up into two or more squares
when not in use. Upon this base or board the ground is marked out in a similar
manner to that of a football field, the correct position of the respective players,
forwards, half backs, and backs being represented at the one end by say white spots
and at the other by light blue spots. Each spot is surrounded by a circular line
which represents the ground belonging to that player and the rest of the field is
divided into an equal number of parts for each side. At each end of the board
suitable and portable goal posts are provided with upright goal keepers in front of
same if required.
up
The game is as follows:-A small ivory or other wafer is provided' and placed
upon the field in the centre of the two sides and one of the persons playing,
endeavor by means of an ivory or other disc which they press upon the edge of the
wafer to flick the wafer on to one of the spots representing their players, near the
enemies goal.
In case of succeeding they, or one of their side, again flick
the wafer with an endeavor to get it through the goal but in case of missing, one of
the persons upon the other side endeavor to flick it on to one of the spots repre-
senting their players in the direction of the other goal.
Of course the exact rules of the game may be considerably varied without
departing from the nature of my said invention.
Dated this 21st day of January 1895..
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.
An Improved Indoor Game.
I, CHARLES HARRY BENSLY, of 14 Chapel A'sh, Wolverhampton; in the
County of Stafford, Woollen Merchants Assistant, do hereby declare the nature of
my said 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 an improved indoor game which may be played
by two, four or more persons and which, while being interesting and exciting does
not require any special room or table and may be formed into a very portable
compass when not in use.

page_text: upon which
In carrying my invention into effect I form the board or "field
the game is played preferably of stiff cardboard covered with green or other
suitable cloth and so formed that it may be folded up into two or more squares
when not in use. Upon this base or board the ground is marked out in a similar
manner to that of a football field the correct position of the respective players,
forwards, half backs and backs being represented at the one end by say white spots
and at the other by light blue spots. Each spot is surrounded by a circular line
which represents the ground belonging to that player and the rest of the field is
divided up into an equal number of parts for each side. At each end of the board
suitable and portable goal posts are provided with upright goal keepers in front of
same if required.
The game is as follows:-A small ivory or other wafer is provided and placed
upon the field in the centre of the two sides and one of the persons playing
endeavour by means of an ivory or other disc which they press upon the edge of
the wafer to flick the wafer on to one of the spots representing their players, near
the enemies goal. In case of succeeding they or one of their side again flick the
wafer with an endeavour to get it through the goal but in case of missing one of
the persons upon the other side endeavour to flick it on to one of the spots repre-
senting their players in the direction of the other goal.
Of course the exact rules of the gaine may be considerably varied without
departing from the nature of my said invention.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practical effect, I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings
upon which I have illustrated my said invention which will enable it to be clearly
understood.
Figure 1 is a plan of the board or field A upon which the game is played
showing the divisions of the field and the positions of the players B and C and the
goal posts D.
Figure 2 represents the field board A folded up into a small compass.
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of one of the goal posts D.
Figures 4 show the wafer W and also the larger disc Y used to flick the
wafer W.
Figure 5 represent forms of goal keepers which may or may not be used in
the game.
The board or field A upon which the game is played I form preferably of stiff
cardboard mounted or covered with cloth or other suitable material such as baize
of green, red or any desired color and made so that it can be folded up into two or
more squares when not in use as shown in Figure 2. On this board Å the ground
is marked out in a manner similar to that of a football field the field representing
11 a side the correct positions of the respective players forwards half backs and
backs being represented on one side of the field by white spots B and the other
side by black or other suitable coloured spots as C. The spots B and C repre-
senting the players are surrounded by circles a¹ which show the limit of ground
allotted to or belonging to that particular player. The rest of the ground is
divided up as shown on the drawing into an equal number of parts for each side
and at each end of the field a portable goal post D is provided shown in perspective
view in Figure 3 as formed out of sheet metal stamped and bent but they may be
of wood or other material and I do not bind myself to the form or configuration of
the goal posts as illustrated or to the proportions of the same. In front of the goal
posts D I may provide goal keepers E and El represented by human figures cut
out of wood, bone, ivory or metal or they may be simple turnings or mouldings of
wood or other suitable material as shown in Figure 5.
The game is as follows. A small ivory or other wafer W (Figure 4) is placed
in the centre of the field at X and one of the persons playing endeavour by means
of a larger disc Y which he presses on the edge of the wafer W to flick the latter
in to one of the spots representing their players near the enemy's goal and should
he succeed he or one of his side again flick the wafer W with an endeavour to get

page_text: it through the opponents goal but should he fail one of the persons playing for the
other side endeavour to flick it on to one of the spots representing his side in the
direction of the other goal. Thus supposing the person starting the game to belong
to or be on the side of the players represented by the white spots. Should he
succeed in flicking the wafer on to the ground of one of his players as represented
by the circles a' surrounding the white spots B he again flicks the wafer with the
intention of getting it through the goal D and if he succeeds in doing this his side
scores one goal and he or one of his side starts again from X but if he fails one of
the opposite or rival side flicks the wafer with the endeavour of getting it within
any one of the circles representing his player's grounds as represented surrounding
the black spots C in the direction of the enemy's goal D¹ and from thence if he
succeeds through the goal D¹ when his side scores a goal and so on always starting
from the centre X of the field when a goal is scored. The object of the game
being to flick the wafer from one position to another and through the goal as
described. I may of course vary considerably the exact rules of the game without
departing from the nature of my said invention. The field A and goal posts D
and D may be of any size or material and I may or may not use the goal
keepers E and E' and the goal posts and I may also use a ball or other substitute
in the place of the wafer W the field and object of the game remaining the same.
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 improved indoor game consisting of the field, board, or other equiva-
lent A marked out in a such like manner as shown with a suitable piece such as W
to represent the ball or a ball or other equivalent may be used and with or without
the goals D and goal keepers E substantially as and for the purpose herein set
forth and shown upon the drawings.
2nd. The new or improved indoor game substantially as herein set forth and
shown.
Dated this 1st day of October 1895.
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.