IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A NEW GAME OF CHANCE
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Alfred Glazbrook, William Henry Osborne
Taylor, and William Power Bunbury Trench, all of Lombard Street, in the
City of London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
PLAYING A NEW GAME OF CHANCE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Alfred Glazbrook,
William Henry Osborne Taylor, and William Power Bunbury Trench at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st November 1881.
CHARLES ALFRED GLAZBROOK, WILLIAM HENRY OSBORNE TAYLOR, and WILLIAM
POWER BUNBURY TRENCH, all of Lombard Street, in the City of London. "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A NEW GAME OF CHANCE."
This new game, which we designate "cricket on the hearth," is intended to be
played by two or more persons with an apparatus consisting of a rotating disc
carrying at it centre a figure representing a player in the act of bowling and a
cross beam revolving upon a centre and carrying at its outer ends figures, each
representing a batsman. The disc and crossbeam are suitably mounted and
marked, as will be hereafter more particularly described, and the ordinary rules of
cricket are, as far as possible, observed in playing. If four persons are to play, two
are selected as batsmen, and they place themselves upon opposite sides of the
apparatus, the other two acting as bowlers and placing themselves between the
batsmen.
The first batsman places his figure with the bat pointing to the disc, and the
first bowler bowls by turning the disc in one direction, the batsman turning the
cross beam in the opposite direction. When both stop, the score or loss of a
wicket as marked on the disc and indicated by the bat is recorded. If the bat
points to a line between two numbers no score is made, the ball being treated as
played only or missed.
When a "
no ball" is bowled the batsman is entitled to another ball, from which
he cannot be put out except as "run out." If in this case the bat points to a line,
one run will be scored for the
"
Do ball."

page_text: Should the batsman not playing leave his figure with the bat pointing to the
disc, he is liable to be given "out," if his bat should point to that part of the disc
which indicates the loss of a wicket.
The apparatus which we prefer to use consists, as above stated, of a rotating
disc, and a cross beam rotating on a centre. The cross beam is provided with a
sleeve which fits onto a socket, carried by a suitable pedestal, and intended to
receive a spindle secured in any convenient manner to the disc. The face of the
disc is marked off with radial lines placed at equal distances apart, and in the
spaces thus formed, and near the edge of the disc, numbers and words denoting the
various features of cricket, such as "bowled,' wide,' no ball," "run out," and so
on, are marked.
&
**
In the centre of the disc a picture representing a cricket field or an ornamental
device may be placed.
It will be obvious that the apparatus is capable of various modifications, thus the
cross beam may be fixed, and the batsmen's figures provided with counterweights
may be pivotted to its ends so that they may rock to and from the dise.
In order to keep up the rocking notion the upper edge of the disc may be
formed with a series of curved indentations, so that the bat may enter the indenta-
tions as the figure rocks, and be projected outwards again by the notion of the
disc. Or the edge of the disc may be made with ratchet teeth, which will act
against the knee of the player in the same way, or pins or projections on the disc
may be employed for the same purpose.
Instead of the swinging figures, fixed figures or pointers of any kind may-be
used; or the motion of the disc-may-be-arrested by the downward thrust of a style
or other pointed instrument, acted upon by a spring or otherwise, the division upon
which the point strikes indicating the score.
The disc may also be fixed, the figures or pointers revolving round the disc, or
the disc may revolve round a fixed indicating figure or pointer.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Alfred Glazbrook, William Henry Osborne Taylor, and
William Power Bunbury Trench in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st May 1882.
66
CHARLES ALFRED GLAZBROOK, WILLIAM HENRY OSBORNE TAYLOR, and WILLIAM
POWER BUNBURY TRENCH, all of Lombard Street, in the City of London.
'İM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A NEW GAME OF CHANCE."
This new game, which we designate "cricket on the hearth," is intended to be
played by two or more persons, with an apparatus consisting of a rotating disc,
carrying at its centre a figure representing a player in the act of bowling, and a
cross bean capable of being turned upon a centre, and carrying at either end a
figure representing a batsman, the disc and cross beam are suitably mounted and
marked, as will be hereafter more particularly described, and the ordinary rules of
cricket are, as far as possible, observed in playing. If four persons are to play, two
are selected as batsmen, and they place themselves upon opposite sides of the
apparatus, the other two acting as bowlers and placing themselves between the
batsmen.
The player who has first to bat places his figure with the bat pointing to the
disc, the other batsman turning his figure from the disc, and the first bowler then
proceeds to turn the disc in one direction, the batsmen turning the cross beam in
the opposite direction. When both stop, the score or loss of a wicket as marked on
the disc and indicated by the bat is recorded.
If the bat points to a line between two numbers no score is made, the ball being
treated as played only or missed.
When a no ball" is bowled the batsman is entitled to another ball, from which
he cannot be put out except as "run out." If in this case the bat points to a line
one run will be scored for the "no ball."
Should the batsman not playing leave his figure with the bat pointing to the
disc, he is liable to be given "out," if his bat should point to that part of the disc
which indicates the loss of a wicket.
The apparatus which we prefer to use consists, as above stated, of a rotating disc,
and a cross beam rotating on a centre.
This apparatus is shewn in the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 being a plan view,
and Fig. 2 a sectional elevation.
A is a pedestal which is formed with an extended base to ensure stability, B is
the rotating disc which is secured to the upper end of a spindle a in any convenient
manner. The spindle a turns in a bush or bearing b fitted to the pedestal; C is the
cross beam which is provided with a sleeve c at the centre of its length to fit over
the brush or bearing. To the ends of the cross beam C are fitted handles d, by
which the cross beam may be turned. The batsman figures D, D, are secured in
any convenient manner to discs e, which are pivotted to the cross beam and
provided with handles e', by means of which the figures may be turned with the
bat pointing to or from the disc B. The face of the disc B is marked off with
radial lines placed at equal distances apart, and in the spaces thus formed, and near
the edge of the disc, numbers and words denoting the various features of cricket,
such as "bowled," "wide," "no ball," "run out," and so on, are marked.
In the centre of the disc is secured, in any convenient manner, the bowler
figure E
It will be obvious that the apparatus is capable of various modifications, thus the
cross beam may be fixed, and the batsmen's figures, provided with counterweights,
may be pivotted to its ends, so that they may rock to and from the disc.

page_text: In order to keep up the rocking motion the upper edge of the disc may be formed
with a series of curved indentations, so that the bat may enter the indentations as
the figure rocks, and be projected outwards again by the motion of the disc. Or
the edge of the disc may be made with ratchet teeth to act against the knee of the
player in a similar manner, or pins or projections on the disc may be employed for
the same purpose.
Instead of the swinging figures fixed figures or pointers may be used, or the
motion of the disc may be arrested by the thrust of a style or other pointed instru-
ment, acted upon by a spring or otherwise, the division upon which the point
strikes indicating the score.
The disc may also be fixed, the figures or pointers moving round it.
Having now described the nature of this Invention of "Improvements in
Apparatus for Playing a New Gaine of Chance," and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we claim,-
The apparatus herein shewn and described, or any mere modification thereof, to
be used in playing the new game of chance entitled" cricket on the hearth," as set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Alfred Glazbrook, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
CHARLES ALFRED GLAZBBOOK. (L.S.)