New or Improved Means or Apparatus for Imitating the Game of Football.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 4th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Means or Apparatus for Imitating the
Game of Football.
I, JAMES SYKES, of 69 Brudenell Road, Leeds, in the County of York,
Journalist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to new or improved means or apparatus for playing the
game of football in a parlour, room, hall, building, or other apartment; and its
object is to provide suitable and portable apparatus that may be placed upon a
table, stand, or the like to represent the "field" having mechanical or other
figures or images representing the players capable of being moved or adjusted by
two or more players from opposite sides thereof, to the various phases or positions
likely to be assumed by teams when actually engaged in the game of football.
According to this invention a suitable "field" made of wood, papier mâche,
cardboard, xylonite, or any other suitable and convenient material, provided
and shaped to represent the "ground," and it is provided at opposite ends with
goal posts. In the "ground are cut any desired number of parallel grooves
running from goal post to goal post say for example twenty or thirty grooves.
In these grooves are made to slide a number of figures, mechanical or plain, to
represent the various football players. These players are moved backwards and
forwards in their respective grooves by means of endless bands or chains passing
over a corresponding number of pulleys. The pulleys may be preferably, though
not necessarily so, mounted loosely on shafts, say, one or more shafts behind each
goal post to which a rotary motion may be imparted by one or more of the
players by means of one or more hand wheels, and the rotary motion may
be transmitted to each pulley and thence to the endless bands or chains
by means of a clutch which may be thrown into gear with its pulley
when motion is required to be transmitted thereto. I would have it
understood that I do not limit myself to this particular arrangement for moving
the figures, as other equivalent mechanical means say for instance levers, screws,
and the like may be employed for the same purpose.
"
to and
On the "ground" is placed a minature football which may be." kicked
fro between the goal posts by the figures being operated by the player or players
from the opposite sides or ends of the "ground."
Dated the Third day of January 1895.
COMILLIL
SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Means or Apparatus for Imitating the
Game of Football.
I, JAMES SYKES, of 69. Brudenell Road, Leeds, in the County of York,
Journalist, 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:-
This invention relates to new or improved means or apparatus for playing the

page_text: game of football in a parlour, room, hall, building, or other apartment; and its
object is to provide suitable and portable apparatus that may be placed upon a
table, stand, or may form part of a table or stand,, on the like to represent the
"field" having mechanical or other figures or images representing the football
players, hereafter termed football figures, capable of being moved or adjusted by
two or more players of the game from opposite sides thereof, to the various phases
or positions likely to be assumed by teams when actually engaged in the game of
football.
In the drawings I have shown a very simple method of moving the football
figures, but I distinctly wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the
particular method I have illustrated.
Fig. 1 is a plan looking at the top of the apparatus.
Fig. 2 a plan looking at the underside of the same.
Fig. 3 an end elevation.
Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively longitudinal and transverse sections on dotted
lines x and y y.
Fig. 6 a detail showing the cords F passing round rollers HH.
for
A. is the "field"
or "ground," hereafter termed the "ground," which is made of
any suitable size, and of wood, papier mâche, cardboard, xylonite, metal, or any
other suitable and convenient material. The "ground" is of any convenient
shape such as for example rectangular as shown in the drawings-and it is
"banked," all round; that is, it is provided on each of its sides, or all round it,
with ledges a arranged to taper or incline inwards onto the "ground
preventing the minature football B lodging at say the sides or ends, and it is
provided, at opposite ends with goal posts C C. In the "ground" A are cut or
otherwise formed any desired number of parallel longitudinal or other grooves D
arranged to run from end to end of the "ground." In the drawings twenty
grooves are shown, but this number may be increased or diminished as required.
In the grooves D are made to slide, say, twenty figures E, ten from each end,
made to represent the football figures.
One half of the football figures E may, say for example be coloured black, and
the other half say red, so as readily to distinguish the two sides when moved to
different positions on the " ground."
66
The football figures E may be either dummy figures as shown, or mechanical
figures may be used in their place. The football figures E are moved backwards
and forwards in the grooves D by means of cords, chains, or bands, all of which
are hereafter termed and included in the term cords F to which the football
figures E are attached by any convenient arrangement such as for instance a clip G
or pin or pins. The cords F are arranged under the "ground" and to pass over
grooved rollers or shafts H H¹ hereafter termed rollers as shown at Fig. 6, that
is to say the two ends of each cord F may be arranged to be at the same end of
the ground," in which case the cord F would pass over and below the grooved
portion of the periphery of say roller H and round the correspondingly grooved
portion of the periphery of say roller H or vice versa. Or when preferred endless
cords may be arranged to pass round pulleys mounted loosely on shafts below the
ground A, say one or more shafts behind each goal post C, to which a rotary
motion may be imparted by one or more of the players of the game by means of
one or more hand wheels, and the rotary motion may be transmitted to each pulley
and thence to the endless bands or chains by means of a clutch which may be
thrown into gear with its pulley when motion is required to be transmitted
thereto.
I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to this particular
arrangement for moving the figures, as other equivalent mechanical means,
say for instance levers, screws, and the like, may be employed for the same
purpose.
In the arrangement shown in the drawings, ten figures are worked or drawn
from each end, by the cords being drawn round the rollers H or H¹ at the end

page_text: opposite to that at which the player of the game sits or stands. Thus when the
player of the game pulls the bottom cord, the football figure moves forward, and
when he pulls the top cord, the football figure is drawn back again. In addition
to the twenty football figures E moved by the cords or chains F, there is a
"goalkeeper " I, at each end; this figure I being mounted on a lever or slide I'
armed with a handle J whereby it can be moved about as its goal post, or the
figure I may be fixed upon a shaft which will enable the figure to go out several
inches beyond its goal post. On the "ground" is placed a minature "football" B
which is "kicked" to and fro by the football figures, and the game is won by the
player who obtains the largest number of goals.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The means or apparatus for playing the game of football in a parlour, room, or
other building substantially as herein described and illustrated, consisting
essentially of a board formed to represent the "ground" provided with goal posts
fixed to the board or "ground," and goalkeepers mounted on levers, and said
board or ground having a number of grooves in which are arranged to slide figures
representing the football players, said football figures being operated by cords for
kicking the ball as set forth."
Deted this Third day of October 1895