APPARATUS FOR PLAYING OUTDOOR AND INDOOR GAMES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ALFRED STEPHEN KING, Surveyor, Lower Bracondale, Norwich do hereby
declare the nature of said invention for APPARATUS FOR PLAYING OUTDOOR AND
INDOOR GAMES, to be as follows:-
:
I call my apparatus "Glidisphere."
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It consists (1) of "motors." formed preferably of balls or parts of same fixed at
the end of handles of suitable length; for striking a ball stationary or in motion on
the ground, floor, table, or any practically horizontal and level surface, & giving the
ball a practically horizontal blow from the rounded surface of the motor when it
is a part sphere motor or with any part of the sphere, when it is a whole sphere
motor.
(2) of a ball or "Glider" of sufficient weight & size, so that when struck, it will
run or travel on the horizontal plane, the distance, direction & speed sought,
according to the skill of players.
(3) The rounded surface of the motor necessitates skill & precision on the part
of player in directing the course of glider, and is the best form of motor to impel
the glider horizontally and practically without knocking it into the air.
(4) The size of the glider must be about the same or a trifle less than the sphere
or part of sphere constituting the driving part of motor-a good general size being
about 7 or 6 inch diameter motor, to a 6 or 5 inch diameter glider, which suits well-
on a lawn.
(5) Every player has a motor and all movement of the glider is by the motors,
and according to the particular game being played at the time, the glider can be
impelled to and fro only while still in motion, or can be directed to a certain limit
as in the Cricket adaptation of the apparatus, and on being reached, be again set :
in motion.
The motor can be made of Papier Mache, preferably hollow; Gutta Percha,
Cork, wood & in a variety of other materials and ways, but must not be so heavy
that it greatly fatigues the player to wield it.
;
;
I make a fairly good and strong motor, handle included, weighing about one-
pound some I make heavier but above 1 lbs in weight I consider fatiguing to
I make lighter motors for the indoor application of my invention except
where the covered area is large.
use.
I do not consider any motor ought to consist of less than half a sphere, the
rounded part being used for striking the gilder.

page_text: In the case of part of a sphere being used for the motor it is advantageous to fix
the handle so that the motor can be wielded without unduly turning while in ones
grasp.
For a given weight, the part sphere motor as compared with the whole sphere
motor provides the largest diameter striking face, consequently serves for a
larger diameter glider, which is a decided advantage, where the ground played on
is not nicely level. The whole sphere motor compared with the part sphere
motor has the advantage of enabling the player to strike backwards & forwards &
sideways without turning his hand, but owing to its necessarily being of small
diameter because heavier in proportion to diameter, it can only be used with
benefit on really good level surfaces.
When the glider is from 5 to 7 inches diameter, I find a solid ball of cork suitably
covered answers the purpose well, but gliders can be made of many other materials
so constructed as to give lightness with size & stiffness-Gliders weigh from half
to one pound according to size of motors-For very light & very heavy sets the
gliders weigh more or less than the limits named.
Some of the applications of my apparatus are briefly stated in the following:-
Glidisphere Cricket, Bowling, fielding & impelling to be by means of motors.
Lawn Glidisphere-Two or more can play on forming sides-The Glider to be
served & played to and fro through a given space, over a given line, or from one
limit to another, the side failing in serving in returning the glider, to lose the
count, the other side gaining it.
&
ог
Glidisphere hockey-Played as ordinary hockey but the ball is always on the
ground.
Glidisphere bowls-The balls or gliders to be impelled only by the motors."
Parlour Glidisphere-played on same principle as Lawn Glidisphere.
Table Glidisphere played on the same principle as Lawn Glidisphere, but with
much lighter apparatus.
I do not limit the application of "glidisphere" to any set method or procedure.
The advantages I claim for my apparatus, are that it is applicable from very
large to very small Lawns, level grounds, areas, rinks, floors, large tables, &c, It
also serves for any frozen water areas.
Lawns too small for a good game of Tennis will mostly allow of a good game of
Glidisphere.
The Glider not being struck into the air is not a source of danger as is an
ordinary, Cricket ball, and in small grounds cannot be hit over into adjoining
grounds as often happens with Lawn Tennis balls.
It economises space more than ordinary cricket, and all the players have the
pleasure of wielding a motor.
The exertion necessary in playing, encourages, briskness, & precision, and is very
recreative.
Ladies may join in all the adaptations of the apparatus as the glider always
travels on the surface of the ground, &c.
What I specially desire to patent is, motors consisting of round or convex sur-
faces from the hemispherical to the spherical shape (or slight modifications of same,
as for example a very slight taper at the bottom of motors) secured to a handle,
and whereby one or more persons can for the purpose of recreation, impel a ball of
requisite size strength and weight (i e about the same, or rather less than that of
the motor) on, about and to & fro on a practically level & horizontal surface-
thus providing a principle applicable to an extensive set of games as suggested in,
the main body of this specification.
- 1001

page_text: I, ALFRED STEPHEN KING Surveyor, Lower Bracondale, Norwich do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for APPARATUS: FOR PLAYING OUTDOOR &
INDOOR GAMES, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
I call my apparatus Glidisphere preferably Glydasphere.
It consists of :-
(1) Motors, each being formed of a sphere or oval, or ellipse, or section (not less
than one half) of a sphere, oval or ellipse, suitably fixed (ie so as not to, turn
when in one's grasp) to a handle of requisite length (according to application) for
striking a suitable ball or balls while stationary, or in motion on the ground, floor,
table or any practically horizontal surface, & giving or imparting a horizontal
blow;-
(a) with & from the rounded surface only of the motor, when it has not an all
round striking surface, as the part sphere, oval, or ellipse named above, or (b) with
& from any part of a complete sphere oval or ellipse, having an all round striking
surface.
(2) of a Glyder (the ball referred to in the foregoing as being struck by a
motor) of suitable size, weight & strength, so that when struck (under limits
according to the character of the surface played on) by the motor, it will run, roll,
or travel on the horizontal plane, the distance, direction & speed sought according
to the skill of players, without leaving the ground.
The size of the glyder must be about the same in diameter (preferably slighty
less) as the striking part of motor used.
&
The size & weight of glyder are approximated to that of the motor to be used.
I make the motors & glyders of a variety of materials manufactured in solid
hollow form, but I do not limit myself to any one material, or combination of
materials I make a very strong solid Cork glyder & motor, suitably covered with
leather the handle of the motor consisting of Cane enlarged with Cork where
grasped by the hand.
ог
The size & weight of motors & glyders I vary according to the ground, or
Burface to be played on-the larger & rougher the surface to be played on, the
heavier the apparatus required.
&
larger or
I have found so many applications of the principle of my invention, that I do
not limit the size, weight, &c of the apparatus.
A good general size for good out-door surfaces, is 6 inches diameter Glyders
& motors, motors weighing about twenty ounces and Glyders about 16 to
20 ounces.
Some of the applications of my apparatus I briefly notice in the following:-
Glydasphere Cricket-All movement of the Glyder to be by motors only-Each
player having a motor.
Lawn or Court Glydasphere-Two or more persons form sides, & the glyder
being served & played to & fro within certain limits, the side failing in serving or
returning, thereby causes the other to score.

page_text: :
Glydasphere Hockey-Played as ordinary Hockey but (as in every adaptation of
my apparatus) the ball is always on the ground, &c.
Glydasphere Bowls-The Glyders to be impelled by Motors.
Parlour & Table Glydasphere-Played with light apparatus, within given limits
as Court Glydasphere-The table game has short handled motors.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said
invention, & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what
I claim is
(1) Motors of spherical, oval, & elliptic form or sections of same, with handles
affixed; as herein before described, of suitable size weight, strength, &c, according
to application required.
(2) Glyders or balls also of suitable weight & size according to application
required.
&
(3) Whereby one, two or more persons can, with the said motors, for the purpose
of recreation, impel, &, according to their skill, direct, a gly der, or glyders, towards
a desired position to & fro in a horizontal course on a practically level &
horizontal plane thus providing a principle applicable to an extensive set of out-
door & indoor games.
or
Dated this the 6th day of June 1885.