Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 17th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 19th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Game.
WILLIAM PEPPER of 26 St. John's Green, Colchester in the County of
Essex, Warrant Officer in Her Majesty's Army and Garrison Sergeant Major. I
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention, a game, is a means of, and an apparatus for faintly imitating the
Parliamentary Institutions of the British Union Empire, division or divisions
of such.
The game may be played on the grass, the floor of a room, a table, or any
suitable level surface, which may be circular, square or oblong and marked or coloured
in 4 equal parts. The whole is called the Arena, and may have on its outer edge,
a mark or slightly-raised wall called the boundary. This would define the play-
space, the boundary having on all sides or in the corners openings for ingress and
egress. In the riddle of the arena is marked a ring, which takes in the inner
corners of the four divisions, and the inside of this ring is called the "Council
House." On the ring are placed 4 pillars, representing England, Ireland, Scotland
and Wales respectively. They support a tower-shaped compartment called the
Upper House" or "House of Lords." Within this compartment may be 4 figures
representing a Bishop, a Judge and the leaders of the two great political parties,
or the leaders of four political parties, together with such mechanical arrangements,
that they can be made to move to the top of the tower to overlook the arena and
contests. The tower itself may be surmounted with the figure of the Reigning
Sovereign of an Empire or Kingdom, or the President of a State. Beyond the
ring denoting the Council House, is another but larger one. The space between
the two may be called the "Barrier" or "Moat" and the remainder of the arena
the "
Country."
66
"
On each side of the arena where the divisions join is a semi-circular mark,
denoting a wood or other barrier, and having sufficient room to allow a « Voter
to pass between the "Barrier" and the wall. The inner part of this mark may be
called the " Lobby."
or
The game is played somewhat similarly to croquet and billiards, having 8 balls, four
of which are each marked red, white and blue. These 4 are called "Councillors
"Members of Parliament," while the other 4 are coloured the same as the
4 divisions of the arena, and are called "Voters." The Arena, Moat or Barrier,
the Council House, the House of Lords, the Councillors and Voters herein
described, are intended to represent the United Kingdom. The 4 divisions of
the arena and the balls denoting Voters, may be respectively coloured :-England,
blue; Scotland, yellow; Ireland, green; Wales, white; or they may be marked
N. E. S. W. Any other figures or inarks may be adopted however if desired. The
arena may be marked out on any covering for the ordinary table, or platform or floor,
with suitable fastenings to the same. The pillars supporting the House of Lords,
and the walls of the arena, may be conveniently secured to the covering, and the
game played on any table, platform or floor without injury to the same.
The method of playing is as follows:-The 4 Councillors are placed, one in
front of each opening into the Houses, with the Voters in a line with them, and at
such distance as the size of the arena will allow. This may be about three-fourths
of the space between the Councillor and the opening in the wall, which is in the
same straight line as the former. The players by striking a Voter, endeavour to
force a Councillor into the House, or to cause a Voter to enter the House or
come in contact with two or more Councillors or Voters. Between the Upper and
Council Houses may be a bell or some contrivance that whenever a Councillor or

page_text: Voter passes through the Council House, the bell may ring or the figures in the
Upper House be made to appear. The bell alone may be used, or only the four
pillars or marks to define the entrances to the Council House. The Drivers which
are mallets or cues may be the same as are used in croquet or billiards. The
methods of striking or moving Councillors and Voters, and for scoring and playing
the game will be regulated by rules.
I do not confine myself to any particular name of game or details of size or
materials of any part or parts herein described as the same may be varied and
modified according to circumstances without departing from my invention.
Dated this 18th day of January 1892.
WILLIAM PEPPER..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Game.
I, WILLIAM PEPPER, of 15 Lion Walk, in the Borough of Colchester, in the
County of Essex, formerly a Warrant Officer and Garrison Sergeant Major in
Her Majesty's Army, 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:-
My invention, a new or improved game of skill to be called " Britonia," and
relating to an Arena, is a method or methods, and a means of, and an apparatus
for, faintly imitating, in play, the nationalities and Parliamentary Institutions of
the British Empire, in division or divisions of such.
The game may be played on the ground, the floor of a room, a table top or
platform, or on coverings for the same, or on any suitable level surface, which
may be circular square, or oblong, and marked or coloured in four equal parts, the
whole called the Arena. Arenas may be marked or made on any table top or
platform or coverings for the same. I do not confine myself to any particular
size, shape or material for making these arenas or any part or parts pertaining to
them. When arenas are made of wood or any hard substance, I prefer that they
should be covered with any suitable material to deaden the noise of the balls.
In order that my invention may be thoroughly understood, I will describe a
square arena as follows:-
Fig. 1 is a plan of an Arena.
Fig. 2 is a Councillor and Voter.
Fig. 3 is a Mallei.
Fig. 4 is a Scoring Register.
Referring to Fig. 1. In the middle of the arena is a marked ring which takes
in the inner corners of four division lines. The inside of this ring (a), is called
"Council House or Goal," and is intended to represent the House of Commons.
On this ring where the division lines join it, are placed four pillars (b) representing
England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales respectively. The pillars (6) are secured
to the arena by any ordinary methods, and may support a tower-shaped com-
partment, called the Upper House, to represent the House of Lords. Within this
compartment may be four figures representing a Judge, a Bishop, and the leader's
of the two great political parties, or any other figures, characters or designs,
together with such mechanical arrangements, that when a ball goes into or through
the goal (a), it causes a bell to ring or the figures in the tower to move to the top.
The tower itself may be surmounted with the figure of the Reigning Sovereign of
an Empire or Kingdom, or the President of a State. The tower may be dispensed
with, and the bell removed, the pillars only being left to denote the entrance to the
goal (a), or the ring alone may be used. Beyond the ring denoting the Council-
house or Goal, is another but larger one, the space between the two is called
Barrier (c) the remainder of the arena the Country, or N., E. S., W. The
boundaries (d) may be a mark or slightly raised wall, and this will define the

page_text: playspace. The boundaries (d) have on each side or in the corners openings (e)
called Gateways. In a square arena, I prefer to have them in the corners. When o
the arena is on the ground, the gateways (e) are formed with two pillars at (ƒ),
having an iron stay passing vertically through them and into the ground. When
walls (d) are used on a material made arena, the gateways (e) are formed by a
circular rod from wall to wall (f to f), and the gateway nets secured to the rods,
the rods and nets secured by any ordinary methods. The lines (9) marking the
divisions join the centre ring and lobbies (h) midway between the gateways (e)
Lobbies () may be a simple semi-circular mark, or raised barrier, having sufficient
room to allow a ball to go between it and the boundary (d). The four divisions of
the arena N., E., S. W., may each be coloured or marked differently, and are
intended to represent the four divisions of the United Kingdom, thus, England,
red; Ireland, green; Scotland, yellow; and Wales, white; any other colour,
mark, or figure may be adopted. The Councillors, balls (Fig. 2 a) each have three
coloured bands round them, c red d white and e blue; the remainder the same colour
or mark as the division they represent on the arena. These stand at (i) Fig. 1 in
front of each opening into the Council-house, but outside the barrier ring. The
Voters, balls (Fig. 2b) are four in number and are marked or coloured separately,
the same as the divisions to which they belong. They stand at k Fig. 1., in a
straight line with the Councillor at i and gateway e. The game is played somewhat
similarly to croquet and billiards and with mallet or cuc.
The mallet Fig. 3. has a barrel-shaped head a, with the ends
with leather or other suitable material. Handle c.
tipped or capped
For marking the arena any simple methods may be adopted. The method of
playing the game is as follows:-
The Councillors (Fig. 2 a) are placed on the spots i (Fig. 1.) and the Voter of
the division to play is placed on the spot k in a line with Councillor spot i and
gateway e, and at such distance apart as adopted by rules. The player by striking
his Voter with mallet or cue, or bowled direct from the hand, endeavours to force
a Councillor, or his own Voter into the Council-house a (Fig. 1.) or Lobby h, or
go through a gateway e, or to cause his Voter to strike two or more Councillors, in
any of which cases the player scores.
Scoring the game is on the clock-face principle Fig. 4. and in four divisions
corresponding to the arena. Each division has a round dial a, with hands in the
centre and a double circle row of figures, the long hand b turning from left to right
and scoring the figures 1 to 19 on the outer circle; the shorter hand e turning from
right to left and scoring the figures 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100, on the inner circle.
Between the two upper and lower dials, are a double set of figures 1 to 9 in one
line, separated by the word "Hundreds." Immediately over and under each of
these figures is a hole e into which a peg is placed to denote hundreds. The
division of the register and the pegs are each lettered coloured or marked the same
as the arena.
.The method of striking or moving Councillors and Voters and for playing and
scoring the game is as follows
RULES,
Two playing, play on two divisions each. Four or more playing, play in sides or
individually.
"
TERMS USED IN PLAYING THE GAME.
Touch," is when a player on stroke, or bowl, causes his Voter to strike a
Counsillon
"Vote," is when a player after his Voter has touched a Councillor, strikes or
bowls his Voter and causes it to go into, or through the goal, without it touching
Councillor.
Place the four Councillors on their spots, and the players Voter on its spot, the

page_text: player then strikes or bowls his Voter, and endeavours to make it touch two or
more Councillors, or go into, or through the goal, or into lobby, or out of a gate-
way, in all of which the player scores. The players Voter having touched one
Councillor, he may then play for Vote, by striking or bowling his Voter into or
through the goal, and score Vote, 1 point, if the Voter remains in goal it is
removed to, and again played from its spot, if it passes through the goal, and
not off the arena, it is playeil from where it stops, and plays at any Councillor.
If on a stroke a players Voter after touching a Councillor, and should eitber
Voter or Councillor go into or through the goal they score 2 points, if into
lobby or out of a gateway, 1 point; Voter or Councillors in goal, or lobby, or
forced through a gateway, are brought into play on their respective spots. If
on a stroke, a Voter touches two Councillors, it scores 2 points, three Councillors
scores 4 points, and four Councillors scores 6 points, and any other points made in
goal, lobby or gateway.
€6
If on a stroke a Voter and one Councillor go into, or through the goal together,
it is "Union," and scores 10 points, a Voter and two Councillors in like manner is
Council," and scores 20 points, also a Voter and three Councillors is "Britonia,"
and scores 30 points, similarly a Voter and four Councillors is "Empire," and
scores 40 points.
Hand out.
-Player failing to strike his Voter on stroke, or failing to cause it to
touch a Councillor, failing to score on playing for Vote, forcing his Voter over the
boundary, touching the same Councillor more than once without scoring, playing
with wrong Voter, or from wrong division spot, or interfering with the course of a
Voter or Councillor when moving in play, in the arena, and the next player to have
the option of playing at such Councillor either from its spot, or the place moved to
or from.
I do not restrict myself to the exact details of any part or parts herein described,
as the same may be varied or modified according to circumstances, without departing
from my invention.
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 -
1. A new or improved game Arena with attachments as herein set forth.
2. The balls, viz., Councillors and Voters for playing on the said arena substan-
tially as set forth.
3. A mallet with the head ends tipped or capped with leather or other suitable
material as set forth.
4. A register for scoring points obtained in a game as herein described and set
forth.
Dated this Fifteenth day of October 1892.
WILLIAM PEPPER.