A New or Improved Game and Apparatus employed therein.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1893-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Game and Apparatus employed therein.
I, CHARLES EDWARD MORRIS of No. 52 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention refers to a game and apparatus to be employed therein belonging
to the bagatelle or billiard class, that is to say, the game is played with a cue and
balls on a table marked in a particular manner and having pockets or the like.
The board or table preferably made square with cushions except at the middle
of each side where a pocket is provided. Two of these pockets may be coloured
light and have one value and the other two may be dark and have another value.
The table is covered with cloth or made in such an approved manner as to form a
suitable surface whereon to play the balls of which there may be for instance four
for each player. The balls of each set are rendered distinguishable from one
another and from those of other sets in any convenient manner and correspond
to the colours of six circular spaces which are marked off concentrically from
the centre of the table to the sides. In the centre of these concentric rings or
spaces just mentioned is a space from which the balls are driven when starting
or otherwise during other phases of the game as hereinafter to be described.
The game is played as follows:-
Each of the players selects one of the colours as his and the first player is
ascertained by lot, the rest following in order according to the sequence of the
colours of the circles running towards the centre and so on again if necessary from
the outermost circle. Each player shall play only at or off balls resting on his own
circle or on the circle next but one or next but three therefrom but the circles so
available to each player may of course be made fewer or altered according to previous
arrangement of the players. If in consequence of any such arrangement any or
one of the circles would remain unappropriated to any player they or it may
be made common ground open to all players, or they or it may be made neutral
ground upon which all balls become dead or out of play.
Play is commenced from the central space and each player plays all his four
balls preferably in his first turn consecutively, nothing is however scored during
such first turns but the balls are only placed in position on the board for the
next turn save on those spaces which are outside the outermost and inside the
innermost circles all of which spaces shall be neutral ground upon which all balls
resting at any period of the game shall become "dead" and out of play until after
that turn of all the players and be then played afresh from the central space
but any player may in such first turn use any strokes therein so as to destroy with
the ball then played any apparent arrangement of the balls played by a previous
player and resting in circles open to him. If at any period of the game there shall
be no ball in play to any one of the players, play shall be recommenced from
the central space. The game is won by the first player scoring one hundred or
any other number of points agreed upon by the players and the points may be
reckoned for instance in the manner following: In the second and subsequent
turns each player shall have as many strokes (unless otherwise arranged) as he has
balls of the colour selected by him which remain in play and shall be at liberty
to play them in any order he pleases and he may further play any of them more
than once in the same turn as long as he does not take more strokes than the
aggregate number of such balls remaining in play except as hereinafter mentioned.
Every player shall before making a stroke declare which ball or balls he intends
to play at or off in that particular stroke and shall count nothing for any stroke

page_text: that would otherwise have scored unless he shall have so declared. Or under
certain circumstances each or any player may be so handicapped that he shall
declare beforehand his intentions as regards one or more strokes over and above
such next stroke that is to say he shall declare two, three or four strokes before
playing. Should a player drive a ball so declared on to a neutral space or into a
pocket, the ball so driven shall be out of play for its next turn or otherwise.
If a player drive his own ball without having hit the ball declared or drive another
ball not declared on to a neutral space or into a pocket, he shall lose his own next
turn as to his ball then played but the other ball is preferably restored as
nearly as may be to its previous position on the board. Supposing a ball rest
partly upon two circles or partly upon a circle and partly upon a neutral space it
shall be held to be upon that circle or space which its larger portion overhangs
but if it be practically impossible to decide which that is, it shall at its next turn
be moved and played from the central space and meanwhile it shall be out of play
to the other players. If a player fail to hit a ball which he has declared to hit he
shall forfeit one or some other number agreed upon from his score. Should a
player declare to make a cannon and fail to do so hitting only one ball he shall
count and forfeit nothing for that stroke, but if he miss both balls he shall forfeit
four or some other agreed number from his score. If he hit a ball only so declared
he shall count say one, and if he make the cannon so declared he shall count
say two, should he drive the ball so declared of another player on to neutral ground
either directly or by a cannon, he shall count for so doing say one in addition to
anything to be otherwise scored off that stroke. If he hit another ball so declared
and drive it or the ball with which he is playing into a pocket he shall in like
manner count say two additionally and should he drive his said own ball and the
one so hit into a pocket he shall count say four additionally. Supposing
a player hit and cannon and drive his own ball thus played or either of those hit or
cannoned into a pocket he shall count say six additionally. Supposing a player hit
and cannon and drive his own ball thus played and either of those hit or cannoned
into a pocket he shall count say eight additionally and if both of them say twelve
additionally. In each of the cases above mentioned of a player driving his own
ball into a pocket he shall be entitled to an additional stroke or strokes with that
ball or otherwise in that turn recommencing play in each instance from the central
space.
The above rules of scoring as regards pockets shall apply only to the dark
pockets and as regards the other pockets in like cases the numbers scored as above
shall be doubled.
The rules of scoring and of play may be modified in accordance with the wishes
or skill of the players as for example, by an increase or decrease in the value of
the various strokes before described or in the number of the circles available to
cach player or of the balls appropriated to bis use.
Dated this 98th dox of Santambar 190.)
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Game and Apparatus employed therein.
I, CHARLES EDWARD MORRIS of No. 52 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman 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 refers to a game and apparatus to be employed therein belonging
to the bagatelle or billiard class, that is to say the game is played with a cue and
balls on a table marked in a particular manner and having pockets or the like.
The board or table is preferably made square as shewn in the drawing as an
4

page_text: example with cushions except at the middle of each side where a pocket is provided
marked a. a. b. b. Two of these pockets say a a may be coloured light and have
one value and size and the other two bb may be dark and have another value, and
their size is, say, double that of a. The table is covered with cloth or made in such
an approved manner as to form a suitable surface whereon to play the balls of
which there may be for instance four for each player. The balls of each set are
rendered distinguishable from one another and from those of other sets in any con-
venient manner and correspond to the colours of two or more, in this example six,
circular annular spaces 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 which are marked off concentrically from
the centre of the table to the sides. In the centre of these concentric rings or
spaces just mentioned is a space 0 from which the balls are driven when starting
or otherwise during other phases of the game as herinafter to be described.
The game
played as follows:-
Each of the players selects one of the colours of the spaces 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 as
his and the first player is ascertained by lot, the rest following in order according
to the sequence of the colours of the circles running towards the centre and so on
again if necessary from the outermost circle. Each player shall play only at or off
balls resting on his own annular space or on the annular space next but one or next
but three therefrom but the annular spaces so available to each player may of
course be made fewer or altered according to previous arrangement of the players.
If in consequence of any such arrangement any or one of the annular spaces would
remain unappropiated to any player they or it may be made common ground open
to all players or they or it may be made neutral ground upon which all balls
become "dead" or out of play.
Play is commenced from the central space 0 and each player plays all his four
balls preferably in his first turn consecutively, nothing is however scored during
such first turns but the balls are only placed in position on the board for the next
turn save on the spaces 7 and on the innermost space 0 all of which spaces shall be
neutral ground upon which all balls resting at any period of the gaine shall become
"dead" and out of play until after that turn of all the players and be then played
afresh from the central space 0 but any player may in such first turn use any
strokes therein so as to destroy with the ball then played any apparent arrange-
ment of the balls played by a previous player and resting in annular spaces open to
him. If at any period of the game there shall be no ball in play to any one the
players play shall be recommenced from the central space 0.
The game
is won by
the first player scoring one hundred or any other number of points agreed upon by
the players and the points may be reckoned for instance in the manner following.
In the second and subsequent turns each player shall have as many strokes (unless
otherwise arranged) as he has balls of the colour selected by him which remain in
play and he shall be at liberty to play them in any order he pleases and he may
further play any of them more than once in the same turn as long as he does not
take more strokes than the aggregate number of such balls remaining in play
except as hereinafter mentioned. Every player shall before making a stroke
declare which ball or balls he intends to play at or off in that particular stroke and
shall count nothing for any stroke that would otherwise have scored unless he shall
have so declared. Or under certain circumstances each or any player may be so
handicapped that he shall declare beforehand his intentions as regards one or more
strokes over and above such next stroke that is to say he shall declare two, three or
four strokes before playing.
Should a player drive a ball so declared on to a neutral space or into a pocket
the ball so driven shall be out of play for its next turn or otherwise. If a player
drive his own ball without having hit the ball declared or drive another ball
not declared on to a neutral space or into a pocket he shall lose his own next turn
as to his ball then played, but the other ball is preferably restored as nearly as may
be to its previous position on the board. Supposing a ball rest partly upon two
circles or partly upon a circle and partly upon a neutral space it shall be held to be
upon that circle or space which its larger portion overhangs but if it be practically

page_text: impossible to decide which that is, it shall at its next turn be moved and played
from the central space and meanwhile it shall be out of play to the other players.
If a player fail to hit a ball which he has declared to hit he shall forfeit one or
some other number agreed upon from his score. Should a player declare to make
a cannon and fail to do so hitting only one ball he shall count and forfeit nothing
for that stroke, but if he miss both balls he shall forfeit four or some other agreed
number from his score. If he hit a ball only so declared he shall count say one
and if he make the cannon so declared he shall count say two. Should he
drive the ball so declared of another player on to neutral either directly or by
a cannon he shall count for so doing say one in addition to anything to be
otherwise scored off that stroke. If he hit another ball so declared and drive
it or the ball with which he his playing into a pocket he shall in like manner
count say two additionally and should he drive his said own ball and the one
so hit into a pocket he shall count say four additionally. Supposing a player
hit and cannon and drive his own ball then played or either of those hit or
cannoned into a pocket he shall count say six additionally. Supposing a player
hit and cannon and drive his own ball thus played and either of those hit or
cannoned into a pocket he shall count say eight additionally and if both of them
say twelve additionally. In each of the cases above mentioned of a player driving
his own ball into a pocket he shall be entitled to an additional stroke or strokes
with that ball or otherwise in that turn recommencing play in each instance from
the central space.
The above rules of scoring as regards pockets shall apply only to the dark
pockets bb and as regards the other pockets a a in like cases the numbers scored
as above shall be doubled.
The rules of scoring and of play may be modified in accordance with the wishes
or skill of the players as for example by an increase or decrease in the value of the
various strokes before described or in the number of the circles available to each
player or of the balls appropriated to his use.
A suitable size for the table is about 8 feet square which renders it suitable for
rooms as small as 15 feet wide so that a great number of people occupying
comparatively small houses may avail themselves of this game whereas a full-sized
billiard table requires much more space wherefore its use is very much limited.
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 :-
1. The construction of table with concentric annular spaces central space and
corner spaces substantially as set forth.
2. In connection with a table as firstly claimed the mode of using or playing the
same substantially as set forth.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.