Improvements in and relating to Hoops used in Playing Croquet and like Games.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1898-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Hoops used in Playing Croquet
and like Games.
We, JOIN JAQUES, Jr., and PERCY NATHANIEL JAQUES, trading as Jaques & Son,
of 102, Hatton Garden, in the County of London, Manufacturers, and JOHN
EDWARD AUSTIN, of West Court, Detling, Maidstone, in the County of Kent,
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:-
This invention relates to hoops such as are used in playing croquet and, like
lawn games and has for its object to provide novel means for determining and
maintaining constant the proper position, height, out of the ground, and width
or gauge of such hoops, and for preventing or restricting movement of same when
subjected to the blows of balls, mallets or the like used in playing the games, and
generally to prevent such hoops working loose, and to maintain them in upright,
rigid and constant positions.
For this purpose we construct and employ a hoop of required span having on
each leg a stop at the proper distance from its crown and foot respectively, for
determining the height of the hoop out of the ground. The hoop may be of
wrought iron with fixed collars or swelled stops on the legs, but we prefer to
employ cast or malleable cast iron, annealed if desired, such metal being better
adapted to prevent any bending or springing and to ensure accuracy of span and
position of stops. In combination with such a hoop we provide and use a pair
of specially devised metal ground-plates or hold-fasts, each having a flat top
plate with an aperture adapted to the passage of the leg of the hoop and two or
more pointed prongs. In full explanation we have illustrated our invention in
the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side perspective view of one
holdfast, Fig. 2 a perspective view of same showing one leg of a hoop and fixed
collar, Fig. 3 is an elevation of a hoop set in the ground with our invention
applied, and Fig. 4 a part view showing part of one leg of a cast iron hoop
and stop.
In the figures the preferred shape and configuration of the holdfasts are
plainly shown. They may be made of cast or wrought metal and comprise an
angular shaped and flat top-plate P preferably enlarged about its central part
in which is the hoop leg aperture A. The holdfasts shown have two pointed
prongs LL turned down at angles with top plate, but if required a third prong
may be added as shown dotted in Fig. 1, we do not however find this is required,
and it adds to the cost of manufacture. H is the hoop, to each leg of which is
pinned, shrunk or otherwise fixed a collar such as C, or alternatively an enlarged
part such as C Fig. 4 may be formed either by swelling wrought iron or
in the process of casting. In use a pair of such holdfasts are pressed down into
the ground and flush with the turf in the relative angular positions shown in
Fig. 3, the distance of the holes A apart being determined by the span of the
hoop; then the two legs of the hoop are forced vertically down through the holes A
into the ground until, by reason of their collars C or stops C¹ squarely engaging

page_text: the plates P, they can pass no further, and the proper vertical position, height
and span are at once assured; by the special angular formation of the ground
plates and by setting same in the ground at the angles in Fig. 3 shown relative
to the stand of the hoop they are enabled to effectually counteract the effects of
blows delivered on either side of the hoop and from any direction, and so prevent
its working loose in the ground. As will be seen from Fig. 3 the size and
projections of the flat top plates are so arranged and determined that balls such
as are generally employed in croquet and such like games cannot possibly touch
the plates P when passing anywhere round or through the hoop. It is an advan-
tage also that by leaving the holdfasts in the ground the hoops can be removed
after use and replaced immediately, thus saving the trouble of refinding the correct
positions. We do not bind ourselves to the precise configuration and curvatures
of the holdfasts illustrated, but we have found these to be well adapted to the
purpose in view.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
In combination, a hoop of wrought cast or malleable cast iron having stops on
each leg, and a pair of specially formed angular ground plates or holdfasts such
as above specified with holes through which the hoop legs pass down to the
said stops, whereby the proper height and span of the hoop are determined and
the hoop is always maintained in a rigid, firm and upright position, substantially
as described and illustrated in the drawing.
For the Applicants,
J. C. CHAPMAN,
Chartered Patent Agent, 70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.