Year: 1898

page_text: I, THOMAS RITCHIE, of Maplewell, Loughborough, Leicestershire, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in the provision of new or improved means for playing
indoor croquet and like games.
The game may be played under substantially the same rules as played out of
doors, and for instance, on an ordinary billiard table, a covering of baize felt or
any other suitable material being used, the said covering not only affording pro-
tection to the ordinary cloth, but also serving to lessen the speed at which the
balls would otherwise travel. At both ends and if found desirable also at
the sides, a rod, bar, or equivalent means would be attached to the covering
in any convenient way and means provided for securing the said rods or the
like to the framing or other part of the table, by which means the covering
can be drawn taut.
Attached to the underside of the covering are suitable metal plates or the like,
let into the said covering by any suitable means, so that the top thereof will be
perfectly level.
Formed integrally with the said plates or attached thereto in any convenient
way are suitable bosses for receiving therein the lower ends of the hoops through
which the balls are driven. The said bosses may be slightly conical on their
outer faces and screw-threaded and bifurcated, so that the hoops may be tightened
therein by means of thumb nuts.
To provide against injury to the balls the hoops may be covered with leather
rubber tubing or the like.
It will be readily understood that the pool balls supplied with billiard tables
are specially suitable for the purpose of playing indoor croquet and like games,
though ordinary billiard and pyramid balls may be used, and also the ordinary
cues.
As before stated the usual rules of croquet as played out of doors may be
adhered to or modified and the hoops arranged or set out to conform thereto
and various forms of croquet or other games played suitable to the means
described.
It will be also understood that the means described may be applied to any
ordinary table, in which case a net would be carried round the edge thereof,
and be held in position in any suitable way, and the hoops in this case could be
arranged as fixtures to the table, or have spring clips so that they could be
turned down and lie level with the surface thereof.
Dated this 5th day of September 1898.

page_text: New or improved means for Flaying Indcor Croquet and like Games.
I, THOMAS RITCHIE, of Maplewell, Loughborough, Leicestershire, 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 consists in the provision of new and improved means for playing
indoor croquet and like games.
The game of croquet may be played under the same rules as played out of
doors and for instance on an ordinary billiard table upon which a covering of
baize, felt or any other suitable material is placed; the said covering not only
affords protection to the ordinary billiard cloth but also serves to lessen the
speed at which the balls would otherwise travel.
The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying
drawing in which Figure 1 is an isometrical perspective view of the top of a
billiard table, with a covering of suitable material thereon.
Figure 2 is a cross section of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an isometrical perspective view of the top of an ordinary table
with netting and cover applied thereto and Figure 4 is a cross section of the
latter. To draw the aforesaid covering A taut, at each end thereof is sewn or
otherwise attached, a rod B the ends of the latter, by means of cords or equivalent
(not shown in the drawing) being tied to any suitable part of the billiard table,
such as the pockets for instance. The hoops C (only one of which is shown
in position in each case) are of the shape ordinarily used in the game of croquet
but of a size in proportion to the ordinary pool balls which in this case are used
and operated by the usual billiard cues in place of croquet mallets.
The said hoops Care preferably arranged so that their ends C¹ are received
into plates C which are let into the underside of the covering A. so that the
upper surface thereof is perfectly clear of any protuberances. The said plates C²
may however be let into the upper face of the covering A.
To form the recesses in the covering for receiving the said plates C2 therein,
discs of metal or other suitable material may be heated and applied with great
pressure on the covering at the required places.
Instead however of forming recesses in the covering A in the manner described,
discs may be cut entirely out of the covering, the hoop plates may then be put
in the disc holes and covered with separate discs of the same material and colour
of the cover to the required thickness. The said plates C are also provided with
bosses C3 which may either be formed with or attached thereto for receiving
therein the lower ends C¹ of the hoops C. Any of the well known means of
tightening the bosses C³ round the bottom of the hoops C may be used and the
latter are preferably covered with any suitable material such as leather or
cloth to prevent injury to the balls.
To apply the invention to an ordinary table as shown in Figures 3 and 4 a
net D is carried-round the edge thereon, the upper and lower edges being threaded
on to rods E and F carried all round the table and supported by brackets G G¹
screwed to the latter.
In this case tubes H may be let into the table top to receive the bottom ends
of the hoops C.
A covering A is readily applied to an ordinary table by attaching to two
sides (or ends) thereof, rollers J J which are mounted in the said brackets G G¹
fixed on the said table, and the said roller J¹ may be revolved to tighten the
cover and held in position by any well known means, such as by a ratchet

page_text: wheel K fixed on the said roller J¹ controlled by a pawl K' mounted on the
bracket G. It will be readily understood that the pool balls supplied with
billiard tables are specially suitable for playing indoor croquet and similar
games on billiard and other tables.
As before stated the usual rules of croquet as played out of doors may be
adhered to or modified and the hoops arranged or set out to conform thereto.
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. The use or employment of a billiard table for playing croquet under the
ordinary rules or modifications thereof, by the means hereinbefore specified.
2. The means hereinbefore specified by which an ordinary table may be utilized
for playing croquet.
Dated this 5th day of June 1800.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.