New Game.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec.. 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New Game.
I CHARLES BARTER of Blockley, Moreton-in-Marsh in the County of Gloucester
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to an improved game more especially adapted to be played
indoors and is analogous to the outdoor game of lawn tennis.
According to my invention I provide uprights or standards having at their lower
ends blocks or projections by which the said uprights or standards may be secured
to a table or raised platform by screw clamps or equivalent devices. The said
uprights or standards are set up at a suitable distance apart and support a net
stretched taut between them. The racquets or bats used in connection with this
game are formed of millboard or other suitable material and are preferably covered
with bookbinders cloth or the like for giving a twist to the ball. They may be of
rectangular shape having one end recessed and a tongue of leather or like flexible
material secured thereto for the player to hold. The balls I prefer to make of cork.
The bats and balls should be made of materials such that a degree of non-resilience
is imparted to them so that a comparatively large amount of energy may be
expended in hitting the ball without driving it to a great distance. The materials
specified I have found to answer the purpose satisfactorily.
The players are stationed on each side of the net and with the bats hereinbefore
described serve and return the balls in like manner to the outdoor game of lawn
tennis and the scoring may be like that employed for lawn tennis.
Dated this 4th day of November 1891.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
A New Game.
I CHARLES BARTER of Blockley Moreton-in-Marsh in the County of Gloucester,
Engineer 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 relates to an improved game more especially adapted to be played
indoors and is analogous to the outdoor game of lawn tennis.
According to my invention I provide uprights or standards having at their lower
ends blocks or projections by which the said uprights or standards can be secured
to a table or raised platform by screw clamps or equivalent devices. The said
uprights or standards are set up at a suitable distance apart and support a net
stretched taut between them. The bats and balls should be made of materials such
that a degree of non-resilience is imparted to them so that a comparatively large
amount of energy may be expended in hitting the ball without driving it to a great
distance.
The racquets or bats used in connection with this game are preferably formed
of millboard covered with bookbinder's cloth or the like for giving a twist to the
ball. They may be of, or approaching, a rectangular shape with a tongue of leather
or like flexible material secured to one end for the player to hold. The balls [
prefer to make of cork.
The accompanying drawings shew devices according to my invention.
Fiure is a front elevation shewing the net in position.

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan of the same and
Figure 3 is a plan of one of the racquets or bats.
A A' are two uprights or standards having at their lower ends blocks or pro-
jections B B by which the said uprights or standards are secured to the table or
raised platform C by means of the screw clamps D D². The said uprights or
standards A A2 are set up at a suitable distance apart and are secured in position
by the said screw clamps D D' and support a net E which is stretched taut between
them. The meshes of the net at one extremity thereof are passed over the upright A
and the net is then stretched taut and the meshes at, or towards, the other extremity
of the net are passed over the upright A' so as to retain the net taut between
the said uprights. The meshes of the net through which the upright A' passes
will vary according to the breadth of the table.
F (Figure 3) is a plan of a racquet or bat for use in connection with this game.
It is shewn as having at one end a recess f and a tongue of leather or like flexible
material is secured as shewn for the player to hold. The said racquets or bats
as aforesaid are preferably formed of millboard covered with bookbinder's cloth or
the like. G is one of the balls which I prefer to make of cork.
The players are stationed on each side of the net E and with the bats or
racquets F serve and return the balls G in like manner to that in which the balls
are served and returned in the outdoor game of lawn tennis and the scoring of the
-game and the marking of the courts on the table or platform may be like those
employed for lawn tennis.
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 :-
1st. The new game consisting of the combination of devices substantially
hereinbefore described.
2nd. The racquet or bat hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figure 3 for
use in the said game.
Dated this 13th day of November 1891.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.