Improvements in Parlour Games, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Loft 10th Do
1236 Accented
30th Jan 1847
Improvements in Parlour Games, and Apparatus therefor.
I, THOMAS THOMPSON, Manager of the Patent Novelty Company, 5, St. James
Street, Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a device for precipitating or projecting counters or discs
used in toy or parlour games of skill, and the combination or use of the same with
a box formed with numbered holes or divisions, which may be described as a
miniature bagatelle game. The said device may be also used in an imitation game
of bowls, as hereinafter described, or in other similar toy games.
I preferably construct the said device out of a piece of sheet tin, or other metal
from six to eight inches long, formed trough shaped in such a manner that when
used in the said game or games of skill as aforesaid, the trough may be held in an
inclined position at or near the said box or the like, and counters or discs rolled,
on their edges, down the said trough formed device, which may be tilted or turned
on one side or the other. or moved to put the necessary side or bias on the counters
or discs as they are running down the trough, whereby, when they leave the same,
if the judgment of the competitor be good, he will have projected the same into
the desired numbered hole of the box, or as hereinafter described.
The box may be an ordinary plain pasteboard one, having numbers at the bottom.
Within the interior of the box may be a removable board. having numbered holes
corresponding with the numbers at the bottom of the box. This may rest upon
strips of any suitable material to raise it sufficiently from the bottom.
The sides of the trough shaped device must be sufficiently narrow, that they will
not afford much play for the counters or discs as they roll down the same on their
edges, otherwise this might defeat the object of my invention.
The game of bowls may be played on a table covered with a cloth. The
trough shaped device is formed with curved flanged edges at the top so that the
jack, which may be a small ball, may be first rolled into position down the said
flanges. The competitors next attempt to get nearest the jack with their counters
or discs, which are rolled down the said trough formed device, held as aforesaid,
and turned slightly to the left or right or otherwise moved to put the necessary side
or bias on the counter or disc, which the latter soon evinces on leaving the trough,
for it gradually curls round towards the jack, just according to the amount of bias
that may be put upon it.
F. RICHMOND,
12 Standish Street, Burnley, Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Parlour Games, and Apparatus therefor.
1, THOMAS THOMPSON, Manager of the Patent Novelty Company, 5, St. James
Street, Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, 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 a device for precipitating or projecting counters or discs
used in toy or parlour games of skill, and the combination or use of the same with
a box formed with numbered holes or divisions, which may be described as a
miniature bagatelle game. The said device may be also used in an imitation game
of bowls, as hereinafter described, or in other similar toy games.
I preferably construct the said device out of a piece of sheet tin or other metal
from six to eight inches long, formed trough shaped in such a manner, that when
used in the said game or games of skill as aforesaid, the trough may be held in an
inclined position at or near the said box or the like, and counters or discs rolled, on
their edges, down the said trough forined device, which may be tilted or turned on
one side or the other or moved to put the necessary side or bias on the counters or
discs as they are running down the trough, whereby, when they leave the same, if
the judgment of the competitor be good, he will have projected the same into the
desired numbered hole of the box, or as hereinafter described.
The box may be an ordinary plain pasteboard one, having numbers at the
bottom. Within the interior of the box may be a removable board having
numbered holes corresponding with the numbers at the bottom of the box. This
may rest upon strips of any suitable material to raise it sufficiently from the
bottom.
The sides of the trough shaped device must be sufficiently narrow, that they
will not afford much play for the counters or discs as they roll down the same on
their edges, otherwise this might defeat the object of my invention. The game of
bowls may be played on a table covered with a cloth. The trough shaped device
is formed with curved flanged edges at the top so that the jack, which may be a
small ball may be first rolled into position down the said flanges. The competitors
next attempt to get nearest the jack with their counters or discs, which are rolled
down the said trough formed device, held as aforesaid, and turned slightly to the
left or right or otherwise moved to put the necessary side or bias on the counter or
disc, which the latter soon evinces on leaving the trough, for it gradually curls
round towards the jack, just according to the amount of bias that may be put.
upon it.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved
miniature bagatelle game.
A is the box formed with an inner flange and having numbered holes at the
bottom, and in it fits the loose piece B, perforated with a series of numbered holes
as shewn, corresponding with the numbers at the bottom of the box. The rim C
stands somewhat proud of this loose piece when fit in its place. The loose piece B
is slightly indented to receive ball D.
The lid E of the box, when a game is intended to be played is placed alongside
it, so as to resemble somewhat a bagatelle table.
In combination with the above miniature bagatelle table, I employ a novel device
for trundling the discs or counters into the said numbered holes or divisions. The
said device forms an essential feature of my invention. It is also applicable to an
imitation game of bowls as hereinafter described or may be used in other games
of skill, where discs or counters, are required to be trundled or rolled.

page_text: The said device F, well illustrated in perspective in Fig. 1, and whose end view
is shewn in Fig. 2 consists of a piece of sheet tin or other metal or material from
six to eight inches long, formed trough-shaped. It is held by the competitor at
One end in an inclined position on the lid E of the box as shewn, so that the
counter G may be trundled or rolled down the same on end, and propelled by the
acceleration thus acquired towards the numbered holes or divisions, when, if
the aim be accurate it will fall into the same. Now, by tilting the said trough
shaped device on one side, I am enabled to put the necessary bias or side on the
counter as it is running down the trough, and a little acquired skill will soon
enable a competitor to employ this means with great advantage in trundling the
counters on end as shewn. It will be seen that the sides of the trough shaped
device F must be sufficiently narrow as not to afford much play for the counters
or discs as they roll down the same, or this might defeat the object of the
invention.
A competitor may give a start to another in the distance he is set from the
numbered holes. The respective starting points are indicated by 5, 10, 15 and 20
on the hex lid E.
The rules of the game may be that when a counter or disc has hit the hall D,
it will score double, if it afterwards falls into a hole. Similarly, should the ball D
be projected or knocked into a hole, it may score four times the number of that
hole.
I will now proceed to describe my improved game of bowls, in which an exactly
similar device is employed for trundling or precipitating the discs or counters as
already described. This device is formed with curved flanges H as shewn in.
Figs. 1 and 2 to enable the jack or ball (which may be similar to the ball D) to be
first rolled down the trough shaped device to the required position. The counters
are then precipitated or trundled as described above, and the player who gets
nearest the jack scores. The game may be played any number of points up.
The game is played on an ordinary table covered with a cloth, or on any other
level surface.
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 box A movable piece B lid E and ball D in combination with the-
trough shaped device F, substantially as shewn and described, for the purpose set
forth.
2. In a game or games of skill, the trough shaped device F for trundling discs
or counters, substantially as described and shewn for the purpose set forth.
3. The improved imitation game of bowls, consisting of a ball or jack, and
counters in combination with my improved device for trundling or precipitating the
same, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of December 1896
F. RICHMOND,
12 Standish Street, Burnley, Agent for the Applicant.