New or Improved Game and Game Apparatus, Applicable for Use on Parlour Tables.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Game and Game Apparatus, Applicable for Use
on Parlour Tables.
I, GEORGE SCOTT of 7 Mount Pleasant, Oxton, Birkenhead in the County of
Chester, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a new parlour game based upon the well known
game of golf. The apparatus consists, 1st. of a course or links formed of felt or other
elastic material, preferably about eighteen inches wide, placed round the edge of the
table. This felt can be all cut out of one piece, or can be made of several pieces
neatly joined: 2nd. a series of hazards, consisting of imitation streams, stone walls,
sheds, turf dykes, and other obstructions placed across the links at intervals to
correspond with bunkers, burns, walls, dykes, ponds, roads, whins, rushes, ditches, also
sea side and the like: 3rd. in a series of springers or clubs. These have a large variety
of ends for different uses, they can be made of wood, bone, or ivory, for the most part,
but whether bone or ivory discs are used, one or two of the springers are of metal,
preferably steel, as it is found that the use of polished metal is necessary to enable
the discs to fly backwards and thus get out from under a hazard. The various forms
of springers which I have made in my experimental apparatus are a long sharp point,
a dull point formed of two intersecting convex arcs, a convex arc end, a flat end, a
sloping side end, also, especially in metal, an end very similar to that of a scratching
out knife, such as is often sold by stationers, with varying shaped edges on opposite
sides, the edges can be perfectly square, can be sharp, rounded, or bevelled: 4th. In
place of balls, I use discs or counters. These discs or counters are preferably of ivory
but can be made of other materials. They can be of various shapes and sizes. The
size and shape which I prefer, however, is 4 inch in diameter and about 4inch in
thickness. Of this inch, 4 in the centre of the edge is vertical, but on each side it
is bevelled off to about 3 inch from the circumference. A separate disc is used for
each player, and they can be similar to each other, or each of a different size or colour.
The rules of the game in some respects strongly resemble those of golf: the
springers above mentioned being used in place of the numerous golf sticks ordinarily
employed, each player being provided with a box or bundle of these springers. Some
of these springers are preferably marked F, indicating that they cause a forward
movement, others, B, because they cause a backward movement, and others V,
because the movement they cause is vertical.
2000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Game and Game Apparatus, Applicable for Use
on Parlour Tables.
I, GEORGE SCOTT of 7, Mount Pleasant, Oxton, Birkenhead, in the County of
Chester, 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 was originally designed with the object of forming a parlour game
based upon the rules of the well known game of golf.
I will describe it as laid out and constructed for this special purpose, but it is
obvious that other rules and variations in the apparatus can be used.

page_text: Figure 2 is a side view of one side of same, illustrating a few of the hazards,
etcetera.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 show various forms of springers.
Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the method of using one of said
springers.
Figure 7 is a movable device with hole adapted to be placed on the course for
receiving the discs.
Figure 8 is a short movable pedestal upon which the discs may be placed when not
desirable to cut holes in the felt or table cover, or in lieu of the hollow cylinders
shown in Figures 6 and 7. The pedestal also forms an additional hazard.
Figures 9 and 9ª are respectively end view and plan of a hazard intended to
represent a rampart.
Figures 10, 11 and 12 are end views of hazards intended to represent respectively
a redoubt, an embankment and a trench.
Referring to these in detail:-
:-
A is a course or links formed of felt or other elastic material laid on the surface of
the table A¹ or tablecloth. It is preferably 18 inches wide, and is cut from a long
roll. The cuts need not be joined, but can be placed to abut against each other as
shown at a.
It can, however, be cut out all in one piece where cost is immaterial.
The blank space A2, in the centre of the course, may be utilised for the reception
of the various spare springers E F G H H I, and for the spare discs J, with which
the game is played.
B B are various obstacles or hazards, consisting of imitation streams with banks
or stone walls, bunkers, ditches, turf dykes, and other obstructions placed across
the links at intervals to correspond with bunkers, burns, walls, bridges, dykes,
hurdles, ponds, roads, whins, rushes, ditches, ramparts, redoubts, embankments,
trenches, and the like. Other obstacles can be used if desirable, over, into, under,
through or upon which the disks J are propelled. Most of these obstructions are
constructed preferably of wood, tinned iron or pasteboard, or other suitable material,
painted to imitate the natural object or otherwise. I may sometimes place strips
of felt or similar elastic material on the obstacles or hazards, as at b, Figures 7, 9, 11
and 12.
In the drawings, only the skeletons or frames of a few of these obstructions are
shown by way of illustration, it being understood that they may be shaped, painted
or otherwise ornamented as desired. They are preferably from 2 to 4 inches high.
Rushes, ponds and the like can be represented by pieces of felt, wadding, wood,
glass, tinned iron or other material laid on the course at intervals as shown at C, and
ramparts, redoubts, trenches, embankments, by. pieces of wood (Figures 9 to 12)
painted like stone and earth. D D¹ are the various holes placed along the course.
These can be simply holes in the felt, as shown at D, Figure 1, the holes being
preferably backed by a piece of linen or paper to prevent the discs from getting below
the cloth, or they could be short pedestals on which the discs would have to be made
to rest, (Figure 8). I prefer, however, to use short hollow cylinders D¹, Figures 1
and 2, or truncated cones D' (with a well or hole d) Figure 7, of box-wood, metal or
other solid material placed on the course so that discs can be jumped into them. Or
one or more of the cylinders,, pedestals, or their equivalent may be placed upon the
hazards or obstacles, as in Figure 11.
E F G H H and I are various springers, clubs or strikers, formed of box-wood,
ivory, bone, ebonite, or, in the case of I, as far as the blade is concerned, of steel or
other tough hard metal highly polished. Of these, E is of smooth ivory or box-wood,
and, when used on a disc J in the position shown in Figure 5, it causes the disc to
shoot along the course. F, Figures 3 and 6, is the most useful form of striker, having
two ends so that it can be used on the side f, as in Figure 6, or with its end f¹, as in
Figure 1, the screwdriver-looking end f¹ being useful for long high leaps, the other,

page_text: when short vertical shots are required. G H and H¹ are two other forms useful
occasionally, but not so much so as those already described, and I is very useful from
the fact, which I have discovered, that a steel or brightly polished metal blade drawn
backwards over a disc will cause it to shoot directly backwards, consequently, when
a disc has fallen under a hazard, as shown on the right hand side of Figure 1, it can
be shot directly out of the hazard, as into the dotted position shown, and in other
positions it can sometimes be shot nearly vertically up into the air so as to drop
into a cylindrical hole.
It will be obvious, however, that a vast number of different forms of strikers, clubs
or springers can be used, as the edges can be made perfectly square shaped, rounded,
bevelled, or otherwise curved or shaped.
In place of balls, I use ordinary ivory or bone discs or counters J, preferring these
about inch in diameter and about 1 inch in thickness, with hole inch diameter
through the centre. In playing the game, a separate disc is used by each player in
place of a ball, and the regular rules of golf are adopted as far as applicable to a
table game, the various springers above described being used instead of the
ordinary golf clubs, and the various penalties attached to playing out of the course
into the rushes, ponds, over the wall, rampart, trenches, or into a ditch, etcetera, being
adopted in this game as in the ordinary outdoor game.
I have described the invention, so far, to illustrate the rules of golf. It is obvious,
however, that other rules and other obstacles can be used besides these without
departing from the main principle of the invention, which consists in arranging a
course round or along the table, provided with obstructions and one or more holes,
spaces, pedestals or tubes, into or on to which the disc has to be played in the fewest
number of strokes by means of strikers or pressing tools.
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. An apparatus for playing a parlour game resembling golf, consisting of an
elastic course laid round a table, a series of holes or receptacles placed at suitable
intervals on the course, a series of hazards forming or representing obstructions in
the course, ivory or bone or equivalent discs or counters and springers or tools
capable of being so manipulated as to cause the said dises to shoot or jump in different
ways, substantially as described.
2. The combination of an elastic course, a series of obstacles arranged along it,
discs, and devices for springing them, and one or more holes or goals on to, into or
through which the discs are sprung or sent in order to win.
3. In combination with disc or counter game apparatus, the various springers or
tools E F G H H' and I, whereby the discs can be driven forward, backward, nearly
vertically upward, or at any angle, substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of March 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON, & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, and London, Patent Agents.