Year: 1898

page_text: I, CARL AUGUST BRÜCKNER, of 8, Binderstrasse, Hamburg, Germany, Uphol-
sterer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A known game with a spinning top involves the display of skill in causing a
spinning top, which begins its journey at the edge of a flat disc, to reach the
centre of such disc by passing along a spiral or worm-like course without falling
into holes made therein, the skill consisting in suitably inclining and moving the
dise so as to influence, the movement of the top, the result being solely dependent
on the skill of the operator.
According to the present invention the result is dependent entirely on chance,
the spinning top being started at the centre of a slightly conical stationary disc
provided with grooves ramifying over its surface but the top cannot be forced to
take any particular direction or be prevented from falling into one of the holes in
its course.
The game consists of a slightly conical disc having at the centre a circular
recess with a slightly convex surface from which various grooves ramify or lead
irregularly to the circular edge of the disc. Holes large enough to receive the
point of the top are provided at the sides of the grooves in such positions as to
form traps to catch the top whilst permitting however of the possibility of the
top passing without falling into any of such holes.
The game is played by spinning the top at the centre of the disc whence it is
caused to travel by gravity along one of the grooves in the direction of the edge of
the disc. If however the top be caught in one of the holes it will be arrested in
its course in which event the game will be lost by the player by whom is was spun.
The game may be made still more interesting by the following arranugement:-
The disc is assumed to be an open space of country with various roadways, in
which are buildings of a certain kind. These buildings which are represented by
the holes may be styled as champagne kiosks, wine vaults, beer houses, refresh-
ment tents, milk and soda-water huts, and the like. Each of the holes representing
such a locality may be marked so as to indicate a certain amount to be paid for a
suppositious bill corresponding to the kind of refreshment denoted by the name of
the hole. Should the top reach the edge of the disc the player who spun the top
is considered to have won the game but if the top be caught in one of the holes, the
value of that particular hole must be paid by the player who spun it, pre-arranged
rules regulating the amounts to be paid as stakes, the values of the holes, and the
mode of division amongst the winners.
5th day of Anvil 1808
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London..

page_text: I, CARL AUGUST BRÜCKNER, of 8, Binderstrasse, Hamburg, Germany, Uphol-
sterer, 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 follow-
ing statement:---
A known spinning top game involves the exercise of skill in causing a
spinning top which begins its journey at the edge of a flat disc, to reach the
centre of such disc by passing along a spiral or tortuous course without falling
into hotes made therein, the skill consisting in suitably inclining and moving the
disc so as to influence the movement of the top the result being solely dependent
on the skill of the operator so that of two or more opponents at the game the skilful
and experienced player could in any case easily and certainly beat those less
familar with the game.
According to the present invention the result is dependent entirely on chance,.
the spinning top being started at the centre of a slightly conical stationary disc
having tortuous grooves ramifying over its surface along one or other of which
the top is caused to travel by its own revolution by the inclination due to the
conicity of the disc, the direction followed being fortuitous inasmuch as the top
cannot be forced to proceed along any particular groove or be prevented from
falling into one of the holes which may happen to be in the course taken.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shews a plan and Figure 2 a vertical
section of the slightly conical disc a having its summit at the centre where there
is formed a circular recess b with a slightly convex surface from which a number of
variously curved grooves c ramify or lead more or less irregularly and indirectly
to the edge of the disc a, the grooves intersecting or leading into one another at
various points as in the example shewn so that the course which the top will
follow is quite indeterminable beforehand. Holes & large enough to receive the
point of the peg or spindle of the top k are formed in the bottom of certain of the
grooves near one side so as to form traps in which the top may be caught whilst
permitting however of the possibility of the top passing without falling into any
of such holes.
The game is played by spinning the top k at the centre of the disc a whence
it is caused to travel by gravity along one of the grooves c in the direction of the
edge of the disc a. If however the top & be caught in one of the holes d it will
be arrested in its course in which event the game will be lost by the player by whom
it was spun.
The game may be made still more interesting by the following arrangement:
The disc a is assumed to be an open space of country with various roadways in which
are situated buildings represented by the holes d which may be designated cham-
pagne kiosks, wine vaults, beer houses, refreshment tents, milk and soda-water huts,
and so on for example, each hole representing such an establishment, being marked
to indicate a certain amount to be paid for a suppositious bill corresponding in
amount to the value of the kind of refreshment denoted by the designation of the
hole. Should the top reach the edge of the diso a the player who spun the top is
to be considered as a winner but if the top be caught in one of the holes d the
value of that particular hole would be payable by the player in accordance with
pre-arranged rules regulating the amounts to be paid as stakes, the values of the
holes, and the mode of division of the pool amongst the winners.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
A spinning top game substantially as described and comprising a top and a
stationary slightly coned disc such as a having tortuous grooves such as c ramifying
from a central recess such as b at the summit indirectly to the edge of the disc and
holes such as d in certain of the grooves forming possible traps for the top so that
the top when started at the centre will be caused to follow a fortuitous course and
may reach the edge without being trapped.
Dated this 5th day of January 1899.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.