An Appliance for use in Playing a Game of Marbles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Appliance for use in Playing a Game of Marbles.
I, WILLIAM BATE Mechanical Engineer 94 Brighton Road Stoke Newington
London N. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
11
It is an appliance to not as a but or boundary, to prevent the marbles from rolling
beyond certain limits, in games of marbles at which boys play; at present it is
customary for them to place one marble on the ground, and for one boy either to
hold his feet at an angle behind it, or to sit on the ground and stretch his logs out
at an angle to stop the marbles which the other boys shoot at the marble on the
ground.
Tho said invention is to obviate the present awkward and physically dangerous
practice, and also to give the players perfect freedom to move about at will.
I make the appliance of any convenient number of strips of metal, wood or
any other suitable material, which may be either straight or curved whichever is
most convenient, and which may also for the sako of lightness, be porforated.
Said strips may be of any length, width or thickness to suit convenience. I also
have any convenient number of spikes or prongs on the appliance which may either
form part of the said strips, or be fastened on to them in any suitable manner;
said spikes are for the purpose of pushing into the ground to hold the appliance
rigid, and prevent the marbles from knocking it down when rolling against it.
One form in which I make the appliance, is of four straight strips of sheet metal
of equal length or otherwise, two of which I fasten together at one end by forming
an ordinary hinge joint, which joint is the centre of the appliance, on the outer
end of each of the said strips I fasten the one end of each of the other two
strips either by a rivet, screw or other suitable fastening.
I also form two or more spikes, the one end of each has a hole in, which is for
the purpose of fastening them on the sides of the strips, so that when the strips
are all opened out, it forms an angle, the spikes can either be fixed into the ground
or in between the edges of the paving stones, on the pavement. The appliance
made in this form is very simple, and portable, as it can be folded together and put
into the pocket.
I may either make appliance, with or without said spikes, or may substitute
supports at the back of appliance in a suitable manner, or may use both the spikes
and the supports just whichever is most convenient.
It will be readily seen that this is simply a detail of manufacture and therefore
does not alter the principle of the invention.
Dated this 30th day of January 1893.
WILLIAM ВАТЕ,.
Applicant..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Appliance for use in Playing a Game of Marbles.
I, WILLIAM BATE, 94 Brighton Road Stoke Newington London N. Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
Bame is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :—
It is an appliance to act as a but or boundary, to prevent the marbles from
rolling beyond certain limits, in games of marbles at which boys play.

page_text: .
At present it is custoniary for thein to place one marble, on the ground and for
ono boy either to hold his feet at an angle bohind it, or to sit on the ground and
stretch his legs ont at an angle to stop the marbles which the other boys shoot at
the marble on the ground.
The said invention is to obviate the present awkward, and physically dangerous
practice, and also to give the players perfect freedom to move about at will.
I make the appliance of any convenient number of strips of metal, wood or
any other suitable material, which may be either straight or curved whichever is
most convenient, and which may also for the sake of lightness bo perforated...
Said strips may be of any length, width or thickness to suit convenience.
I also have any conveniont number of spikes or prongs on the appliance which
may either form part of the said strips or bo fastened on to them in any suitable
manner, said spikes are for the purpose of pushing into the ground to hold the
appliance rigid and provent the marbles from knocking it down when rolling
against it.
One form in which I make the appliance is of four straight strips of sheet
metal of equal length, or otherwise, two of which I fasten together at one end,
by forming an ordinary hinge joint, which joint is the centro of the appliance,
on the outer end of each of the said strips, I fasten the one end of each of the
other two strips, either by a rivet, screw or other suitable fastening, I also form two
or more spikes, the one end of each has a hole through, which is for the purpose
of fastening them on the sides of the strips; so that when the strips are all opened
out it forms an angle, the spikes can either be fixed into the ground or in between
the edges of the paving stones on the pavement.
The appliance made in this form is very simple and portable as it can be folded
together and put into the pocket.
may either make appliance with or without said spikes or may substitute
supports at the back of appliance in a suitable manner, or may use both the spikes
and the supports, just whichever is most convenient.
It will be readily seen that this is simply a detail of manufacture and therefore
does not alter the principle of the invention.
In order that my said invention may be more clearly understood, reference is
to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this Specification; in
which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of the apparatus (as made in metal) set out
at an angle as required when in use, a, a, being the two inner strips which are
formed into an hinge joint at a, b, b, are the two outer strips, which are attached
to a, a, by rivets e, e, d, d, are spikes which are attached to the sides of b, b, (by
rivets e, e) and are for the purpose of fixing the apparatus to the ground.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same apparatus folded together ready for putting
into the pocket. It will be seen that the strips b, b, fold ou the inner sides of the
strips a, a, when closed in a portable form, thus leaving no "sharp edges to tear the
pocket.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same apparatus when set at an angle as in
Fig. 1a, a being the inner strips, b, b, the outer strips, 'é the hinge joint,'d, d, the
spikes and e, e, è, el, are the rivets.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of the outer strips shewing one way of fixing the
spikes, as it would be when in use; b, being said strip d, the spike e, the rivet and
the rivethole for the purpose of fixing to the inner strip.
Fig. 5, is an elevation of one of the outer strips to illustrate one mode of
perforating the apparatus for the sake of lightness.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of one half. of the apparatus divided at the binge joint o,
shewing one mode of making it with solid spikes, a, being the inner strip, the
outer strip, e, a rivet and 9, 9, the solid spikes for the purpose of fixing in the
ground.
Fig. 7 is a plan view of a semicircular form of the apparatus, open ready for
use; this form may be made of any convenient number of strips, but in this sketch

page_text: thero are four, a, a, being the inner strips, b, b, the outer strips which are
attached together by rivets e, e, e, d, d, being the spikes, e', e', being the rivets.
which attach them to the strips.
Fig. 8 is a plan view of the same apparatus folded together so as to make it
portable.
"
Fig. 9 is a plan view of a form in which I make the apparatus, in wood or
other suitable material; (open ready for use) shewing the use of supports which
may either be used instead of, or in addition to, the spikes before mentioned, but
in this case both are used, a, a, are the two strips fastened at the one end by an
ordinary hinge c, d, d, are the said spikes fastened on the sides of the strips with
sorews which are the most convenient to use in this case, k, k, are the two supports.
which are attached to the sides of a, a, by the use of ordinary hinges c, c, in
such a way that when tho said hinges are open at right angles, the one end of each
support, k, k, abuts against a, a; for the purpose of holding said supports rigid
when in use, I make small metal catches of any suitable shape, but preferably of
sheet metal, which I also fasten on the sides of the strips a, a, by using screws,
and which act as axes upon which the said catches may be revolved, when required,
to fix the supports, as shewn by h, h, in the figure.
Fig. 10 is a plan view of the same apparatus as before described showing
positions of various parts when closed together.
Fig. 11, is a plan view of another form in which I make the apparatus, it
represents four strips of wood, a, a, being the inner ones, it will be seen by the
drawing that they are fastened together at one end of each by an ordinary hinge c
fixed on the inner side of each atrip a, a, as in Figs. 9 and 10 but that the
strips b, b, are attached to a, a, by two hinges c", c", fastened on the outer sides
of the said strips. It will be readily seen that this plan is adapted so as to make
each side of the apparatus rigid when fixed in position, and not to have the
tendency to move when the marble strikes it, as it would do if the hinges were
placed on the inner sides; d, d, are the spikes as in other figures.
Fig. 12, is a plan view of the same apparatus previously explained, only it is
folded together for compactness.
Fig. 13 is a plan view of a very simple form in which I make the apparatus
of wood; it is shewn closed together, a, a, being two strips of wood with an
ordinary hinge c, at one end to join them together, d, d, are the two spikes.
Fig. 14, is a plan view, of a form in which I make the apparatus, it is shewn
open ready for use; it is made of a strip of netting, i, j, (but may be made of
plaited wire or other suitable material) attached to three short rods i, i, i, which
are for the purpose of driving into the ground to hold the apparatus rigid and at
the angle required, this is one illustration of apparatus perforated for the sake of
lightness.
Fig. 15 is an elevation of apparatus made of netting, similar to the last
figure, but with only two short rods i, i, attached to each end, for the purpose of
driving into the ground to hold it in a stretched position.
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. An appliance to act as a but or boundary, for use in playing a game of
marbles, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
2nd. An apparatus for use in playing a game of marbles, which may be made of
any number of strips of metal, wood, or other suitable material, also of any length,
width, or thickness substantially as herein before described.
3rd. An appliance whose strips may be either straight or curved, and which may
be fastened together with rivets, screws, hinges, or other suitable fastenings,
for the purpose herein before described and illustrated by Figures 1, 2, 3, 7,
and 8.

page_text: 4th. The combination of strips with the spikes or prongs which may either form
part of the said strips or be fastened on the sides of the same by rivets, screws,
or other devices, as herein before described and illustrated by Figures 4 and 6. of
the accompanying drawings.
5th. The combination of strips with the supports k, k, the hinges c', c', and the 5
catches h, h, together with spikes d, d, or independently; substantially as herein
before described, and illustrated by Figures 9 and 10.
6th. In an apparatus for the purpose before described whoso strips may be
perforated in any convenient manner, for the sake of reducing its weight,
substantially as herein before described, and illustrated by Figures 5, 14, and 15 of 1
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 29th day of September 1893.
WILLIAM BATE,
Applicant.