AN IMPROVED MECHANICAL GAME OR PARLOUR RACE-COURSE
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Maxfield, of 118, Upper Street, Islington, in the
County of Middlesex,, Sewing Machine Maker, for an Invention of "AN
IMPROVED MECHANICAL GAME OR PARLOUR RACE-COURSE”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Maxfield at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th September 1881.
JOHN MAXFIELD, of 118, Upper Street, Islington, in the County of Middlesex,
Sewing Machine Maker. "AN IMPROVED MECHANICAL GAME OR PARLOUR
RACE-COURSE."
My Invention relates to an improved mechanical game or parlour race-course;
on which any number of figures representing equestrianism, pedestrianism, cycling,
boating, hunting, or other sports may be arranged to contest against each other
by mechanical arrangements, which are operated by a number of persons according
to the number or quantity of the figures arranged upon the said race-course. Each
person or operator has one of the said figures mechanically under his or her direct
and sole control, and according to the number of revolutions imparted to a handle,
as hereinafter described, imparts a corresponding revolution to the figure operated
through suitable mechanism by the said handle.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I form in the race-course a series
of concentric slots, in each of which the end of an arm or rod which supports a
figure, or the figure itself is adapted to revolve or be propelled. The inner end of
each rod or arm is connected to a socket or sleeve arranged upon a vertical spindle
or shaft at the centre of the race-course, each rod being connected with a different
sleeve. To impart rotary movement to the said sleeves, and consequently to the
figures on the arms carried thereby, I provide below the said race-course a series of
shafts, each of which is supported in suitable bearings, and is provided at its outer
end with a crank or handle arranged to be turned by one of the operators. At
the inner end of each of the said shafts is a worm which gears with a worm wheel
on its corresponding socket or sleeve, so that when the crank upon the outer end
of the shaft is revolved, the figure to which it imparts motion will be corre-
spondingly revolved within its circular slot in the race-course.
The rotary movement of each figure is preferably imparted to it by the
mechanism above described, but it will be evident that other mechanical appliances
may be employed for this purpose, such, for instance, as a toothed band or wheel
actuated by a pinion, without departing from the spirit of my Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Maxfield in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th March
1882.
JOHN MAXFIELD, of 118, Upper Street, Islington, in the County of Middlesex,
Sewing Machine Maker. "AN IMPROVED MECHANICAL GAME OR PARLOUR
RACE-COURSE."
My Invention relates to an improved mechanical game or parlour racecourse,
on which any number of figures representing equestrians, pedestrianism, cycling,
boating, hunting, or other sports may be arranged to contest against each other
by mechanical devices, which may be operated by a number of persons according
to the number or quantity of the figures it is desired to actuate. Each person or
operator has one of the said figures under his or her direct and sole control, and
in proportion to the number of revolutions imparted to a handle, as hereinafter
described, so is the amount of movement given to the figure operated by the said
handle through suitable mechanism hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing I have, by way of example, illustrated my
improvements as applied to a circular race course for horses. In this Drawing-
Figure 1 is a plan of the said race course with a portion of the same broken
away to illustrate the mechanism beneath the same, and
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1.
A represents the racecourse, which is provided with a series of concentric slots B,
in each of which the end of an arm or plate C that supports a horse and jockey D
is adapted to revolve or be propelled. Each plate C is attached to or formed on
a rod or arm E, whose inner end is connected to a socket or sleeve arranged upon
a vertical spindle or shaft at the centre of the race-course, each rod E being
connected with a different sleeve, as shewn at F, F1, F2, F³. To impart motion to
the said sleeves, and consequently to the figures D mounted on the arms carried
thereby, I provide below the said racecourse a series of shafts G, each of which
at its outer end is provided with a crank or handle G¹, arranged to be turned by
one of the operators. At the inner-end-of-each-of-the-said-shafts-is-a-worm.H
which gears with a toothed or worm wheel I on its corresponding socket or sleeve,
so that when the crauk G' upon the end of one of the shafts G is revolved the
figure which is designed to actuate will be correspondingly revolved within its
circular slot in the race course. In order to support the rings forming the parts of
the race course between the concentric slots B, I prefer to employ rods or bars
at A, which are connected at their upper ends and preferably covered with a metal
sheathing, so as to have the appearance of a bridge, as shewn most clearly in
Figure 2.
From the above description it will be readily understood that each horse is
independent of the others, and that its movements are effected and controlled
solely by mechanical means. It follows therefore that, presuming the horses to be
placed at, say, the starting point on the race course, and that they are all started
simultaneously, and that the handles G₁ are revolved by the operators at the same
speed, then the horses will not pass each other; but providing one of the operators
increases the number of revolutions of his crank or handle, then the horse which is
actuated by the said handle through the mechanism above described will pass
ahead of the other horses, and vice versa. In other words, the same number of
revolutions are required to be given to each crank handle to complete the passage
of a horse around the course, irrespective of the distance of such horse from the
centre of the latter.

page_text: Although in the Drawing I have shewn a circular race course provided with
four concentric slots and four horses, it will be evident that a greater number of
such slots and horses may be employed. Moreover, two horses may be arranged
to travel around within one slot instead of one horse only, the horses in all cases
being independent of each other, in so far as their movement is concerned, that is to
say, each horse is operated by a separate crank or handle.
In some cases the race course may be of other than a circular form, such as
straight or oval, and mechanism other than that above described may be employed
to impart motion to the figures upon the same without departing from the spirit of
my Invention. For instance, with a straight race course I may employ a chain
or toothed band for carrying each of the said figures along, the said chain or band
being actuated by a toothed pinion.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shewn how the same may
be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I wish it understood that
I claim,―
First. The employment in combination with a race course of a series of figures
representing equestrianism, pedestrianism, cycling, boating, hunting, or other sports,
and adapted to be operated independently of each other by mechanical appliances
controlled by a number of different persons or operators.
Second. The combination with the race course provided with the concentric slots
of the figure-carrying rods or arms attached to independent sleeves, the toothed
wheels upon the said sleeves, and the worms, and cranks, or handles for operating
the said toothed wheels independently of each other, all substantially as above set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Maxfield, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
JOHN MAXFIELD. (LS.)