Improvements in Cricket 'Stumps.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 4th May, 1889
Improvements in Cricket 'Stumps.
I, ARTHUR GRAHAM SAWYER, of 20 Bakers Street, Lloyds Square, W.C. in the
county of Middlesex, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be
as follows:-
-
The object of my invention is to provide an improved means of fixing cricket
stumps in the ground, in place of the thick pointed lower end which is ordinarily
employed for that purpose.
I make the stump with a flat end, and I fix upon such flat end, by means of screws
or other suitable devices, a metal plate, preferably slightly larger in diameter than the
end of the stump. This plate is formed with a projection on one side provided with a
short downwardly projecting metal spike for insertion in the ground.
This spike, in combination with the flat bearing surface of the metal plate, is quite
sufficient to support the stump firmly in position.
The hole made by the spike is so small, as not to break up the ground, as is the case
with ordinary stumps, and the spike not being in the centre of the stump it can be
inserted in several different places in the ground without changing the position of
the stump.
For this purpose two grooves at right angles to each other are formed in the top
of the stump for the bails, or a rotating top, as now in use can be employed. An
ordinary stump must always be reinserted in the same hole, and the ground soon
becomes so broken up as to render it difficult to keep the stump in position. No
blows from a mallet are required to fix my improved stump, the mere pressure of the
foot on the projecting part of the metal plate above the spike being sufficient for the
purpose.
As a modification of the above arrangement I may make the metal plate aforesaid
without any side projection and place the spike in the centre of the plate. In this

page_text: case, I prefer to make the metal plate of larger diameter than in the first instance and
the spike is screwed into the plate so that it can be removed or renewed when desired,
though it may be made in one piece with the plate if desired.
Doted this 31st dov of Mar 1888
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S.W.,
Agent for the Applicant.
1, ARTHUR GRAHAM SAWYER, of 20 Baker Street, Lloyds Square, W.C., in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to provide an improved means for fixing cricket
stumps in the ground, in place of the thick pointed lower end, which is ordinarily
employed for that purpose.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation of the lower end of a
cricket stump with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan of the underside of
the same; Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of a modified arrangement; Fig. 5 is a
plan of a plate, which may be employed in combination with the stumps, and Figs. 6
and 7 are respectively side and end elevations of same shewing the stumps in
position.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.
In Figs. 1 and 2, A is the lower end of a stump, having the end finished flat, and a
metal plate B attached thereto by means of screws or other suitable devices. This
plate is preferably slightly larger in diameter than the end of the stump, and is formed
with three projections (, C, C, a short downwardly projecting spike D being fixed
into the projection C, for insertion in the ground. This spike in combination with
the flat bearing surface of the plate B is quite sufficient to support the stump firmly
in position. The hole made by the spike is so small as not to break up the ground,
as is the case with ordinary stumps, and the spike not being in the centre of the
stump it can be inserted in several different places in the ground, without changing
the position of the stump. For this purpose, two grooves at right angles to each
other are formed in the top of the stump for the bails, or a rotating top, as now in
use, can be employed.

page_text: An ordinary stump must always be reinserted in the same hole, and the ground
soon becomes so broken up as to render it difficult to keep the stump in position. No
blows from a mallet are required to fix my improved stump, the mere pressure of the
foot on one of the projections C, C, C being sufficient for the purpose.
The stumps are preferably so placed that the side of the plate carrying the spike
faces the bowler, then the ball striking the stump causes it to turn on the edge E
as a fulcrum, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the spike D is
consequently withdrawn in a manner to cause the least possible disturbance of the
ground.
In the modified arrangement shewn in Figs. 3 and 4, a plain circular plate B,
larger than the end of the stump, is employed, the spike D being fixed near the
edge of the plate.
In either of the arrangements shewn, the spike D may be cast in one piece with
the plate B, if preferred.
In place of standing my improved stumps directly on the ground, as indicated in
Figs. 1 and 3, I sometimes prefer to employ a metal plate F in combination_there-
with. This plate is shaped in plan as shown in Fig. 5. The projections H, H', are
provided with spikes J, J', to fix the plate on the ground, or instead of using pro-
jections the spikes may be placed in the body of the plate at K, K', as indicated
by dotted lines. Notches L L' L' are formed in the plate, through which the
spikes D in the stumps pass. The advantage of employing this plate is that it forms
a perfectly level and secure foundation for the wicket and enables the stumps to be at
once placed in the correct position with great accuracy.
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. A cricket stump, having a metal plate B with projections C, C³, C³, and a
spike D attached to the lower end for fixing the stump in the ground, sub-
stantially as herein set forth with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
2. A cricket stump, having a metal plate B with a spike D attached to the lower
end for fixing the stump in the ground, substantially as herein set forth with
reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination with cricket stumps, provided with metal plates B and spikes D
of a metal plate F provided with spikes J, J', or K K', and notches L L L to
form a level foundation and adjustment for the said stumps, substantially as herein
set forth with reference to Figs. 5, 6, and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of March 1889.
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, S.W.,
Agent for the Applicant.