IMPROVED GAME OF TRAP BAT AND BALL
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM WARBURTON of 19 Old Road, Heaton Norris, Stockport in the
county of Lancashire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVED GAME OF TRAP BAT AND BALL, to be as follows:-
My invention relates to that class of game in which a ball is placed in a trap
provided with a tongue, the tongue is struck by the bat and causes the ball to
rise when the player hits it with the bat as far as he can.
In carrying out my invention I attach the ball to the trap by means of a thong
or piece of twine which prevents it being sent beyond a limited distance so that the
game can be played in a room or in a small space without danger to surrounding
objects.
I make the trap in which the ball is placed of cast iron so as to give considerable
weight, the base or frame of it being made of box or other convenient form.
A tongue of the usual form is fixed in the trap being pivotted about its centre.
The ball is placed above one end of the tongue so that when the other end is struck
down by the bat the ball is caused to rise.
I attach one end of a thong or piece of twine to the ball the other end being
fastened to and wound round a cone or tapered spiral barrel commonly known as a
fusec which is placed so that it may revolve upon a spindle fixed in the base or
frame of the trap. To an extension of this spiral barrel I fix the inner coil of
a spring the outer end of the same being fastened to the base or frame of
the trap.
Revolving on the same axis with the spiral barrel and fixed to it is a spur pinion
which gears into another spur pinion mounted loosely on a second spindle placed
parallel to the axis of the spiral barrel. On this second spindle is fastened an
indicator arrow which turns in contact with a numbered dial attached to the
outside of the base of the trap. A stop or projection fixed also on this spindle
engages with a projection on the spur pinion which is mounted loosely thereon, so
that when the pinion is made to revolve the indicator arrow is turned around its
circle pointing to some one number on the dial. Thé arrow is retained in this
position through the friction given by a spring washer or other convenient means
until the figure pointed to is counted to the credit of the player, after which the
arrow is turned back to its starting point.

page_text: The ball on being struck by the player begins to pull on the thong attached to it
which causes the spiral barrel around which it is wound to revolve. This revolution
of the barrel causes the spring connected with it to be wound up and thus the
barrel is retarded or brought to a gradual stop without disturbing the trap. As
the spiral barrel revolves the spur pinion connected to it revolves also and causes
the indicator arrow to be turned round its circle a distance which is regulated by
the number of revolutions of the spiral barrel, and thus the force with which the
ball is projected is registered on the dial which is divided and numbered for this
purpose so that the number indicated may be used to compute the points in the
game obtained by the players.
As the spring attached to the spiral barrel uncoils, the thong will be gradually
rewound and the ball will be therefore drawn gently back towards the player.
Where the thong passes through the base or frame of the trap, it is made to pass
between anti-friction rollers pressed together by a spring so that it is kept taut
when it is wound in upon the spiral barrel.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, WILLIAM WARBURTON of 19 Old Road Heaton Norris, Stockport in the
county of Cheshire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVED GAME OF TRAP-BAT AND BALL, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to that class of game in which a ball is placed in a trap
provided with a tongue,-the tongue is struck by the bat and causes the ball to
rise, which the player hits with the bat as far as he can.
In order that my invention may be readily understood I have illustrated it in
the accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Figs. 1, 2, 3, represent the elevation, front view and plan of the trap respectively.
Figs. 4, 5, represent the elevation and front view of the trap respectively shewing
a different arrangement of the spring and winding barrel.
In Figs. 2 and 5 the end of the base casting is shewn removed.
Figs. 6, 7, are the front and side views of the indicator spindle, drawn to a
larger scale.
Figs. 8, 9, 10, are the side view, front view and plan respectively of the
arrangement for keeping the string in tension.
In carrying out my invention I attach the ball a to the trap 6 by means of a
thong or piece of twine c, which prevents the ball being sent beyond a limited
distance so that the game can be played in a room or in a small space without
danger to surrounding objects.
I make the trap b in which the ball a is placed, by preference of cast iron, so as
to give considerable weight, it being also made in box or other convenient forms.
A tongue d of the usual form provided at one end with a hollow in which to hold
the ball a, is fixed in the trap b, being pivotted about its centre e. The ball a is
placed in the hollow end of the tongue d, and when the other end of the tongue is
struck down by the bat, the ball is caused to rise. In the trap b I mount a barrel f
revolving on a spindle g, on which is also mounted a spur pinion h gearing into a
larger spur pinion i mounted on the spindle j. A coiled spring k is attached to
the spindle j, its outer end being fastened to the trap at k¹, so that when the
pinion has been caused to revolve it is brought back to its initial position by the
action of the spring k.
I attach one end of a thong or piece of twine c to the ball a, the other end being
fastened to, and wound round the barrel f, so that when the ball a is struck by the
player it begins to pull on the thong o attached to it, which causes the barrel f
around which the thong is-wound to revolve. This revolution of the barrel f being
communicated to the spur pinion i through the pinion h, causes the pinion i to
revolve and the spring attached to it to be wound up. The resistance thus given
by the spring causes the ball to be brought gradually to a stop, and a blank tooth i¹
formed on the pinion i also acts as a stop preventing more than one revolution of
the pinion from being made.
A shield / forming part of the casting of the trap b is placed around the barrel ƒ
to prevent the thong o from getting out of place.

page_text: An indicator arrow m is secured to a spindle 2 working in th
Figs. 6, 7, i is the spur pinion on the spindle or sleeve j to which a
is secured.. A projection or key n formed on the inner surface
engages with a projection or key n¹ formed on the spindle j' and causes
and with it the indicator arrow m to be turned round whenever th
sleevej is moved in the manner just described. As the indicator arrov
caused to move round its dial m¹ when the ball a is hit, it points to a .
the dial m (which is evenly divided and numbered from 0 to 100) corre..
to the force with which the ball is bit, which number is placed to the advant
the player, and used to compute the points of the game played.
Instead of the barrel fon which the thong c is wound, I may use by preferen
a tapered spiral barrel f1 (commonly known as a fusee) arranged as shewn
Fig. 4; 5, for the purpose of equalising the pull of the thong on the spring 1
I mount the spring k on the same spindle gl as that on which the spiral barrel
is mounted. The pull of the ball is communicated to the indicator arrow m³ in
similar manner to that previously described by means of the spur pinions h',
mounted on the spindles g¹j respectively.
:
Where the thong c passes through the trap bI may use by preference a pair
anti-friction rollers o Fig. 4 (shewn drawn to a larger scale in Figs. 8, 9, 10
A pair of grooved rollers o o between which the thong passes are mounted so as
slide laterally in grooves p p Figs. 4, 9, formed in the end of the trap casting. T
rollers are pressed together, and therefore press onto the thong, by means of t
spring which is bent in a suitable manner to accomplish this, and which
secured in position by the plate and screw 8. The pressure given by these rollers
causes the thong to be kept taut when it is wound in upon the barrel for f¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of, my sa
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare th
I claim is
1. The construction of a trap to which a ball is attached by means of a thong
piece of twine for use in the game of trap, bat, and ball, substantially as here
illustrated and described.
2. The combination with the trap of the means employed for winding up t
thong or twine and for revolving the indicator arrow in connection with a d
formed on the trap substantially as herein illustrated and described.
3. The use of rollers in combination with the trap for keeping the thong ta
substantially as herein illustrated and described.