Improvements in and relating to Appliances used in Playing the Game of Croquet.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 15th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Appliances used in Playing the
Game of Croquet.
I, HERBERT GILES BRABANT SMITH, of Elmdon Vicarage, Saffron Walden, in
the County of Essex, Clerk in Holy Orders, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its chief object to provide improved marking or indicat-
ing devices for application to croquet hoops and sticks, said devices when applied
to croquet hoops being combined with a gauge whereby the proper separation of
the lower ends of the hoop legs is ensured. My invention also relates to an
improved construction of the extremities of said legs whereby the insertion
of the hoops into the ground is greatly facilitated.
According to my invention, the markers for the hoops consist of a series of
arms, one for each player, pivotted at their extremities to a bar having sockets
at either end adapted to slide upon the hoop legs, said bar serving as a gauge
for determining the proper distance between the lower ends of the legs. The
said marking arms are coloured to correspond with the different balls and each
arm is preferably provided with a sliding piece which may be moved along it
so as to form an extension thereto, said extension preferably having some
distinctive shape so as to more readily catch the eye. When in use, the markers
are turned up at right angles to the gauge bar and are folded down thereon
when not needed. When the players are going through the hoops in one
direction, the sliding pieces aforesaid are not brought into use, but when the
hoops are being passed in the reverse direction, said sliding pieces are drawn
out so as to form conspicuous extensions of the marking arms as before de-
scribed, thus indicating the direction in which the hoops to which they are
acting as indicators have to be passed.
When setting the hoops the gauge bar is slipped down the hoop legs so as to be
close to the ground, and, before play, is raised to the hoop crown where it is
held by a convenient clip. Since the legs of many hoops are formed with
shoulders or enlargements which would prevent the slipping of the gauge bar
over the ends of the legs I may make the said bar of separable portions suitably
connected, so that it may be slipped or sprung laterally over the hoop legs.
The marking arms for the sticks would be pivotally connected with a cap or
crown adapted to fit over the stick 'head.
To facilitate the setting of the hoops, I prefer to flatten the extremities of
their legs into the form of spear or wedge shaped blades.
Dated this 15th day of Mar 1890

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Appliances used in Playing the
Game of Croquet.
I, HERBERT GILES BRABANT SMITH, of Elmdon Vicarage, Saffron Walden, in
the County of Essex, Clerk in Holy Orders, 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 following statement:-
The object of the present invention is to provide improved marking devices for
application to croquet hoops and sticks, whereby, amongst other advantages,
the inconvenience of carrying a marking clip on the person and affixing it to
and removing it from the hoops, as usual hitherto, is entirely obviated.
According to my invention I apply to each hoop and stick a set of pivotting
marking arms, the arms in each set corresponding in number and colour with the
balls. When not in use these arms are folded upon the hoop or stick and are
opened out for marking purposes as required. Means are also provided for
causing the arms to indicate in which direction a hoop has to be traversed.
I will now fully describe my invention and the manner of performing the same
having reference to the annexed drawings wherein :-
Figure 1 represents in front elevation a croquet marking device embodying
my invention applied to a hoop crown, the marking arms being opened out into
their marking position.
Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1 the marking arms being here shewn folded
down as when not in use.
Figure 3 is a transverse section through the carrier to which the arms are
pivotted and the hoop to which it is applied, shewing clearly the method of
attachment.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are details.
Figure 7 represents in front elevation a croquet marking device embodying
my invention applied to a croquet stick, and,
Figure 8 is a view at right angles to Figure 7.
Similar letters refer to corresponding parts in all the figures.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, a a are a set of marking arms pivotally con-
nected at their ends by the pins b with the sides of a carrier c so that they may
be either opened out for marking purposes as represented in Figure 1, or folded
down when not required for use as shewn in Figure 2. The underside of the
carrier e, which may be of wood, is grooved to fit over the hoop crown and is
detachably fixed in position thereon by means of the spring clips e. f f are
stop pins which engage the notches f¹ and prevent the arms from being folded
down too far. The said arms a correspond in number and colour with the balls
in the set, usually four, viz., black, blue, red and yellow. a' are lateral wings
formed or provided on the marking arms said wings being folded over so as to
embrace the slides which may be drawn out when desired as shewn in Figure 1
and are preferably of different colour to their respective arms, say white, so as
to be conspicuous when extended. The function of these slides is to indicaté
the direction in which a hoop has to be traversed, the slides being drawn out on
the return journey for example. A modification of the foregoing is represented
in Figure 6 where a slide g¹ embraces each arm a and is coloured to correspond
therewith. Normally each slide g₁ lies close to the end of its arm a, on the
return journey it is slipped back into the position illustrated and that portion of
the arm which it previously covered being of a different colour to the remainder
of the arm and to the slide, (preferably white), at once catches the eye and
indicates to the player that he is on the return journey.
Any suitable means may be provided for preventing the accidental displace-
ment of the arms a from the marking position and the details Figures 4 and 5

page_text: illustrate one method. As here shewn the pivot pins 6 of the arms are of square
section, the holes h in the arms are of sufficient diameter to turn on said pins
whilst the slots h¹ leading out of these holes fit the pin shanks closely, conse-
quently when any arm has been raised to a vertical position a downward thrust
will cause its slot to embrace the square shank thereby locking the arm
firmly as shewn in Figure 5, release being effected by pulling the arm upwards.
to the position shewn in Figure 4.
In Figures 7 and 8 which represent a method of connecting the marking arms a
with the croquet sticks, the set of marking arms is mounted on two carriers con-
sisting of two plates ii curved to fit the stick end d and formed or provided with
the laterally projecting flanges or wings with which the marking arms
are pivotally connected, as shewn, by the rivets b¹. kk are screws by which the
said carriers are secured to the stick. In this case accidental dropping or dis-
placement of the arms a is ensured against by stamping hollow bosses in the
arm ends through the centre of which the rivets 6 pass said bosses containing.
suitable springs which tend to force the arms away from the wings and by
the friction thus created prevent accidental displacement. This method of pre-
venting unintentional movement of the arms may obviously be applied if desired
to the arms of the hoop markers in substitution for that described with reference
to Figures 4 and 5. Since each stick is only approached in one direction, it is
unnecessary to provide the marking arms thereof with slides. Recesses m
are formed in the wings of the carriers to permit the finger and thumb to
readily taking hold of the arms when folded against the stick, for the purpose of
opening them out into the marking position.
If desired an arm carrier consisting of a cap or crown fitting over the stick
head may be substituted for the pair of winged plates i, the marking arms being
pivotally connected with such cap or crown in any suitable manner.
Or the
extremities of the marking arms a may enter and be pivotted within a vertical
slot or slots formed in the stick itself, folding therein when not required for use
after the fashion of penknife blades.
In my Provisional Specification I have described the carriers of the hoop
marking arms as arranged to constitute also gauges for regulating the separation
of the hoop legs, I do not however find this arrangement to be very satisfactory
in practice and have therefore discarded it.
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:-
1. The application to a croquet hoop or stick of a set of pivotting marking arms
each arm in the set corresponding with a different ball, substantially as described.
2. A croquet marking device comprising a set of marking arms and a carrier
or carriers with which they are pivotally connected said carrier or carriers being
either adapted for attachment to a hoop or to a stick, substantially as described..
3. In appliances for marking a croquet comprising pivotting marking arms,
the combination with the latter of slides for indicating in which direction a
hoop has to be traversed, substantially as described.
4. A marking device for croquet hoops constructed and arranged substantially
as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.
5. A marking device for croquet sticks constructed and arranged substantially
as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings.
Dated this 15th day of February 1900.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agents,