An Improved Game, Toy, or Puzzle.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1898
An Improved Game, Toy, or Puzzle.
I, GEORGE LAMBERT TICKNER, Banker, Corner of Washington and South Salina
Streets, Syracuse, New York, United States of America, 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:-
My invention relates to games, toys and puzzles, and particularly to that class
in which a number of balls are rolled around, within enclosing walls, in order to
bring them into one or more predetermined positions.
My object is to produce a novel game, toy or puzzle comprising a suitable box,
having a suitable bottom, a transparent top, and an intermediate movable table,
all suitably supported in or by the sides or ends, or both, of the box; said table
or bottom being provided with a series of separate countersinks arranged according
to some predetermined plan, and having several corners cut away, creating open-
ings which are open like pockets to permit an object, as a ball, to pass through
from said table onto the bottom, and which are closed by sliding said table.
The balls are placed upon the table, scattered around, and then by tilting, or
shaking the box, or both, they are gradually brought into the countersinks,
arranged in the form or positions determined, and in the desired order with refer-
ence to each other, when they are of different colors.
It is constructed as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings
in which—
Fig. 1, is a top plan of the device.
Fig. 2, is a vertical section thereof.
A is the box, comprising ends 2, 3, sides 4, bottom 5, transparent top 6, and
intermediate table 7, the sides or ends, or both, being provided with suitable
grooves or otherwise adapted to receive and support said top and bottom; said
ends having deeper grooves 8, which receive the ends of said table, and which
permit it to be moved longitudinally therein.
This table can also be supported as to its sides by suitable grooves or ways in the
box-sides.
Openings 10 can be eut through the table at any desired points as at the corners
where they can be opened or closed by sliding the table.
*
frame" 13
In the upper face of the table, are countersinks, or recesses 11 arranged in any
form desired. As shown they indicate relatively a cue-ball 12, and a
or pyramid or fifteen ball pool.
This game can be played in two ways, each starting with the balls 9 scattered
indiscriminately around the table, with the pockets open in one case, and in the
other closed.
When
In either case the game consists in rolling the balls around so that they seva-
rally become seated in the several recesses, until the recesses are filled.
the pockets are open an additional difficulty is presented, in that if a single ball
rolls through a pocket, the game is lost.
A suitable handle 14 can be suitably connected to the table for shifting it.

page_text: An additional difficulty will be also presented in case the balls are of different
colors, as where one ball is green, two are yellow, three are blue, four are red,
and five are white, the cue-ball being black, and the game is to arrange them in
series as to colors, with the green ball at the front of the pyramid, the two
yellows next, then the three blues, the four reds, and the five whites, thus creating
a parti-colored or striped pyramid, the black-cue ball being in its recess.
Or by removing one blue, and two red balls, the game can be to roll the twelve
balls around so as to fill the twelve outer rows, or base and sides of the triangle,
leaving the three central recesses open or unfilled.
Many other combinations can also be devised, which it will not be necessary to
specifically enumerate, the idea being to cause the balls to assume some polygonal
geometrical, or other definite form, in the recesses arranged in some predetermined
manner, either with the balls all of one color, or of different colors, kaleidoscopic
or otherwise.
It will be evident that the table can be omitted, when it is desired to create a
game without pockets, in which case the several ball-recesses will be in the
bottom.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination with a box, comprising sides, ends, bottom and transparent
cover, of an intermediate movable partition or table dividing said box into two
chambers, said table being provided with central recesses open on top, only
arranged in a predetermined form or figure, and corner apertures which are
opened by moving the table in one direction, so that balls can pass through into
the lower chamber, while being rolled upon said table to seat them in said re-
cesses, whereby the hazard of the game is increased, and suitable balls normally
placed in the upper chamber.
2. The combination with a box, having sides, ends, and transparent cover, of a
bottom provided with recesses arranged in the form of a pyramid, substantially
central to said bottom, balls upon said bottom, and recesses exterior to said
pyramid, creating obstacles to the rolling of said balls into said pyramid recesses
and increasing the difficulty of the game, such rolling being effected by manually
tilting the box.
Dated the 20th day of September 1898
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.