A New Game and Means or Apparatus for Playing the same.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Game and Means or Apparatus for Playing the same.
I. RICHARD HARTE of 1, Chatsworth Villas, Croydon, Journalist, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to he
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to a new game and to means or apparatus for playing the
same.
The game is played upon a board divided into squares or other spaces in the
manner of a draught board, numbered consecutively, certain of the squares being
connected together in an arbitrary manner by emblematical devices indicative of
the moves which the players pieces must make from one square to another with
which it is so linked or connected, these moves being compulsory and independent
of the moves determined by the throw of dice or the spinning of a teetotum
or roulette or other device by which the selection of figures is determined by
chance.
The teetotum or roulette may conveniently be mounted to spin on the board
itself, as hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, forming
part of this Specification, which shews a plan of the board as opened for use.
It will be observed that the squares of the board are numbered_consecutively
from right to left, and from the bottom to the top row, although I do not limit
myself to this particular order of numbering the squares, and that from certain of
the squares arrows or other emblematical devices lead to squares of an inferior
number whilst from certain other of the squares ladders or other emblematical
devices lead to squares of a superior number.
A is a cardboard or other disc bearing an arrow or other index and adapted to
be spun upon a pin fixed in the board in the centre of a circle of figures, the
stoppage of the index opposite any particular figure determining the move which a
player can make.
I do not limit myself to this form of device for the chance determination of the
number as an ordinary teetotum or roulette board or dice may be used.
The game is played as follows, by as many contending players as there can be
pieces placed on squares in the lower row, the goal to be attained being a square in
the top row which is not linked by an arrow with a square of inferior number.
Assuming the player whose piece is on square 1 to throw the number 8, he may
then move his piece to the square whose number equals the sum of the number on
which his piece was and the number thrown-i.e. square 9. Square 9 being
connected by a ladder to square 23, the player is entitled to move his piece direct
to the last-mentioned square. Supposing, then, at his next turn he should throw
number 7 the sum of this number and that of square 23 would be 30 to which he
must then move his piece, but this square being linked by an arrow with square 6
the player's piece must be moved down to that square.
The squares over which the arrows and ladders pass on their way from one
square to another distant therefrom are not affected by those emblems, it being only
those squares in which the emblems commence and terminate which are thereby
linked together.
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-
The herein described game and means for playing the same, consisting of a
board whose squares are numbered and linked towenthan

page_text: according to any arbitrary arrangement, in combination with pieces and with a
roulette, teetotum, dice, or other means for the chance determination of numbers,
as specified.
Dated this 15th day of March 1802
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
R. HARTE,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.