An Indoor Game in Imitation of Cricket, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 18th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Indoor Game in Imitation of Cricket, and Apparatus therefor.
HENRY LAMPLOUGH 32 Laurel Grove, Penge S.E. School-master do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
"
"
The game
An indoor game of cricket, entitled "Lords" which can be played indoors
suitably on a table. 1 employ models to represent players, "pitch," bats, stumps,
This game
balls, pavillion, nets & other accessories used as in the proper game.
can be made in any material. I use wood covered with green baize for the "pitch,"
stumps of bent wire, bats & players of tin (coloured) to imitate the real game of
cricket. The "balls" I prefer to make of boxwood, & I employ a net of muslin
material which is to be fixed by uprights all round the game. The "pavillion
employed can be used for storing some of the accessories of the game.
can be played by, the same number of persons as are engaged in the ordinary game
of cricket, & is played in the following way. The ball is bowled by means of a
spring held in the hand of the bowler, the batsman is fixed with the bat which
turns on an upright steel wire spring, which when hit by the ball is sent rebounding
among the men stationed in the field at the base of which is a receptacle which is
capable of holding the ball when sent into it. These particulars constitute the
principal features of the game. The counting of runs can be arranged by the
players.
'
Dated this 18th day of January 1895.
An Indoor Game in Imitation of Cricket, and Apparatus therefor.
HENRY LAMPLOUGH, Science and Art Master, 32 Laurel Grove, Penge S.E.
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 an indoor game in imitation of cricket, which should be
played on some level surface, preferably on a large table, covered with a cloth.
The game consists of a laid down cricket pitch with attachments representing
stumps, hatsmen, and bat supports, ten model figures as cricketers with a receptacle
at their base for holding the "cricket ball" in, a small ball or marble serving as
cricket-ball," a shaped spring for supporting and propelling the ball towards
the "wicket" or <
stumps," an upright wall or boundary to surround the game
which also serves to keep the ball while in motion within the limits of the game,
scoring book, telegraph board and other accessories may be added if necessary to
the game.
a
66
The materials or substances used throughout in making the game should be that
best suited to the various parts, but I prefer to use that as mentioned in connection
with describing the different parts of my invention.
Fig. 2. is a representation of the upper side of the foundation of the "pitch" (or
surface over which the ball is to pass when being "bowled" or propelled by the

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"
"
shaped steel spring held in the hand,) and is composed of three pieces of thin
wood (A) joined together by hinges (B) having at each end attachments (C)
representing stumps or "wickets" hinged to the pitch so as to be easily put
down by the "cricket-ball" and in an expeditious manner placed in position again
ready for play. In the wooden foundation of the pitch and near to the "stumps
or wickets are cut narrow slots (D) for the purpose of holding firmly pieces of
shaped tin or other metal (E) for fixing thereto an upright steel wire spring (F).
Fig. 3. is an underside view of Fig. 2 with the shaped tin or other metal (E)
fixed in the slot (D).
Fig. 4. is a side view of the foundation of the pitch, showing "stumps” (C) and
upright steel wire, spring (F) in an upright position.
""
Fig. 5. shows a ground plan of the foundation of the "pitch" with a green
baize covering (G) for rendering to the " pitch a better surface for the cricket-
ball to roll on.
4
Fig. 6. (H) and (I) is a representation of the metal or wood bat in course of
construction, and (J) is a side view of same.
Fig. 7. is a portion of one end of the "cricket-pitch" showing the stumps (C),
upright steel wire spring (F), and cricket-bat (1) fixed in position, the upright-
steel wire-spring (F) supporting the cricket-bat (1) by passing through openings (K)
and (L) so that the cricket-bat (I) could by force of the "cricket-ball" be made
to rotate on the upright-steel wire spring (F) the "cricket-ball" on being "bowled
in the direction of the stumps (C) failing to hit the upright-steel-wire spring (F)
which is situated in front of the blade of the cricket-bat (I) and on striking the
blade of the cricket bat (I) would pass on in the direction of the stumps (C)
should the "cricket-ball" hit the upright-steel-wire spring (F) the ball would then
rebound among the model figures ( ).
Fig. 8. is a side view of Fig. 7.
"
Fig. 9. a front and side view of a wood or metal "batsman conveniently
shaped at (M) as to be able to help support the cricket-bat (I) and steel-spring (F)
in position while at play.
Fig. 10. is a front view of the "batsman" fixed in position ready for play,
attached to the cricket-pitch by a hinge (N) at the foot of the figure, by the
hinge (N) the "batsman" when not at play can be detached at (M) and laid flat
on the cricket-pitch to avoid being in the way of the "ball" or "bowler."
Fig. 11. is a side view of "batsman" in a lying position and bat placed aside
to avoid being in the way of the "
"
"
"
"ball ΟΣ bowler.'
"
catch," each
Fig. 12. are representations of the cricketers, otherwise known as "fielders" or
"scouters" (made of metal or wood) with a receptacle (00) at their base for
receiving the ball in, should the "ball" on rebounding from the "cricket-bat
enter and remain in any of these receptacles (00), it constitutes a
model " fielder
to be so marked as to indicate the position it should
occupy while at play and the number of runs to be counted should the ball not go
into the receptacle (00) after having rebounded from the cricket-bat (1) the
nearest model "fielder or "scouter" the ball stops at the number marked on that
model is the number of runs to be scored.
" scouter
or
"
Fig. 13. is a portion of the upright wall or "boundary" constructed of short
pieces of wood or card-board (0) pivoted together at (P) so as to facilitate the
folding up of the "
'"
boundary for storage, a representation of this kind of
constructed boundary in the action of being folded together is also given. () is
a metal clip for holding together the boundary while in use. (R) shows a corner
and part of the side of the boundary with the clip (Q) in use,—(S) being another
way of joining together the pieces of wood or cardboard having hinged joints (T)
instead of pivots. (U) is a representation of the hinged-joint boundary in a semi-
closed condition.
Fig. 14. is a shaped steel spring for propelling the "ball" in imitation of
"bowling."
Fig. 1. is a birdseye view of the game set out for play (V) being the wood cr
.

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cardboard box designed and shaped as a pavilion for storing the models and
other accessories in while not in use. (W) being the "cricket-pitch" (✗) the
or "scouters," (Z) the
"batsmen" with their "hats," (Y) the "fielders
boundary" and (XX) the spring for propelling the "cricket-ball" at the stumps
or wicket.
cr
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:
Novelty in composition of an indoor game of single or double wicket cricket
or games similar to it, in the following instances:-
1. A cricket-pitch or surface formed of green baize with a wooden foundation
with "stumps" or "wicket" attachments and other accessories.
2. A steel-needle spring affixed to a wooden foundation for repelling the ball.
3. A model figure having a receptacle at the base for catching the ball and a
means of scoring points by a number marked on that receptacle.
4. A spring for delivering the ball to the player.
5. A boundary or wall joined together by pivots or hinges to shut up
compactly.
10 of October 1895.
HENRY LAMPLOUGH.