Year: 1898

page_text: Red & Die begin, suuts
1.) Place the four "fortifications" (large balls with flat edges) on black spot in front
of fortress.
2.) The object of the game being to get all the eight cannon balls into the enemy's
fortress the first shots must be fired at some of the fortifications to remove them and
clear the way for the cannon balls.
3.) Cannon balls not entering the fortress and remaining on enemy's territory are
considered prisoners, but may be exchanged, when one of the two combatants run
short of ammunition, and used again as such. If they run into adjacent countries
they can be redeemed by paying one counter to that country. If they roll back
within the black line of centre, called the "shooting range," they must be taken back
at once and used again. If they remain on any of the "neutral" squares, they must
be redeemed by paying one counter into the pool.
4.) The fortification balls are double the value of the cannon balls and must remain
in whatever position they are placed by the shots, except when they roll and remain
on an adjacent country, when they may be redeemed or exchanged and used again in
defence. Should they roll on to the enemy's territory they are his prisoners and can
be used as fortifications, or they may be exchanged.

page_text: 5.) Whoever gets his eight cannon balls into the enemy's fortress first is the winner
and has to receive from his opponent the difference (1 counter each ball, 2 counters
each fortress) between number of balls in each fortress.
6.) The pool is divided among the two final winners.
An Improved Game or Pastime.
I, WILLIAM ADOLPHUS SCHREIBER, of 4, Clyde Road, West Didsbury, near
Manchester, in the County of Lancashire, War Correspondent, 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 improved game or pastime in imitation of a game
of war, and consists of a preferably square base, having on each side a rectangular
space marked off as a supposed fortress, and provided with an imitation cannon
with spring plunger for shooting missiles or shots therefrom into the opposite
or enemy's fortress. Two or four persons can play at the game, the winner being
he or they who succeeds in placing the whole of his or their missiles or shots
into the opposite or enemy's fortress.
In order that my said invention, the manner of its use, and the design in which I
prefer to construct the same may be fully understood, I have hereunto appended a
sheet of drawings of which.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus for performing the game or pastime
according to my invention, Fig. 2 being a section of the same upon the line A B.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of either of the four sides of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the plungers which I may find it most
convenient to employ for ejecting the missiles or shots from the cannons, while
Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of one of the sixteen balls, hereinafter called the
fortifications.
The apparatus and appliances for playing the said game of war (which said game
or pastime I intend.shall be commercially known as "Bombardo ") consists of a
preferably rectangular or square base X which may be of wood, cardboard, millboard,
tin or other suitable material, the same being enclosed all round by walls A B C
and D, and upon the inner sides and centrally of the length of the said walls, I
provide oblong enclosures E F G and H respectively, which are intended to
represent fortresses belonging to different countries, the front of each of the said
fortresses, having a large central opening or archway J, with two other and smaller
but like openings K on each side thereof. In each of the said fortresses is an
imitation cannon L pivotally mounted at a point a upon the base X (Figs. 2 and 3),
and having a range of movement sufficient to cover all the openings K of the
enemy's fortress opposite, as indicated by dotted lines b b in Fig. 1. The said cannons
may be made of any suitable material, and each provided with a suitable propeller
or plunger of any desirable formation, but preferably such as shewn by M in Fig. 4,
the back end of which c may conveniently take the form of a ring and protrude through
the breech end of the cannon, and through an opening N in its respective wall
(assumed to be D in Fig. 3), each of the said plungers being provided with a
suitable spring, the tension of which when released may operate to eject from its
cannon a preferably spherical missile or shot such as c², which, for the purposes of
the game, may conveniently be peas, beads, glass or other marbles, cherry stones or

page_text: the like, while the said springs for operating the said plungers M may be that
of twisted cords, bands or strips O of rubber or other elastic material, which
after being passed through the ring c of M may have its ends connected to its
respective wall at points & d' (Fig. 3) by nails, screws or other suitable means.
Each of the said fortresses E F G and H are supposed to belong to different
countries at war with the one opposite, and whose respective territories are limited by a
black mark or line in front thereof indicated in the drawings by e, f, g and h
respectively while the dividing ridges separating one country from its neighbours are
indicated by the diagonal lines P, and at the inner ends of the latter within the
space bounded by the lines e, f, g, h, are small squares R, each marked "neutral"
for purposes hereinafter explained. The territory of each country would be colored
by a tint distinctly differing from that of the enemy opposite, that is to say, as an
example, the supposed territory bounded by the lines h, P and D and indicated
by S may be "red," and the opposite territory bounded by f, P, P, and B, and
indicated by S¹ may be "blue," while the other two territories indicated by $2
"
and $3 may be " green and "pink" or otherwise for the purpose of readily
distinguishing one country from the other.
Each of the said countries is provided with eight shots or missiles c², adapted to
easily fit within the cannons L, and four large balls T (Fig. 5) all of the same color as
that of the territory of their respective countries, the shots being discharged from
the cannons by a pull imparted to the springs O, as indicated by dotted outline in
Fig. 1, the said spring when released causing the plunger M. to discharge the shot,
while the balls T being known in the game as fortifications, and provided with any
number of flat surfaces or facets such as m to enable them to stand wherever placed,
would, when starting the game be placed upon the four black spots n in front of the
openings Kapon the territory of the two opposing countries, as indicated by dotted
circles at $ and St, and the game is played under the following rules, a copy of which
would accompany each apparatus substantially as follows.
(1) Assuming that two are playing, say red and blue. Each player must first place
in position his fortifications T upon his spots n.
(2) Each player will then commence firing his shots c², the object of each player
being to get all his eight shots into the enemy's fortress through the openings K,
the shots being first fired at the fortifications T to remove them and clear the way
into K.
(3) When the shots fired by either player do not enter the fortress but remain
upon the territory belonging to the enemy, these are regarded by the enemy as
prisoners, but may be exchanged with the opponent when the two combatants run
short of ammunition and may be again used as such. If the shots of the combatants
run into the territory of either of the adjacent countries (i.e., the territories of the
other two players, if employed) they may be redeemed by payment of one counter
(or coin as arranged) to that country. If the said shots roll back within the space
bounded by the lines e f g h and known as the "shooting range" they must be taken
back at once and used again, but if they roll upon either of the squares marked
"neutral" they must be redeemed by payment of one counter (or coin) into a poɔl
common to both (or all) players.
(4) The fortification balls are of twice the value of the cannon balls, and must
remain in whatever position they are placed by the shots, except when they roll and
remain upon an adjacent country, when they inay be redeemed or exchanged, and be
used again in defence, by placing them upon their respective spots n, but should they
roll on to the enemy's territory they become his (the enemy's) prisoners and can be
used by him as fortifications, or they may be exchanged.

page_text: (5) The player who first gets his eight shots into the enemy's fortress is the winner,
and draws from his opponent counters (or coins) representing the difference in the
value of the shots in each fortress, one counter being considered the value of a shot,
and two counters the value of a fortification.
(6) The pool may be divided between the two final winners.
The foregoing rules may be altered from time to time as may be desired, and I
reserve to myself the right to do so, without departing from the principle of my
invention.
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 :-
1st. The improved game or pastime and the device or apparatus for, and the
manner of conducting and playing the same, substantially as herein described and
shewn.
"
2nd. The herein described improved game or pastime and the apparatus therefor,
consisting of a square or rectangular base or board X, divided to form a central space
called the "shooting range and four equal spaces S, S1, S2 and S³ called
"territories" and four equal spaces marked R and called "neutral" each of the said
spaces S S1 S2 S3 having a set off portion called the "fortress" and provided with
four large faceted balls T called "fortifications having openings K, and a central
opening J, the latter occupied by an imitation cannon L with spring plunger such
as M, for ejecting therefrom suitable missiles or shots c², arranged and operated in
pursuit of the said game or pastime, substantially as herein described and shewn by
the appended drawings.
Dated this 19th day of November 1898
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.