Improvements in Cricket Stumps.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
Improvements in Cricket Stumps.
I, JOHN ROBERTS, of Parnell, suburbs of the City of Auckland, Provincial
District of Auckland and Colony of New Zealand, Machinist, do hereby declare the
ature 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 my invention is to provide a wicket, the stumps of which will
automatically reinstate themselves after having been displaced from a vertical
position from any cause:-
Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification :-
Fig. 1 Is the elevation of a wicket.
AAA being the three stumps A" being in section.
B Is the section of one stump to show interior arrangements.
C Is the ground plate.
1 Is a bolt with spiral spring attachment in connection with the socket
carrying the stump.
E Is a saw-cut in wooden part of the stump to allow contraction if necessary.
FIs a metal socket for holding the wooden part of the stump.
Fig. 1. G Is the wooden part of the stump. H is one of the bails.
Fig. 2. I Are the holes for the pins or bolts to fasten ground plate to the
ground.
K Are the bosses or protruberances fixed in or on the ground plate.
Fig. 3 Is a section of a stump to show protruberance fixed in or on a ground
plate on which a stump may be placed and held upright.
Fig. 4 Is a section of a stump showing that a plug attached to a stump may be
inserted in the ground plate to otain the same result.
The letters apply to all Figures:
I place on the ground where the wicket is to be pitched a flat plate shown in
Fig. 2 marked C, of any required shape or material and fasten it to the ground
with three or more bolts or pins driven through the holes in the said plate
marked I in Fig. to retain the same firmly in position. On the ground plate
are three bosses, marked K in Fig. 2. having holes drilled through them to retain
bolt-heads as at D in Fig. 1, the said bolts are carried through the bottoms of the three
sockets F having a coil or spiral spring on each bolt restrained by a bolt-head or
nut at the upper end of each bolt as at D aforesaid. The sockets F forming part
of each stump are tapered inside from top to bottom and the wooden part of each
stump G has a saw-cut as at E for the purpose of allowing the bottom part of
the stump to be contracted if necessary when placed in the socket I so as to fit
firmly. It will be seen that the stumps can be withdrawn from or inserted freely
into the sockets.
By these means the stumps are always kept at an uniform height and distance
apart and automatically reinstated in a vertical position by the resilient action
of the spiral spring at the base of each stump, and all the umpire has to do is to
re-set the bails, thus saving a good deal of time besides doing away with that
oration. a loose wicket.

page_text: I have described the action of the spiral spring D only, but I claim that the
same desired action can be obtained by means of india rubber cork or other
material inserted in the ground plate or protruding from it or attached to the
stump or stumps as shown in drawings by Figs. 3 and 4.
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. A ground plate in combination with a socket and spring arrangement for
automatically holding and reinstating stumps used in the game of cricket when
displaced from a vertical position.
2nd. I claim the right to use India-rubber cork or other material inserted in
the ground plate or protruding from it, or attached to the stump or stumps for
the purpose of holding maintaining or reinstating stumps used in the game of
cricket, when displaced from a vertical position.
3rd. I claim the right of using the ground plate in combination with the
stumps for the purpose of maintaining the stumps at an uniform height and
distance apart.
As substantially set forth in specification and drawings thereto.
Dated this 18th day of March 1897