Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1896
I, GEORGE CHALMERS, 4, Alexandra Villas, Finsbury Park, London, N.,
Librarian, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a new game for 2, or 3, or 4, or 5,
or 6 players, which, while affording amusement, shall also afford to the players
practice in rapid calculation.
And the said game, which I call "Squaro," is played with a pack of 60 cards,
each of which represents one or other of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
The pack contains 6 cards representing the number 1, 6 representing the number 2,
& so on. The numbers may be indicated by means of ordinary figures, or by
means of spots corresponding in number to the particular number represented, or
in any other suitable manner. The cards may be embellished or adorned on the
back or front in any suitable manner, and they may be of any suitable shape, but
are preferably square.
The game is played in the following manner :-
The cards are shuffled, cut, and dealt, as in the case of ordinary playing cards.
The cards of each player are kept face downwards in the order in which they are
dealt. After the cards are all dealt each player in turn (beginning with the one
on the left hand of the dealer) lifts the top card from his pack and lays it without
delay face upwards on the table, the cards being placed not one on the other but
alongside each other in the order played. Whenever the sum of the numbers
represented by two or more cards (counting backwards from, & including, the last
card played) is a square number, i.e. 4, or 9, or 16, or 25, or 36, &c., the player who
first cries "squaro" gathers up the cards which make up the square number, and
places them face downwards at the bottom of his own pack. The game then
proceeds as before, until all the cards (except such as are then "forfeited") are in
the possession of one player, who is thereupon declared the winner. In the event
of a player crying "squaro" in error, be forfeits a card, i.e., he places the top card
of his pack face downwards by itself, and all subsequent cards forfeited in like
manner by him or other players are placed face downwards on the first in the
order forfeited. In the event of two different square numbers being represented at
the same time, as for example by the cards 9, 9, 7 (square numbers 16 & 25) any
player who has lost all his own cards may by crying "double" secure all the
forfeited cards then on the table. He then proceeds to take his turn with the
other players. A player who cries "double" in error is debarred from any further
attempt. No player who has cards is allowed to cry "double," and a player who
has no cards is not allowed to cry "squaro."
Dated this Eighth day of May 1896.
GEORGE CHALMERS.

page_text: A New Game of Cards.
I, GEORGE CHALMERS, 4, Alexandra Villas, Finsbury Park, London, N.,
Librarian, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a new game for 2, or 3, or 4, or 5,
or 6 players, which, while affording amusement, shall also afford to the players
practice in rapid calculation.
And the said game, which I call "Squaro," is played with a pack of 60 cards,
each of which represents one or other of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
The pack contains six cards representing the number 1, six representing the
number 2, and so on. The numbers may be indicated by means of ordinary
figures, or by means of spots corresponding in number to the particular number
represented, or in any other suitable manner. The cards may be embellished or
adorned on the back or front in any suitable manner, and they may be of any
suitable shape, but are preferably square.
The game is played in the following manner :-
The cards are shuffled, cut, and dealt as in the case of ordinary playing cards.
The cards of each player are kept face downwards in the order in which they are
dealt. After the cards are all dealt, each player in turn (beginning with the one
on the left hand of the dealer) lifts the top card from his pack and lays it without
delay face upwards on the table, the cards being placed not one on the other but
alongside each other in the order in which they are played. Whenever the sum of
the numbers represented by two or more cards (counting backwards from, and
including, the last card played) is a square number, i.e., 4, or 9, or 16, or 25,
or 36, &c., the player who first cries "squaro" gathers up the cards which make
up the square number, and places them face downwards at the bottom of his own
pack. The game then proceeds as before, until all the cards (except such as are
then "forfeited") are in the possession of one player, who is thereupon declared
the winner. In the event of a player crying squaro" in error, he forfeits a
card, i.e., he places the top card of his pack face downwards by itself, and all cards
subsequently forfeited in like manner by him or other players are placed face
downwards on the first in the order in which they are forfeited. In the event of
two different square numbers being represented at the same time, as for example
by the cards 9, 9, 7 (square numbers 16 & 25) any player who has lost all his own
cards may by crying "double" secure all the "forfeited" cards then on the table.
He then proceeds to take his turn with the other players. A player who cries
"double" in error is debarred from any further attempt. No player who has
cards is allowed to cry "double," and a player who has no cards is not allowed to
cry "squaro."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
ton, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
The manufacture and use of the new game herein before described.
DL T
1000
GEORGE CHALMERS.