A Round Game of Skill.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 1st Sept., 1890-Accepted, 18th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Round Game of Skill.
I, ('HARLES HENRY ROSHER, of 9 Victoria Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide amusement from the endeavour of
individuals, playing a game with special cards, or other devices, to form certain pre-
arranged words, the player so first disposing of their share of cards, being entitled to
a reward or otherwise.
Any convenient number of cards, say for example a pack containing fifty two, have
printed upon their faces the letters of the alphabet in the following manner:-The
vowels in triplicate sixteen of the consonants in duplicate; and five consonants singly,
or as may be otherwise arranged.
The game is commenced by a person dealing (after the cards have been shuffled
and cut in the usual manner) to each person taking part in the game, the cards in
rotation, until the pack is exhausted. The player next the dealer names a word, at
the same time exposing the initial letter of such word upon the table-Thus the
letter "F" for the word "FORK." The next player follows if possible with the next
letter "O" but should the player be unable to do so a forfeit of some prearranged
value may be placed in a pool (if one be used); it is the turn of the next player to
furnish the required letter and should he or she fail, a forfeit of like value must also
be placed in the pool. The game is continued in this manner until the word decided
upon is complete, or as near complete as the remaining letters will permit, the person
playing such concluding letter of any word having the right to name a new word,
the game proceeding in the foregoing manner, until one of the players has exhausted
his or her stock of cards. This being the object of the game the player who is first
successful in so disposing of his or her cards, becomes entitled to the contents of the
pool or equivalent, and also to a counter for each card remaining in the hands of the
players.
As it will sometimes occur that words will be named which will contain more like
letters than there are in the hands of the players, I provide that such player who
originally missed the letter, on his or her turn to play again coming round proceed
with the next lettor and failing to play again to pay another forfeit.
Where there are only three players it is best to deal a stop or oxtra hand from
which the players are entitled on payment of a forfeit to draw one or two cards as
may be agreed upon, to chance drawing the required letter by which they are
stopped.
In order to facilitate the action of the game I print on the face of the cards a series
of words in which the letter on the card appears.
Dated this 9th day of November 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Round Game of Skill.
1, CHARLES HENRY ROSHER, of 9, Victoria Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:
:-
The object of my invention is to provide amusement from the endeavour of
individuals playing a game with special cards, or other devices, to form certain

page_text: prearranged words, the player so first disposing of their share of cards being entitled
to a reward or otherwise.
Any convenient number of cards say for example a pack containing fifty-two, have
printed upon their faces the letters of the alphabet in the following manner :-The
vowels in triplicate, sixteen of the consonants in duplicate; and five consonants singly,
or as may be otherwise arranged.
The game is commenced by a person dealing (after the cards have been shuffled
and cut in the usual manner) to each person taking part in the game, the cards in
rotation until the pack is exhausted.
The player next the dealer names a word, at the same time exposing the initial
letter of such word upon the table :-Thus the letter "F" for the word "FORK."
The next player follows if possible with the next letter "O" but should the player be
unable to do so, a forfeit of some prearranged value inay be placed in a pool (if one
be used); it is the turn of the next player to furnish the required letter and should he
or she fail, a forfeit of like value must also be placed in the pool. The game is con-
tinued in this manner until the word decided upon is complete, or as near complete
as the remaining letters will permit, the person playing the concluding letter of any
word having the right to name a new word, the game proceeding in the foregoing
manner until one of the players has exhausted his or her stock of cards. This being
the object of the game the player who is first successful in so disposing of his or her
cards becomes entitled to the pool or equivalent, and also to a counter for each card
remaining in the hands of the players.
As it will sometimes occur that words will be named which will contain more like
letters than there are in the hands of the players, I provide that such player who
originally missed the letter, on his or her turn to play again coming round, proceed
with the next letter and failing to play again to pay another forfeit. A variation of
this rule might be made by causing the person to pay forfeit who had named a word,
some or one of the component letters of which had already been played. In this
case a new word would have to be named by the next in order, and the letters on
the table of the incomplete word taken up again.
Where there are only three players it is best to deal a stop or extra hand from
which the players are entitled on payment of a forfeit to draw one or two cards as
may be agreed upon, to chance drawing the required letter by which they are
stopped.
In order to facilitate the action of the game I may print on the face or reverse of
the cards a series of words in which the letter on the card appears.
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 :-
1. The method of playing a game wherein the object is the formation of certain
prearranged words by means of cards or their equivalents with letters upon them
substantially in the manner described.
2. The manufacture of cards or tokens with letters upon their faces in conjunction
with or without suitable words on their faces or the reverse for the purpose of playing
a game substantially as described.
•
Dated this 1st day of September 1890.
CHARLES H. ROSHER.