An Improved Game.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th May, 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Game.
I GEORGE COLE of 81 Dunsmure Road Stamford Hill London N. Toy
Manufacturer and Inventor do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved game of parlor cricket in which a batsman
is made in two parts the one containing the bust of the figure together with the arms
and hands holding the bat in position for striking a ball as in the real game of cricket
and the other consisting of the rest of the body of the figure which I will call the
stem. To this the bust part is pivotted fitted or joined in such a manner as to render
it capable of turning naturally on same. This is done by means of a spindle fixed in the
stem part and loosely mounting the bust part thereon. To actuate this bust part for the
purpose of producing the hatting movement in the game, it is made hollow and an
open coil spring inserted therein one end of which coil spring being secured to the
said fixed spind'e and the other end to the said bust part or passed through a hole made
in the same in such a manner that the spring is wound or partially wound up by
turning the said bust part on the spindle. A catch is provided and pivotted to a
short pin in the stem part and clutches a pin fixed in the bust part to hold this back.
This catch is so formed that it releases itself from the said pin when freed from the
pressure of said coil spring. To cause the batsman thus constructed and fixed on
the field to strike a ball the bust part is turned in a downward direction till the bat
secured to the hands of the figure is in position for striking. The catch is then
brought into contact with the pin provided for holding the bust in the said position,
when, on a ball being bowled and hitting the bat the blow momentarilly overcomes
the resistence of the said spring and forces the whole bust part back beyond the said
catch causing this to release its hold on the said pin and thereby setting free the
partially wound spring whose rebound turns the bust part together with the bat
swiftly forward in an upward direction thus driving the ball as by a stroke of
the bat.
To regulate the turning movement of the bust a rin is made in the stem for the
said bust to turn upon and a pin fixed in such rim projecting through a slot or
opening made in the edge of the bust turning on the said rim, this pin acting as a
stop within the limits of said opening.
A spring propeller may be provided to aim the ball at the bat and a set of wickets
erected behind the bat. Also holes or erections can be made in or upon various
parts of the field to indicate runs as in the real game and one or more batsmen be
introduced. In place of the bat a loose ball can be used to be thrown or bowled by
the figure as in the game of skittles and the like.
Further a golfer or lawn tennis player can be substituted for the batsman or
batsmen and these games played in miniature instead of cricket.
The batsmen or other figures are fixed in position on the field by means of a nut
and holt so as to be conveniently taken down for packing and to reduce the

page_text: dimensions of the field as much as possible also so that they can be turned in bearings
and fixed to look in various directions as desired.
Dated thin 15th.
1000
All improved Game.
I GEORGE COLE of 81 Dunsmure Road Stamford Hill in the County of Middlesex
Game Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved game of parlor cricket in which a batsman
is made in two parts the one containing the bust of the figure together with the arms
and hands holding the bat in position for striking a ball as in the real game of cricket
and the other consisting of the rest of the body of the figure which I will call the
stem. To this the bust part is pivotted fitted or joined in such a manner as to
render it capable of turning naturally on same. This is done by means of a spindle
fixed in the stem part and loosely mounting the bust part thereon. To actuate this
bust part for the purpose of producing the batting movement in the game it is made
hollow and an open coil spring inserted therein one end of which coil spring being
secured to the said fixed spindle and the other end to the said bust part or passed
through a hole made in same in such a manner that the spring is wound up or
partially wound up by turning the said bust part on the spindle. A outch is provided
and pivotted to a short pin in the stem part and clutches a pin fixed in the bust part
to hold this back. This catch is so formed that it releases itself from the said pin
when freed from the pressure of the said coil spring. To cause the batsman thus
constructed and fixed on the field to strike a ball the bust part is turned in a
downward direction till the bat secured to the hands of the figure is in position for
striking the catch is then brought into contact with the pin provided for holding the
bust in the said position when on a ball being bowled and hitting the bat the blow
momentarily overcomes the resistence of the said spring and forces the whole bust
part back beyond the said catch causing this to release its hold on the said pin and
thereby setting free the partially wound spring whose rebound turns the bust part
together with the bat swiftly forward in an upward direction thus. driving the ball as
by a stroke of the bat. To regulate the turning movement of the bust a rim is made
in the stem for the said bust part to turn upon and a pin fixed in the said rim projecting
through a slot or opening made in the edge of the bust turning on the said rim.
This pin acting as a stop within the limits of said opening. A spring propeller may
be provided to aim the ball at the bat and a set of wickets erected behind the bat.
Also holes or erections can be made in or upon various parts of the field to indicate
runs as in the real game and one or more batsmen introduced.
In place of the bat a loose ball can be used to be thrown or bowled by the figure as
in the game of skittles and the like. Further a golfer or Lawn Tennis player can
be substituted for the batsman or batsmen and these games played in miniature
instead of that of cricket.
The batsmen or other figures are fixed in position on the field by means of a nut
and bolt so as to be conveniently taken down for packing and to reduce the
dimensions of the field as much as possible. Also so that they can be turned in
bearings and fixed to look in various directions as desired and in order that my
invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into practice I will now
proceed to describe the accompanying drawings in illustration of same in which
similar letters of reference represent corresponding parts.

page_text: be simply turned in a downward direction till pin a' is within reach of the catch b
and the latter hooked on to the former to set the bat.
A slot is made in the field f and the stud b' fixed in the foot of the batsman is
passed through this slot and secured by winged nut 7 in the bearings in lever e
turning on pin fixed in plate A this lever being supported by bracket The
batsman is thus mounted at such an angle from the pivot or fulcrum of lever e
(see Fig. 7. 8 & 11) that stud 6 can freely traverse slot in field by turning
lever e in its bearings.
Behind the batsman at a proper distance therefrom is wicket w (see Fig. 15) hinged
to the field f. The bat or bust part a having been set in position for batting as
described on a ball being now aimed by means of propellor p and hitting the bat it
causes this to drive the ball as already described whilst at the same time by turning
the lever e in its bearings the batsman is caused to traverse the slot either to or
fro and can thus protect any part of the wicket w and drive the hall in various
directions at will as in the real game of cricket.
Fig. 10 shows a modification in this figure the catch b and pin a' are dispensed
with and flexible cord c substituted. This cord c is hooked to pin a' and connected
to roller turning in lugs e2 mounted on lever e. To this roller is secured one end
of another flexible cord c¹ the other end of this cord c¹ being secured to cross piece e
(see Fig. 12). To produce the batting movement the loose rod e' has to be pulled and
then suddenly let go at the moment the ball is aimed at the bat by propeller p and
by turning lever e in its bearings as before, before releasing it the batsman is caused
to travel as already stated so as to be able to guard the wicket and drive the ball in
different directions. Also propeller p (Figs. 13 & 14) is made to turn on stud p³ so as
to aim a ball to take any stump of wicket wat will and it also has to be pulled and
suddenly let go to deliver a ball.
Instead of this propellor p by a slight modification the batting movement can be
converted into that of bowling and the figure or effigy of a bowler introduced
(see Fig. 16) to deliver a ball in this case the hand is formed so as to be capable
of holding a ball, the arm of the bowler can be lowered or raised and the action
of the coil spring 6 arranged to produce an upward and downward movement
of the said arm suited to underhand or overhand bowling as may be desired the
movement being transmitted by cord c in the same manner as described for batting.
In this modification slot f is dispensed with and stud b' consists of a tube down which
is passed cord c and out of hole b' on to lever e to roller e³. In this modification also
levere is modified the studs 6+ being passed through and turning in a socket made in
the field and then made fast in socket e' in lever e thus dispensing with socket '
pivot A' and plate A also bracket i.
By pulling and suddenly releasing rod e' and turning lever e in the desired
direction as before the bowler can be made to bowl a ball to take the off, middle, or
leg stump at will.
Instead of cricket the game of golf can be played by substituting a golf club for the
bat (see Fig. 17). In this case the golfer is mounted in a similar way to that of
the bowler (Fig. 16) and the wicket w and propellor p dispensed with the game being
the placing of a ball before the gold club and driving same thereby into holes radially
arranged around the golfer the movement being produced in the same manner as the
batting movement by means of cord c and coil spring b¹ as described. It is also
obvious that instead of bowling at a wicket (see Fig. 16) nine pins can be set up to
bowl at and the game of skittles thus substituted for that of cricket.
Further instead of the Effigy or Figure being mounted on lever e and travelling to
and fro by means of slot f¹ it is obvious that it can be mounted and fixed on a part of
the field f itself made to move and carry the figure along with it either radially or on
a slide in front of the wicket which part of the field can be moved or rotated either
from the side or at the wicket end of the field as desired.
For Lawn Tennis of course a Tennis bat will be substituted for the cricket bat and
suitable erections made and the players arranged in order to represent scoring and the
game.

page_text: Fig. 15. The circles shown herein represent holes made in the board for the Ball to
lodge in to denote runs or caught.
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. In an Indoor Cricket, Golf, Lawn Tennis or Skittle Game or the like-a
mechanical effigy or figure in which the movement is produced by the bust or upper
part being pivotted or joined to the lower part of the figure so as to turn in or upon
same substantially in the manner and for the purpose as described and represented in
the accompanying drawings.
2. In an Indoor Cricket or Lawn Tennis Game a mechanical effigy or figure fixed
in bearings on a moving support capable of carrying it to and fro substantially in the
manner and for the purpose as described and set forth.
3. In an Indoor Cricket or Lawn Tennis or Skittle game or the like a double action
lever e in connection with a mechanical effigy or figure for actuating and turning
same simultaneously substantially in the manner and for the purpose as described
and set forth.
4. An indoor mechanical Cricket, Golf, Lawn Tennis or Skittle Game or the like
combined and arranged substantially in the manner as described in above specification
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.