IMPROVEMENTS IN RECREATIVE GAMES PLAYED WITH BALLS AND CUES AND IN THE TABLES AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Joseph Hughes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th October 1868.-A communication from abroad by John Moss
Fletcher, of New York, United States of America.
I, EDWARD JOSEPH HUGHES, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RECREATIVE GAMES PLAYED WITH BALLS
AND CUES AND IN THE TABLES AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," being
a communication to me from abroad by John Moss Fletcher, of New
York, United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, first, in the adaptation to any ordinary
billiard or bagatelle table, or to a table made for the purpose, of bells
or gongs combined with hoops and stalls for the purpose of playing
with balls and cues an improved game which I call "croquet billiards."
The stalls are held together at the top by a piece of wood to which
several gong
bells are connected, and the remaining stalls are numbered
as desired, the number of stalls and bells being in accordance with
the size of the table. The object in playing is not to let the ball
get into these bell stalls, for if it enters the bell is struck by a hammer

page_text: and the player loses a certain number of points. In one arrangement
at or about one-third of the length of the table from the playing end
and in the centre transversely is placed a croquet hoop, at the sides
of which there are wires hung upon pillars or supports, the bottom
part of each wire being shaped to the form of one or more hoops,
and the upper part formed as a bow to which is suspended a bell;
and if a ball strikes the lower part of the wire the bell rings, and the
player loses any recognized number of points. When desired the hoops
and bells may be placed at other parts of the
employed according to the game.
table, and any number
mounted with pins or
Secondly, I arrange and construct a table
skittles in imitation of the American skittle alley, the pins on the
table being struck by balls impelled by cues. The table is formed
with the proper gutters at each side and a proper track in the centre,
and at the far end there is a trough or recess for the pins or skittles
to fall into, the game being played with ten pins, four cues, and four
balls, two white, one red, and one pink.
Thirdly, I construct an improved arrangement of folding table to
be used either for billiards, croquet billiards, skittles, or as an ordinary
table. The portion of the table supported on legs or stands is the part
intended for billiards, and to the ends of this part are hinged flaps,
each half the length of the billiard part, which flaps can be turned
down for enabling billiards to be played, or turned over on the top
to make an ordinary table, or taken off entirely by taking the pins
out of the hinges. One flap can be furnished with stalls having bells
or gongs, and the billiard part provided with croquet hoops and bells
for enabling croquet billiards to be played, and the other flap can have
a trough and gutters for enabling the skittle game to be played, the
ends of the billiard table being moveable for enabling these games
to be played.
In all descriptions of billiard or bagatelle tables I make the cushions
moveable so that they can be removed and warmed at the fire to make
them soft and elastic in cold weather.