Improved Apparatus for use in Playing Games of Chess, Draughts, Halma, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for use in Playing Games of Chess, Draughts,
Halma, and the like.
We, WALTER STRANDERS, of 116 Camden Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Designer, and JOHN ERNEST HULBERT, of Manchester House, Friday Street, in
the City of London, Clerk, 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 improved apparatus for use in the games of chess,
draughts, halma, solitaire, and the like, in which, as usually played, counters or
men are arranged and moved upon a specially-prepared board or table.
$6
"
The object of this invention is to construct inexpensive apparatus of a novel
character, which can be made so as to be easily portable, and which possesses
features which render it especially fitted for use by travellers.
"
According to this invention we print or otherwise mark or indicate the series of
squares figures or cells, such as are found upon a draught-board or solitaire board,
(and is hereinafter referred to as a game figure") upon a piece of linen, silk,
velvet, or other suitable fabric, which can afterwards be stretched over or in a
frame or stuffed to form a cushion, or placed upon layers of any easily-penetrable
material, and, for use in conjunction therewith in substitution for the ordinary "men,"
we make pins with heads of a distinctive character thereon, which are stuck through
the various squares on the fabric so that they are retained in positions in accordance
with the rules of the game for which they are used. The said pins are readily
removable when necessary, from the said squares, from which however, they are
not liable to be accidentally displaced; consequently the said improved apparatus
is advantageous for use in travelling.
In order that our said invention may be clearly understood we will now proceed
to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a plan view of two pieces of cloth, one having draught squares
imprinted thereon and the other being prepared for the game of solitaire.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the said pieces sewn together at the
edges and stuffed to form a cushion.
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing in transverse section, another construction
according to this invention, and
Figures 4 and 5 show two pins, the former figure illustrating the pin used for
the knight in the game of chess, and the latter figure illustrating a pin such as
might be used in the game of draughts.
Like reference-letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A A are the pieces of printed fabric. B B are imprinted squares thereon, to
form a "game-figure," the squares B for draughts and the squares B' for solitaire.
C is the stuffing of bran, cloth, or other suitable material.
D (Figure 3) is a frame or box, across which a piece of imprinted fabric A is
stretched, the said sheet being secured to the box or frame at its edges by glue or
other cement, and packed, underneath, with layers of cloth C or other stuffing so
that a readily-penetrable pad is formed. D' is a cover for the box or frame D.
E are the stems and Et the heads of the pins employed as aforesaid; several of
them are shown inserted through the squares B and B. The heads of the pins
may be made distinctive in any suitable way, as, for instance by placing stamped or
engraved plates (Figure 4) or beads of coloured glass thereon (Figure 5) or
otherwise, as may be convenient or desirable.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A cushion or pad specially prepared to adapt it for use in games of chess,
draughts, halma, solitaire, and in other games, substantially as hereinbefore
described, for the purposes specified.
2. Pieces of textile fabric imprinted or otherwise marked with a series of
squares, figures, numerals, or other patterns such as are employed in games of chess,
draughts, halma, solitaire, and in other games for the purpose specified.
Dated this 12th day of August 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.