IMPROVEMENTS IN PLAYING CARDS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Walker, of Warwick Place, Pimlico, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLAYING
CARDS."
Sealed the 22nd August 1856, and dated the 26th April 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
April 1856.
I, THOMAS WALKER, of Warwick Place, Pimlico, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PLAYING CARDS, to be as follows:-
My. Invention of improvements in playing cards consists in making them of
a circular form instead of rectangular, as usual; or I make them of a hexagonal,
octagonal, or other figure, having a number of sides more than four; but I
prefer the circular form, as being more easily gathered and packed up. I also
make them of an elliptical form, or of portions of ellipses, or circles. In all
the above-mentioned forms the cards are more easily gathered, packed up, and
handled generally than when of the ordinary rectangular form.
Another improvement consists in placing the spots or marks indicating the
character and value of the cards out of the centre, and near one edge of cards

page_text: of the circular, many-sided, or other forms, before mentioned, so that the cards
when properly arranged in the hand, the player can see clearly the value and
character of all the cards, the parts overlapping each other being blank.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, THOMAS
WALKER, of Warwick Place, Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Walker, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Walker, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Walker, my executors, 'administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLAYING CARDS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Walker, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Walker, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the figures of reference marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of improvements in playing cards consists in making them of
a circular form instead of rectangular, as usual; or I make them of a hexagonal,
octagonal, or other figure, having a number of sides more than four; but I prefer

page_text: the circular form, as being more easily gathered and packed up in playing.
I also make them of an elliptical form, or of portions of ellipses, or circles. In
all the above-mentioned forms the cards are more easily gathered, packed up,
and handled generally than when of the ordinary rectangular form..
Another improvement consists in placing the spots or marks indicating the
value of the cards out of the centre, and near one edge of the circular cards, or
of cards of the other forms, before mentioned, so that the cards when properly
arranged in the hand, the player can see clearly the value and character of all
the cards distinctly, the parts overlapping each other being blank; the parts
overlapping, instead of being blank, may be ornamented, or may have a
repetition of the spots at the opposite eedge, as exhibited in some of the Figures
of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fig. 1 represents a card of a circular form, and, according to my Invention,
with the spots arranged and placed on one side, that is, near the edge of the
card; while Fig. 2 is another or hexagonal form, also with the spots similarly
placed. Fig. 3 is an octagonal formed card; and Fig. 4, a card described by
portions of circles or ellipses. Other sided figures of a more or less regular
form may also be adopted, but the foregoing will clearly illustrate the character
and arrangement of my improved cards. Of the several forms, I prefer the
circular form, represented in Fig. 1 and also in Fig. 5. In Fig. 5 a number
of circular cards are arranged as held in the hand when playing. In this Figure
it will be seen that the whole of the spots in each card are visible, or nearly so;
and at the same time, to facilitate the observation in determining the value of
each card, the number of spots are marked in numeral characters; the king is
also expressed in writing; the queen & the knave are also marked in like
manner. These cards I also express by the figure of the king, queen, or knave
printed in the centre, or it may be near the edge of the card, as is the case
with the other cards, before described. The spots or marks may be variously
arranged, but I think the manner in which they are represented in Fig. 5 in
the Drawings best calculated to render their several values legible and easily
discernable.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that what I claim, and desire to protect
as my Invention by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, forming playing cards of a circular form, or of a figuro having five,
six, seven, eight, or other number of sides more than four, as herein-before
described.
Secondly, I claim marking or placing the entire number of spots or pips

page_text: denoting the valve of the card near one edge, or near both edges of the cards,
as herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the 'said Thomas Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
THOMAS WALKER. (L.S.)
Witness,
WILLIAM CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.