Game apparatus.

Application filed January 9, 1903. Serial No. 138,351. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Charles M. Mumford, a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have 5 invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, re ference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letio ters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for playing games, and has for its object to make a simple and practical device collapsible 15 and portable in construction which may be used for playing intensely interesting and entertaining games, which are hereinafter fully explained in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the playing-board placed on a table with the playing-pins in position on the board; Fig.

2, a plan view of the board. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 25 is a perspective view of one of the base-boards, showing the retaining- tongue on the end thereof. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the side boards, showing the groove across its inner face. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of 30 a portion of two side boards, illustrating my method of locking the ends together, also showing one of the extension-pins for holding the net. Fig. 7 represents one of the cone-shaped pins used in playing one of the 35 games on the board. Fig. 8 represents one of the cages used in another game played on the board. Fig. 9 is one of the sticks or clubs used in the games. Fig. 10 is the playingball used in the games.

In the construction of my playing-board, A is the base-board, with a plurality of faces around its edge, preferably six. This baseboard may be constructed of a number of pieces of light material grooved and tongued 45 together at a a, so it can be easily taken apart and put into a small space for stowing away or transportation. An enlarged view of one of the base-boards illustrated in Fig. 4 shows the retaining-tongue δ, which runs around 50 the outside edge of the base-board, projecting outwardly from each face and is for the purpose of entering a corresponding groove in each of the side boards B for the purpose of supporting- and holding them in position on the base-board. Each of these side 55 boards B has interlocking ears g and g' on its ends through which the locking-pins D are inserted to hold said boards in place. To facilitate the assembling of the playing-board all of the parts will be numbered or suitably 60 marked. The base-board will be put together on the floor or table, the tongues in one piece entering the groove in the next corresponding piece. Each of the side boards B is placed on the tongues δ, projecting from the 65 sides around the base-board A, and then the locking-pin D is inserted into the holes through the ears g g in each joint, thereby securely fastening the base-boards together and all of the side boards firmly in place around 70 the edge of the base-board, forming a shallow box or tray. The locking-pins D may be extended above the sides (see Figs. 1 and 3) and curved at their upper ends to allow a net to be stretched around the board to prevent 75 the ball from bounding off of the table. At i i are spots on the base-board denoting the position in which to place the playing-pins e e or the cages F.

G is a short club or stick preferably flat- 80 tened and projecting outwardly at its lower end.

H is a small ball, preferably made of solid rubber, so it will rebound from the rigid sides of the board against which it comes forcibly in. 85 contact.

The game is designed for two people to play, although four may play by having two on each side.

To play the game in which the pins e e are 90 used, the board should be placed on a low rigid table, (see Fig. 1,) high enough to allow the knees of the players to go under. Two players are seated at the table in chairs directly opposite the spots i i on each side of 95 the board. N either player must leave this seat during the game. A pin is placed on the spot in front of each, the main object of the game being to knock your opponent’s pin down and keep your own standing. Each time 100 you accomplish this it counts you one. If he accidentally knocks his own down, either with the ball, his stick, or hand, it also counts you one. To start the game, the ball H is

785,998 placed on the spot h in the center of the board. The players strike the board simultaneously with the ends of their sticks on each side of the ball, and strike their sticks 5 together over the ball, repeating this three times. As soon as they have struck their sticks together the third time over the ball the ball is considered in play, the object being to strike it as soon thereafter as possible, io If either of the players hit the ball before they have brought their sticks together for the third time it is a foul and counts against him. Three fouls take away one point. It is also a foul if one player knocks his oppo15 nent’s pin down with his stick or by joggling the table or board. As soon as the ball is in play the point is to knock your opponent’s pin down, either by direct shots or by any combination of carom - shots which can be 20 made on the sides of the board. It can readily be seen that these combinations are numerous on account of the shape of the board. All the time that you are trying to knock your opponent’s pin down you must also be 25 carefully guarding your own. Whenever a point has been scored or a pin knocked down tlie ball must be put in play again the same as at the beginning of the game. If during the game the ball is sent over the sides of 30 the board onto the floor, the one who knocked it over must let his opponent have it to set in play again. The one who scores ten points first is the winner. If at any time the pin of either player gets moved off of its spot with35 out being knocked down it must be left wherever it stops until one of the players shall have scored a point, and then it must be placed back on the spot as at first. As soon as a pin is knocked down the ball is out of 40 play, counting only for the one down first, even if the second pin should subsequently fall by the same stroke.

The second game, using the cages, is played with exactly the same rules which govern that with the pins, with the exception that 45 the cages are used instead of pins and that the ball must be put into and made to stay in these cages.

These games are for a parlor and as described above are exceedingly interesting and enter- 50 taining. The apparatus is very simple and may be put in a very compact form when the board is taken apart.