GB2222529A - Miniature croquet set - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a croquet set comprising a set of hoops one or two winning pegs and means indicative of a playing area, wherein there are also provided at least four playing counters and two flipping counters (of the tiddlywinks type) in place of the traditional mallet and croquet balls.

Description

SIMULATED CROQUET The present invention relates to simulated croquet games and sets for use therewith.

Croquet is a well known outdoor game which suffers in northern latitudes from a comparatively short playing season. This is because it is usually played on a large grass lawn, for example an area of 28yd x 35yd, and hence there are a limited number of days upon which it can be played.

Attempts have been made to meet this problem in GB A-2203952 which relates to energy absorbing balls. This enables croquet to be played indoors in a hall because for a given strike the ball will roll much less far, thus enabling the game to be played in a limited space.

However, it is still the case that indoor croquet can only be played in the largest of domestic rooms and for most people, therefore, the playing season is limited to the summer.

Accordingly the need arises to miniaturise the game further if croquet, or a game approximating thereto, is to be more generally available, and the playing of full-sized croquet encouraged.

Attempts to miniaturise croquet sets for table top playing have not been particularly successful. In practice, with smaller mallets and smaller balls, shots can only be performed on a good table surface, in which case the balls tend to go far too far and the game is generally unsatisfactory.

Further, the manufacture of game sets of this type makes the games expensive to produce.

The applicant has now found, however, that the game of croquet can be successfully miniaturised by dispensing with the mallets and balls and substituting counters therefor. Such counters are generally known for the playing of the game "Tiddlywinks" and generally comprise a flat counter of generally 12mm or so in diameter made of plastics or a similar material which is essentially hard, but which has a measure of resilience. The applicant finds that the special shots used in croquet can be realistically simulated by musing two counters, a flipping counter and a playing counter. Accordingly, the rules of croquet can be realistically applied to such an arrangement.

According to the present jnvention, therefore, there is provided a croquet set carprising a set of hoops, one or two winning pegs and means indicative of a playing area, characterised by a set of at least four playing counters and two flipping counters.

The invention also comprehends a method of simulating the game of croquet, which method comprising replacing the mallet and balls respectively with hard, but significantly resilient, counters. The counters preferably have a bevel at their peripheries and are preferably made of a plastics material or a natural material such as tortoise-shell.

The playing area may be a board, or may be a cloth for disposition on a flat surface, for example that of a table top. The cloth may be made of a material, either woven or non -woven, which has a measure of resilience throughout its depth, so that the flipping manoeuvre may be effected more readily.

The cloth may also be adapted to control the slide of the counter i.e. may have a surface with a controlled co-efficient friction, thus enabling the slide of a counter to be controlled within certain limits. An ideal playing surface is one with a co-efficient of friction which allows a certain amount of friction to develop between the sliding surface of the counter and the surface over which it slides in response to a flipping motion, the breaking effect so applied being sufficient to slow the counter fairly rapidly.

The invention will now be described, by way of illustration only.

The rules of croquet are to be found in "The Laws of Association Croquet and Golf Croquet" published by the Croquet Association, The Hurlingham Club, Ranleigh Gardens, London SW6 3PR.

A croquet set in accordance with the present invention provides four playing counters respectively coloured red, blue, yellow and black, and four neutral flipping counters. The game may therefore be played by two or four players in the usual way.

The playing area is arranged to have a length to width ratio of 3:2 in accordance with the basic rules of croquet. The set also provides six hoops which are selfsupporting and allow the counter to pass therethrough without impediment. The hoops are positioned in the standard configuration relative to the edges of the playing area. The winning peg is disposed in the measured centre of the playing area in accordance with usual practice.

Each player, or group of players, has two counters; one, for example taking red and yellow counters and the other blue and black. The object of the game is to get the counters through all the hoops in the correct order and direction and then to contact them with the winning peg before the opponent.

In accordance with the scoring system for croquet, each time one of the counters passes through a hoop in the right order and direction it scores a point. A point is also scored for hitting the winning peg with a counter when it has gone through all six hoops. Each counter, therefore, scores 7 points; the winner scoring 14 points altogether. Once a counter has scored its peg-point it is removed from the playing area.

In accordance with the usual rules of croquet, when a counter runs a hoop, i.e. passes through it in the correct direction and order, the player concerned earns an extra turn.

Similarly, counters in accordance with the present invention can make a croquet when flipped so as to contact one of the other three counters. In these circumstances an extra two shots is earned; the first of these shots is called the croquet stroke enabling the counter to be picked up and placed anywhere against or on the counter which it has just hit. In this way 'breaks' in accordance with the usual procedure in croquet can be achieved. In other respects the rules of Croquet are obeyed.

One of the more surprising discoveries made by the applicant lies in that the particular shots played in croquet can be simulated by the flipping motion of a counter to a realistic degree. For example: Take-off: In this stroke the counters are placed so that a players own counter is flipped almost directly to the point to which it is wished to send it, but in doing so it moves another counter only a short distance in another direction.

Stop Shot: This shot is used if it is desired to restrict the distance which the player's counter travels.

Roll shot: This shot is used to send both counters about the same distance.

Rush shot: This shot involves flipping one counter at another so that the second counter is knocked in a desired direction.

Split roll: This is used when it is desired to send two counters about the same distance, but in different directions.

Accordingly, the basic tactics of the game can be explored on a table-top basis and the game improved during the winter months.

The present invention thus provides a method of simulating a croquet game without mallets or balls, and a kit for playing the same.

Claims (5)

CLQWS.

1. A croquet set comprising a set of hoops, one or two winning pegs and means indicative of a playing area, characterised by a set of at least four playing counters and two flipping counters.

2. A croquet set according to Claim 1 characterised in that each counter is formed of a hard but significantly resilient material, and in that each counter is bevelled at its periphery.

3. A croquet set according to Claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the means indicative of the playing area is a board or a cloth for disposition on a flat surface.

4. A croquet set according to any of the preceding claims characterised in that the playing area is provided with a surface with a controlled coefficient of friction to enable the slide of a counter to be controlled within given limits.

5. A croquet set according to Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore set forth.