Patent GB-190406299-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or connected with Indicating and Recording Appliances for Billiard and other Games.
Inventor: BAXTER CHARLES
Filed: 1904-03-15
Granted: 1905-03-09
Abstract: 6299. Baxter, C. March 15. Scoring and marking ; time-checks for games.-M a r k i n g - boards for billiards are provided with means for indicating the scores at a distance, and also with a time check. The marking- cylinders A, A' of the board are provided with five rows of numerals, and when a cylinder is rotated to bring a fresh row into view, an electric recorder i s operated, which thus records the indications of the marking- board. The cylinders are provided with gearwheels B, B<1>, which actuate racks C, C<1> provided with arms c<2>, c', one of which engages a pin on a sliding rod D. The rod D is moved when the cylinder which indicates the greatest score is rotated. Each time that the rod D is moved, a spring pawl d attached to it is moved, by means of pins d on the base-plate of the marker, and closes contacts d<2>, d<3> completing the circuit from a battery J to an indicator E, which may be arranged at a distance. The motion of the rod D may be limited so that it shall cease to operate when a certain score is reached, and to effect this the upward movement of the rod D is limited by means of an attached grooved plate H, which engages a pin f on a spring- controlled lever attached to a sliding bar F connected by a lever to a pointer G which works over a scale g. The pointer G is set to a definite score before the game commences, and the pin f is engaged in one of the grooves h according to the score to be played. When the score is reached, the pin f prevents the rod D from being raised any further. Before the pointer G is re-set, the pin f is returned along the groove h<1>, the bar F returning to its original position under the action of a spring. A time recorder I may be connected to the battery J. The circuit is so arranged that, when the pointer G is in use, there is no current to the time recorder. The bar F is formed of two insulated parts, which, when the pointer is on the negative side of zero, are bridged by a metal strip f<1>, and so a current passes to the recorder I. In a modification of this electrical arrangement, the bar F carries a metal spring which engages one of two insulated pieces on the base-plate. In a modification, which is somewhat similar to the device described in Specification No. 12,115, A.D. 1903, the motion of the marking-device is limited by a sliding bar F, Fig. 6, which is provided with a pointer moving over a scale and is similar to the bar F, Fig. 1. The marking-cylinders actuate spring-controlled bars, which, by means of pawls K<3>, actuate ratchets K. These ratchets are provided with pins to actuate a switch device to operate a recorder similar to the recorder E, Fig. 1. The bar F is set so as to allow a certain number to be scored by the marker, and according to the position of the rod F, a pin f on a spring-controlled lever P attached to the bar F, is engaged by one of a series of slots o of greater or less length in a toothed sector 0 operated by a wheel M driven by the ratchet-wheels K. The lever P is connected to a bar Q, which is acted on by springs and connected by a link P' to the bar F. The bar Q is normally held by a catch device, from which it is released when the bar F is set, and the bar Q acting on the lever P causes the pin f to be engaged by a slot o. When a certain score is reached, the sector 0 has been rotated by the wheel M to such a position that the pin f is released from the slot o. The bar F then returns under the action of a spring, as does also the sector N. The movement of the lever P releases pawls V from the ratchet-wheels K, and so allows the wheel M to return to its original position. The bar F actuates a time recorder similarly arranged to the one I in Fig. 1. In Fig. 8 is shown an electrical arrangement to be used in connection with marking-boards to register high scores. At each complete revolution of a marking-cylinder A, a projection a on it closes a switch b and moves an electrical recorder Y.