IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR SCORING OR MARKING AT BILLIARDS AND OTHER GAMES, AND REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF GAMES PLAYED
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Parke John Pittar, of Redcliffe Square, South
Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, and Charles Andrew Terrey, of Saint
George's Road, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR SCORING OR MARKING AT
BILLIARDS AND OTHER GAMES, AND REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF GAMES
PLAYED."
Sealed the 17th January 1879, and dated the 24th July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Parke John Pittar
and Charles Andrew Terrey at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 24th July 1878.
WILLIAM PARKE JOHN PITTAR, of Redcliffe Square, South Kensington, in the
County of Middlesex, and CHARLES ANDREW TERREY, of Saint George's Road,
Southwark, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS
FOR SCORING OR MARKING AT BILLIARDS AND OTHER GAMES, AND REGISTERING
THE NUMBER OF GAMES PLAYED."
Our Invention relates, firstly, to the application of pneumatics for marking or
scoring at billiards and registering the number of games played. For this purpose
we propose to fix on the edge or any convenient part of the billiard table as many
air chambers as may be desired, to be worked by pressure from studs, knobs, or
buttons. From these air chambers pipes are carried to a suitably placed scoring or
registering apparatus, the action of which will be as follows:-The air being com-
pressed at the table will raise the air chamber in the scoring and registering
apparatus, in which air chamber the top of the working cylinder will be connected
to a lever, to the centre of which will be attached a pair of pallets working into a
suitable escape wheel. This escape wheel will be fixed on the arbor or pin to which
the scoring pointers are fixed, so that every motion of the working cylinder acts on
the escape wheel and moves the pointers one degree, at the same time sounding a
bell. On this arbor we propose to place a projecting arm, which as it passes a certain

page_text: point will depress a loose foot connected to a pallet working into an escape wheel,
and having on its pinion an index pointer for registering the number of games.
This pinion we gear to suitable wheels for registering any number of games played.
We may dispense with the pneumatic agency, using a spiral spring and passing a
rod through the cylinder, this rod having a cap near one end which is jointed to the 5
lever, the other end having a cord or handle, which on being pulled will move the
pointers, as above described with the pneumatic arrangement.
The pointers on the scoring dial may be reversed in action at the will of the
players by means of two vertical rods, having bosses on their tops and two pro-
jecting arms working into the arms of the escape wheel, and with a thumb nut at 1
their lower ends which can be turned round, thereby reversing the action of the
pointers to any desired figure on the scoring dial.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Parke John Pittar and Charles Andrew Terrey in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 23rd January 1879.
WILLIAM PARKE JOHN PITTAR, of Redcliffe, Square, South Kensington, in the
County of Middlesex, and CHARLES ANDREW TERREY, of Saint George's Road,
Southwark, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS
FOR SCORING OR MARKING AT BILLIARDS AND OTHER GAMES, AND REGISTERING
THE NUMBER OF GAMES PLAYED."
Our Invention relates to an application of pneumatics for marking or scoring at
billiards, and registering the number of games played, which arrangement may
however be adapted to be worked by other motive power.
In applying our Invention to a billiard table we fix on the edge or any convenient
part of the table as many air chambers as may be desired, to be worked by pressure
from touches, studs, knobs, or buttons. From these air chambers pipes are carried
to a suitably placed scoring or registering apparatus.
Our improved scoring or registering apparatus is composed of two or more
cylinders according to the number of pointers or hands which it is desired to work.
The piston of each cylinder is connected to a horizontal lever, each lever carrying a
pallet working into an escape wheel fixed. on the arbor.or spindle to which the
scoring pointers or hands are attached; and.a bell or bells are so placed that each
time the piston raises one end of a horizontal lever to move one tooth of the escape
wheel the opposite end of the lever will strike the bell and announce the marking.
On this arbor we may place a projecting arm or tappet, which as it passes a certain
point will depress a hinged foot connected to a pallet working into a second escape
wheel, and having on its spindle an index pointer for registering the number of
games. This pinion we gear to suitable wheels for registering any number of games
played.
The pointers on the scoring: dial may be reversed in action at the will of the
players by, means of two vertical rods, having bosses on their tops and projecting
arms working into the arms of the. escape wheel, and with a thumb nut at their
lower ends which can be turned round; thereby reversing the action of the pointers

page_text: We may dispense with the pneumatic agency, using a spiral spring and passing a
rod through the cylinder, this rod having a cap near one end which is jointed to
the lever, the other end having a cord or handle, which on being pulled will move
the pointers, as above described with the pneumatic arrangement.
We
We may also substitute a dead beat escapement in lieu of the recoil escapement
shown on the Drawing, the rest of our combination remaining the same.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is or may be performed, we would have it understood that
we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein-before set forth and shown
on the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, as such may be varied while still retaining
the essential features of our Invention, and that what we claim as secured to us by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
Firstly. In an apparatus for scoring or marking at billiards and other games the
use of the levers with pallets I, I', and escape wheels K, K¹, (or a dead-beat escape-
ment) in combination with the pistons of the air cylinders H, H', or other motive
power, and with the hands or pointers A, B, arranged to operate substantially as
herein-before described and shown on the accompanying Sheet of Drawing.
Secondly. The use of the alarm bell or bells in combination with the marking or
scoring apparatus so as to be sounded by a lever each time that the said lever with
its pallet moves the escape wheel one tooth, substantially as herein-before described,
and shown on the accompanying Sheet of Drawing.
Thirdly. In combination with our improved marking or scoring apparatus the
use of the tappet Q in combination with the pallet R, escape wheel S, and toothed
gearing T, U, V, to actuate the hands X, Y, of the dials, substantially as and for the
purpose herein-before specified.
Fourthly. The use of the spindles N, O, in combination with the hands or
pointers A, B, of our marking or scoring apparatus, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Parke John Pittar and Charles
Andrew Terrey, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-second
day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-nine.
WILLIAM PARKE J. PITTAR. (L.S.)
CHARLES ANDREW TERREY. (L.S.)