CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BILLIARD AND OTHER TABLES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Munster, of Brighton, in the County of
Sussex, Esquire, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BILLIARD
AND OTHER TABLES."
Sealed the 26th June 1860, and dated the 31st December 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Munster at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
December 1859.
I, HENRY MUNSTER, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex, Esquire, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN BILLIARD AND OTHER TABLES," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention relates to the construction of the cushions of
billiard and other tables, by which I more perfectly combine the following
advantages than has heretofore been accomplished, viz., first, strength of
rebound of the ball from the cushion; second, accuracy of the angle of
rebound; third, absence of all jump in the rebound. My mode of effecting
this is by having a cushion to expand above and below, and to present a face
inclined at one angle to a ball gently impinging upon it, and a face inclined
at a different angle to a ball more strongly impinging upon it.
The object of the second part of my improvements is to diminish the

page_text: mechanical difficulties in the way of accurate playing, so far as it principally
depends upon the player being enabled to use his cue nearly in an horizontal
position, and this without causing any tendency to jump, but, on the contrary,
enabling him to play with any strength without danger of jump; and also by
having facilities for striking the ball in certain positions at many more points
than can be done at present, and by having the exact surface of a double
square, and no more, available for the play of the balls. This I propose to
effect by making the cushions much lower than at present in use, and by
having them so constructed that they shall bear upon the ball at two or more
different points, and also capable of being raised or lowered according to the
size of the ball, and by enabling the ball to be struck from underneath as well
as from above the cushion, and having all parts of the cushions so constructed
as to give a true, equal, and easily calculable rebound, and by also slightly
altering the present surface shape of the bed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Munster in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th June 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
MUNSTER, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Munster, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Munster, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Munster, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS. IN
BILLIARD AND OTHER TABLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henry Munster, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to 'be filed

page_text: in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Munster, 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,
(that is to say):-
The first part of my Invention relates to the construction of the cushions of
billiard and other tables, by which I combine more perfectly than has hitherto
been done the following advantages, viz., first, strength of rebound of the ball
from the cushion; second, accuracy of the angle of rebound; third, absence of
all jump in the rebound.
The object of the second part of my improvements is to diminish the
mechanical difficulties in the way of accurate playing, so far as it principally
depends upon the player being enabled to use his cue nearly in a horizontal
position, and this without causing any tendency to jump, but, on the contrary,
enabling him to play with any strength without danger of jump; and also by
having facilities for striking the ball in certain positions at many
more points
than can be done at present, and by having the exact surface of a double
square, and no more, available for the play of the balls. These I propose to
effect by making india-rubber cushions much lower than at present in use,
and by having them so constructed that they shall expand easily above and
below, and shall bear upon the ball at two or more different points, and with
a face varying with the strength of impact, and also capable of being raised
or lowered according to the size of the ball, and by enabling the ball to be
struck from underneath as well as from above the cushion, and having all
parts of the cushions so constructed as to give a true, equal, and casily
calculable rebound, and by also slightly altering the present surface shape of
the bed.
The tendency to jump, arising partly from the ball propelled towards a
cushion acquiring from friction a rotatory motion on a horizontal axis at right
angles to its path, and operating powerfully inversely to its propulsive velocity,
it follows, that to return the ball along the surface of the table, it must, when
impinging with speed, be met the reaction of a cushion whose face must
then approach more nearly to being vertical than when it impinges slowly,
when the reaction of some part of the cushion must be exerted downwards, or
a jump must ensue. This I attain by having the lower part of the face of
the india-rubber cushion nearly or quite vertical for about half its height, and
solid through to the back (which may simply adhere to a bar of wood or

page_text: metal, or both, or clipped between projecting ledges above and below), and by
having the upper part of the face of the cushion inclined forward at an angle
or bevil, so that the impinging ball shall strike both the lower portion of the
face at its centre, the upper above it; but the upper portion of the face is to
be constructed with a hollow at some slight distance from the face and top.
This hollow will be conveniently placed at about in, from the face, and the
same or less from the top, and it will assume the form (nearly) of a right-
angled triangle at its ends. It will allow the upper part of the face when
struck, to be pressed back, and yield far readier than the lower, so that the
more violently a ball impinges, the more the face of the reacting cushion will
approximate to being vertical. Thus are avoided several objections to ordinary
cushions, especially the diminution of the elasticity of the rubber by scaring,
mixing, covering over, restraining with ticking and cloth, while these india-
rubber cushions need be covered only with light net, or with calico made
adhesive with solution, or not at all, or merely with cloth or calico on the top,
the face being varnished. India-rubber lengths are convenient in. deep and
broad at the lower surface; then the top surface will have a breadth (when
the hollow is not pressed up) of about 1 inch; this is for full heavy 2-inch
balls. The lower edge may be in. or in. above the level of the bed,
leaving ample room for the point of the cue to pass. A moveable rest.
for the hand may be fixed or hooked, as wanted, to the outside of the
cushion.
The bar to which the rubber is fixed may rest on upwrights, which may
themselves slide up and down (adjusted by screws) in vertical holes in that
part. of the cushion which is fastened to the bed, or be fixed to it, and then
such lower part may itself be raised or lowered by the screws which fix it to
the bed, running not through holes but through perpendicular cuts or slots.
The length of the rubber will depend on the sizes of the table and pockets.
Owing to the india-rubber not being any longer confined, shoulders may bo
entirely and conveniently dispensed with to gain 4 feet of periphery for
even rebound, and avoiding the uncertain rebound of shoulders; and the
surface upon which the ball can stand (or playing surface) may be made a
double square by being cut into half the ball's diameter at the middle pockets,
and to be angled will become impossible. Pockets 3 in. across for middles
and 3 inches for corners will be easy. These several advantages are distinct
for the most part, and need not to be used together. Each may be used
apart if preferred. The dimensions are only given for instances, and are not
important.

page_text: Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, I would have
it distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein set forth; but I claim the general arrangement and construction of
billiard and other tables, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Munster, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Henry Munster, in the presence
of
HENRY MUNSTER. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Henry Munster, in the presence
of
HENRY MUNSTER. (L.S.)
EDWARD T. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
London.