Improvements relating to Game Marking or Scoring Apparatus.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1890-Accepted, 30th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Game Marking or Scoring Apparatus.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK HOWARD, of No. 34, Walbrook, in the City of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to game marking or scoring apparatus, especially apparatus
for marking the games played upon a billiard table, and it consists in an improved
arrangement of mechanism for marking the points or scores and in automatically
indicating the player in respect of whom the last points are registered by the mere
act of registering the points.
In carrying out my invention I make use of a case of suitable construction, in
which I mount spindles carrying rollers so marked as to indicate the scores and
arranged to rotate independently thereon and provided with a number of teeth into
which take pinions fixed on spindles carrying the operating knobs or handles and
having teetli of varying number, so that while the first roller is making a complete
revolution the second roller shall only partially rotate and so on if more than two
rollers are employed.
For the purpose of automatically indicating the player in respect of whom the last
points are registered I advantageously employ a plate marked with words signifying
the players, (such as "spot" and "plain" in billiards) such plate being adaptel to be
moved behind the front of the case of the apparatus by the mere act of moving
the scoring rollers so as to bring either one or the other of the said words opposite an
opening in the case.
Dated the 24th day of October 1889
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Game Marking or Scoring Apparatus.
I. GEORGE FREDERICK HOWARD, of No. 34, Walbrook, in the City of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention relates to game marking or scoring apparatus, especially to apparatus
for marking the games played upon a billiard table, and it consists in an improved
arrangement of mechanism for marking the points or scores and in automatically
indicating the player in respect of whom the last points are registered by the mere
act of registering the points.
In carrying out my invention I make use of a case of suitable construction, in
which 1 mount spindles carrying rollers so marked as to indicate the scores and
arranged to rotate independently thereon. The rollers are provided with a number of
teeth into which take pinions fixed on spindles carrying the operating knobs or
handles and having teeth of different number, so that while the first roller is making
a complete revolution the second roller shall only partially rotate and so on if more
than two rollers are employed.
For the purpose of automatically indicating the player in respect of whom the last
points are registered I advantageously employ a plate or plates marked with words
signifying the players, (such as "spot" and "plain" in billiards) such plate or one of
such plates being adapted to be moved by the inere act of moving the scoring rollers
so as to exhibit either one or the other of the said words.

page_text: To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be carried
into practice by reference to the accompany.ng drawing, in which―
Figure 1 is a front elevation; and,
Figure 2 is a transverse section of an apparatus adapted for marking or scoring the
game of billiards and constructed according to my invention.
Figure 3 is a similar view to figure 1 but with the front of the case removed.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the apparatus.
Similar letters in all the figures indicate similar parts.
a is the case of the apparatus the front of which is made with openings c, d and e,
near which are marked respectively the words "spot,"
," "plain" and "last score taken
to;" fand g are the spindles mounted in a frame a*; hand i are the rollers arranged
to rotate independently of each other upon the spindle f for indicating the "spot"
scores; and k are the rollers similarly arranged upon the spindle g for indicating the
"plain" scores. The rollers and jare preferably made of decagon form, as shewn
in figure 2, the sides being marked with the figures 0 to 9;. the other rollers i and k
are of similar form, but are marked with the figures 1 to 9, and with the word "
1, 1, 1, 1 are the teeth provided on the rollers and corresponding in number with the
sides of the rollers.
game.
"
8
m and n are the pinions fixed on the spindle o carrying the knob or handle for
operating the "spot" rollers h, i, the pinion m having ten teeth or pins, and the
pinion n having only one tooth or pin; and are the pinions fixed on the spindle
of the knob pl for operating the "plain" rollers j, k, the said pinions q and r being
similar to the pinions m and n respectively.
t and u are spring plates bearing against the faces of the rollers for ensuring the
opposite faces being properly presented behind the openings c and d.
t is the plate on which is inscribed the word "spot" and which is permanently located
immediately behind the opening e.
w is the plate bearing the word "plain" and adapted to be moved behind the front
of the case a so as to cover or uncover the plate and consequently be exhibited or
not behind the opening e. For this purpose the plate w is mounted on a counter-
balanced rod attached to an arbor y journalled in the frame a*, the said arbor having
fixed to it a crank a to which is jointed a connecting rod attached to a pallet c',
pivotied at e' to the frame a*.
a
The ends c and d of the pallet are arranged so as to be acted upon by the teeth or
pins of the pinion m and y respectively thereby lowering or raising the plate as the
case may be.
The spindle o is advantageously extended, as shewn in figure 3, the extension being
provided with a sliding sleeve carrying a pinion g' adapted to operate a suitable
counter', whereby the number of games marked or scored by the rollers are registered
on the dials and figure 4. The object of the sleeve is to allow of the pinion gl
being moved out of engagement with the counter by simply pulling a knob k
figure 4 when requiring to set the counter at zero, a button being provided on the
arbor of the wheel m', by turning which the hands of the counter can be quickly
moved over the dials. The dials are covered by a door or shutter n' provided with a
suitable lock and key and which, when closed pushes back the knob k¹ and thereby
ensures the counter being put in engagement with the marking or scoring
mechanism.
The operation is as follows:-Suppose the parts to be in the position shewn in the
drawing, that is to say, "spot" having scored 62 and "plain" 17 and the last score
having been taken to "spot," if now the player having the plain ball score, say 3 more
points, the attendant turns the knob p¹ until the roller j indicates 0 in the opening d
and the pin of the pinion r at this moment moves the roller koue tooth forward
thereby causing it to indicate 2, making the score 20 and so on.
In turning the spindle s one of the pins of the pinion y will act upon the end d¹ of
the pallet (figure 2) which, through the medium of the rod and crank a' will raise
the rod with the plate w into the position shewn by the dotted lines in figure 2,
thereby bringing the word "plain" to view in the opening e showing that the last

page_text: score has been taken to "plain." If now the player having the "spot" ball score,
say, 15 more points the attendant turns the knob p until the rollers indicate 77, and
at the same time the pin of the pinion m which is nearest the end cl of the pallet will
move the latter in the reverse direction to that in which it was moved by the pinion q
thereby lowering the plate w and leaving the word "spot" exposed to view in the
opening e and plainly shewing that the said score of 15 was taken to "spot" and not
to "plain."
When 100 points have been made by either player the attendant turns the knob p or p²,
as the case may be until the word "game" and a 0 appear in the opening c or.d when
the apparatus is ready to commence scoring another game.
The counter will meanwhile have indicated 1 on the dial shewing clearly to
the proprietor, if he choose to unfasten the door or shutter n³ that one game has been
played, the counter continuing to indicate the games played up to a certain number
when the proprietor would set the counter back to zero in the manner hereinbefore
described.
Although I have described and illustrated my invention as applied to the marking
or scoring of the game of billiards it will be obvious that it is equally applicable
for marking the points or scores in other games such for example, as " cricket"
and for automatically indicating the player in respect of whom the last points are
registered.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what [
claim is:
1. The manufacture and use of a new kind of game marking or scoring apparatus
such as is herein described in which the operation of marking the points or scores
automatically indicates the player in respect of whom the last points were registered,
substantially as herein before described.
2. In game marking or scoring mechanism the combination of indicating rollers
rotating independently upon spindles and provided with teeth with pinions having
pins or teeth of different number adapted to engage with the teeth of the said rollers
and fixed on spindles carrying operating knobs or handles, so that while the first roller
on a spindle is making a complete revolution the second roller will only partially rotate
and so on if more than two rollers are employed, substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
3. The combination with a game marking or scoring apparatus of a plate or plates
marked with words signifying the players (such as "spot” and “plain” in billiards)
such plate or one of such plates being adapted to be moved by the mere act of
moving the scoring rollers so as to exhibit either one or the other of the said words,
substantially as herein before described.
4. The combination with a game marking or scoring apparatus of the construction
herein before described of a counter for inlicating the number of games scored, sub-
stantially as set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
5. The improved game marking or scoring apparatus hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dhe athl
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.