IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SCORING GAMES AT BILLIARDS, WHICH MAY ALSO BE EMPLOYED FOR SCORING OTHER GAMES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wilson Cooper, of Dublin Street, Clonmel, in the
County of Tipperary, Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR SCORING GAMES AT BILLIARDS, WHICH MAY ALSO BE
EMPLOYED FOR SCORING OTHER GAMES."
Sealed the 15th November 1878, and dated the 13th September 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wilson Cooper at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th September 1878.
JOHN WILSON COOPER, of Dublin Street, Clonmel, in the County of Tipperary,
Ireland. " IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SCORING GAMES AT
BILLIARDS, WHICH MAY ALSO BE EMPLOYED FOR SCORING OTHER GAMES."
For this purpose I employ two discs or wheels mounted on separate axes of
motion, and working at the back of a board in which are formed two suitable
apertures, each of which comes opposite a portion of one of the said discs or wheels
near the outer edge thereof.
On the faces of these discs or wheels, near the periphery thereof, are marked a
series of figures, which may be arranged in one or more circles, and may rise to 50
or more, according to the game for which the scoring apparatus is used.
When using two circles of figures to each disc, a shutter is employed to shut off
the one or the other circle of figures, as required, from the apertures in the board.
Each disc or wheel may be operated by a handle fixed on the axis thereof, or it
may be operated by a slide or stud acting on ratchet or other teeth formed on or
fixed to the disc or wheel, and for each number recorded pins or studs on the discs
or wheels, or the slide or stud, may cause a bell to be sounded, so that the player
will know that the marker has recorded his score.
Each disc or wheel has a tooth or projection which acts upon a rocking lever
provided with two teeth or projections on each side, and two teeth or projections at
the upper part thereof. The two latter teeth act upon suitable cam-shaped inclines
formed on a ratchet lever, which when raised acts to give a step-by step rotary
.
79

page_text: motion to a third disc or wheel for scoring the number of games played, and which
is also marked or provided with a circle of figures near its periphery, which are
seen through a suitable aperture in the front board as they are successively brought
opposite to such aperture. Each disc or wheel is preferably arranged so as to
rotate only in one direction.
By these arrangements, when a game has been played, the tooth or projection on
the disc or wheel of the winner acts upon one of the side teeth or projections of the
rocking lever, and thereby causes one of the two upper teeth or projections of the
latter to move the ratchet lever, and consequently the third disc or wheel, then on
placing the disc or wheel of the loser to zero, the tooth or projection thereon acts
upon one of the side teeth or projections of the rocking lever to place the latter in
a central position in readiness to be operated by either disc or wheel when scoring
another game.
I would here remark that other arrangements of gearing may be employed
between the primary discs or wheels and the third disc or wheel without- departing
from the peculiar character of my Invention.
The apertures in the board may be covered: with sheet glass, or each aperture
may be provided with a magnifying glass to magnify the figures, and thereby
enable them the better to be seen at a distance.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Wilson Cooper in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
March 1879.
"
JOHN WILSON COOPER, of Dublin Street, Clonmel, in the County of Tipperary,
Ireland. IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SCORING GAMES AT
BILLIARDS, WHICH MAY ALSO BE EMPLOYED FOR SCORING OTHER GAMES."
For this purpose I employ two discs or wheels mounted on separate axes of
motion, and working at the back of a board or plate in which are formed suitable
apertures, each of which comes opposite a portion of one of the said discs or wheels,
near the outer edge thereof.
On the faces of these discs or wheels, near the periphery thereof, are marked a
series of figures, which may be arranged in one or more circles, and may rise to 50
or more,, according to the game for which the scoring apparatus is used.
When using two circles of figures to each disc, shutters are employed to shut off
the one or the other circle of figures, as required, from the apertures in the board
or plate.
:
Each disc or wheel may be operated by a handle fixed on the axis thereof, or it
may be operated by a slide or stud acting on ratchet or other teeth formed on or
fixed to the disc or wheel; and for each number recorded the said ratchet teeth, or
pins, or studs on the discs or wheels, or the slide or stud may cause a bell or gong
to be sounded, so that the player will know that the marker has recorded his score.
Each disc or wheel has a tooth, stud, or projection which acts upon a rocking
lever provided with two teeth or projections on each side, and two teeth or pro-
jections at the upper part thereof. The two latter teeth act upon suitable cam-
shaped inclines formed on a ratchet lever, which, when raised, acts to give a
step-by-step rotary motion to a third disc or wheel for scoring the number of games
played, and which is also marked or provided with a circle of figures near its
periphery, which are seen through a suitable aperture in the front board or plate as
they are successively brought opposite to such aperture. Each disc or wheel is
preferably arranged so as to rotate only in one direction.
By these arrangements, when a game has been played, the tooth, stud, or pro-
jection on the disc or wheel of the winner acts upon one of the side teeth or
projections of the rocking lever and thereby causes one of the two upper teeth or
projections of the latter to move the ratchet lever and consequently the third disc
or wheel, then on placing the disc or wheel of tlie loser to zero, the tooth, stud, or
projection thereon acts upon one of the side teeth or projections of the rocking
lever to place the latter in a central position in readiness to be operated by either
disc or wheel when scoring another game.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
to describe the same.
.
Figure 1 is a front view and Figure 2 a back view, with the back board
removed, of a game scoring or marking apparatus constructed, according to my
Invention.
"
a, b, are two discs or wheels mounted on separate axes of motion a', b¹, and
working at the back of a board or plate c in which are formed suitable aper-
tures c¹, c², c, c, each of which comes opposite a portion of one of the said discs or
wheels a, b.
On the faces of these discs or wheels a, b, near the periphery thereof, are marked
a series of figures, which may be arranged in one or more circles, preferably two, as
shown, and may rise to 50 or more, according to the game for which the scoring

page_text: apparatus is used. In the arrangement shown, the inner circle of figures of each
disc or wheel a, b, rises from 1 to 50, and the outer circle from 51 to 100.
When using two circles of figures to each disc or wheel a, b, as shown, discs or
shutters d', d², e¹, e², fixed to slides or bars d, e, are employed to shut off the one or
the other circle of figures, as required, from the apertures in the board or plate c.
Each disc or wheel a, b, may be operated by a handle fixed on the axis thereof,
or as shown in the Drawings; it is preferably operated by a slide for g provided
with a spring stud, tooth, or driver for g¹ to act on ratchet or other teeth a², b²,
formed on or fixed to the discs or wheels a, b, and for each number recorded, pins
or studs on the discs or wheels, or, as shown in the Drawings, the teeth a², b², are
caused to sound a bell by acting on the hammer levers m, so that the player will
know that the marker has recorded his score.
The slides f, g, are operated in the one direction by hand, to rotate the discs or
wheels, and they are operated in the other direction by springs f³, g², to return
them to the positions shown in the Drawing.
Each disc or wheel a, b, has a tooth, stud, or projection a³, 63, which acts upon a
rocking lever h provided with two teeth or projections h², h², on each side, and two
teeth or projections h3, h4, at the upper part thereof. The two teeth h³, h³, act upon
suitable cam-shaped inclines i¹, 2, formed on a ratchet lever i, which when raised
acts to give a step-by-step rotary motion to a third disc or wheel k for scoring the
number of games played, or the number of times the discs or wheels a, b, are
rotated. The disc or wheel k is also provided with a circle of figures near its
periphery which are seen through a suitable aperture c5 in the front board or
plate c as they are successively brought opposite to such aperture. The discs or
wheels are preferably arranged as shown, with capability of revolving only in one
direction.
By these arrangements, when a game has been played, the tooth or projection a³
or 3 on the disc or wheel a or b of the winner, as the case may be, acts upon one
of the side teeth or projections h² of the rocking lever h, and thereby causes one of
the two upper teeth or projections h³ or h₁ of the rocking lever h to move the
ratchet lever i, and consequently the disc or wheel k; then on placing the disc or
wheel a orb of the loser to zero, the tooth stud or projection a³ or b³ thereon acts
upon one of the teeth studs or projections h¹ of the rocking lever h to place the
latter in a central position, in readiness to be operated by either disc or wheel a, b,
when scoring another game.
I would here remark that other arrangements of gearing or operating parts may
be employed between the discs or wheels a, b, and the disc or wheel without
departing from the peculiar character of my Invention.
The apertures in the board c may be covered with sheet glass, or each aperture
may be provided with a magnifying glass to magnify the figures on the discs, and
thereby enable them the better to be seen at a distance.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode I have
found to answer in carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise arrangement of parts herein shown and
described for giving motion to the various discs or wheels, but what I do claim is,
the peculiar arrangement and combination of means or apparatus for scoring or
marking games, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wilson Cooper, have hercunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
JOHN WILSON COOPER. (L.S.)