Improvements in Apparatus for Playing Games with Balls.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Playing Games with Balls.
I, CHARLES HERMANN MULLER, Director of The New Polyphon Supply Com-
pany, Limited, of 137, Oxford Street, London, W., do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in bagatelle or Tivoli billiards and
similar games in which a ball is thrown upwards by a player through spring
pressure or the like in a path or shaft over the upper edge of such shaft into a flat
play-board box placed upright beside the shaft and descends into such box,
which latter is provided with pins which may arrest or deflect the ball, which if
not arrested may arrive at the bottom of the box and be stopped thereby.
In the game as intended to be played with this apparatus according to my
invention, the best throw is considered that in which the ball strikes the pins
in the upper part of the box, in such a manner that it is deflected into a hole
arranged in the wall of the box. The ball then descends in a channel arranged
behind the wall of the box and passes into a funnel or similar device which is
open towards the box and is arranged on the end of a lever, which is adapted to
pivot, similarly to the beam of scales, around an horizontal axle situated on a
sliding piece. The end of the lever carrying the funnel is depressed by the added
weight of the ball, and the other end is thus disengaged from teeth provided on
the box. If the player then pulls the sliding piece, he simultaneously moves the
lever with the funnel which arrives in a position opposite another hole in the
wall of the box. The funnel being open towards the latter, now allows the ball
to fall into such hole in the wall of the box and the ball thus arrives again in the
box.
When the sliding piece is pulled out, it simultaneously pulls a small plate or
article out of the apparatus, which may be a present or only a token which be
exchanged for a present.
may
When the player releases the sliding piece the latter is drawn back by a spring
and a pawl on the beam falls again into position.
If the ball has not fallen into the before mentioned upper hole and has descended
further, it may fall during its journey into a second hole in the wall of the box.
In this case the ball passes into a channel which leads to a chamber of the
device which serves for the projection of the ball. The player is then in a
position to try a second throw with such ball which had been thrown comparatively
well.
Dated this 27th day of October 1899.
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: 1.
I, CHARLES HERMANN MULLER, Director of The New Polyphon Supply Com-
pany, Limited, of 137, Oxford Street, London, W., do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for playing games with
balls, known as upright bagatelle or Tivoli billiards, which consist of flat cases
covered by a glass plate and in which the play takes place in the following
manner: A ball is thrown upwards in a shart by means of a spring adapted to
be put ready by a handle. The action of the spring on the ball is suinciently
strong to throw the ball over the top of the shart so as to fall down in the
box. This fall is retarded by pins which direct it sideways or may hold it
between them. The places where the ball may thus be held by pins have
numbers which indicate the value of the throw.
According to this invention two such places have holes through which the ball
may fall. The higher one of these holes is provided for the throw which is to
count as the best throw and the lower hole for the second best throw or a throw
to be considered as good.
The improvements are designed to present to the player, who has thrown the
ball into the higher hole, a useful article, or equivalent check or token, after
drawing out a slide or drawer and to return the ball to the player, who has
thrown it through the lower hole, so that he may have the opportunity to make
another throw.
In order that this invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to
describe the same, reference being had to accompanying drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a front view of such a Tivoli-billiard device.
Figure 2 shows a vertical section through the billiard device.
Figure 3 is a view of the arrangement after the removal of the playing board.
In apparatus constructed according to this invention the best throw is that
in which the ball thrown up falls between three pins s, Figures 1 and 2, in the
upper part of a box 6 in such a manner that it is guided by such pins into
a hole c in the wall of the box. The ball then travels down in a channel e pro-
vided behind the wall d of the box and then passes into a catching cup f open
to one side of the playing box and arranged on the end of a lever g, which oscil-
Jates in the manner of a balance beam on a horizontal axle, provided on a slide k,
Figure 3. As this end of the lever obtains the preponderance, the other end is
removed from its engagement with teeth h fixed on the casing. When now the
player draws such slide k, it simultaneously moves the lever g with the catching
cup so that it occupies such a position that it is opposite a hole in the wall d
of the box or casing, see Figures 1 and 2. The catching cup f allows the ball
to fall into the hole of the box wall and the ball thus passes again into the
box b.
out
When the slide k is drawn out, it simultaneously pushes a small plate
of the apparatus, Figure 3, which presents a useful article or a check or token
for some article or the like.
When the player lets go the slide k the latter is drawn back by a spring r,
and the ratchet pawl on the balance beam engages again with the teeth.
If the ball has not passes into the before mentioned upper hole c, but has
travelled further down, it may pass during its travel into a second hole m in the

page_text: wall d of the box or casing, see Figures 1 and 2. If this takes place it passes
into a channel n which guides it into a chamber from which it can drop after
the opening of a flap t into a throwing cup 2. Therefore this ball having been
also well played, though not as the best shot, is again at the disposal of the
player for a second throw.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is
1st. An upright Tivoli billiard device constructed so that a particularly well
played ball, failing through a hole in the playing board into a channel e,
disengages through a balance beam ga slide k, by the pulling out of which an
article is delivered and the ball is simultaneously returned through a hole i into
the playing box; and further so that a ball played not so well falls through a
second hole m in the playing board into a channel n, through which it is returned
into the playing box in such a manner that it is again at the disposal of the
player for another throw, substantially as described.
2nd. An upright Tivoli billiard device as claimed in Claim 1 in which the
slide & carries the balance beam and the cup f for the reception of the ball, so
that when the slide is drawn forwards, the cup f, having an opening towards the
playing board d, is carried before the hole permitting the ball to fall back into
the playing board, substantially as described.
3rd. An upright Tivoli billiard device as claimed in Claim 1 arranged so that
the ball falling through the hole m in the playing board passes into a channel n,
which guides the ball into a chamber o from which it falls into the throwing
cup p designed for throwing up the ball, substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of July 1900.´
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicant.