Drang IN BILLIARD TABLES
Year: 1867

page_text: 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
Middlesex, Mechanica Drang
IN BILLIARD TABLES."-A
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
communication from abroad by Hugh W. Collender, of the City and
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th May 1867.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BILLIARD TABLES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to the manufacture of cushions for billiard
tables; and, secondly, to a novel mode of constructing billiard tables that
will admit of their being used as dining tables and for other like purposes.
The improvements in the cushions are intended to give them a permanent
[Price 8d.]

page_text: elasticity, suitable alike for receiving light and heavy blows, and at the same
time allowing of the use of a much lower cushion than is generally employed.
The cushion is made of alternate layers of hard and soft rubber compound put
together in the green state, and united by the heating or vulcanizing process.
The face of the cushion is made flat with an incline inwards so that its upper
edge receives the blow of the billiard ball. The composition of the cushion
may be varied, but it is preferred to have three layers or walls of hard rubber
interposed between layers of soft rubber, the face of the uncovered cushion
being however of soft rubber. It is also proposed in some cases to make the
cushion reversible, that is, with two inclined sides, so that if one side becomes
injured or loses somewhat of its elasticity, the cushion may be turned the other
face outwards. In this construction of cushion four walls of hard rubber
may be embedded in the soft rubber, the soft rubber forming the faces of the
cushion. The hard rubber walls will in this arrangement be conveniently set
on the incline, all tending to a common point; a wood backing will be
required to adapt this double inclined or reversible cushion to the table.
In order to adapt billiard tables to other uses it is requisite to make their
height adjustable; in doing this complex mechanism is sometimes employed,
and in other cases where simplicity of construction is aimed at there is great
difficulty of adjustment, and steadiness is frequently sacrificed. To avoid
these defects is the object of the second head of the Invention. Fitted within
the rigid main frame of the table is a horizontal sliding frame, or, by prefer-
ence, two horizontal sliding frames to which inclines are applied. Sur-
rounding and surmounting the main frame is a vertical sliding frame which
carries the bed of the billiard table; the vertical sliding frame is fitted with
inclines corresponding to but the reverse of the inclines on the horizontal
sliding frames. A traversing screw mounted in bearings in the main frame
works the horizontal sliding frame or frames, and thus through the inclines
raises or depresses the bed of the table. For working two horizontal sliding
frames the traversing screw will require a right and left-handed thread to
advance the inclines and thereby lift the vertical sliding frame. The top or
bed of the table may be reversible if not of a large size, being fitted on one
face for billiards and on the other like an ordinary dining table, but in general
it will be preferable to apply leaves to the table and thus cover the bed when
the billiard table is to be used for dining or analogous purposes. By simply
turning the traversing screw with a winch the height of the table may be
reduced to the proper amount to serve for dining purposes, and when required
to be again converted to a billiard table reversing the motion of the tra-

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent. bearing date the Fifteenth day of May. in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me.
the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN BILLIARD TABLES," being a communication to me from
Hugh W
Collender, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my. or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that T, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, has
reference, firstly, to the manufacture of cushions for billiard tables; and,

page_text: secondly, to a novel mode of constructing billiard tables that will admit of
their being used as dining tables and for other like purposes.
The first head of the present Invention relates to improvements on india-
rubber cushions described in Letiers Patent of the United States heretofore
granted to the communicant of the present Invention. The billiard table
cushions described in the said Letters Patent are composed of what is known
as soft vulcanized rubber, with a layer on the face, rendered harder by the
admixture of fibrous substances with the india-rubber whilst in the green or
plastic state, and whilst the body, of the cushion and the hard layer are in the
green or plastic state they are united by pressure, and then together vul-
canized to ensure a perfect union of the two; and by a subsequently patented
improvement the layer of harder rubber is in like manner united to a thin
outer layer. of the soft vulcanized india-rubber placed next to the cloth. To
obtain the required good effect from the use of the facing or inner layer of
vulcanized rubber. rendered harder as above stated, it is necessary to make
such layer of considerable thickness, and as the india-rubber so rendered
harder thereby loses much of that kind of elasticity which imparts the rebound
to the ball when compressed by the blow, and which is possessed in a high
degree by soft vulcanized india-rubber, the required thickness of such hard
facing or inner layer, whilst it does materially improve india-rubber cushions,
fails nevertheless to produce the full measure of elasticity desirable in billiard
table cushions.
•
Now the object of the first part of the present Invention is to produce
billiard table cushions which shall possess a greater re-acting force than
cushions made as heretofore, and which when made so low that the ball can
be readily reached by the cue will not cause the ball to "jump" as it is
termed when it strikes the cushion with considerable force. It has been
ascertained by experiment that when vulcanized india-rubber is entirely
confined laterally so that it cannot spread laterally, the reacting force which
it will impart is nearly equal to the direct force with which it was struck, but
that if not so held laterally when struck it will spread, and for that reason fail
to react with sufficient force. It is on this fact that the first part of the present
Invention is based, and with this view the said Invention consists of a new
manufacture of billiard table cushions composed of alternate layers of soft
vulcanized india-rubber, and two or more of cloth or other thin pliable sub-
stance which will not readily stretch previously coated with india-rubber, the
whole being united whilst the india-rubber is in the green or plastic state.
and then vulcanized. The two or more layers of cloth or equivalent sub-

page_text: stance have the effect of binding together the interposed layers, so as to
prevent the spread of the india-rubber when the cushion is struck by a ball,
thereby obtaining a greater reacting force than by cushions differently con-
structed. The face of the cushion inclines inward, so that when struck by
the ball the reacting force of the cushion will be exerted on the ball above the
horizontal plane of its axis: this is to prevent the ball from jumping as it is
termed. This form of cushion admits of being made sufficiently low that the
player may reach the ball with the cue when close to the cushion, but this
form of cushion when made as heretofore of the soft vulcanized india-rubber
does not effectually prevent the jumping of the ball, for the reason that when
struck with force the upper part of the face bends back too far. the body of
india-rubber spreading upwards, and the front face stretching upwards, so
that in reacting the force has a tendency to make the ball jump; this tendency
is prevented by the present improvement, as the interposed layers of cloth or
equivalent substance will prevent the layers of india-rubber from stretching
and spreading upwards.
Another improvement in this branch of the Invention consists in making
billiard table reversible cushions with both faces inclining inwards from
parallel planes at right angles to the top surface, by reason of which form
cushions may be produced with a materially less weight of india-rubber than
by any plan heretofore known, and with an equal thickness where the elastic
force is required.
In Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawing a represents a cushion of the
improved form with one face against the backing b, and with the other face
covered with the cloth c. When the outer face becomes injured in any way,
by simply removing the cloth and reversing the cushion a that face which was
against the backing becomes the active face. the top remaining the same.
This form of reversible cushion requires less material than has heretofore
been used in the manufacture of a non-reversible cushion.
The mode which has been practised with success of making cushions
according to the first part of the Invention is to take strips of thin but strong
cotton or linen cloth of about the length of the intended cushion, and about as
wide as the depth of the face of the intended cushion; these strips of cloth
are coated on both faces with the preparation of india-rubber suitable for
vulcanization, which is done, as is well known to india-rubber manufacturers,
by means of strong callendering rollers, taking care that the rubber shall be
well forced into the meshes of the cloth. The strips so coated, either singly
or two or more of them united by passing them together between callendering

page_text: rollers, are placed (whether single or compound) two or more of them between
strips of prepared india-rubber of the required thickness, as represented in the
accompanying Drawing, where e represents the layers of india-rubber, and f
the layers of prepared cloth, and while the india-rubber is still in the green
or plastic state the several surfaces are united by pressure; the whole is then
subjected to the usual vulcanizing process, by which the several layers become
as thoroughly united as if made of a single piece of prepared rubber. When
the cushion is made reversible, of the improved form herein above described.
the series of layers for the two sides should incline in opposite directions, as
represented in Fig. 1, but in cushions of the form represented by the sectional
views, Figures 2 and 3, they should all incline in the same direction.
In Fig. 4 of the accompanying Drawing I have represented the form which
a cushion would assume if made as heretofore when struck by the ball with
considerable force, the line indicating the swell at the top due to the spread
of the india-rubber. and the curved line of the face due to the stretching of
the rubber from the lower to the upper edge. I have stated above that thin
strong cotton or linen cloth is used for the non-stretchable layers, as such strips
can be readily obtained of the required size and have been employed with
success; but I do not wish to be understood as limiting my claim of Invention
to such, as other substances, such as animal membrane, may be substituted,
the object being to use some material which is flexible and which will not
readily stretch. Under this head of the Invention I claim the manufacture of
billiard table cushions in the manner and for the purpose above described.
The improved construction of convertible billiard table is shewn in sectional
elevation at Figures 5, 6, and 7. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of
the table as arranged for playing billiards; Fig. 6, a cross vertical section of
the table taken in the plane of the line A. a. of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a longi-
tudinal vertical section of the table when converted for dining or other uses.
The same letters indicate like parts in all these Figures.
Tables have heretofore been made convertible so that they could be used
either for playing billiards or for dining. by constructing them in manner
suitable for playing billiards, and providing them with a series of leaves to be
put on when used for dining or other purposes, and as the surface is required
to be higher for playng the game of billiards than for other uses the top
frame of such tables was provided with screws extending downwards and
tapped into the legs, so that by turning the screws the frame could be elevated
or depressed, spirit levels being inserted in the frame to indicate its horizontal
position. Such mode of construction is objectionable, because, first, of the

page_text: inconvenience of putting on and taking off the top leaves whenever the table
is required to be converted; second, of the trouble of turning so many screws
to change the height of the table every time that it is converted, there being
one screw for each leg, and the length of time required to get the surface of
the table level every time it is converted; third, of the difficulty, if not the
impossibility, of having the table firm and steady, the frame being connected
with the legs by means of screws which must be made to turn freely, and
which if made to fit accurately at first will soon become loose by wear. By
the arrangement to be now described the above-named difficulties will be
overcome.
1
In the Figures a represents a quadrangular frame of the required size
firmly secured in any suitable manner to the legs b. The lower ends of the
legs are provided with screw base pieces c for adjusting the level of the table,
or it may be levelled in any other suitable manner. To the outer surface of
the frame a is fitted the second frame d (termed the table bed frame) so as
to slide up and down accurately, but with sufficient freedom not to bind. The
sides of the outer frame d at the top and between the ends are connected by
two cross braces e, e, and from these cross braces four hangers f, f, extend
down inside of the inner frame a, their lower edges being bevilled all in the
same direction. Within the inner frame a carriage g is fitted; this carriage
is made in two parts, but in a slight modification it may consist of a single
rectangular frame. The carriage slides on horizontal ways h, h, and it is
provided with four cam or wedge shaped pieces i, i, bevilled to correspond
with the bevil of the hangers f. f; the extreme end of the hangers and cams
is formed with a flat surface beyond the bevil. A shaft provided with a
right and left handed screw is journalled to one end of the inner frame a,
and works in threaded lugs I, I, affixed to the carriage g. By turning this
shaft by means of a winch handle the divided carriage with its caan pieces i
can be readily moved back and forth to elevate or depress the outer frame.
When the carriage g is not divided into two parts, as shown in the Drawings,
the shaft will require but a single threaded screw shaft for working it. In
that case the wedge pieces or cams i will all have their inclination in the
same direction, and the inclination of the hangers will correspond thereto,
instead of the inclination of those at one end being the reverse of those at
the other. The billiard bed m and the surrounding cushions are to be
made as represented, and as is well known to billiard table manufacturers, and
they may be set in a removable frame to allow of the insertion of the bed.
In that case the under or rather the reversed face of the bed will be formed

page_text: so as to present the appearance either of a dining table top or that of a
library or work table, and if desired this surface may be formed with a
slightly projecting border to prevent the bed from slipping when the other
surface is used for playing billiards, but this is not necessary, as the weight of
the bed resting on the outer frame will prevent slipping.
When the table thus constracted is required to be used for domestic pur-
poses, the bed is to be inverted and the billiard surface placed on the outer
frame d, the cushions surrounding it so that the bed cannot slip.
Spirit levels are inserted in recesses made in the cushion blocks, and plates
which form the angle sights have each a mortice of nearly the size of and
are secured to the cushion blocks immediately over the spirit levels, to answer
the double purpose of marking the middle of the length of each of the
cushions and of protecting the spirit levels.
From the foregoing it will be seen that the bevilled hangers f rest on the
cam pieces i of the carriage or carriages g, so that if the ways on which the
carriage slides be true and parallel with the surface of the billiard bed, and
the flat surface of the cam pieces i and hangers are accurately fitted by
simply turning the one screw shaft, the outer frame with the table bed can
be readily depressed to the required level to be used for dining, writing, or
reading, and when required for playing billiards elevated until the flat surfaces
of the hangers rest on the flat surface of the cam pieces i, so that when the
billiard bed has once been levelled whenever so elevated it will be level, thus
avoiding the necessity for adjusting the level every time the table is converted.
The carriage when made in two parts will work somewhat more smoothly
than when formed of a single frame, and the force exerted to elevate the
outer frame and bed will be exerted in opposite directions, instead of being
exerted all in one direction.
It will be obvious that the number of bearing points of the bed on the
carriage or carriages may be increased by increasing the number of cam pieces
and hangers, but I have found four to be sufficient.
And it will also be obvious that some of the said improvements may be
used without others, as for instance, the mechanism for elevating the bed may
be used to advantage without a reversible bed, by using a series of leaves to
cover the billiard surface when the table is to be converted into a dining table.
This is the arrangement exhibited in the Drawing, Fig. shewing the bed
brought down to its lowest level and covered with leaves to convert the table
into a dining table.
Under this head of the Invention I claim, the application to billiard tables

page_text: of the elevating mechanism, substantially such as herein described, in com-
bination with a billiard table, bed, whether reversible or not, but which allows
of the adaptation of the table to dining or other uses as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
A. V. NEWTON. (...)