An Improved Cue for use in Playing Billiards, Pyramids, and like Games.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
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An Improved Cue for use in Playing Billiards, Pyramids,
and like Games.
I, JOHN PATRICK MANNOCK, of Brookside, Wealdstone, in the County of
Middlesex, Professional Billiard Player, 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 :—
The object of my invention is to produce a cue more efficiently balanced than
ordinary French and English cues, less liable to slip between the fingers when
making a stroke, adapted to facilitate striking the ball at the point aimed at, suitable
for making what is known as the massé stroke, and with which miss-cues shall be
less liable to occur than is the case when using cues such as heretofore usually
employed.
My improved cue is for these purposes constructed as follows:-
Referring to the accompanying illustrative drawing, which represents my cue
partly in side elevation and partly in section, it will be seen that the cue, whilst
longer than the ordinary French cue, is somewhat shorter than the ordinary
English cue.
My object in making the cue, as I prefer to do, of the length indicated, viz.
4' 7", is to adapt it for making the massé stroke. The forward part of the cue may
be constructed of polished pear-wood part of its length (that is to say from A to B)
is parallel, so that when aim has been taken and the tip of the cue is advanced
towards the ball, the cue shall not be liable to rise as it advances.
From B to the butt end, the cue is of taper form, gradually increasing in diameter
towards D. At two opposite sides, near the butt end, it may or may not be flattened,
as preferred. It will be observed that the butt portion of the cue (viz. from C to D)
which is made of heavier wood than the forward portion (for example rose-wood)
is of greater length in proportion to the entire length of the cue than is commonly
The object of this is to give a better balance.
the case.
E is a covering of suitable material such as india rubber for the purpose of
ensuring sufficient friction between the fingers and the butt of the cue to prevent
slipping whilst making a stroke. Conveniently, this covering may be a thin india
rubber tube fitting tightly round the butt of the cue but other material,
such as leather, might be used; though I do not consider it would be so efficient.
The tip F, which may be made as usual of two thicknesses of leather, is a
quarter of an inch thick or thereabout, that is to say, approximately double the
thickness of the tip ordinarily employed; the object of this being to reduce the
liability to miss-cues when playing, and in order to afford an efficient support for
the tip and to more effectually preserve the forward end A of the part A B of the
cue from injury due to repeated concussion, there is interposed between the tip and
the said end A, a length of horn A. G of circular cross section.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The construction substantially as hereinabove described with reference to the
accompanying drawing of a cue for use in playing billiards, pyramids or the like,
whether or not the butt of such cue be provided with the covering E.
31
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1001
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.