CONVERTING ANY DINING TABLE INTO A BILLIARD TABLE IN A FEW MINUTES WITHOUT INJURING IT OR INTERFERING WITH THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fawckner Nicholls, of Bristol, in the
City and County of Bristol, City Librarian, for the Invention of
"CONVERTING ANY DINING TABLE INTO A BILLIARD TABLE IN A FEW MINUTES
WITHOUT INJURING IT OR INTERFERING WITH THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH IT WAS
ORIGINALLY DESIGNED."
Sealed the 26th November 1869, and dated the 29th May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fawckner
Nicholls at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 29th May 1869.
3. I A
I, JAMES FAWCKNER NICHOLLS, of Bristol, in the City; and County
of Bristol, City Librarian, do, hereby declare the nature of, the said
Invention for "CONVERTING ANY DINING TABLE INTO A BILLIARD TABLE IN
A FEW MINUTES WITHOUT INJURING IT OR INTERFERING WITH. THE PURPOSE, FOR
WHICH IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED," to be as follows:
This Invention has for its object to convert any dining table into a
billiard table in a few minutes without injuring it or interfering with the
purpose for which it was originally designed. For this purpose I affix
by means of clamps around the top of the table ledges of the proper
.

page_text: shape and size carrying cushions of india-rubber. The cushions I form
of india-rubber tubing laid in a groove along the front of the ledges and
caused to adhere thereto, the tubes being allowed to project about three-
fourths of their diameter from the grooves. The ledges may be of wood,
enamelled slate, marble, or iron. The ledges are placed around a table,
as shown in the plan view, Figure 1, of the Drawing annexed, and are
fixed thereto by clamps a, a, which may be spring clamps such as shewn
at Figures 2 and 3, or scrow clamps such as shown at Figure 4. The
adjacent ends of the ledges I connect together by metal segments b, the
ends of which are bent down to fit into socketed holes c in the ends of
the ledges, and on these segments are threaded the pockets for the balls,
as shewn at Figure 5. The way in which I form the ledges, and the
way in which tubular cushions are fixed in grooves therein is shewn at
Figures 2 and 4. The socketed holes c in these ledges are seen in the
perspective view of one of the ledges shewn at Figure 6. In the sides of
the ledges clock indices for scoring the points of the game may be
applied, as shewn at Figure 7.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Fawckner Nicholls in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
FAWCKNER NICHOLLS, of Bristol, in the City and County of Bristol,
City Librarian, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James Fawckner Nicholls, Her special licence
that I, the said James Fawckner Nicholls, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such athers as I, the said James Fawckner Nicholls, 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 "CONVERTING ANY

page_text: DINING TABLE INTO A BILLIARD TABLE IN A FEW MINUTES WITHOUT INJURING IT
OR INTERFERING WITH THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Fawckner
Nicholls, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 I, the said James Fawckner Nicholls, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This Invention has for its object the converting of any dining table
into a billiard table in a few minutes without injuring it or interfering
with the purpose for which it was originally designed. For this purpose
I affix by means of clamps around the top of the table ledges of the
proper shape and size carrying cushions of india-rubber. The cushions I
form of india-rubber tubing laid in a groove along the front of the
ledges and made to adhere thereto; such tubes being allowed to project
about three-fourths of their diameter from the grooves. The ledges may
be of wood, enamelled slate, marble, or iron. The adjacent ends of the
ledges I connect together by metal segments, the ends of which are bent
down to fit into socketed holes in the ends of the ledges, and on these
segments are threaded the pockets for the balls. The way in which I
form the ledges, and the way in which tubular cushions are fixed in
grooves therein is shown by the Drawings accompanying these Presents.
In the sides of the ledges dial indices for scoring the points of the
game may be applied, as shown by the Drawings, and hereafter referred
to, or indices such as those shown in Figs. 9 and 10.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I now proceed
further to describe the same, and particularly to describe and ascertain
in what manner the same is to be performed or put in practice, which
I shall do by referring to the accompanying Drawings, as follows :-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

page_text: clamp; Fig. 4, section of a ledge clamped to edge of table with screw
clamp; Fig. 5, view of pocket; Fig. 6, view of ledge; Fig. 7, view of ledge
with dial index; Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of a table fitted with
my appliances for converting it into a billiard table; Fig. 9, perspective
view of one of the ledges; Fig. 10, perspectivo view showing marker,
which is also shown in Fig. 9, and two markers are shown, one on either
side of table in Fig. 8, one being for the "spot" and the other for tho
"plain" ball. In Fig. 8 the table is shown with four pockets only, as
in the case of small tables it would be convenient to use four ledges
only, as shown.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 the following letters of
reference refer to like parts when the parts referred to are shown in
either of the Figures:-A, the ledges; B, the india-rubber cushions;
C, socket holes for fixing the pockets; D, clamps for holding ledges
to table; E, moveable pockets; F, the indices.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed and
carried out in practice, I hereby declare that I claim the Invention of
the apparatus consisting of ledges, clamps, pockets, and other appliances
for "Converting any Dining Table into a Billiard Table in a few Minutes
without Injuring it or Interfering with the Purpose for which it was
originally Designed," it being understood that I do not limit myself to
the precise conformations and arrangements shown by the Drawings,
and described with reference thereto, so long as substantially the same
forms and arrangements are adhered to.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fawckner Nicholls, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this 23d day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
JAMES FAWCKNER NICHOLLS. (L.S.)
City Library, King St., Bristol.
CHARLES HENRY BRADRIBB,
21, East St., Bristol.