An Improvement in Marking Boards for Billiards and other Games.
Year: 1895

page_text: ·Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left. 13th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Marking Boards for Billiards and other
Games.
I, GORDON LARNER, of No. 170 Old Street in the County of Middlesex
Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to marking boards such as are employed for exhibiting the
scores at billiards or such like games, the object which I have in view being to
provide in combination with such a board means of registering the number of.
games played. The marking board usually employed for billiard playing has two
chases graduated up to 20 along each of which a marking knob or pointer is slid,
the one marking for the spot ball and the other for the plain ball. When either
score exceeds 20, another pointer is slid along another groove graduated by
twenties up to 100. Now, according to my invention, I provide in each of the
latter grooves ratchet springs so arranged as to prevent the pointer after passing
a division from being moved back. When the pointer reaches the end of the
groove, a path is provided for it by which it can be moved into a separate return
groove, but, in entering this groove it has to pass a toothed wheel and to turn it
a tooth.
This wheel is marked with numbers or works an index over a dial, shewing
the number of games that have been played, and this indicator may be in a
locked-up space so that it cannot be interfered with except by the person possessing
the key.
As the game may be finished when the score of 50 is reached, I provide between
the divisions 40 and 60 a path by which the pointer can be led to the return groove,
passing a wheel which indicates the number of the shorter games played.
Generally, only one of the grooves graduated for twenties need be provided
with the ratchet springs and registering appliances, as there are few cases in which
the one player scores 100 before the other has passed 60.
Dated this 15th day of February 1895.
ABEL & IMNAI,
Agents for the Applicant.
An Improvement in Marking Boards for Billiards and other
Games.
I, GORDON LARNER, of No. 170 Old Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Builder, 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 :-
My invention relates to marking boards such as are employed for exhibiting
the scores at billiards and such like games, the object which I have in view being
to provide in combination with such a board means of registering the number of
games played. For this purpose I add to the marking board usually employed
having paths for two sliding knobs marking units, and for two sliding knobs

page_text: marking twenties, a return path for one of these with suitable stops and indices as
I shall describe referring to tlie accompanying drawing.
Fig. 1 is a front view of a inrking board for billiards modified according to my
invention,
Fig. 2 is a similar view.withpart of the tupper tinged leaf removed to shew
the mechanism behind.
Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section and
Fig. 4 shews the indicating dial and pointer on the back of the leaf.
The knobs P and S for marking units and their paths are arranged as usual,
also the path for the one knopp marking twenties for the one player, but the
path A for the other knobs which marks twenties is formed in a leaf B which is
hinged at to the board so that it can by opening a lock L be folded back to
allow inspection of what is on its inside.
Above and parallel to the path A. is a return path C with which A communicates
at each end by vertical paths D, E and in the middle between the 40. and
60 graduations by path T. In the path A there are arranged four star wheels,
G between 0 and 20, H'between 20 and 40, K between 40 and 60, and J between
60 and 80, and each of these has engaged with it a spring pawl which prevents it
from turning backwards. Thus when the knobs is moved past the graduations of
twenties, it cannot be moved back, and when after '80 is passed the game of "100 is
finished, the knobs can be moved up the path E back along the path C, and
down D'to begin another game. In the path F there is also a star wheel I past
which s can be moved when a game of 50 is played, the knobs then returning
along C and down D to recommence. On the axes of the wheels I and J behind
the leaf B are fixed indices M and N pointing to graduations on two dials on the
'back of the leaf B as shewn in Fig. 4.
The index Mbeing on the axis of J is moved over one division for every game
of 100, the 'iddex N being on the axis df 1 is moved over one division for every
game of 50, and thus an official who has the key can unlock the leaf B and turn
it back so as to inspect the position of the index on each dial, and thaving. noted
the number of games indicated, can set each index back to zero ready to recommence.
When the leaf B is locked up, each index on having passed over all its divisions
meets a stop fixed on the back of the board, which prevents it moving farther
unless the leaf is opened. It is of advantage to provide a lock R to prevent the
'knobs from being moved from except with leave of the person who holds
the key.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
In combination with a marking board for billiards and such like games, return
paths for one of the sliding knobs and star wheels and pawls to prevent return by
its ordinary path, two of the star wheels being arranged to register the number of
games played, substantially as described.
Dated this T8th day of November 1895.