An Improved Scorer or Marker for Cards, Billiards, and like purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1895-Accepted, 24th Aug.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Scorer or Marker for Cards, Billiards, and like
purposes.
1, BENJAMIN EDMUND EDWARDS of 14 Grove Terrace, London N.W.
Photographic Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Beneath a piece of cardboard or other suitable material I place two small wheels
which gear together, one being timed to make ten revolutions to one of the other.
These wheels are marked with figures on their upper surfaces so as to represent
units on one wheel and tens on the other.
Apertures are cut in the cardboard so that the figures can be read as they
appear beneath.
One wheel is turned by a small knob and communicates motion to the other.
Two or more sets or pairs of this device are attached to the board, which may form
part of the lid of a box for holding cards or like purposes.
The arbors of the wheels are formed as follows. Circular holes are cut in the
card-board and the actuating knob is fastened to its proper wheel and passed
through one of these holes from below. The other wheel is attached to the disc
cut out of the other hole, and this disc serves as the arbor of the wheel, and is
flush with the surface of the cardboard.
The bearings in which the arbors of the wheels revolve are therefore the edges of
the cardboard.
Beneath the wheels a piece of stiff cardboard, wood, or other suitable substance
is fixed to keep them in position. The knobs can be of different color to distinguish
the players.
Dated this 13th day of October 1894.
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97 Newgate Street, London, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Scorer or Marker for Cards, Billiards, and like
purposes.
I, BENJAMIN EDMUND EDWARDS of 14 Grove Terrace, London N.W.
Photographic Chemist, 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:-
This invention refers to a marker or score counter for games such as cards
billiards and the like, and is designed to supply a marker capable of showing
automatically the addition of the score as it proceeds.
When intended for cards it is constructed as follows. Beneath a piece of card-
board or other suitable material, I place on suitable supports two small horizontal
wheels which gear together, one being timed to make ten revolutions to one of
the other.
These wheels are marked with figures on their upper surfaces so as to represent
units on one wheel and tens on the other, as shewn in Figs. 8 and 9.

page_text: beneath.
are cur in the cardboard so that the figures can be read as they appear
One wheel is turned by a small knob, and communicates motion to the other.
Two or more sets or pairs of this device are attached to the board, which may
form part of the lid of a box for holding cards or like purposes.
The arbors of the wheels are formed as follows: Circular holes are cut in the
card board and the actuating knob is fastened to its proper wheel and passes
through one of these holes from below.
The other wheel is attached to the disc cut out of the other hole, and this disc
serves as the arbor of the wheel and is flush with the surface of the cardboard.
The bearings in which the arbors of the wheels revolve are therefore the edges
of the cardboard.
Beneath the wheels a piece of stiff cardboard or other suitable substance is fixed
to keep them in position.
The knobs can be of different colours to distinguish the players.
When applied to billiards the apparatus is larger and attached to a board of
any suitable size, so as to be displayed on a wall or table.
The internal construction resembles that before described but may be fitted with
a third wheel if preferred.
Instead of a knob a lever or crank handle is used to turn it and a spring in a
case is attached to cause the handle to return to zero when used for figures less
than ten.
A trigger escapement allows the lever to pass over ten, and resume its normal
position.
I will now describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which
Fig. shews a plan view of the general principle of my card counter applied to
a billiard marker. The small dials are intended to register the hundreds.
Fig. 2 shows a cross section of Fig. 1 on the line xx, and displays one of the
wheels which carry the figures, the other one being behind it, the 100's wheels being
omitted.
Fig. 3 shews an enlarged view of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 shews an enlarged plan view of a box, containing a coiled spring which
draws back the lever. It also shows the escapement catch.
Fig. 5 shews a plan view of the underside of Fig. 4. and brings the coiled spring
into view.
Fig. 6 shews a cross section of Fig. 4, on the line y y showing the escapement
catch.
Fig. 7 shews the method of gearing the two counting wheels.
Fig. 8 shews a plan view of my invention applied to a counter for cards or games.
Fig. 9 shews a plan view of the method of gearing the wheels.
Fig. 10 shews a cross section of Fig. 9 on the line a z.
a is the billiard marker, with a set of three dials so as to show units, tens and
hundreds for each player, (spot and plain).
In the following description I propose to describe one of the tens dials; the
hundreds dials being operated by revolving the small knobs h².
b is a shallow box which contains the toothed counting wheels.
e is a wheel or disc provided with one tooth and d is a second wheel provided
with ten teeth.
e is a squared central spindle on which the wheel is mounted. This spindle
extends upwards and projects above the box C.
fis a small circular box or casing which contains a coiled spring g, described
further on.
is a lever or index finger for operating the counting wheels c―d.
his a pawl on the upper face of the index finger h.
i is a short sleeve fitting on to the squared spindle e and provided on its lower
face with ratchet teeth ; these ratchet teeth engage with the pawl h¹.

page_text: Thus the spindle e and with it the counting wheels are operated by means of
turning the index finger by hand to the number required.
The pawl engages with the teeth on the sleeve i. is a small coiled tension
spring to keep the ratchet teeth and pawl h¹ constantly engaged.
The above arrangement is used for counting any number up to 9, and after every
revolution of the index finger h the spring g, in the spring box f beneath, will cause
it to return to its original position.
Now for counting tens and over, a special mechanism is used which keeps the
spring always at one tension.
fis a small spring box (Figs. 4 and 5) placed on top of the shallow box b, which
contains a coiled spring 9. (Fig. 5).
The central coil of this spring is fastened to a short hollow arbor on the index
finger h, and the final coil engages with one pin of the escapement j, by means of
the hook .
jis an oscillating escapement catch, provided with two pins j¹³. This oscillating
arm is pirotted at j³.
Thus when ten is required to be counted the index finger is moved one complete
revolution, and just before completing same, it depresses the pin, which causes
the opposite pin of the escapement j to rise, thus disengaging the hook j¹, and
allowing the springy to unwind slightly, and catch on to pinj.
At the completion of the revolution of the index finger h, the hook of the spring
will catch again on to pin j' of the escapement j, thus bringing back the spring to
its original tension.
k is the outer ring of figures up to 10, round which the index moves.
kare small openings where the numbers last counted appear.
Referring to Figs. 8. 9 and 10. are knobs for operating the counting
wheels c d.
m m are the openings where the numbers appear, the numbers being fastened on
to the upper face of the counting wheels.
nn is a shallow chamber or false top to the box, wherein the counting wheels
revolve.
I preferably construct the small shaft o, on which the wheel ¿ is mounted
from a small disc of cardboard stamped out of the place wherein the shaft is
to revolve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. In a marker or counter for games of cards and like purposes, the arrange-
ment of horizontal wheels in train, with cardboard dises for axles and without
springs, said wheels having figures on their surfaces, which are read through
apertures in the lid of a box containing cards or similar articles, and so contrived
as to be operated by a knob or thumb-bit recessed or otherwise, and to show
automatically the total addition of the score at any moment as herein described
and set forth.
2. In a marker or counter for billiards, cards and like purposes, the coiled
spring y escapement catch j, index finger or lever h, ratchet and pawl 'h' in
combination with wheels in train bearing figures representing units tens hundreds
and thousands, or some of these, and capable of showing automatically the total
score at any moment, as herein described and set forth.
Dated this 13th day of July 1895.
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97 Newgate Street, London, E.C., Agent for Applicant.