Improvements in or connected with Billiard or other Tables.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Billiard or other Tables.
I, EDWIN STANLEY CLARK of Gwersyllt in the County of Denbigh, Mining
and Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object to enable billiard or other tables to be lowered
below the floor of a room when not required for use, and raised again above the
floor when required for play, thus allowing a room to be used for other purposes
besides that of a billiard room exclusively, and obviating the inconvenient and
slow method of taking a table to pieces when required to move it out of
the way.
In carrying my invention into effect, I will describe the same more especially as
applied to billiard tables. I cut or form a suitable sized hole in the floor of the
room and support the billiard table on a platform of suitable construction capable
of ascending and descending so as to fill up this hole in the floor or to lie below it
as required. I make a well under the floor of sufficient capacity to allow both the
table and the platform to be lowered into the well, so that when lowered the top of
the table will be somewhat below the surface of the floor. The sides and bottom
of this well line with concrete or other like material so as to be perfectly dry.
The means whereby the platform is raised and lowered may vary, as there are
numerous ways in which it can be done. A convenient way which I prefer, is by
means of chains or ropes passing over sprocket wheels or the like, one end of the
chains being attached to the platform and the other end being provided with
counterweights. The platform and table are thus counterbalanced by the weighted
chains or ropes.
Suitable guides are provided for keeping the platform steady and adjusting
screws for tightening the chains and preventing it wobbling about when being
raised or lowered. I also provide suitable locking devices for holding the platform
locked in its raised or lowered position on a perfect level.
The mechanism for raising and lowering may be operated by manual or by other
power, and from any suitable position, either in the room itself, underneath the
floor, or outside the room, the exact form of gearing and method of raising
depending upon circumstances, such as the space at disposal and the surroundings.
When the table is lowered beneath the floor, the opening in the floor is filled up
by boards supported on suitable beams, bearers or the like, so that the table is
entirely removed from sight and the loose boards being flush with the floor, the
room can be used for any desired purpose whatsoever. To raise the table all that
is necessary is to take away the loose boards and their bearers and operate the
mechanism which raises the platform on which the table is supported. When the
platform has ascended to the top of its travel, it is locked in position on a true
level and is flush with the floor surface.
I have described one way in which I prefer to carry my invention into effect,
but it is obvious that numerous alterations may be made without departing from
the principle of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact
arrangements described.

page_text: .
Improvements in or connected with Billiard or other Tables.
I, EDWIN STANLEY CLARK of Gwersyllt in the County of Denbigh, Mining
and Civil Engineer, 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 has for its object to enable billiard or other tables to be lowered
below the floor of a room when not required for use, and raised again above the
floor when required for play, thus allowing a room to be used for other purposes
besides that of a billiard room exclusively, and obviating the inconvenient and
slow method of taking a table to pieces when required to move it out of
the way.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings which show my invention applied to billiard
tables, in which
Figure 1 is a half ground plan;
Figure 2 a sectional elevation on the line a b of Figure 1;
Figure 3 cross section on the line cd of Figure 1; and
Figure 4 a detail view of the locking device.
Referring to these figures, I cut or form a suitably sized hole in the floor A. of
the room, and support the billiard table on a platform B of suitable construction
capable of ascending and descending so as to fill up this hole in the floor or to lie
below it as required. I make a well C under the floor A of sufficient capacity to
allow both the table and the platform B to be lowered into the well, so that when
lowered the top of the table will be somewhat below the surface of the floor A.
The sides and bottom of this well I line with concrete or other like material so as
to be perfectly dry. The means whereby the platform is raised and lowered may
vary, as there are numerous ways in which it can be done. A convenient way
which I prefer is by means of chains or ropes D passing over sprocket wheels D'
or the like, one end of the chains being attached to the platform B and the other
end being provided with counter-weights E. The platform B and the table upon
it are thus counterbalanced by the weighted chains or ropes.
other like wheels are mounted on the shafts F on opposite sides of the platform.
The sprocket or
The chains D carrying the balance weights are attached to the flooring of the
platform by suitable adjusting screws G, and run on or over the sprocket wheels D¹
having attached to them the balance weights E, which are made to equal in the
total the weight of the platform and anything that may be on it. Suitable
guides H and guide rollers I are provided for keeping the platform B steady
and preventing it wobbling about when being raised or lowered. Jare suitable locking
devices for holding the platform locked when raised in position and at a dead level
with the floor, and K a handle for raising and lowering the table. This handle K
operates the countershaft L which operates the shafts M through the medium of
suitable interposed toothed gearing, and the shafts N operate the sprocket wheel
shafts F, but of course worm gearing instead of toothed gearing may be used. O are
pedestals for supporting the shafts. The handle K is thus so geared to the
shaft F that it can be operated by one man. The handle and its gearing can be
arranged so as to be operated from the position required, either in the room itself,
underneath the floor, or outside the room, the exact form of gearing and method
of raising depending upon circumstances and the space at disposal of the
surroundings. The locking devices J aforesaid comprise bolts mounted on the
platform B in pairs or otherwise, coupling rods and hand wheel, the latter being
so screwed to the coupling rods that by turning the handle the bolts will be shot
in opposite directions. Pare sockets made to receive the bolts j. These bolts j

page_text: are tapered one half their length and preferably square their other half. The
sleeves which carry them are fixed to the platform B and the sockets P to receive.
them are fixed to the joists of the floor or to the walls, and when the bolts are
shot into the sockets, a dead level for the platform is ensured. Q are adjusting
screws by which the chains are attached to the framing of the platform B.
When the table is lowered beneath the floor, the opening in the floor is filled up
by boards, so that the table is entirely removed from sight and the loose boards
being flush with the floor the room can be used for any desired purpose whatsoever.
To raise the table all that is necessary is to take away the loose boards and their
bearers. The handle of the lifting and lowering gear is then operated, and raises
the platform on which the billiard table is supported. When the table has ascended
to the top of its travel, the hand wheel ja is turned, shooting the bolts into the
sockets simultaneously, so that the platform is locked in position on a true level
and is flush with the floor surface.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The arrangement whereby a billiard or other table can be lowered below the
floor of a room when not required for use and raised again above the floor when
required for play, which consists in forming a suitably sized hole in the floor of
the room and providing a platform counter-balanced by weights, which latter equal
or approximately equal the weight of the platform and the table which is placed
upon it, the said platform being capable of ascending and descending so as to fill
up this hole in the floor or lie below it as required, in combination with mechanism
for raising the platform by hand when required for play, and lowering it when not
required for use, and mechanism for locking it firmly flush with the floor in its
raised position, whereby a room can be used for other purposes besides that of a
billiard room exclusively, and obviating the inconvenient and slow method of taking
a table to pieces to move it out of the way.
2. In apparatus of the kind set forth, the mechanism for raising and lowering
the table, whereby through the medium of shafts, toothed wheels, or worm gearing,
the platform can be raised or lowered by one man, substantially as described.
3. The arrangement for locking the platform when in its raised position, which
consists in the bolts j mounted in the platform in pairs, coupling rods and hand
wheel screwed thereonto, said hand-wheel being so screwed to the coupling
rods that by turning the handle the bolts will move in opposite directions, in
combination with sockets P made to receive the bolts and so arranged as to ensure
the platform being level and flush with the surface of the floor when in its raised
position substantially as described.
4. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts substantially as
described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of March 1906
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.