Improved Poker-chip or Counter Holder.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Poker-chip or Counter Holder.
FOTEB
I, GEORGE BARKER of 77 Colmore Row Birmingham in the County of Warwick,
Consulting Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention as
communicated to me from abroad by Arthur Kelly Evans of No. 31 D'Arcy Street
in the City of Toronto, in the County of York, in the Province of Ontario,
Dominion of Canada, Civil Engineer, 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 the invention is to design a table-holder for poker-chips or counters
the said holder being arranged to indicate the number of chips or counters contained
by it and to present the additional advantages of match and cigar ash receptacles:
and it consists essentially of a table stand having a series of recesses curved to
correspond with the diameter of the chip or counter which it is intended to contain,
an indicating plate being placed in proximity to each recess so that anyone may
see at a glance the number of chips contained in the said recess a receptacle for
matches and a receptacle for cigar ashes being arranged in proximity to the recesses
containing the chips or counters, substantially as hereinafter more particularly
explained.
Figures 1, 2, & 3, are alternative forms of my improved poker-chip or counter
holder.
Figure 4, is an enlarged detail showing a plan for holding a detachable indicator.
Figure 5, is a perspective view of a cap to cover the poker-chip or counter
holder.
Anyone who has ever played poker or other games where counters are required,
will appreciate the advantages of a device for holding the poker-chips or counters
in a convenient form which will enable the said chips or counters to be readily
taken out as required leaving a register to indicate the number of chips or counters
remaining in the holder.
Like letters of reference indicate the corresponding parts in each figure.
In Figure 1 I show the recess with solid walls arranged vertically but leaning or
slanting slightly inwardly from their base.
In Figure 2 I show the recesses with skeleton walls arranged so that the chips,
they are intended to contain, will, as in Figure 1, slant inwardly from their base.
In Figure 3 I show a form which I do not think is as advantageous as either of
the forms shown in Figures 1 and 2, but at the same time I think it is a form
which should be included in my invention.
The recesses A are curved to correspond with the diameter of the poker-chips or
counters B.
In Figure 1 the walls, a are made solid while in Figure 2 they are skeleton in
form being made of wires arranged as indicated to contain the chips or counters B.
As before stated the recesses in Figures 1 and 2 are vertically arranged around a
common centre while in Figure 3 they are horizontally parallel with each other.
In Figure 1 show behind each wall a at the point where the adjoining walls
connect a vertical receptacle & designed to contain matches and in the centre of the
stand I form a receptacle d into which the cigar ashes may be knocked. In Figure 3
I show the ash receptacle d at one end and the match receptacle b at the other end
of the horizontally arranged recesses A.
The indicator Ċ may be marked on the edge of the walls adjoining the recesses
but as the chips or counters are sometimes made one thickness and sometimes a
different thickness according to the taste of the manufacturer it is advisable to
provide means by which the indicator may be readily changed.
In Figure 4 show a plan for holding a removable indicator.
In this plan I

page_text: In
make a suitable groove on the wall adjoining the recesses and insert in the said groove
the indicator C which in this case I make of celluloid or some other material.
this way I am enabled to provide each chip or counter holder with indicators for
chips or counters of different thicknesses.
It will be observed that in Figures 1 and the base D on which the bottom chip
or counter of each recess rests set at an angle so as to cant the chips or counters
at the necessary angle to throw them towards the centre line of the holder.
A cap as shown in Figure 5 may be provided to cover the poker-chip or counter-
holder.
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
1st. A poker-chip or counter-holder composed of a series of recesses arranged
to contain an independant row of chips or counters substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
2
2nd. A poker-chip or counter-holder composed of a series of recesses each
arranged to contain an independant row of chips or counters and each provided
with an indicator to denote the number of chips or counters it contains substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
3rd. A poker-chip or counter-holder, composed of a series of recesses each
arranged to contain an independant row of chips or counters and a match receptacle
formed in the said holder, substantially as & for the purpose specified.
4th. A poker-chip or counter-holder composed of a series of recesses A. each
recess being arranged to contain an independant row of chips, or counters, a match
receptacle and an ash receptacle d being connected with or located in the said
holder substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5th. A poker-chip or counter-holder composed of vertical recesses arranged
around and slanting towards a common centre, the base of each recess being set
substantially at a right or acute angle to the slanting wall of its recess, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 10th day of March 1891.
GEORGE BARKER.