AN IMPROVEMENT IN BILLIARD AND SIMILAR TABLES
Year: 1885

page_text: "
I, JOHN HONEYMAN of 140 Bath Street Glasgow in the County of Lanark
Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN BILLIARD AND SIMILAR TABLES
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This Invention relates to billiard and similar tables of the class wherein a firm
or rigid rim of wood, concrete, metal or other firm or rigid material as distinguished
from a cushioned rim is employed in conjunction with a bed or playing surface of
cement, metal, wood, stone, or equivalent substances covered or not with ordinary
billiard table cloth or other material as desired, the balls used in playing on these
tables being more elastic than the ordinary ivory billiard ball.
In tables with firm or rigid rims the side of the rim against which the ball in
playing strikes has when not composed of a round bar been heretofore usually
made of a flat surface placed vertically or at right angles to the playing surface of
the table. A circular rim is disadvantageous as rendering change in the size of the
balls impracticable and I have found that, with flat vertical rims the ball in
rebounding rises from the playing surface to such an extent as to prevent the
satisfactory use of rigid rims owing to the irregularity of rebound interfering with
the accuracy of the stroke.
The improvement constituting this Invention consists in so constructing the inner
side of firm or rigid rims that the said side at its point of contact with the ball
forms or constitutes an acute angle with the top or playing surface of the table
and so that the ball irrespective of its size (within the limits usually employed)
shall strike the rim always at a point above or higher than a line drawn
diametrically through the ball in a horizontal plane and always at the proper
angle to ensure accuracy of rebound not otherwise obtainable with such rins.
The improved rim may be moulded or cast in one piece with the bed or playing
surface of the table as indicated at a, figure 1, of the annexed drawings or it may
be made separate therefrom and secured or supported in position by brackets or
otherwise as indicated at b, figure 2. As shown by figure 1, the angle contained
by the sides a, c, of the triangle a, c, d, is always practically the same irrespective
of the size of the ball.

page_text: The inclination of the inside of the rim relatively to the top or playing surface of
the table may be varied so long as an acute angle is maintained but the angle
which I prefer and which I find most satisfactory in practice is an angle of eighty
and one half degrees or thereby.
The inclined side of the improved firm or rigid rim is preferably left bare and
polished but it may if desired be painted, or covered with cloth or equivalent
three material.
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
In billiard and similar tables a firm or rigid rim having its playing surface or
that part of the rim against which the ball impinges inclined at an acute angle to
the top or playing surface of the table and so that the ball shall strike at a part
higher than its centre and irrespective of its size always practically at or about
the same angle to the centre as and for the purpose set forth.
D Linth dow of Tanu7007