AN IMPROVED CLIP FOR FASTENING LEATHER OR OTHER TIPS TO BILLIARD CUES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hick, of the Soho Iron Works, Bolton, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
CLIP FOR FASTENING LEATHER OR OTHER TIPS TO BILLIARD CUES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
left by the said John Ilick. at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
February 1866.
I, JOHN HICK, of the Soho Iron Works, Bolton, in the County, of Lancaster.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
CLIP FOR FASTENING LEATHER OR OTHER TIPS TO BILLIARD CUES," to be as
follows:-
My improved clip for attaching or fixing the tips to billiard and other cues
is intended to hold or press the tip firmly against the end of the cue whilst
the glue or cement used for fixing the tip is setting. The clip consists of a
bush, sleeve, or tube, in preference of wood, of a bore so as to slip loosely
over the tip end of the cue; one end of the tube may be closed so as to form
a butt for the tip to bear against, or the bore may extend right through, the butt
end being in this case fitted with a screw, by which the necessary pressure is
[Price 8d.]
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
CLIP FOR FASTENING LEATHER OR OTHER TIPS TO BILLIARD CUES," to be as
follows:-
My improved clip for attaching or fixing the tips to billiard and other cues
is intended to hold or press the tip firmly against the end of the cue whilst
the glue or cement used for fixing the tip is setting. The clip consists of a
bush, sleeve, or tube, in preference of wood, of a bore so as to slip loosely
over the tip end of the cue; one end of the tube may be closed so as to form
a butt for the tip to bear against, or the bore may extend right through, the butt
end being in this case fitted with a screw, by which the necessary pressure is
[Price 8d.]

page_text: applied to the tip. In order to make it act as a clip this tube is divided longitu-
dinally into two, three, or more parts by means of slots cut through the sides
in a direction from the circumference towards the centre, and extending nearly
the whole length of the bore. Externally the whole or a portion of the clip is
made taper, and a hoop or collar fitted upon this taper part. For fixing the
tip it is glued and placed on the end of the cue. The clip is then slipped on,
and whilst it is held down with its closed end resting upon the tip, the collar
is pressed or knocked tight up the taper part of the clip, whereby the sides
will be drawn together concentrically, and made to grasp and hold the cue
firmly. The butt end of the bore is made conical for the purpose of bringing
the tip and cue end exactly into the centre. In the clips made with the
tightening screw at the end, I insert a plug between the screw and the tip to
prevent the tip being disturbed by the turning of the screw. The plug end
bearing against the tip is likewise made conical. I also make clips without
screws, in which a plug of india-rubber or a spring is placed in a socket formed
at the closed end so as to present an elastic surface against the tip. In place
of a plain taper and sliding collar, I also propose to employ a taper screw and
screwed collar or nut.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Hick in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HICK, of the Soho Iron Works, Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Hick, Her special licence that 1, the said John Hick,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Hick, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man. an Invention for
IMPROVED CLIP FOR FASTENING LEATHER OR OTHER TIPS TO BILLIARD CUES,"

page_text: upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Hick, my
executors or administrators. by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause. the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Hick, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The clip,
tube of a
clip may
My improved chip or tipper for securing or fixing the tips to billiard and
other cues is intended to press and hold the tip firmly against the end of the
cue whilst the glue or cement used for fixing the tip is setting.
which I prefer to construct of wood, consists of a bush, sleeve, or
bore to allow of its fitting loosely over the tip end of the cue. The
be closed at one end so as to form a butt for the tip to bear against, or the
bore may extend right through the clip, in which case the butt end is fitted
with a screw by which the necessary pressure is applied to the tip. In order
to make it act as a clip the tube is divided longitudinally into two, three, or
more parts or segments by means of slots cut through the sides in a direction
towards the centre and extending nearly the whole length of the clip.
Externally the whole or a portion of the clip is made taper, and a sliding
hoop or collar fitted on the taper .part. For fixing the tip proceed as
follows: Glue or cement having been applied to the bottom of the tip and
to the end of the cue, the tip is placed upon the cue and the clip slipped over
it, and whilst the closed end of the clip is pressed against the tip the sliding
collar is pushed on, whereby the sides will be drawn or forced concentrically
together and made to grasp the cue and hold the clip firmly in its place. If
a clip fitted with a tightening screw as above described is used, the clip is
simply placed upon the cue and fixed by means of the sliding collar, and
pressure brought to bear against the tip by means of the screw.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings have represented some of the
several modifications according to which I construct my improved clip or
tipper.
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 the ground plan of a
clip in which the pressure upon the tip is applied by means of a screw.
It is used as follows:-The cue A with the cemented or glued tip A' being
placed with the large end upon the ground, the clip or tipper B is slipped over

page_text: the tip end of the cue, and whilst it is being held down with the sliding
plug E resting against the tip A¹ the sliding collar C is pushed up tight,
whereby the sides or segments of the clip formed by the slots will be forced to
contract and take firm hold of the cue A. A conical recess is formed in the
lower end of the plug E for the purpose of holding the tip central with the
cue. The tipper is left in this position upon the cue till the cement or glue
has quite set or hardened, when it is removed by withdrawing the hoop C.
This tipper is represented as being made with two slots x, x.
Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section of a clip or tipper without tightening
screw, and Fig. 4 is a view of the open end of the same. The tipper B is
bored out from one end to within a short distance of the other, which latter
forms the butt to bear against the tip. The end of the bore is again made
conical for the purpose named with reference to the sliding plug E, Fig. 1,
and the end of the bore is shown slightly enlarged to prevent the cement or
glue from adhering to the tipper. Externally the whole length of the tipper
is made slightly conical or taper. In using this tipper the tip end of cue A is
inserted into the tipper, and whilst the latter is firmly pressed down upon it
the collar C is pushed tight. This tipper is made with only two slots x, x,
as seen in Fig. 4.
It
Fig. 5 represents a tipper with three slots x, x, x, which reach beyond
the end of the bore, the object of which is to cause the sides to grasp the cue
near to or at the tip end; Fig. 6 is an end view of the clip. Fig. 7 is a
longitudinal section of a clip or tipper formed with four slots x, x, x, x,
cut from the butt end downwards; Fig. 8 is a ground plan of the same.
will be seen from Fig. 8 that the clip B only bears upon the tip A' with the
four corners or points marked b. The three modifications of the clip shown
in Figs. 3, 3, & 7 are used in the manner described with reference to Fig. 3.
For squaring and dressing the cue ends before fixing a new tip I use
an apparatus represented in Figs. 9 & 10, and which consists simply of
a tipper similar to the one shown in Fig. 3, and through the end of which 1
pass a small file with the flat side downwards. The cue end is inserted as
usual, and the collar C slightly tig..tened so as to allow sufficient play for the
cue to turn freely in the clip. The cue is held in a slanting position, resting
against the thigh of the left leg; with the right hand the clip with file is
gently pressed against the cue end, and with the left hand the cue is rapidly
rolled backward and forward against the thigh. By this means the cue end
is in the course of a few seconds made perfectly true and smooth.
Various other modifications of clips, or tippers besides those represented in
the annexed Sheet of Drawings may be made; for instance, a spiral or

page_text: other spring may be introduced between the tip and the butt, or the bore
instead of being round may be square with either two or four grooves cut
diagonally, and the clip may externally be formed with a taper thread and
corresponding nut instead of a smooth taper and sliding collar, but I prefer
to use the modifications represented in Figs. 3, 5. & 7 as being the most
simple.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention. I wish it to be
understood that what I claim as the Invention to be secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is. the construction and use of
clips or tippers for fixing the tips to the ends of billiard and other cues in the
manner substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I. the said John Hick, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
JOHN HICK. (L.S.)