COMPLETE New or Improved Appliances or Devices for Preparing the Ends of Billiard and other Oues, and Fixing or Securing the Tips thereto.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1898
SPECIFICATION.
COMPLETE
New or Improved Appliances or Devices for Preparing the Ends of
Billiard and other Oues, and Fixing or Securing the Tips thereto.
I, JOHN ROBERTS, of the Firm of John Roberts and Company of 99 Regent
Street, in the County of London Billiard Table Manufacturers, Ivory Turners,
and Billiard Room Furnishers, 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 machine, device or appliance for preparing the onde
of billiard and other cues and for securely fixing the tips thereto. Heretofore
considerable trouble and difficulty has been experienced, by amateurs and others,
in properly preparing the ends of billiard and other cues, for receiving the tip
and afterwards in securing the tip in position, now the object of this invention is
to overcome this difficulty, and to provide such means that the cue ends can be
prepared and the tips can be applied with ense and facility, by amateurs, and those
in fact unaccustomed to do such work. With the apparatus there is or may be
combined a stand or holder for several cues, after they have been tipped by the
machine apparatus or device forming the subject of this invention.
According to my invention I provide a frame, having at one end a rest or a
series of rests for the butt end of the cue or cues; near the other or opposite end
of this frame there is arranged a cross bar or piece, having apertures therein
corresponding in number with the number of rests at the other end of the frame.
At the opposite end of the frame is a case, extending at right angles to the
direction of the cue, and such case is formed with an aperture through which the
cue end passes, in order that it may be acted upon by a rasp, guided within the case.
The other apertures in the cross bar are fitted with devices by which the cues can
be gripped, while the tips which have been applied to the prepared ends, are held
thereon by spring plungers.
My invention will be readily understood by the following description referring
to the accompanying drawings, whereon
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a combined appliance or device for preparing
cue cods and fixing tips thereto, constructed according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is an end sectional elevation of a part of the cross bar, drawn to a larger
scale than the previous figure, and
Figure 3 is a sectional plan view of a part of the right hand end of the
appliance.
A is the frame or base plate, which is made in a piece as shown, or is divided
and hinged in parts and at one end of which there is arranged the rests B to
support the butt ends of the cues.
Cis the cross bar fixed upon the frame A and formed with apertures through
which the ends of the cues are passed; the aperture C thereon is formed by a
plain drilled hole, while the apertures C, are each fitted with a vertical reducing
slide D see Fig. 2. This slide D is operated downwaris to clamp the cue, by
means of a thumb screw E, and raised (upon being released from the pressure of
the screw D), by a suitable spring, say such as the flat spring F; or instead of the
slide D 1 may substitute a block or piece of india rubber, to be acted upon by the
screw and caused to hold the cue.
Beyond the cross bar C is fixed the case G, see Figs. 1 and 3, which forms
guides, for a sliding block H carrying on its face a rasp, file, or other suitable

page_text: cutting tool H and fitted with an operating handle H'; J is the aperture on the
wall of the case G, through which the end of a cue, such as K Figs. 1 and 3,
passes, to be operated upon by the rasp while the said cue is supported by the
rest B and cross bar C.
By holding the cue K with its end in contact with the rasp and reciprocating
the block by its handle H', the end of the cue will be given a prepared surface
at right angles to its axis, and this without the exercise of special skill.
Lare the plungers mounted on a block L' fixed to the frame A. Each plunger L,
see Fig. 3, is forced out by a spring L', and has a recessed head calculated to
receive the tip. The tip having been affixed to the prepared end of the oue, the
latter, as at K Fig. 3, is passed through an aperture C of the cross bar C, and
the tip brought into contact with a plunger, which latter is pressed inwards as
shewn, and by the corresponding thumb screw E the cue is gripped and focured in
place until the tip becomes properly fixed thereto.
M is a box, adapted to hold a supply of tips and other fittings.
In some cases the appliances or devices for preparing the ends of the cues may
be made separate from the appliances for holding and applying pressure to the tips
of the billiard or other cues.
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 appliance or device for holding or supporting a cue and preparing the
end thereof to receive the tip, composed of supports or guides for the rear and
front ends of the cue, in combination with a case or guide, having an aperture
through which the cue end passes, and a block, capable of being reciprocated on
the guides, at right angles to the cue by means of a handle, such block cairying a
rasp, file, or equivalent to act upon the cue end substantially as described.
2. The appliance or device for holding or supporting a cue or cues, and applying
continuous pressure to the tips thereof, composed of a frame or base plate, a rest
thereon to support the rear end or ends of the cue or cues, a cross bar to support
the front end or ends of the cue or cues and means for gripping the cues in position
at such cross bar guide, in combination with tho spring actuated plunger or plungers
to press the tip or tips on to the ends of the cues, when the latter are held rigidly
in position substantially as described.
3. The new or improved combined appliance or device for holding cues, for
preparing cue ends, and fixing tips thereto, all arranged and acting as and for the
purposes described and illustrated with special reference to Fig. 1 of the
accompanying drawings and as claimed by Claims 1 and 2.
Dated this the 18th day of August 1896.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.