IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BORDERS, EDGINGS, OR MOULDINGS FOR TABLES AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, WITH THE VIEW OF FACILITATING THE PLAYING OF BILLIARDS AND OTHER GAMES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ashbridge Telfer, of Campbell Terrace,
Bow Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BORDERS, EDGINGS, OR MOULDINGS
FOR TABLES AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, WITH THE VIEW
OF FACILITATING THE PLAYING OF BILLIARDS AND OTHER GAMES."
.
Sealed the 28th June 1872, and dated the 6th April 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ashbridge Telfer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th April 1872.
I, JOHN ASHBRIDGE TELFER, of Campbell Terrace, Bow Road, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BORDERS, EDGINGS, OR MOULDINGS
FOR TABLES AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, WITH THE VIEW OF
FACILITATING THE PLAYING OF BILLIARDS AND OTHER GAMES," to be as
follows:-
"
་
This Invention relates to the construction of borders, edges, or
mouldings for tables and other articles of furniture in one piece, whereby.

page_text: the latter can be made available for billiards or other games or for dining
or other domestic purposes as required.
The Invention consists in making the borders, edges, or mouldings
from wood, metal, or other material, or a combination of such, and in
such a manner that they can be applied or affixed as one piece on or to
the edges of a table or other article. The moulding or border is pre-
ferably thicker than the table top, and is reversible; it carries in or on
the inner face a rubber or other cushion with apertures or openings to
which pockets are arranged for facilitating the playing of billiards and
other games when fitted in one position, and to present a plain or orna-
mental edging level with, above or below, the top surface to enable the
table to be used for dining or other domestic purposes.
The method of securing a border to the article may be by screws
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Ashbridge Telfer in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ASHBRIDGE TELFER, of High Street, Whitechapel, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Ashbridge Telfer, Her special licence
that I, the said John Ashbridge Telfer, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Ashbridge Telfer, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "Improvements
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BORDERS, EDGES, OR MOULDINGS FOR TABLES AND SIMILAR

page_text: ARTICLES OF FURNITURE, WITH THE VIEW OF FACILITATING THE PLAYING OF
BILLIARDS AND OTHER GAMES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Ashbridge Telfer, 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 performed, 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 Ashbridge Telfer, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:-
This Invention relates to the construction of borders, edges, or mould-
ings for tables and other articles of furniture, whereby the latter can
be made available for other than dining or other domestic purposes.
The Invention consists in making the borders, edges, or mouldings
from wood, metal, or other material, or a combination of such, and in
such a manner that they can be applied or affixed as one piece on or to
the edges of a table or other article. The moulding or border is pre-
ferably thicker than the table top, and is reversible; it carries in or on
the inner face a rubber or other cushion with or without apertures or
openings to which pockets are arranged for facilitating the playing of
billiards and other games when fitted in one position, and to present a
plain or ornamental edging level with, above or below, the top surface to
enable the table to be used for dining or other domestic purposes.
The method of securing the border to the article may be by screws,
clips, or other fastenings, if such are required, but this forms no part of
my Invention.
The Invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying
Drawings, in which a, Figure 1, shews my improved construction of
border, edging, or moulding, with pockets b, b, arranged thereon, so that
when the border is placed over and upon the edges of a table it facilitates
the playing of billiards or other games of an equivalent character for

page_text: which pockets are required. The sides and ends of the border may be
constructed of four pieces firmly joined at the corners to make the whole
of it as one solid body, or they may be built up of several pieces, as
is shewn in Figures 2 and 3, and braced or stayed with iron or other
rigid material to stiffen it and to prevent warping, the several pieces
being screwed, cemented, or otherwise attached. The bottom edge or
face of the moulding, shewn in Figures 1 and 2, is shaped to conform to
the edging of an ordinary table or slab of a fixed or a moveable nature,
as shewn in Figure 3, the upper end of it having the rubber or other
cushion c, if a cushion is required, secured to the inside faces, and
standing up above the level of the table or slab for the balls or other
implements used in the game to impinge against. The edges of the
table or slab d have projections e formed, or separate pieces as projections
secured to them upon which the improved construction of border can
rest, whether it is placed upon them with the moulded or the cushion
side uppermost.
Figures 4 and 5 represent the projections as part of the slab supporters
or table frame, and these projections may be continuous around the table
frame or only at intervals as desired.
Figures 6 and 7 represent the border secured to the slab or table edges
by screw pins e¹, e¹, the edges having tapped sockets f,f, fitted in them
at different heights to facilitate the raising or the lowering only of the
border, so that the cushion faced top is always uppermost, whether the
table has to be used for playing purposes or for domestic or other
purposes. The border in this case may however be reversed as in the
former case, as the screw pins and the sockets are arranged for both
positions or changes.
The central portion or slab proper g of the table may be plain on the
surface and covered with baize or cloth, or it may have apertures in the
surface such as is necessary for bagatelle and other similar games, but
this forms no part of my Invention.
Figures 8 and 9 shew a table generally used in private dwelling houses
or billiard rooms with my improved construction of border arranged in
the two positions before referred to, namely, that in Figure 8 for billiard
playing, and that in Figure 9 for dining or other purposes. The slab g
in Figure 9 is shewn with angled projections, mid-distance of the side
.lengths, to coincide with the formation of the border at that part where

page_text: the middle pockets are situated, but these projections are not essential in
all cases.
It will be understood that any existing table can be cut or shaped at
the edges to receive my improved construction of border, but new tables
would be shaped in their construction, and the borders also, to correspond
therewith. In some cases I arranged ledges or other appliances on the
outer faces of the borders for temporarily holding the cues, chalk, or
other articles required for the games..
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
Invention, constructing movable borders, edges, or mouldings in one
or more pieces and forming one body or article thereby, which can be
placed or fitted over or upon the edges of a table or its equivalent, as
described and shewn.
I claim also constructing reversible borders or edgings for table` and
other frames, by which such frames or the slabs placed upon them
can be made available for the playing of billiards and other games, or
for dining or other domestic purposes, substantially as described and
shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ashbridge Telfer, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
5 Witness,
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street,
London.
J. ASHBRIDGE TELFER. (L.S.)