Improved Tables for Ball Games.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1899
1000
haronted 9th July 1800
Improved Tables for Ball Games.
We, SYLVESTER H. CARR, of 210, West 2nd Street, DANIEL WEBSTER ALLAMAN,
of 705, Superior Avenue, and WILBUR CONOVER KENNEDY, of 112, E. Monument
Avenue, all Attorneys at Law, of Dayton, Ohio, and DANIEL AARON FLETCHER,
Inventor, of Dayton, Ohio, in the United States of America, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in devices for amusement termed pool
tables of the type having an inclined surface with a number of deflecting pins
thereon, and a number of openings arranged at various points among said pins,
into which a ball may drop when rolled upon the table and deflected in various
directions by coming in contact with the said pins. The object of the present
invention, is to make the game more interesting by improving the table to such
an extent as to make it more difficult for the ball to enter the openings, and to
provide means lessening the noise due to the movement of the balls.
The table has two side alleys out of which the balls are impelled by the players
in a manner similar to that of impelling a billiard ball. A number of metallic
pins project from the table and are incased in rubber tubes or other sound-deaden-
ing material. Circular openings are made in said table; these openings are of
a diameter sufficient to permit a ball to fall there-through should it roll onto
any of the trap doors which normally close said openings from the under side of
the table. The openings are of varying diameters, in order to let the trap doors
enter them, and move down and out of said openings when a ball rolls on to said
trap doors. The smallest or top diameter is filled up, when the trap door enters
the opening, and the upper surface of said door lies on a plane with the upper
surface of the table, which is as far as said trap door can move in an upward
direction.
The lower or larger diameter admits of the door moving in an arc when being
lowered or opened under the weight of a ball, or when being closed by a weight.
The traps or doors consist each of a circular block, the diameter of which is
slightly smaller than the diameter of the opening; these blocks have a number
or numbers indicating the number of points made by a player who causes a
ball to enter said traps. The block is fixed to an oblong piece which has a rubber
tit on its upper side that comes against the under side of the table when
the trap door closes under the gravity weight, this prevents any noise. The
weight attached to an arm is secured to the oblong piece and causes the trap
door to remain normally closed. In order to obtain a proper entry of the doors
into the openings it is necessary to connect the oblong pieces in a manner to
enable them to close in a parallel position with the table. This is done by pro-
viding a block or its equivalent which is the same thickness as the larger end of
the oblong piece. The said block is secured to the under side of the table, and
the piece is connected thereto by a hinge. Pieces of sound deadening material
are secured to the under side of the table, so that when the trap doors are lowered

page_text: by balls rolling thereon, the weights come in contact with these sound deadening
pieces and thereby all sound or noise is greatly lessened. The lower end of the
table is provided with a series of pockets, which, are lined with sound deadening
material, as is also the top of the table, so that the rolling balls cause no annoyance.
Dated this 21st day of February
1899.
We, SYLVESTER H. CARR, of 210, West 2nd Street, DANIEL WEBSTER ALLAMAN,
of 705, Superior Avenue, and WILBUR CONOVER KENNEDY, of 112, East Monument
Avenue, all Attorneys at Law, of Dayton, Ohio, and DANIEL AARON FLETCHER,
Inventor, of Dayton, Ohio, in the United States of America, 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 relates to improvements in pool tables of the type having an
inclined surface with a number of deflecting pins thereon, and a number of
openings arranged at various points among said pins, into which a ball may drop
when rolled upon the table and deflected in various directions by coming in con-
tact with the said pins. The object of the present invention, is to make the
game more interesting by improving the table to such an extent as to make
it more difficult for the ball to enter the openings, and to provide means lessening
the noise due to the movement of the balls.
In the drawings:-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the table having our im-
provements. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the top of the table. Fig. 3 is a
perspective view of the under side of the table. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of
a portion of the table surrounding one of the openings, or traps. Fig. 5 is a
section on the line - of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the under side
of the table, showing one of the trap doors.
In the description to follow, similar letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts. The table A has two side alleys B B out of which the balls are impelled
by the players similar to the manner of impelling a billiard ball. C designates
a ball which is rolled in such manner onto the table. 1) designates a number
of metallic pins projected from the table and incased in rubber tubes or other
sound-deadening material. E designates circular openings in said table; these
openings are of a diameter sufficient to permit a ball to fall therethrough should
it roll onto any of the trap doors which normally close said openings from
the under side of the table. The openings E are of varying diameters, as shown
in Fig. 5, in order to let the trap doors enter them, and move down and out
of said openings when a ball rolls onto said trap doors. The smallest or top
diameter F is filled up, as shown in Fig. 4, when the trap door enters the open-
ing, and the upper surface of the said door lies on a plane with the upper surface
of the table, which is as far as said trap door can move in an upward direction.
The lower or larger diameter F admits of the door moving in an arc when
being lowered or opened under the weight of a ball or when being closed under
the weight I. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the traps or doors each consist of a
circular block the diameter of which is slightly smaller than the diameter F¹

page_text: of the opening; these blocks have a number or numbers indicating the number
of points made by a player who causes a ball to enter said traps. The block F
is fixed to an oblong piece H which has a rubber tit H on its upper side that
comes against the under side of the table when the trap door closes under the
gravity weight I; this prevents any noise. The weight I attached to the arm I¹
is secured to the piece H and causes the trap door to remain normally closed,
as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In order to obtain a proper entry of the doors F
into the openings, it is necessary to connect the pieces H in a manner to enable
them to close in a parallel position with the table. This is done by providing
a block J or its equivalent which is the same thickness as the larger end of the
piece H. The said block J is secured to the under side of the table, and the
piece H is connected thereto by a hinge G. L designates pieces of sound deaden-
ing material secured to the under side of the table. When the trap doors are
lowered by balls rolling thereon, the weights I come in contact with these pieces L
and thereby all sound or noise is greatly lessened. The tits H' deaden the
sound when said trap doors are closed under the weights I. The parts L deaden
the sound when said traps are opened. The pins Das before stated, are inclosed
in sound deadening material to prevent any noise that might be due to the balls
coming against them. The lower end of the table is provided with a series of
pockets M which are lined with sound deadening material, as is also the top
of the table, so that the rolling balls cause no annoyance. As before stated,
each trap door is numbered; a ball rolling in any of which, or in any of the
pockets M counts as many points as the value of the figures or numbers indicated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim
is:
―
1. In a table of the character described, the combination with the table A
having a series of circular openings E the diameters of which are less near the
upper surface of the table than elsewhere, of a series of trap doors F conforming
to the shapes of said openings, and of such diameters as to enable them to enter
the smallest diameters of said openings and to lie flush with the top of the table,
oblong shanks H extending from said doors F, projections on the lower side of
the table to which said shanks are hinged, and whereby said shanks are enabled
to lie normally in a plane substantially parallel with the table so that the doors F
may properly enter the openings, and gravity weights connected to said shanks
at their hinged ends to normally maintain said doors in the openings, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes specified.
2. In a table of the character described, the table A. having a series of pins
projected therefrom and incased in sound deadening material, a series of circular
openings, the said openings being of two diameters, trap doors normally closing
said openings, said trap doors each consisting of a circular piece and an oblong
piece, a block fixed to the under side of the table and adjacent to the end of
said oblong piece and a hinge connection between said block and oblong piece,
whereby the said door may enter the opening in the table with its upper side
Hush with the upper side of the table, a gravity weight to maintain said door
normally in such position, and means for deadening the sound of the door when
opens and closes, substantially as described.
it
1
1000