IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA- RATUS FOR INDICATING OR RECORDING THE SCORE IN THE GAME OF BILLIARDS AND OTHER GAMES OF SKILL OR CHANCE, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER INDICATING AND RECORDING Pri
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Hamilton Colles, of the Firm of
Orme & Sons, of the City of Manchester, Billiard Table Makers,
and William Henry Bailey, of the Albion Works, Salford, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR INDICATING OR RECORDING THE SCORE IN THE GAME OF BILLIARDS
AND OTHER GAMES OF SKILL OR CHANCE, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO OTHER INDICATING AND RECORDING Pripone"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Hamilton
Colles and William Henry Bailey at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 14th November
1874.
We, ALEXANDER HAMILTON COLLES, of the Firm of Orme & Sons,
of the City of Manchester, Billiard Table Makers, and WILLIAM HENRY
BAILEY, of the Albion Works, Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING OR RECORDING THE SCORE IN THE GAME OF
BILLIARDS AND OTHER GAMES OF SKILL OR CHANCE, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE

page_text: ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER INDICATING AND RECORDING PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is the construction of an indicating and
recording apparatus, which shall be simple in construction and automatic
in the recording action. when released either by the players or any
attendant.
-
As applied to indicating and recording the score in the game of
billiards we provide a pair of dials, one for each player, graduated and
carrying a series of numerals. Each dial is further provided with an
indicating pointer or finger, the arbour of which passes into the interior
of a dial case, and has a scape wheel mounted upon it, which scape
wheel is provided with a corresponding escapement and pendulum. A
bar sliding horizontally within the dial case and provided with a spring
is so mounted as to bear against the pendulum and hold. such pendulum
in an oblique position. A cord or wire passes from one end of each
of these horizontal sliding bars to the billiard table, either underneath
the floor or up the wall of the room and along the ceiling, when such
pair of wires may descend until they are within convenient reach of the
players. We prefer however to carry the pair of cords or wires under-
neath the floor to about the centre of the table, and thence inside a pair
of stands to the under side of the table, where we fix a pair of four-way
bell cranks, and lead a pair of wires to each end and side of the table,
and then attach such wires to a pair of draw stops.
Instead of the four-way bell cranks pulleys may be employed to
change the direction of the motion. By this arrangement the indicating
and recording mechanism can be actuated from any part of the table.
A similar plan may be adopted with the overhead arrangement, and
connections may descend to various other parts of the room.
•
The action of the apparatus may be thus described:-Upon the
withdrawal of one of the stops the horizontal sliding bar herein-before
mentioned appertaining to such stop is withdrawn from contact with
the pendulum, when such pendulum commences to oscillate freely, and
through the escapement drives the scape wheel one tooth for each
oscillation. This motion is communicated through the arbour of the
scape wheel to the pointer or finger of the dial, and when such pointer
or finger has reached the desired numeral the stop is released, and the
horizontal sliding bar again comes in contact with the pendulum and

page_text: stops the oscillations, at the same time placing the pendulum in the
oblique position ready for the next action.
Instead of the pointer being carried round the dial by the inertia of
the pendulum liberated as described we may employ a spring or weight
to drive the scape wheel, substantially the same arrangement of liberating
.mechanism being employed; or the pendulum may be retained. in the
oblique position by a spring, and an electro-magnet employed. to release
the spring and pendulum, suitable "pushes" to break the circuit being
substituted for the draw stops.
A ratchet and ratchet and ratchet wheel may be substituted for the
pendulum arrangement, such ratchet wheel being worked round by the
pull of the draw stop, but obviously this would only be a less convenient
and effective way of actuating the pointers. This ratcheting action may
also be effected by clectro-magnetism, or a pneumatic cylinder and piston
arrangement may be used for this purpose.
When desirable a bell or bells may be applied capable of being rung
by the pointer mechanism in the progress of the pointers round the
dials, and in some cases we employ a single dial with two fingers; one to
indicate for each player.
A record of the number of games played may be kept by gearing an
additional dial behind the principal or one of the principal dials, with
an opening through the front dial, through which to read off the figures
on the rear dial, or any other counting mechanism may be employed for
this purpose..
Besides recording the score in the game of billiards it will be at once
apparent that this Invention is equally useful for other analogous
indicating and recording purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Hamilton Colles and William Henry
Bailey in the Great Seal' Patent Office on the 14th May 1875.
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALEXANDER
HAMILTON COLLES, of the Firm of Orme & Sons, of the City of
Manchester, Billiard Table Makers, and WILLIAM HENRY BAILEY,

page_text: of the Albion Works, Salford, in the County of Lancaster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Alexander Hamilton Colles and
William Henry Bailey, Her special licence, that we, the said Alexander
Hamilton Colles and William Henry Bailey, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Alexander Hamilton Colles and
William Henry Bailey, our exccutors, 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, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING OR RECORDING
THE SCORE IN THE GAME OF BILLIARDS AND OTHER GAMES OF SKILL OR CHANCE,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO OTHER INDICATING AND RECORDING
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst otliers) that we, the said
Alexander Hamilton Colles and William Henry Bailey, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 tho
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Alexander Hamilton Colles and
William Henry Bailey, do hereby declare the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of this Invention is the construction of an indicating and
recording apparatus, which shall be simple in construction and automatic
in the recording action when released either by the players or any
attendant.

page_text: carrying a series of numerals. Each dial is further provided with an
indicating counter or finger, the arbour of which passes into the interior
of a dial case, and has a scape wheel mounted upon it, which scapo
wheel is provided with a corresponding escapement and pendulum. A
bar sliding horizontally within the dial case, and provided with a
spring, is so mounted as to bear against the pendulum, and hold such
pendulum in an oblique position. A cord or wire passes from one end
of each of these horizontal sliding bars to the billiard table, either under-
neath the floor or up the wall of the room and along the ceiling, when
such pair of wires may descend until they are within convenient reachi
of the players. We prefer however to carry the pair of cords or wires
underneath the floor to about the centre of the table, and thence inside
a pair of stands to the under side of the table, where we fix a pair of
four-way bell cranks, and lead a pair of wires to each end and side
of the table, and then attach such wires to a pair of draw stops..
Instead of the four-way bell cranks pulleys may be employed to
change the direction of the motion. By this arrangement the indi-
cating and recording mechanism can be actuated from any part of the
table.
.
A similar plan may be adopted with the overhead arrangement, and
connections may descend to various other parts of the room.
The action of the apparatus may be thus described-Upon the
withdrawal of one of the stops the horizontal sliding bar hicrein-before
mentioned appertaining to such stop is withdrawn from contact with
the pendulum, when such pendulum commences to oscillate freely, and
through the escapement drives the scape wheel one tooth for each
oscillation. This motion is communicated through the arbour of the
scape wheel to the pointer or finger of the dial, and when such pointer
or finger has reached the desired numeral the stop is released, and the
horizontal sliding bar again comes in contact with the pendulum, and
stops the oscillation, at the same time placing the pendulum in the
oblique position ready for the next action.
Instead of the pointer being carried round the dial by the inertia of
the pendulum liberated as described we may employ a spring or weight
to drive the scape wheel, substantially the same arrangement of libe-
rating mechanism being employed, or the pendulum may be retained
in the oblique position by a spring and an electro-magnet employed to

page_text: release the spring and pendulum, suitable "pushes" to break the circuit
being substituted for the draw stops.
A ratchet and ratchet wheel may be substituted for the pendulum
arrangement, such ratchet wheel being worked round by the pull of the
☐ draw stop, but obviously this would only be a less convenient and i
effective way of actuating the pointers. This ratcheting action may also
be effected by electro-magnetism, or a pneumatic cylinder and piston
arrangement may be used for this purpose.
'
When desirable a bell or bells may be applied capable of being rung
by the pointer mechanism in the progress of the pointers round the
dials; and in some cases we employ a single, dial with two fingers, one
to indicate for each person.
A record of the number of games may be kept by gearing an additional
dial behind the principal or one of the principal dials, with an opening
through the front dial, through which to read off the figures on the 1
rear dial, or any other counting mechanism may be employed for this
purpose.
Besides recording the score in the game of billiards it will be at once
apparent that this Invention is equally useful for other analogous indi-
cating and recording purposes.
÷
And in order that this our said Invention may be more readily under-
stood, and carried into practical effect, we have hereunto annexed a
Drawing illustrating several modifications of our Invention, similar
letters marked on the several views and herein-after mentioned being
used to denote similar parts.
Fig. 1 is an exterior front view of the dial case of an indicating and
.recording apparatus constructed in accordance with our Invention, and
suitable for recording the score in the game of billiards, and for other
similar purposes, and Fig. 2 is a back interior view of the same showing
the actuating mechanism.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the framework of a billiard table, illustrating the
application of the draw stops thereto for actuating our indicating
and recording mechanism; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of
Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a rear view of another modification of our Invention, shewing
T
T

page_text: Fig. 7 is another modification of the actuating mechanism of our
indicating and recording apparatus.
Fig. 8 shews the application of a ratchet pawl and wheel to the pur-
poses of our Invention, illustrating how the same may be actuated on
the pneumatic principle without the intervention of cords or wires, and
without the use of a scape wheel, escapement, and pendulum.
Fig. 9 represents a seconds pendulum having one stop mechanism
applied for astronomical and other analogous recording purposes.
•
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, A, A, are the two dials, one provided for each
player, both such dials being graduated on their faces and carrying a
series of numerals, as illustrated. Through the centre of each dial an
arbor passes provided with a pointer B, and at the back of the dial with
a scape wheel C. Gearing with this scape wheel is an escapement D,
the weighted arm D' of which is in contact at one side with the pen-
dulum E, which latter is otherwise hung in the same manner as a
clock pendulum, but is capable of swinging in one direction through a
greater arc than the weighted arm D', and which latter is so weighted to
actuate the escapement in one direction, being rigidly affixed thereto,
whilst the pendulum moves it in. the other. F is an horizontal sliding
bar which is capable of sliding sideways in the brackets F¹, and upon
this bar is situated a projection F², which is seen dotted, and presses by the
action of the spring F³ coiled round such bar against the lower extremity
of the weighted arm D³, and thus ensures the pendulum E hanging in
an oblique direction, as illustrated, ready to commence to oscillate as
soon as such sliding bar is drawn sideways in the direction of the arrow.
The extremity of each of these sliding bars is connected to one arm of
a bell crank, the other arm of which is secured to a cord or wire F‘
passing either underneath the floor or up the wall of the room and
along the ceiling, and then descending to within convenient reach of
the players at the billiard table. We prefer however to carry the pair
of cords, one from each sliding bar F, underneath the floor of the room
to about the centre of the table, and there connect them to bell cranks F³
affixed at the bottom of one of a pair of stands H provided respectively
for each indicating dial, such stands being seen in plan in Fig. 3, and in
a detached side view in Fig. 3". A cord or wire Fe attached to the other
arm of such bell cranks being carried up inside the stands and over the
pulleys H' to the draw stops I situate at each end and side of the table.

page_text: By this means the indicating and recording mechanism may be actuated
from any part of the table.
'
The action of this indicating and recording mechanism may be thus
described. Upon withdrawing one of the stops I the horizontal sliding
bar Fappertaining to it is simultaneously drawn sideways, thus releasing
its projection F from contact with the weighted arm D', and permitting
the pendulum E to oscillate owing to the momentum imparted to it by
its descent from its oblique position, whilst at the same time the escape-
ment D drives the scape wheel C and pointer B. This oscillation of the
pendulum continuing until the pointer has reached the desired numeral
on the face of the dial corresponding with the score to be recorded, when
the stop I may be released and the projection F on the horizontal
.sliding bar will again come in contact with the weighted arm D¹, and so
stop the motion of the pendulum, at the same time placing the pendulum
in the oblique position ready for the next action, but if the momentum
of the pendulum has become exhausted previous to the pointer arriving
at the required numeral it is only necessary to "let go" the stop and
to withdraw it again immediately in order to obtain further oscillations
of the pendulum, and consequently further progress of the pointer.
In the modification shewn in Fig. 7 tho pull of the draw stop at
the moment of liberating the pendulum J by the withdrawal of
the sliding bar J' carrying the stop J2 is employed to tighten a flat
spring K acting upon a sliding toothed rack L gearing with a pinion L'
mounted on the arbor L' of the scape wheel L³, and the spring K
thus tightened drives the scape wheel L³ and so maintains the
revolution of such scape wheel and pointer through a longer period than
is possible when the scape wheel is driven by the momentum of the
pendulum only, as is the case in both the modifications herein-before
described. In this modification, Fig. 7, the pinion L' is loose upon the
arbor L but secured to a ratchet wheel M which receives a pawl M² 1
mounted upon one of the arms of the scapo wheel L³. It will thus be seen
that the scape wheel is driven by the pull of the flat spring K, and that
upon the draw stop being released the sliding rack L is drawn back to
its original position by the flat spring N, whilst at the same time the
stop J2 coming against the pendulum places it in the oblique position
ready for the next recording action.
In Figs. 5 and 6 the actuating mechanism is illustrated for an
apparatus having only one dial, and in order to record the score of the

page_text: two players two pointers are employed working concentrically upon the
same arbor and both having their own respective scape wheels a. The
escapements in this modification work sideways as illustrated, and the
weighted arms 6' connected to them are arranged at right angles, whilst the
sliding bars herein-before mentioned are dispensed with and the stopping
of the pendulums c in their oblique positions is effected by one of tho
arms of the bell cranks d being held in contact with such pendulums by
the springs e as illustrated. In this modification the pin ƒ affixed on
the rear side of the scape wheel a is employed for moving the star wheel
g one tooth for every revolution of the pointer, and thus by having a
dial on the front side of such star wheel marked with numerals a record
may be obtained of the number of games played, an opening / being
formed through the principal dial, as seen dotted, through which to read
off the figures on such star wheel, whilst the pin i affixed upon the other
side of such scape wheel may, by coming in contact with and lifting the
hammer of the bell at every complete revolution of the scape wheel,
so give a sonorous indication of the completion of every game.
j
If it be desired to actuate the pointer of our indicating and recording
apparatus by the application of a sliding bar, pawl, and wheel and without
a pendulum and escapement action we employ the modification represented
in Fig. 8, in which the sliding bar carrying the pawl m gearing with the
ratchet wheel n upon the arbor of the pointer is caused to move sideways
by being connected to one side of an india-rubber diaphragm which is
connected at its other side through a pipe or tube to a cylinder having
an air-tight piston fitted within it, which may be withdrawn by draw
stops in the same manner as the well-known pneumatic bell.
For recording the time occupied by any given event, say for astrono-
mical calculations, we employ a seconds pendulum as illustrated in
Fig. 9, and apply our stop mechanism to act upon the same so as to
cause such pendulum to be held whilst stationary in an oblique position
ready to commence its oscillation as soon as it is released, the stop
mechanism in this case consisting of a bell crank having a pin o upon
one of its arms, which is held in contact with the pendulum p by an
horizontal sliding bar attached by means of a cord or wire to the other
arm of such bell crank and actuated as herein-before described with a
draw stop.

page_text: of skill or chance it will be at once apparent that this Invention is
-equally useful for other analogous indicating and recording purposes.
We claim,-
.
1st. The general construction and arrangement of apparatus for
_indicating and recording purposes as Lerein-before described. and
illustrated on the accompanying Drawing. .
2nd. The use and application of a pendulum escapement and scape
"wheel and apparatus for releasing and retaining the same when mounted,
operated, and arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Bailey, for and on
behalf of myself and the said Alexander Hamilton Colles, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this 13th day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1875.