IMPROVEMENTS IN MODES OF AND APPARATUS FOR MARKING AND RECORDING BILLIARD, POOL, AND OTHER GAMES, APPLICABLE ALSO IN PART TO OTHER PURPOSES WHERE MARKING OR RECORDING IS REQUIRED
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Janes Ashcroft and Walker Moseley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th May 1876.
JAMES ASHCROFT and WALKER MOSELEY, both of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MODES OF AND APPARATUS FOR MARKING AND
RECORDING BILLIARD, POOL, AND OTHER GAMES, APPLICABLE ALSO IN PART TO
OTHER PURPOSES WHERE MARKING OR RECORDING IS REQUIRED."
Attached to an ordinary billiard and pool marking board, preferably let into it in
the centre, we place a dial, called hereafter the billiard dial, with two fingers to
represent spot and plain scores. Attached to this are ordinary decimal counters;
these counters keep a record of the number of games played, whether the marker
uses the ordinary hand indicator or the electric apparatus liereafter described.
The mode in which the billiard dial is worked is as follows:-Fixed or suspended
in any suitable manner over, on, or near the billiard table we construct two electric
contact makers, one for spot, the other for plain. These contact makers are cach
connected by independent insulated wires to separate escapement arrangements
connected each to one of the pointers of the billiard dial aforesaid. On each circuit
we place short circuit Patent trembling bells or other similar mechanism so as to
audibly indicate whenever a current passes without at the same time breaking the
circuit, as would be the case with ordinary electric bells. (Breaking the circuit
would not do, as it would cause the pointer to move forward on the dial one step
for each break of the circuit, as will hereafter be shown).
The modes in which we connect these wires with the pointers is as follows:-A
circular escapement wheel, on the axle of which the required pointer is fixed, has a
given number (for billiards usually 50) of slots or nicks round its periphery. Into one
of these slots falls or springs (when there is no electric current) a tooth on the armature
of an electro-magnet. The current being established the electro-magnet draws
back the armature, and thus frees the escapement wheel. The armature in flying
back completes a circuit round another electro-magnet, which pulls the escapement
wheel forward one slot by means of a ratchet pawl on its arinature. When the
current ceases the toothed armature flies back and holds the escapement wheel
while the ratchet pawl armature flies back ready for another stroke. Springs or
other mechanism assist the return strokes of the armature. If the hand marker be
used the current is completed to a similar mechanism on the counting apparatus,
when a metallic plate on the back of the pointer or marker passes over and depresses
a metallic knob at No. 1 on the counting scale. The same thing occurs when the

page_text: hands in the billiard dial pass over No. 1, and thus the counting apparatus registers
a fresh game.
The way we prefer to fix the electric apparatus at the table is to bring the
insulated wires along the gas chandelier, and have two or more contact makers
hanging by their insulated wires only or otherwise suspended from the chandelier
over the ends of the billiard table; they can however be knobs fixed in the
wall at each end of the room, or a special table or stand can be placed for the
purpose.
In marking for pool metallic springs on each side coming against a metallic plate
at the third life, but entirely hid from view at all times so as to prevent its being
tampered with, are so arranged that as soon as the said "life" or dot is half covered
the contact is made, and the hand of a special dial (the "pool dial") is turned one
point by similar mechanism to that above described for the billiard dial.
Special arrangements can be made to prevent the slide being left exactly on the
centre so as to keep the slide in contact, but we find putting a trembling bell on
the circuit as decidcly the best.
A simple locking gear similar to one or other of those well known and used in
railway points or otherwise can be applied to prevent the marker from pulling out
two slides contemporaneously, and thus recording only one ball. All the slides are
in the same circuit and record on the same instrument. We prefer to let the slide
record the fact each time the two conducting points pass each other instead of
having a special arrangement to prevent the recording of the return stroke.
In pyramid pool the numbers from 1 to 15 are inscribed on 2 rows, along
which two sliding pointers traverse in the usual manner, with this exception that a
long slide is attached to the pointer, and electric contact made by a plate near the
end of the slide, passing over two springs as described in pool; the main point being
to always have the contact maker entirely protected from view, and from conse-
quent fingering or tampering. The electric wires can also be connected with a
trembling bell and perhaps recording apparatus in the manager's room or else-
whore.
In field games our apparatus might be used for showing the scoring in the tent,
more especially in such cases as those where the scorers do not score at the tent
itself. Similarly, in rifle matches, we arrange the targets in separate rings, and as
the ball strikes a ring and forces it momentarily in it pushes back a detent that
completes the circuit, thus recording the hit on a dial in precisely the same way as
described in the billiard arrangement.