Combined Coin-freed Apparatus and Board for Playing Modified or Miniature Games of Billiards, Bagatelle, Skittles, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Combined Coin-freed Apparatus and Board for Playing Modified or
Miniature Games of Billiards, Bagatelle, Skittles, and the like.
We, HAYDON & URRY, LIMITED, Manufacturers, and GEORGE HAYDON, Engineer,
both of 353, Upper Street, Islington, in the County of London, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:
The object of our invention is to provide a complete combined coinfreed appa-
ratus and board or table which may be of any convenient size and proportions,
whereupon really accurate and skilful miniature or modified games of billiards,
bagatelle, skittles and the like may be played, but only after the freeing of locking
mechanism by the insertion into the apparatus of a coin, which coin, after each
successful or scoring shot of the player will be returned to him, but retained in
the apparatus and lost to the player should an unsuccessful shot be made.
Thus for a single initial payment a player may continue in play so long as he
scores and on retiring will retain his coin but a single unsuccessful shot will
cause the appropriation of that coin, and a further payment will be required to
enable play to be resumed.
The apparatus comprises a table or board permanently inclined or capable of
being temporarily tilted to return the ball or balls to playable position, and such
table is furnished with appropriate fittings, for example cushions, pocket holes,
balls, pins or the like, all of which are covered in with and enclosed by a sheet
of glass; it further comprises a captive cue or striker so mounted as to be turned
in any direction required for play, ball-return shoots and other details are also
provided and the whole is combined with a coinfreed locking mechanism, a tilting
appliance and other mechanical apparatus for use and operation substantially as
hereinafter indicated.
An essential feature of our invention is that the playing board may either be
permanently inclined towards the playing end or it may be level and hinged
about the playing end and in such case provided with wedge, screw or equivalent
mechanical means for tilting it for the purpose in either case of returning the
playing ball or missle to the playing end, and in the case of skittles this tilting
action serves to return all overthrown skittle pins to upright or initial position.
The board surface may be level throughout or it may be inclined in parts only,
to aid the run of the playing ball to required position. The object ball or pins
are arranged to automatically return to position after being struck This is
effected by cord and weight or spring return devices, or the object balls may be
mounted upon pins projecting from rotary discs mounted in the board, or magnetic®
attraction may be employed if found efficient. When the board is permanently

page_text: inclined a fence is erected near the playing end against which the free or playing
ball or balls is or are held when not in play by pins or detents passing up
through the board and automatically withdrawn by the weight of the inserted
coin changing the normal position of a balanced coin mechanism, and so putting
the ball in play.
"
The striking device consists of a universally jointed or swivelling tube or carrier
sometimes carried by a sliding plate mounted in the playing end of the
table and containing a spring return striking plunger or cue with appropriate
tip. Complete freedom of action is afforded to the cue but its withdrawal is
prevented by a collar working within a sliding plate or otherwise suitably, the
arrangement being such that the cue can be moved in any direction required for
play.
At
The inserted coin runs into a balanced pan, the movement of which acts as
follows according to the design of apparatus adopted. If the board is permanently
inclined the movement of the pan withdraws the pins then holding the ball or
balls against the fence and out of play so that it or they then gravitate into play-
ing position. If a level and tilting board is used the coin action serves to release
the tilting mechanism so that the board may be temporarily inclined by the player
and cause the free ball to run to playing position. The handle of the tilting
mechanism referred to extends conveniently from the apparatus and its inner part
carries a cam or equivalent for a purpose hereinafter referred to. In either case
the coin passes from the depressed pan to a second and spring return coin holder
mounted so as to be capable of lateral tilting motion in both directions.
billiards, after each successful shot the ball runs along a hidden inclined shoot
from the pocket to a receptacle provided with a false bottom mounted on a lever
controlling a pin normally locking a push bar fitted with external handle. The
weight of the ball frees this push bar which is adapted when operated to throw
the ball back upon the board and then relock the push bar; the same operation
also tilts the coin holder so as to return the coin to the player. A failure to score
renders tilting of the board necessary to return the ball and proceed with the game
and this action by means of the tilting rod and cam aforesaid tilts the coin holder
in the other direction and so throws the coin to a locked internal receiver. This
same result is effected should the balls be left on the table, the coin remaining
then in the holder. The whole of the mechanisins are enclosed in a casing beneath
the table and suitable means are or may be employed to prevent mischievous or
fraudulent tampering with the coin mechanism and with the balls, and any
suitable scoring medium may be added. We have above referred only to return-
ing his coin to a successful player but we may in some cases give him in exchange
any suitable equivalent, discharged from a goods container by the action of the
same or an equivalent tilting arrangement of mechanism.
Dated. the 1st day of October 1897.
Combined Coin-freed Apparatus and Board for Playing Modified or
Miniature Games of Billiards, Bagatelle, Skittles and the like.
We, HAYDON & URRY, LIMITED, Manufacturers, and GEORGE HAYDON, Engineer,
both of 353, Upper Street, Islington, in the County of London, do hereby declare

page_text: 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;-
-
The object of our invention is to provide a complete combined coinfreed appa-
ratus and board or table which may be of any convenient size and proportions
whereupon really accurate and skilful miniature or modified games of billiards,
bagatelle, skittles and the like may be played, but only after the freeing of locking
mechanism by the insertion into the apparatus of a coin, which coin, after each
successful or scoring" shot of the player will be returned to him, but retained in
the apparatus and lost to the player should an unsuccessful shot be made.
Thus for a single initial payment a player may continue in play so long as he
scores and on retiring will retain his coin, but a single unsuccessful shot will
cause the appropriation of that coin, and a further payment will be required to
enable play to be resumed.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
practice we will describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which Fig. 1 is a front end elevation of an apparatus constructed according to
our invention; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, a portion of the casing being broken
away in order to enable some of the internal parts to be seen; Fig. 3 is a vertical
cross-section on the line of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow;
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 5 is a plan of the apparatus with the playing
board removed and showing the operative inechanism; and Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are
details hereinafter referred to.
Like letters of reference denote identical parts throughout all the figures of the
drawings.
The apparatus comprises a table or board T forming the top of a case or box A
enclosing the mechanism, and at the same time a receptacle for the coins. This
table is covered by a glass cover B₁ and is normally held level, though it is capable
of being tilted in order to return the ball or balls to playable position as will be
hereinafter more fully described. The table is hinged or pivotted transversely
to the case A at any suitable part which may be at the rear as illustrated or near
the centre and is furnished with appropriate fittings, for example, cushions C,
pocket holes o o¹, balls, pins and the like; at one end there is arranged a captive
cue or striker c having a tip of india-rubber and mounted in a barrel c¹. This
cue is normally maintained in its forward position by the pressure of a coiled
springs mounted within the barrel c¹, which latter is carried in a slotted plate f
adapted to slide transversely of the table T in guides such as e. Complete freedom
of action may readily be afforded to the cue by mounting its barrel c¹ in a spherical
bearing b effecting an universal joint in one with or fixed to the sliding plate f;
any other arrangement suitable for the purpose may however be adopted, provided
the cue can be moved in the required directions for playing, and if desired a loose
cue may be used instead of a captive cue as set forth, though the latter is preferred.
The table may be further provided with a fence such as F to direct the playing ball
to within the range of the cue, and provision is also made to normally retain the
spot ball S and return it to its proper position during play. To this end the ball
is advantageously attached to a thin cord S of suitable length which passes through
a hole in the table and carries a weight w. The free ball (or balls) provided for
play, on the shot proving successful, drops through one of the pocket holes o or o¹
into an inclined open channel o² conveniently arranged below the table board T
along the inner sides of the supporting case, and then runs into a receptacle o³
provided with a vertically moving false bottom or plunger q. The said receptacle
may advantageously consist of a vertically arranged fixed tube such as 0³ com-
municating at its upper end with one of the pocket holes o¹. The channels o² lead
into this tube through a hole therein which must obviously be large enough to
allow of the free passage of the ball. The plunger 7 is carried on the free end
of an oscillating lever Q pivotted at g¹ to a block U adapted to swing about an
axle u, and supported on a bracket or fixed standard V. The weight of the
lever Q and plunger q is slightly more than counterbalanced by a weight W

page_text: adjusted on an arm w¹ projecting forward from the said block U, and this arm w¹
engages at its free end the slotted head v of a locking bolt e¹ which is adapted to
engage with a spring-controlled pusher P, and so render the same normally
immovable and inoperative. When the playing ball falls into the tube 03 its
weight causes the plunger to descend and so oscillate the lever Q, block U,
weight W and arm w¹, about the axle u and this movement serves to disengage the
bolt from the pusher P which can then be operated. This pusher is located
conveniently near to the lever Q, and it carries at its inner end p² an arm or
tappet which, on the pusher being forced inward, strikes sharply against a
cam-like projection Q' from the lever Q, thereby causing this lever to be oscillated
around its pivot q¹ and to jerk the plunger q upward in the tube o³ and so return
the ball on to the table. The pusher P is returned to its normal position by a
spring S, and the ball can be brought into range of the cue by tilting the table.
This operation can only be effected after first releasing the tilting mechanism
through the insertion of a proper coin into a slot p which is provided at a suitable
point in the top of the table or in the case. The inserted coin falls down a shoot D
into a guide g, see Fig. 3, and thence into a space between a ratchet wheel R
and a plate or cheek d where it is supported both by the spindle J and by one
of two studs EE on the ratchet wheel R on the one hand, and by the lip / of a
detent I engaging with this ratchet wheel. The coin is thus held edgewise and
its upper portion projects above the detent I for a sufficient distance to lift the
same out of engagement with the ratchet wheel. The ratchet wheel is provided
with ordinary ratchet teeth and with two circumferential gaps or recesses r and pl
respectively, into which the said detent I enters and thus normally prevents the
rotation of the ratchet wheel in one direction while its rotation in a reverse direc-
tion is prevented by a pawl I¹ engaging the ordinary ratchet teeth thereof. A
spring S keeps both the detent I. and pawl I' in contact with the ratchet wheel.
The spindle J is extended through the case A and is fitted at its outer end with
a knob H for revolving the ratchet wheel R, but this can only be done after a coin
has been inserted as above explained. The coin thus located in front of the said
lip is pressed with its periphery towards the same by the pin E, when turning
the knob from the exterior, and so forces the detent I out of engagement with the
ratchet wheel and allows this latter to be revolved through an angle of 180°.
The coin, after disengaging the detent, is pushed onward by the stud E until it
is free of the detent, whereupon it drops through a guide g² into a spring-controlled
oscillating receiver O, see Figs. 3 and 6. The semi-revolution of the ratchet
wheel brings into action a cam L fixed upon the inner end of the spindle J
of the ratchet wheel. This cam bears against a bar M carrying a roller N sup-
porting the table, and by its action it first lowers one end of the table so as to bring
the playing ball within range of the cue, and then raises it again to the horizontal
position for playing.
According to whether the player by means of the spring-controlled cue makes
a successful shot or not, the coin, temporarily retained in the oscillating receiver O,
will either be returned or appropriated by the owners of the apparatus. This is
effected in the following manner.
For returning the coin after a successful stroke, the mechanism for returning
the ball from the pocket is caused to actuate a lever X through the intervention
of a pin a provided on the pusher rod P. The said pin strikes against a pin x¹ on
the lever X causing the latter to oscillate on its pivot a² and press by its free end Y
against the lower portion of the oscillating receiver 0. This receiver, which is
open at bottom, is suspended between screws 0¹ having needle points provided
in a strap or U-piece K, Figs. 3, 7 and 8, the lower portion of which acts as a guard
for retaining the coin. On the lever X impinging against the receiver as above
stated the latter is swung out at its lower end and moves the coin sideways until
free of the guard K (Fig. 8) when it drops into a shoot Z by which it is directed
through a slot z into a plate z¹ for removal by the player. If the player desires

page_text: to continue playing he again inserts the coin in the slot p to enable him to bring
the ball within range in the manner already stated.
After a non-successful stroke the coin is not returned because the pusher P
remains locked by the bolt and such coin is dropped into the receiver or till t at
the bottom of the case A at the time of inserting a fresh coin for operating the
tilting mechanism of the table to bring the playing ball within range of the cue
To effect this a lever j suspended from a pin n carried by a bracket n is acted
upon by radial arms & secured to the spindle J. The lever is provided near its
suspended end with a heel piece m formed with an inclined surface, and when one
of the arms is moved over this inclined surface the lower portion of the lever j is
correspondingly pressed rearward. As will be seen in Fig. 4 of the drawings,
the lever is curved at its lower end and so arranged as to bear against the upper
portion of the receiver O, so that when operated by the arm k it causes the said.
receiver to swing in an opposite direction to that brought about by the lever X
as above described, and thus allows the coin retained by it to fall into the till t as
previously explained and shown in Fig. 7. The receiver 0 is returned to its
normal position after each oscillation by the action of a spring 02, and in order
to prevent the next coin from dropping through the guide g² into the till at the
same time when discharging the first coin from the receiver O, this latter is
provided with a projecting lip or flange g³ adapted to close the lower end of the
said guide g and to support the coin therein, as shown in Fig. 7, until the return
of the receiver O to its normal position above the guard K.
It is to be understood that although the apparatus has been described with
reference to a billiard table, the same may be used in connection with other games
of a similar nature.
We have above referred only to returning his coin to a successful player but we
may in some cases give him in exchange any suitable equivalent, discharged from
a goods container by the action of the same or an equivalent tilting arrangement
of mechanism.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A coin-freed apparatus for playing billiards or like games comprising in
combination a tilting table provided with a glass cover, a captive cue or striker,
a spot ball with means for keeping and for returning the same in position on the
table, a loose ball (or balls) means for returning the loose or playing ball to
within the range of the cue, coin-freed mechanism for starting the game, means for
returning the coin after each successful stroke and means for retaining the coin
after an unsuccessful stroke, all substantially as herein before described.
2. In a coin-freed apparatus for playing billiards or like games such as above
referred to, the means for normally keeping the tilting table level and locked,
and for tilting the same when required for returning the playing ball to within
range of the cue, the said apparatus being controlled by the coin-freed mechanism
and adapted to operate substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
3. In a coin-freed apparatus for playing billiards or like games, and comprising
a tilting table mounted on hinges in a case containing mechanism for tilting it
and covered by a glass cover, and having pocket holes to receive the playing ball,
shoots for directing such ball into a receiver fitted with a plunger connected to
a lever for returning the ball on to the table, said plunger and lever being
normally locked but unlocked by the weight of the ball, substantially as and for
the purpose herein before described.
4. In a coin-freed apparatus for playing billiards or like games, and comprising
al tilting table with mechanism for tilting the same, a spring controlled captive
cue or striker and mechanism normally locked for returning the ball in combina-
tion with means for returning the coin to the player after each successful stroke,
substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 5. The combination of parts constituting the improved apparatus for playing
billiards or like games, arranged and adapted for use substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated tins on day of July 1898.
For the Applicants,
J. C. CHAPMAN,
Chartered Patent Agent, 70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.