IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MARKING OR SCORING AT BILLIARDS,' 'PYRAMIDS,' AND 'POOL,' AND OTHER SIMILAR GAMES, AND FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF GAMES PLAYED
Year: 1875

page_text: G
LETTERS PATENT to James Hare, of Ivy Cottage, Clapham Common,
in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR MARKING OR SCORING AT BILLIARDS,' 'PYRAMIDS,' AND
'POOL,' AND OTHER SIMILAR GAMES, AND FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF
GAMES PLAYED.”
Sealed the 9th December 1875, and dated the 15th June 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hare at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th June 1875.
I, JAMES HARE, of Ivy Cottage, Clapham Common, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MARKING OR SCORING AT ‘BILLIARDS,' 'PYRAMIDS,”
AND 'POOL,' AND OTHER SIMILAR GAMES, AND FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF
GAMES PLAYED," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for
marking or scoring at "billiards," "pyramids," and "pool," and other
similar games, and for registering the number of games played.

page_text: 1
The marking board is made with two half doors hung upon hinges
and shutting into a casing or framing forming part of the board, the one
half door then being fastened or secured with top and bottom bolts, and
the other half door locked into it in the usual way with any safety lock.
When thus shut and fastened the outer faces of the doors prosent a
series of circular enamelled figured dials, upon which the scores of the
games of billiards and pyramids are marked or indicated by pointers
attached to spindles running through the doors to and projecting
inwards from their inner faces; these spindles at their outer ends
carrying knobs, by which the pointers can be easily turned to the
numbers to be scored, and thus mark the state of the game.
The spindles of the billiard, pyramid, and pool-marking mechanism
are each provided on the inner faces of the half doors with a ratchet
wheel controlled by a pawl, and these ratchet wheels each work in
connection with a registering and indicating wheel, access to which can
only be had by the proprietor opening the half doors; thus every time
the score of any game is completed or the game is won and a com-
plete revolution given to the pointer to enable the commencement of
the scoring of any fresh game the registering and indicating wheel is
acted upon by the ratchet wheel and turned so as to indicate a higher
number by one, and it thus shows the number of games that have been
played, and for payment on which the marker will subsequently have
to account to the proprietor.
The pawl prevents the pointer being turned backwards save to a very
limited degree to allow for possible mistakes in scoring at the games of
billiards and pyramids, and a spring prevents the possibility of the
indicating wheel being advanced more than is right at one revolution.
In the game of pool the marking of the lost "spots" or "lives" is
effected by semicircular metallic or other discs secured on the spindles
at the outer faces of the half doors, and which are turned by knobs
on the spindles to cover the three "spots" or "lives," which are
depicted or marked semicircularly on the fronts of the half doors as
they are lost, and as the third life is lost, and so marked, the registering
and indicating wheel is acted upon as above described to effect the
registering of the game as having been played.
The indicating wheels can be set to any number as a starting number
the proprictor wishes, and no interference can take place from the

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Hare in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th December 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HARE, of Ivy Cottage, Clapham Common, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James Hare, Her special licence that I, the
said James Hare, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Hare, 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 APPARATUS FOR
MARKING OR SCORING AT BILLIARDS,' 'PYRAMIDS,' AND 'POOL,' AND OTHER
SIMILAR GAMES, AND FOR REGISTERING THE NUMBER OF GAMES PLAYED," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Hare, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said. James Hare, 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 in writing, and on reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say:-

page_text: This Invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for
marking or scoring at "billiards," "pyramids," and "pool," and other
similar games, and for registering the number of such games played.
The improved apparatus is illustrated on the accompanying Drawing
in Figure 1, the left-hand half of which represents one half of the front
elevation or face of the improved marking board, and which shews the
scoring of the players, the other half having a similar arrangement and
appearance, and the right-hand half of which represents the other half
turned back to shew the peculiar arrangement of gearing and appliances
which effect the scoring of the players on the face of the board, and
the registering on the back thereof the number of games played, for
payment on the latter of which the "marker" will subsequently have to
account to the proprietor.
1 represents or indicates two half or folding doors, with which the
marking board is provided; they are hung upon hinges 2 and shut into 1
a casing or framing 3 enclosing the working parts, and the one half
door of which is secured or fastened when shut by top and bottom bolts 4,
and the other half door of which is then locked thereinto in the ordinary
way with any suitable safety lock 5. When thus shut and fastened the
outer faces of these half doors 1 present circular enamelled metallic 2
figured dials 6 and 7, upon which the scores of the players at the games
of billiards and pyramids are respectively marked or indicated by
pointers 8 attached to spindles 9 which pass through the doors 1 and
project inwards from their inner faces, and which at their outer ends
are provided with handles or knobs 10, by which the pointers 8 can be 2
easily turned as required to the numbers to be scored, and thus mark
the state of the game..
In the game of pool the marking of the lost "spots" or "lives" is
effected by semicircular metallic or other discs 11 connected to their
spindles 9, and which are turned to cover the three "spots" or "lives" 12 3
(which are depicted or marked semicircularly on the fronts of the
doors 1, as and in the positions shewn) as they are lost. As a modi-
fication of this arrangement the discs 11 may be made, as shown at X,
of a circular shape with holes made in them corresponding in position
to the "spots 12, as cach "life" is lost the corresponding spot 3
is similarly covered from view by that part of the disc 11 not per-
forated.
"

page_text: The spindles 9 (of the billiard, pyramid, and pool-narking mechanism)
are each provided on the inner faces of the doors 1 with a ratchet
wheel 18 controlled or working in connection with a pawl 14; and these
wheels 13 each also work in connection with a registering and indicating
5 wheel 15, which works in connection with a second similar wheel 16,
and to which wheels access can only be had by the proprietor unlocking
the doors 1, thus every time the score of any game is completed, or the
game is won, or in pool, the "third" life lost, and a complete revolution
given to the pointers 8 or the discs 11 to enable the commencement of
O the scoring of any fresh game, the registering wheels 15 are acted upon
by the ratchet wheels 13 so as to indicate a higher number by one, and
they thus shew the number of games that have been played. This will
be readily seen on reference being had to the accompanying Drawing,
in which the registering apparatus is shown in a variety of positions.
The ratchet and pawl arrangements are provided to allow the
pointers 8 being turned backwards to a limited extent to correct
possible mistakes which may be made in the scoring, but the provision
effectually prevents any considerable backward movement thereof. The
wheels 13 actuate the wheels 15 by means of a projecting tooth 17 once
every revolution, and motion is similarly communicated from the
wheels 15 to the wheels 16 once every revolution of the wheels 15.
Thus if the wheels 15 and 16 were each provided with, say, twenty
teeth (each of which is numbered as shown in the billiard and pyramid
registering apparatus) each pair would indicate up to four hundred.
At each movement the wheels 15 and 16 are prevented being advanced
more than is right by springs 18 which engage with their teeth and
somewhat retard the freeness of their movement.
The billiard marking dials are divided, as shewn, to allow of the
games of 50 and 100 at billiards being marked on them; in either case
the wheels 15. are only actuated upon the completion of the rotation of
the pointers 8.
The wheels 13 of the pool marking mechanism are made with three
ratchet projections in the positions shewn, or they may be made with
more ratchet projections than those of the billiard and pool marking
mechanism to prevent any backward movement.
The indicating wheels 15 and 16 can be set to any number as a
starting number the proprietor wishes, and no interference can take

page_text: place from the marker or any unauthorized person; and to give a greater
security in this respect than the locking of the doors alone will give,
no special mark or its equivalent is made opposite the registering
wheels on the backs of the doors 1; this allows the proprietor also to
make a pencil or other mark V where he likes and opposite any point
from which to start in counting, and thus as great protection against
fraud is obtained, as has been previously obtained by the use of very
much more complicated means and apparatus.
:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, together with the manner in which the :
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I
would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention, the various
improvements above described and the novel and peculiar arrangement
and combination thereof for the specified purposes of the Invention, all
substantially as herein described and as illustrated on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James' Hare, have hereunto set
I my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of December, in the
4
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
TAZERS TADD