Improvements in Ball-returning Apparatus for Billiard Tables.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ball-returning Apparatus for Billiard Tables.
I, WILLIAM GILMORE of 4, Cromwell House, Vauxhall Walk, Lambeth, S.E.
Cabinet Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus to be applied to billiard tables for effecting
when required the return to the baulk end of the table of a ball pocketed at the
other end or middle of the table, the action of the apparatus being (for the game
of billiards) such that the return of the ball is dependent upon manual operation
of the apparatus whilst permitting the automatic return of the ball in other cases.
The apparatus which is applied at each side of the table comprises a ball guiding
trough upon which the ball pocketed is received and runs, said guide extending
the full length of the table beneath bottomless pockets in combination with ball
retaining and propelling devices applied beneath the pockets at the spot end and
middle of the table whereby the ball will be retained where pocketed until pro-
pelled along the guide to the baulk end. These retaining and propelling devices
are operated through the medium of the ball guide itself which is longitudinally
movable and is supported beneath the bed of the table, each such device com-
prising two pivotal arms moving together and adapted to project the one in front
and the other in rear of the ball which when pocketed is received on the guide
between the two arms. These arms have a pin and slot connection with the ball
guide such that by a longitudinal motion of the ball guide the retaining arm
is swung out of the way and the propelling arm impels the ball along the guide
with the requisite velocity whilst by the same motion both arms are turned down
out of the path of the ball so that the propelling device at the middle pocket will
not then obstruct the passage of the ball coming from the end pocket, the return
of the parts to their normal position being effected by a spring.
The ball guide may be set at a downward incline towards the baulk end so
that when the said retaining and propelling devices are turned out of operative
position all the balls pocketed will be automatically returned to the baulk end,
as necessary in playing Pool. At the baulk end, catch pockets are provided in
which the ball is received whether coming from the ball guide or from the pocket
immediately above.
The ball guide may be a fixture and the arms which receive the balls may be
operated by a rod or cord.
Dated this 5th day of November 1896
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agenta.

page_text: Improvements in Ball-returning Apparatus for Billiard Tables.
I, WILLIAM GILMORE of 4, Cromwell House, Vauxhall Walk, Lambeth, S.E.
Cabinet Maker, 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:-
My Invention relates to apparatus to be applied to billiard tables whereby to
enable a ball pocketed at the spot end or middle of the table to be quickly returned
to the baulk end of the table as required in playing billiards, the apparatus being
also adapted to permit the slow automatic return of the ball to the baulk end
in playing pool.
The apparatus comprises a ball guide extending the full length of the table (one
at each side) beneath bottomless pockets and in combination with ball propelling
devices whereby a ball pocketed at the spot end or middle of the table will by
the manual operation of the said apparatus be rapidly propelled along the guide
to the baulk end. The ball propelling devices may be operated through the
medium of the ball guide itself or by an independent pull-and-push rod or a.
cord connection, and each such device comprises a pivoted V-piece whose arms
are adapted to project upwards so that the ball will be received on the guide
between the two arms. By the sudden oscillation of the V-piece the retaining
arm is swung out of the way and the propelling arm caused to impel the ball
along the guide with the requisite velocity. The devices at the end and middle
pockets are operated simultaneously and are turned down out of the way below
the guide so that the device at the middle pocket will not obstruct the passage
of the ball coming from the end pocket, the return of the parts to their normal
position being afterwards effected by a reverse movement of the ball guide either
by hand or by a spring. The ball guide would preferably be set at a downward
inclination of about two inches lower at the baulk, than at the spot end, so, that
when in playing pool the said devices are turned permanently out of operative
position all the balls pocketed will slowly run to the baulk end in readiness for
use when required. The guide may however be set horizontally if preferred in
which case the balls will only be returned to the baulk end by the operation of
the ball propelling devices.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation shewing the end and middle
pockets and the corresponding portions of the guide and propelling devices at the
one side of the table. Figures 2 and 3 are cross sectional and side elevations
on a larger scale of one of the propelling devices. Figure 4 is a plan of the ball
receiver at the baulk end of the guide. The same letters of reference denote
like parts in all the Figures.
The table A is provided with ordinary pockets at the baulk end and with
open or bottomless pockets 13 B at the middle and spot end. Beneath these
pockets extends the ball guide C which may be formed of a channelled or trough-
like wooden bar, as shewn, or of a pair of wooden rods of round or other section
braced together so as to form guide rails for the ball 'to roll in.
In pairs of brackets D hung from the top frame of the table and beneath the
pockets B1 B2, are the ball-retaining and propelling devices each composed of a
V-frame, the two arms E F of which are adapted to pass up between the ball
guide rails, as shewn in Figure 1 and in dotted lines in Figures 2 and 3; in
position to receive between them the ball falling through the pocket immediately
above or to be turned down completely below the level of the ball guide, as shewn
in full lines in Figures 2 and 3, the V-frame being for this purpose pivoted
5

page_text: upon a transverse axis D¹ beneath the ball guide. The retaining arm E serves
to prevent the ball rolling away from the propelling arm F so that an impulse
of certain amount will be given to the ball immediately the device is actuated.
When, as in the example illustrated, the devices are operated by the ball guide
itself the latter is supported with freedom to slide longitudinally between lugs d
on the brackets D or otherwise and the propelling arm F is provided with a
slotted link G at back through which passes a cross-pin g fixed in the ball guide C
so that by the longitudinal motion of the latter the ball-propelling device will
be oscillated on its pivot D' from the one to the other of the two positions shown.
A spring may be connected to the underside of the ball guide and to a fixed
point of the frame to return the propelling devices to operative position, but
generally this would not be used the return to operative position being effected
by a push of the ball guide in which case the propelling devices remain in which-
ever position they are placed. Instead of making the ball guide longitudinally
movable for the purpose of operating the ball propelling devices the latter may
be connected by pin and slot g G with a pull-and-push rod beneath the ball guide.
Or a cord or wire connection might be used for operating the devices simul-
taneously, as will be readily understood without illustration, but when the guide
or a separate rod is used it may be operated by a pull or a push, as the case may
be, from either end of the table the accurate determination of the ball receiving
position of the devices being ensured by the arm F coming against the end of
the slot in which it plays or by the motion of the ball guide being limited by
stops.
At the spot end of the ball guide is a leather cushion H which comes beneath
the pocket 13 when the propelling devices are out of operative position, this
cushion being inclined so as to give the ball a starting impetus down the ball
guide. At the baulk end of the ball guide a cradle-like receiver is provided being
formed of a bow-shaped frame I the side members of which are attached to the
members of the hall guide and are gradually widened out so as to allow the
ball to pass down between them until it rests on the cross member i and is arrested
by the bow end of the receiver.
To prevent noise, the arms E F and all other metal work with which the ball
is liable to come in contact is covered with leather, cloth, or other soft material,
and with the same object the pivotal joints of the propelling devices may be
bushed so as to avoid contact of metal with metal. The pockets B or B2 would
be formed of leather so as to conduct the ball down truly into proper position
on the propelling devices beneath.
The apparatus differs from all others heretofore proposed in that the balls.
pocketed are not necessarily returned to the baulk end, the operation of the
apparatus being dependent on the manual action of the player so that when for
instance the red ball is pocketed it can be retained where pocketed for the purpose
of being directly replaced on the spot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A ball-returning apparatus for billiard tables consisting in the combination,
with a ball-guide, of ball-propelling devices consisting of pivoted V-frames
adapted to receive the ball from the pocket and to be rocked so as to project the
ball along the guide substantially as specified.
2. A ball-returning apparatus for billiard tables consisting in the combination,
with a ball-guide, of ball-propelling devices arranged in relation thereto and
operating as described the ball guide being longitudinally movable and coupled
to the propelling devices so as to serve also as the means of operating them as
specified.
3. A ball-returning apparatus for billiard tables consisting in the combination,
with a ball-guide, of ball-propelling devices arranged in relation thereto and to

page_text: bottomless pockets as described and so coupled that the devices at the middle and
end pockets are operated simultaneously in order that the one shall be moved
out of the way of a ball coming from the other as described.
Dated this 5th day of August 1897
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.