Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1886
Complete Left, 12th Sept., 1887
Complete Accepted, 28th Oct., 1887
I, WALTER BUTTERY of the firm of Burroughes & Watts of 19 Soho Square London
in the County of Middlesex Billiard Table Maker do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
--
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of Billiard Tables
whereby I propose to prevent the cushion frame and rubber block from becoming
loose and to provide a more rigid groundwork for the rubber, so as to give a greater
resistance to the impact of the balls in playing.
In ordinary Billiard Tables the wooden cushion frame is secured by long screws
to the slab forming the bed of the table, and the rubber block is glued and screwed
to the Cushion frame. When these tables have been in use for sometime, mostly in
heated rooms, the wood shrinks the glue yields the screws become loose, the speed of
the ball when it strikes the Cushion is diminished, and the Cushion makes a noise
very objectionable to the player; further, the position of the screws is usually such
that the nuts in the slab which are to receive them are nearer to the surface of the
slab than desirable.
To obviate these defects and to provide a rigid base I place between the Cushion
frame and the rubber block a plate of iron, or any suitable metal of any desired
strength, which I securely fix to the slab forming the bed of the table by screws and
nuts, or in any convenient manner; I then attach the rubber block thereto by screws,
or otherwise, and finally the cushion frame, which I may secure to the metal plate by
means of projections on the one taking into grooves on the other, by any kind of
mortice and tenon, or as I may in practice find most desirable.
In the ordinary construction the shrinking or warping of the rubber block causes
it to separate from the Cushion frame, and vice versa, the rigidity of the whole being
thus destroyed; but with my metal plate the rubber block always finds a firm support,
and should it or the metal plate by any possibility become loose the Cushion frame is
easily removed for the purpose of tightening either, and is as readily replaced when
this is effected; whereas in the ordinary construction the tightening of these parts is
a long troublesome and expensive operation.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Billiard Tables.
1, WALTER BUTTERY of the firm of Burroughes and Watts of 19 Soho Square
London in the County of Middlesex Billiard Table 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 improvements in the Construction of Billiard Tables whereby
1 propose to prevent the Cushion frame and rubber block from becoming loose and
to provide a more rigid groundwork for the rubber, so as to give a greater resistance
to the impact of the balls in playing.
In ordinary Billiard Tables the wooden Cushion frame is secured by long screws
to the slab forming the bed of the table, and the rubber block is glued and screwed
to the Cushion frame. When these tables have been in use for some time, mostly
in heated rooms, the wood shrinks, the glue yields, the screws become loose, the
speed of the ball when it strikes the cushion is diminished, and the Cushion, makes a
noise very objectionable to the player; further, the position of the screws is usually
such that the nuts in the slab which are to receive them are nearer to the surface of
the slab than desirable.
To obviate these defects and to provide a rigid base, I introduce between the cushion
frame and the rubber block a plate of iron, or any suitable metal, of any desired
strength, which I securely fix to the slab forming the bed of the table.
On the accompanying sheet of Drawing.
Figure 1. is a cross section through a cushion frame and rubber block embodying
my improvements.
Figure 2 is a front view of the same with cushion frame removed (drawn to a
reduced scale).
Figure 3 is a plan of the above.
A being the Cushion frame. B is the rubber block. C Metal Plate. D Slab or
bed of table. E Screws for securing metal plates to bed. F projecting heads on same
for securing Cushion frame. G Screws for attaching rubber block to metal plate.
H Grooves in Cushion frame for projecting heads F.
Upon reference to the drawing it will be seen that I place the plate of metal U
between the Cushion frame A and the rubber block B, and securely fix it to the slab D,
forming the bed of the Table, by screws E and nuts E¹. I then attach the rubber
block B thereto by the screws G, and finally secure the Cushion frame A to the metal
plate C, by means of the projections F on the one, taking into the grooves H, on the
other.
In the ordinary construction the shrinking or warping of the rubber block causes
it to separate from the Cushion frame, and vice versa, the rigidity of the whole being
thus destroyed; but with my metal plate the rubber block always finds a firm support,
and should it, or the metal plate, by any possibility become loose, the Cushion frame
is easily removed for the purpose of tightening either, and is as readily replaced when

page_text: this is effected; whereas in the ordinary construction the tightening of these parts
is a long, troublesome, and expensive operation.
The construction above described and illustrated on the drawing is one that I find
to answer well; I do not however propose to limit myself thereto as the metal plate.
might be otherwise secured to the bed of the table and combined with the cushion
frame and rubber block, while retaining the essential feature of my invention.
:-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In the construction of Billiard Tables, the introduction of a metal plate (C)
between the cushion frame (A) and the rubber block (B), substantially as described
for the purpose specified.
2. In the construction of a Billiard Table, the combination of the metal plate C,
with the slab or bed of table D, the rubber block B and the Cushion frame A, secured
by the fastenings E, F, G, H, as hereinbefore described and shown in the accom-
panying sheet of drawing.