IMPROVEMENTS IN TABLES ADAPTED TO BE EMPLOYED FOR PLAYING BILLIARDS OR OTHER GAMES WITH BALLS, AND ALSO FOR DINING OR OTHER USES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry John Dickinson, of North Mews, Henry
Street, Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Billiard
Table Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TABLES
ADAPTED TO BE EMPLOYED FOR PLAYING BILLIARDS OR OTHER GAMES WITH
BALLS, AND ALSO FOR DINING OR OTHER USES."
Sealed the 14th July 1868, and dated the 23rd January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry John Dickinson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd January 1868.
I, HENRY JOHN DICKINSON, of North Mews, Henry Street, Gray's
Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Billiard Table Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TABLES ADAPTED TO BE EMPLOYED FOR PLAYING BILLIARDS OR OTHER GAMES
WITH BALLS, AND ALSO FOR DINING OR OTHER USES," to be as follows:-
The object of the Invention is that tables arranged for playing
billiards and such like games may be readily convertible to dining

page_text: or such like uses. For this purpose I in most cases dispense with
the under framework usually employed to give strength and solidity
to billiard tables, in order to avoid the interference of these parts with
the knees when the table is to be used as a dining table, and employ
in place thereof a wood frame of two or three or more inches thick,
strengthened with iron bars screwed thereto, and with the edge thereof
in a vertical direction to give firmer support to the slate or other
bed, or the under frame may be set back under for large sizes of tables.
The frame for the cushions may be formed deeper and with increased
strength, and this frame when the table is used for dining purposes
will serve as the frieze of it, the top being formed by leaves laid on
and slightly overhanging the cushion frame, as has heretofore been
employed. The legs are of depth adapted to the lowest elevation of
the surface of the table for dining or such like purposes, and at each
end of the under framing I apply by hinge or such like joints a frame
or tressel with a screw or screws to turn in nuts in such frame, and
having each a foot adapted when the frame is turned down to rest on
the floor, such frame with its parts being of strength sufficient to bear
the weight of the end of the table.
Supposing the table to be arranged for use for dining or such like
purpose, and it is desired to raise it for billiards, then I let down
these hinged frames or tressels, and beginning at one end I turn
the screw or screws with the foot or feet resting on the floor, or I
turn a nut or nuts on such screw or screws by a lever handle or
otherwise, and thus raise the one end of the table to a desired
height, when I apply under the legs of that end shoes or part
legs adapted to support that end of the table. I then do the like
with the other end of the table. When desired I ease the legs off
these additional part legs or shoes and let the table down by turning
the screws in the opposite direction one end of the table at a time. By
these means very little power will be required to convert the table
from one used for dining to that for playing billiards.
The method of lifting and lowering is also applicable to other
arrangements of billiard and such like tables.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry John Dickinson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
JOHN DICKINSON, of North Mews, Henry Street, Gray's Inn Road, in
the County of Middlesex, Billiard Table Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry John Dickinson, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry John Dickinson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry John Dickinson,
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 TABLES ADAPTED TO BE EMPLOYED FOR PLAYING BILLIARDS.
OR OTHER GAMES WITH BALLS, AND ALSO FOR DINING OR OTHER USES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry John Dickinson,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 Henry John Dickinson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same.
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of the Invention is that tables arranged for playing billiards
and such like games may be readily convertible to dining or such like
uses. For this purpose I in most cases dispense with the under frame-
work usually employed to give strength and solidity to billiard tables in
order to avoid the interference of these parts with the knees when the

page_text: table is to be used as a dining table, and I employ in place thereof a
wood frame of two, or three, or more inches thick, strengthened with iron
bars, screwed thereto, and with the edge of such iron bars in a vertical
direction to give firmer support to the slate or other bed; or the under
frame may be set back under for large sizes of tables. The frame for
the cushions may be formed deeper and with increased strength, and this
frame when the table is used for dining purposes will serve as the frieze
of it, the top being formed by leaves laid on and slightly overhanging
the cushion frame, as has heretofore been employed. The legs are of
depth adapted to the lowest elevation of the surface of the table for
dining or such like purposes, and at each end of the under framing
I apply, by hinge or such like joints, a frame or tressel, with a screw or
screws to turn in nuts in such frame, and having each a foot adapted
when the frame is turned down to rest on the floor, such frame with its
parts being of strength sufficient to bear the weight of the end of the
table.
Supposing the table to be arranged for use for dining or such like
purpose, and it is desired to raise it for billiards, then I let down these
hinged frames or tressels, and beginning at one end I turn the screw
or screws with the foot or feet resting on the floor, or I turn a nut
or nuts on such screw or screws by a lever, handle, or otherwise, and thus
raise the one end of the table to a desired height, when I apply under
the legs of that end shoes or part legs adapted to support that end of
the table; I then do the like with the other end of the table. When
it may be desired to lower the table again I ease the legs off these
additional part legs or shoes, and let the table down by turning the
screws in the opposite direction one end of the table at a time. By
these means very little power will be required to convert the table from
one used for dining or other uses to that for playing billiards.
The method of lifting and lowering is also applicable to other
arrangements of billiard and such like tables.
But that the Invention may be fully understood I will, by the aid of
the accompanying Drawing, proceed to described means pursued by me
in carrying the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.

page_text: according to my Invention. In these three views the table is repre-
sented at its lowest height or that adapted to its being used as a dining
table. Figure 4 shows the same raised for its more convenient use in
playing the game of billiards or other game with balls on it.
a, a, indicates the main framing of the table, strengthened by the
application thereto of the iron bars or plates b, being secured to the
wood by screws 6', or by other suitable means. The frame a rests on
the legs c, c, which for facility of transit may be formed to screw into
the frame a if desired; d, d, are the frames for the cushions d'; these
frames d, d, are shown somewhat deeper than is the usual practice, and
the fronts of them form the frieze under the top e, which is indicated by
dotted lines, and may be obtained by the use of "flaps" or divisions
such as those used to sets of ordinary dining tables; but I prefer that
these "flaps" be provided with projections on their under side adapted
by acting on the edge of the frames d to keep them in correct relative
position. At each end of the frame a is applied a frame f, which are
cach connected to the frame a by hinge joints f¹, so that they may be
readily let down into the position indicated by Figures 2 and 3, or be
raised by being turned on their hinges into the position indicated by the
red dotted lines in Figure 1, and there supported by a sliding cross bar h
or otherwise.
until the foot f* attached by ball-
Figures 2 and 3 show the parts in position for the table being raised.
To accomplish this object the screw f, which turns in a corresponding
screw or nut in the lower part of the frame fat one end of the table is
to be turned by means of its handle f
and-socket joint to the lower end of that screw fi first rests on the floor
and then progressively raises that end of the table to a little above the
desired height to admit of a shoe or part leg 7 being applied under cach
leg c of the end so raised, when the screw f* may be turned the reverse
way to lower those legs c on to the shoes or part legs g, and then by the
like operation the other end of the table may be similarly raised. When
it may be desired to lower the table again the screw f' at one end will
first be turned to raise that end of the table to free the shoes or part
legs g, and when they have been removed the table may be lowered by
the turning of the screw f' until the legs c, c, of that end again rest on
the floor, when the other end of the table may be similarly lowered, and
so on as may be desired. It will readily be understood that in place of
only one screw at each end of the table there may be two at each end

page_text: caused to turn or move in suitable nuts by connecting gear simul-
taneously operating those screws or the nuts of them.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details shown and described, as the same
may be varied; but what I do claim is, the adaptation or combination of
means by which billiard and such like tables adapted for use in playing
games with balls may be readily convertible for dining or other uses,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry John Dickinson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.