IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF CUSHIONS FOR BILLIARD AND OTHER SIMILAR GAME TABLES, AND IN THE MODE OF MAINTAINING THEM IN GOOD ORDER AND CONDITION."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Bayliff, of Liscard, in the County of Chester, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO THE MANUFACTURE
OF CUSHIONS FOR BILLIARD AND OTHER SIMILAR GAME TABLES, AND IN THE
MODE OF MAINTAINING THEM IN GOOD ORDER AND CONDITION.""
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Bayliff at the
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th November 1878.
GEORGE BAYLIFF, of Liscard, in the County of Chester.
AND APPERTAINING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF CUSHIONS FOR BILLIARD AND OTHER
SIMILAR GAME TABLES, AND IN THE MODE OF MAINTAINING THEM IN GOOD ORDER
AND CONDITION."
This Invention is designed to give the cushion a more perfect re-action on the
billiard ball, and thus improve the working of the game.
1st. I mould the cushion in such manner that the back bearing surface above the
centre line of contact with the ball shall be equal in vertical area with that beneath,
and thus the impact of the ball is equally distributed through the cushion and over
the pushing plate at back.
2nd. I mould the cushions to the right shape at once, either the entire length with
ends to fit pockets all in one mould, or I mould the cushions in long lengths cut to
suit, and mould the ends for the pockets in independent moulds, and join on.
3rd. I place at the back of the cushion a plate made of metal, lignum-vitae, or
other material harder than what has ordinarily been used. The cushion is attached
to this plate so as to take the pressure or push of the cushion direct, the hard plate
being preferably vertical.
4th. Near the plate to which the cushion is attached in any convenient position
I attach a tube for circulating hot water or steam; it is partially surrounded with

page_text: air, and appertures or air-ways are left or made in the structure to admit the air
heated by the pipe to circulate about the cushion and warm it. The water or other
liquid in the pipe is heated in a small boiler, to which the pipe is attached, and
heated with an oil or gas flame below, the water circulating from the upper part of
the boiler through the pipe in the table and back again to the bottom of the boiler.
Other forms or modes of circulating and heating the water or other fluid in the pipe
can be used if desired. This apparatus saves the constant trouble entailed in
softening cushions, and the heating can go on while a game is in progress. In private
houses where games are only occasionally played, it keeps the cushions permanently
soft.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan partly in horizontal section of my improved cushions and appa-
ratus connected therewith; Fig. 2, a sectional elevation of part of a cushion; Fig. 3,
an alternative plan used when applying the heating apparatus to old tables. A is
the cushion constructed as described in parts 1 and 2, B, the hard plate at the
back. C, the pipe for circulating the heating medium. D, the airways through
which the heated air passes to warm the cushions. E is the ball shown in the act
of striking the cushion. F, the outside frame of the table; bolts I pass through it
and through the plate B to the bed of the table, binding all together. J, a cap
covering the end of the recess for the bolts. K, a metal bracket or trough for sup-
porting the pipes C. The cloth is tacked on to the outside frame at G, and is
stretched over the cushion and wedged into the space between the hard plate and
frame by the wooden or other strips H. L are the pockets. When applying the
heating apparatus to an old table it is often not worth while to put in a new back

page_text: and cushions. In this case I adopt the plan shown in Fig. 3, in which the air heated
by the pipe traverses the holes shown in the slate.
I have not shown apparatus for heating the water or other fluid, as there are so
many systems of heating small quantities of fluid that would be found suitable in
use. I may fix a small boiler or heater underneath the table, or even in a recess or
attached to one of the table legs; or I may use water taken from a household or
horticultural boiler if convenient, circulating it through the table and back to the
boiler, the circulation being usually kept up by passing the pipe upward through
the heating medium.
This Invention applies to game-tables other than billiard tables in which balls are
used to rebound against soft elastic cushions.
Having now described my Invention and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be new and desire to
claim under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The manufacture of cushions as described for billiard and like game tables in
such manner that the back bearing surface above the centre line of contact with the
ball shall be equal in vertical area with that beneath, so that the impact of the ball
shall be equally distributed through the cushion and over its backing, for the pur-
poses described.
2nd. The special hard backing B applied to the cushions of a billiard or
table, for the purposes described.
like game
3rd. The mode described of keeping the cushions of billiard or like game tables
in a pliant condition by causing artificially heated air (heated by a hot or warm
medium as described) to circulate against or in close proximity to the cushions..
4th. The general arrangement of billiard and like game table cushions and appa-
ratus for warming them, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Bayliff, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
2
Witness,
HERBERT BAYLIFF,
at W. P. Thompson & Co's.,
Patent Office,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool.
GEORGE BAYLIFF. (L.S.)