Improvements in Billiard Tables, or Tables where there are Inlets or Outlets, and where Balls are played with.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th May, 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Billiard Tables, or Tables where there are Inlets
or Outlets, and where Balls are played with.
I, THOMAS DAVID MIDGLEY 46 Ingrave Street Battersea, London S. W. Silver
Chaser do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention is to so improve billiard tables and the like that the necessity in
repeatedly having to go around the table for the balls when playing, is avoided.
The tables have inlets at the sides and ends, to each inlet is attached a pocket, the
inlets are large enough to let the balls fall through into the pockets. At the
bottom of each pocket is a hole through which the balls pass and fall or drop into
the sidings. There are four sidings, one each side and one at each end, or can be
arranged in other ways to answer the purpose.
The sidings that the balls drop into is on an incline; at the sides they will reach
from the top pockets to the other end of the table, known as the balk end, the end
sidings will reach across the ends of the table meeting the side one.
At the end of the table known as spot end there will be a small partition between
the two sidings to prevent the balls from rolling down to the balk end. The sidings
can be under the frieze of the table, or arranged in some other suitable way; and
there will be a covering of cloth or other materials for them. The pockets at the
balk end will hang over the siding at that end of the table. The sidings can be
made of a material suitable for the purpose and can either be fixed, suspended, or
rest on bearings and can be made to be folded.
At the side sidings there will be a rise or an arrangement that when the ball or
balls fall through the pockets they will roll down the sidings, up the incline and fall
into the end siding, namely the balk end. There will be ample room to place the
hand in the sidings to take out the balls. At the same end the balk end siding
there can be two slides or some such arrangements which will go through the
sidings and frame of the table. They will be about six inches apart, they can be
pulled out and pushed back; when the slide or slides are pulled out, the balls that
are in that siding will fall into another siding which will be connected to the same
siding underneath the table, and will pass through or under the frame cross rails
and bearings of the table, and the balls will then fall into the siding at the spot
end. The pockets at the spot end will have a band or something connected to the
pockets which will be covered with cloth or something suitable and to that or the
pockets there will be a cord wire or other arrangements that can be pulled, pressed,
pushed or lifted from any part of the table and will have sloops, rings, catches, or
arrangements that when it is pulled it can be dropped or held, if dropped or placed
on the parts referred to which will be fixed around the frieze of the table or other
parts, by pulling it it will draw the two pockets which it is attached to from the
side sidings, that they hang over the side sidings at the spot end that the ball or
balls will fall on that siding only.
There will be a spring or something that will answer the purpose attached to the
two pockets or that which is fixed to the pockets, the other end of the spring will
be fixed to some part of the siding or table, and when the cord is released the
spring, will draw the pockets that they hang over the side siding for the balls to
roll to the balk end of the table. There can be small wheels, rollers or pulleys
for the cord or arrangement to pass on under or connected to some part of
the table, and small rings or catches to pass through to keep it from dropping
too low.
Dated this 1st day of September 1890.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Billiard Tables, or Tables where there are Inlets
or Outlets, and where Balls are played with.
I, THOMAS DAVID MIDGLEY 119 Meyrick Road Battersea S.W. Silver
Chaser 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 is to so improve billiard tables and the like that the necessity 5
in repeatedly having to go around the table for the halls when playing, is avoided.
The table having inlets at the sides and ends, to each inlet is attached a pocket the
inlets are large enough to let the balls fall through into the pockets, at the bottom
of each pocket is a hole through which the balls pass or drop into the sidings A.
There are four sidings, one at each side and one at each end or can be arranged in
other ways to answer the purpose. The sidings that the balls drop into is on an
incline, at the sides they will reach from the top pockets to the other end of the
table known as the balk end; the end sidings will reach neross the ends of the
table meeting the side ones.
At the end of the table known as spot end the sidings will be separated from the
side sidings to prevent the balls rolling down to the balk end, the sidings can be
under the frieze of the table or arranged in some other suitable way: and there
will be a covering of cloth or other materials for them. The pockets at the balk
end, hang over the sidings at that end of the table, the sidings can be made of a
material suitable for the purpose and can either be fixed, suspended, or rest on 2
bearings, and can be made to fold up, at the side sidings there will be a rise or an
arrangement that when the ball or balls fall through the pockets they will roll
down the sidings, and up an incline B and fall into the end sidings, namely the balk
end siding, there can be two slides (or soine such arrangement which will
go through the siding frame or some part of the table, they will be about 2
six inches apart they can be pulled out, and pushed back, when the slide or slides
are unlled out, the balls that are in that siding will fall into another siding D
which will be connected to the same siding under the table, and will pass through
or under the frame, cross rails and bearings of the table, and the balls will then fill
into the siding at the spot end. The pockets at the spot end will have a band or
something connected to the pockets which will be covered with cloth or something
suitable and to that or the puckets there will be a con E wire or other arrange-
ments that can be pulled, pressed, pushed, or lifted from any part of the table, and
will have loops, rings, catches, attached to the frieze of the table and rings or
entches attached to the cord or wire that when they are pulled they can be placed:
on the arrangements around the frieze or sidings, by pulling it it will draw the two
pockets which it is attached to from the side sidings at the spot end that the balls
will fall on that siding only there will be a spring or something that will answer
the purpose attached to the two pockets or that which is fixed to the pockets, the
other end of the spring will he fixed to some part of the siding or table and when
the cord is released the spring will draw the pockets that they hang over the side
siding for the balls to roll to the balk end of the Lable, there can be small wheels
rollers or pulleys for the cord or arrangement to pass on under or connected to
some part of the table or sidings and small rings or catches for it to pass through to
keep it from dropping too low there can be a covering for the cord around the
Lable or wire which is refered to.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The sidings round and under the table for the balls to roll down to either end

page_text: 2. The slides to pull out to allow the balls to fall into the siding under
the table.
3. The cord or wire to pull the pockets at the spot end of table so that the balls
shall remain at that end.
4. The spring to enable the pockets to regain position over the side sidings.
5. The pockets with outlets large enough to allow the balls to fall through.
Dated this 29th day of May 1891.
THOMAS DAVID MIDGLEY.
THOMAS DAVID MIDGLEY.