Improvements in Holders for Billiard Cue Chalk Blocks.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1893—Accepted, 24th June, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by EDWARD BOYD, LL.B., of Carlisle Buildings,
S.W. corner of Fourth and Walnut Streets, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
of America, Counsellor-at-Law.]
Improvements in Holders for Billiard Cue Chalk Blocks.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in protectors and holders for billiard
cue chalk blocks.
An important item of expense in connection with the use of billiard tables is
the chalk wasted and the destruction of the cloth by the constant wear of chalk
dust and the necessary frequent hard brushing.
Blocks of chalk are frequently accidentally knocked off the table rail and are
broken by the fall or crushed by the feet of the players, thus soiling the floor
and ndering the use of carpet almost impracticable, but the most disagreeable
feature
waste is the soiling of the hands and clothing of the players;
and the object of this invention is to obviate all these defects by providing a
chalk-holder of thin elastic rubber, which protects the chal rom breaking or
cracking under ordinary conditions and enables it to be almost entirely used up
in the legitimate use for which it is provided, and when too much worn to be
serviceable the remainder may be readily removed and another block inserted, the
said block being always clean and pleasant to handle.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the holder.
Figure 2 a central vertical section of the same on the line a, c, Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a perspective view of the holder with the chalk in position
ready for use; and
Figure 4 is a central vertical section of the same on line y, y, Figure 3.
Billiard chalks which are intended to be kept loose in pockets under the rail
are made flat sided, usually cubes, in order to avoid rolling off the rail, and in
providing a cover for them it is essential to preserve this form.
The holders a are moulded out of thin elastic india rubber with the end flat
and quadrangular from which the four sides rise at right angles, or nearly so,
for some distance preferably about half way, after which they taper inwards for
a distance equal to or a little greater than the height of the chalk so as to form
a round neck with open end of less area than the closed end.
To insert a block of chalk B which will fit snugly within the angular portion
of the covering the round portion has to be stretched, after which it exerts
sufficient strain to keep the chalk in place no matter how much the same
be worn.
As very thin rubber is employed it is preferred to strengthen the
open end by making the rubber thicker at that point in the form of a head
as shown at a', and to have this extend over the inserted chalk so as to close
over the corners thereof and prevent players from using the chalk B on any
part of the cue except the tip.
A hole 6 is provided in the bottom for the insertion of a punch when necessary
to facilitate the removal of the chalk B.
By constructing the holder a in the manner described of thin elastic rubber, and
forming it with a permanent contracted neck during the process of manufacture, the
chalk B is securely retained in place, even if cracked or in separate pieces, and the

page_text: holder can be quickly and conveniently turned inside out to discharge its contents
for a fresh supply, and in these respects this invention differs materially and substan-
tially from a chalk-holder of comparatively thick rubber without the contracted
neck formed during the process of manufacture.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-.
A chalk holder formed of thin elastic rubber with one square end, and sides
tapering inwardly therefrom into a permanently formed contracted neck, the
mouth of which projects over the block of chalk to retain the latter in position,
while permitting the holder to be turned inside out, substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.