Appliances for use in Playing Games with Balls on Tables.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Appliances for use in Playing Games with Balls on Tables.
We, PHILIP ELIOT HODGKIN, Mechanical Engineer, and CHARLES ERNEST
HODGKIN, Electrical Engineer, both of Childwall, Richmond, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to appliances which may be used either in connection
with an ordinary table or with a table specially constructed for the purpose of
playing certain games somewhat resembling the games played on billiard tables
with cues, but capable of being played in less space than is required for billiards
the players being able to play while seated.
When playing a game according to our invention, the players may be seated and
instead of using cues to set the balls in motion a device is employed which
comprises a striker furnished with a suitable tip and a handle and an intermediate
spring or springs.
According to one construction the handle is tubular and the striker is in the form
of a plunger with a stem that projects through a hole in the rear end of the handle
and provided with a knob a helical spring being arranged within the handle in rear
of the plunger whose forward end normally projects beyond the handle. To use.
this instrument the handle is held in one hand and with the other hand the plunger
is drawn back by means of the knob in opposition to the spring, the tubular handle
having been made to advance towards the ball then let go, with or without the
intervention of a trigger or its equivalent whereupon the spring causes the tipped
end of the plunger to strike the ball. The construction might be modified by
making the striker tubular and arranging it to fit over the handle. To obviate
the necessity of advancing the tubular handle towards the ball after the withdrawal
of the plunger we sometimes place a recoil spring between the knob and the rear
end of the handle so that the plunger when released may (by reason of its inertia)
be nearer the ball than before withdrawal and so enabled to strike it.
In order to adapt a table for the playing of a game such as set forth we apply
to it cushions or pockets and cushions the latter being capable of being displaced
by the hand or striker. Such cushions are constructed of elastic material such as
vulcanised india rubber of circular or other suitable form in cross section and are
held near the extremities by grooved uprights or equivalent supports attached by
clips or otherwise to the table, which may have four cushions one along each
side and one along each end with a pocket at each corner the cushions being held
at a suitable distance above the table top. Instead of making the cushions of an
elastic material, the cushions may be made of a rigid material edged with a suitable
rebounding material, each cusluon being depressible as a whole as for example by
being hinged at the extremities, or sliding in suitable guides. The cushions may
be elevated instead of depressed for facilitating the striking of the ball.
In order that the players may remain seated throughout the game, we prefer to
always strike the same ball bringing it back after each shot close to the displaced
cushion next to the players. We are aware that cushions have previously been
constructed of wide tape but they were not capable of depression or elevation, having
simply for their object cheapness of construction and convenience of application to
an ordinary table.
Dated this 14th day of Anril 1890
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Appliances for use in Playing Games with Balls on Tables.
We, PHILIP ELIOT HODGKIN, Mechanical Engineer, and CHARLES ERNEST
HODGKIN, Electrical Engineer, both of Childwall, Richmond, in the County of
Surrey, 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 has reference to appliances which may be used either in connection
with an ordinary table or with a table specially constructed for the purpose of
playing certain games somewhat resembling the games played on billiard tables
with cues, but capable of being played in less space than is required for billiards,
and the players being able to play whilst seated.
Instead of using cues to set the balls in motion when playing such games, a
device may be employed which comprises a striker furnished with a suitable tip, a
handle, and an intermediate spring or springs.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, illustrates such a device in longitudinal
central section.
According to this construction the handle 1 is tubular and the striker is in the
form of a plunger 2 provided with a tip 3 of suitable material such as leather or
hard rubber, and with a stem 4 which projects through a hole in the rear end of
the handle and is provided with a knob 5, a helical spring 6 being arranged within
the handle in rear of the plunger, whose forward end normally projects beyond the
forward end of the handle. To use this device, the handle is held in one hand, and
with the other hand the plunger is drawn back by means of the knob in opposition to
the spring. The tubular handle having been made to advance towards the ball
the knob is then let go, with or without the intervention of a trigger or its equiva-
lent (not shewn) whereupon the spring causes the tipped end of the plunger to
strike the ball. The construction might be modified by making the striker tubular
and arranging it to fit over the handle. To obviate the necessity of advancing the
tubular handle towards the ball after the withdrawal of the plunger, a recoil
spring may be placed between the knob 5 and the rear end 1* of the handle, so
that the plunger, when released, may, (by reason of its momentum), be nearer the
ball than before withdrawal, and so enabled to strike it.
In order to adapt a table for the playing of a game such as set forth with a
striking device of the kind described, we apply to it cushions, or pockets and
cushions, the cushions being capable of being displaced by the hand or by the
striking device so that the latter device may be readily used when the player is
seated.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a table with displaceable cushions according to
this invention, one of the cushions being shewn displaced by a striking device
of the kind hereinbefore described, which is shewn in position for striking
a ball.
Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a vertical section and a plan of part of a table
with a modified arrangement of cushions. In the construction shewn in Fig. 2,
66 are the displaceable cushions made of elastic material, such as vulcanised india
rubber, of circular or other suitable form in cross section, and held near the
extremities by curved supports 7 attached by suitable means such as clips or bolts
to the table 8 which may be of slate or other suitable material. The table may
have four cushions, one along each side, and one along each end as shewn, with a
pocket 9 at each corner, the cushions being held at a suitable distance above the table
top. The clastic cushions 6 must be tightly stretched to obtain the necessary
resilience. For this purpose each india rubber cushion has its ends passed through
holes in the support 7 to which it is to be applied as follows:-One end is formed
with a head or enlargement 7 to prevent it leaving its corresponding support. The
other end is passed through the hole in the support and the cushion is drawn through

page_text: until the head or enlargement 7ª bears against the support. The free end is then
drawn through the hole in the other support until the cushion has been stretched to
the desired extent between the two supports, after which by forming a knot or in
any other convenient way the free end of the cushion is secured.
Instead of making the cushions wholly of an elastic material, the cushions may
be made, as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4, partly of a rigid material such as a metal
rod 10 covered or partly covered with a suitable resilient material such as india
rubber in the form of a tube 6, or part tube, each cushion being made depressible
as a whole and provided with means for automatically returning it, as illustrated
for example in Figs. 3 and 4 where 11, 11 are supporting levers hinged at 12 and
whose longer arms are capable of depression in opposition to springs 13 one to
each lever, that serve to return the levers to their normal positions when the
cushion is relieved of pressure. Or the ends of the cushion may be arranged to
slide vertically in suitable guides, springs being provided to allow of depression of
the cushions and to return them to their normal positions. The cushions may
be arranged to be elevated instead of depressed when using the striking device to
strike a ball.
In order that the players may remain seated throughout the game, it is convenient
to always strike the same ball, bringing it back after each shot close to the
displaced cushion next to the player. We are aware that cushions have previously
been constructed of wide tape but they were not adapted to be depressed or elevated
and to automatically resume their normal positions in the manner hereinbefore
described, having simply for their object cheapness of construction and convenience
of application to an ordinary table.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. For playing games with balls on a table, an appliance comprising cushions
such as herein described adapted to be capable of displacement by depression or
otherwise as set forth, by a player, means for supporting such cushions and
returning them to their normal positions, and means of attachment to the table as
hereinbefore described.
2. For playing games with balls, tables with cushions displaceable as in the
manner set forth, the construction and arrangement being such as hereinbefore
described with reference respectively to and shewn in Fig. 2 and in Figs. 3 and 4
of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 14th day of January 1891
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.