IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY COLLECTING THE BALLS FROM THE POCKETS OF BILLIARD TABLES AND DELIVERING THEM TO EITHER THE SPOT OR OPPOSITE END OF THE TABLE AS DESIRED to be as follows
Year: 1885

page_text: I HENRY HARVEY of 1 Bedford Row Streatham in the County of Surrey Builder
and Decorator do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVED
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY COLLECTING THE BALLS FROM THE
POCKETS OF BILLIARD TABLES AND DELIVERING THEM TO EITHER THE SPOT OR
OPPOSITE END OF THE TABLE AS DESIRED to be as follows:-
33
"1
This invention relates to an improved means and apparatus for quickly and
automatically returning the balls used on a billiard table to the spot end of the
table where the "marker" is generally supposed to stand-so that directly a ball
(whether a pool, pyramid or ordinary billiard ball) falls into the pockets it will at
once return itself to the spot end of the table or should the player be at the
opposite or "balk" end of the table and desire the pocketted ball at the "balk
end by his or the marker at either end simply drawing out a suitably arranged
handle the ball will return itself to the desired end thus obviating the necessity of
the "marker" or (where no "marker is available) of the players constantly
moving round the table in order to recover the pocketted ball or balls thus greatly
facilitating the game as the player will in no way be interfered with by such
person moving round the table to collect the balls.
In carrying my invention into practice I form a suitably shaped pipe or channel
along each side of the billiard table underneath the cushions and pockets and
inclined down to the spot end with suitable openings directly under each pocket so
that when a ball is pocketted it will fall through into this channel or pipe and at
once commence rolling towards the "spot" end where it will come to rest in a
suitably formed recess or gallery at the end of the table.
Now when it is desired to return a ball to "balk "I fix on each side of the table
a suitable slide extending the whole length with a handle or lever at its ends so

page_text: that when this handle or lever is moved it allows the pocketted ball to fall
through into a second or return pipe or channel, such second pipe or channel being
inclined down to the "balk end" and thus the ball will at once roll to the "balk
end" of the table where it will come to rest.
The tube, tubes or channels may if desired be mounted on axes at or near the
centre and tilted so as to deliver the balls to either end of the table as required.
This apparatus may be fitted to existing tables or built in on new ones and may
be made of wood or other suitable material and may be lined with green baize or
otherwise padded to protect the balls when falling into the pipes or channels..

page_text: I HENRY HARVEY of 1 Bedford Row Streatham in the County of Surrey
Builder and Decorator 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 an improved means and apparatus for quickly returning
the balls used on a billiard table either to the spot end of the table where the
"marker is generally supposed to stand-so that directly a ball (whether a pool
pyramid or ordinary billiard ball) falls into the pocket it will at once return itself
to the spot end of the table or should the player be at the opposite or "balk" end
of the table and desire the pocketed ball at the "balk" end by his or the marker
at either end simply inclining the channel or trough which is hung on axes.
under middle pockets to either end of the table the ball will return itself to the
desired end thus obviating the necessity of the "marker" player or other person
constantly moving. round the table in order to recover the pocketed ball or balls
thus greatly facilitating the game as the player will in no way be interfered with.
by such person moving round the table to collect the balls.
In carrying my invention into practice I form a suitably shaped pipe trough or
channel along each side of the billiard table underneath the cushions and hung on
axes under the middle pocket (the two channels having a connecting rod) so that
when a ball or balls fall through the pockets into the channel the player or marker
in whatever position round the table by simply pressing the channel up or down
can recover the ball or balls at either end of the table where a suitably formed
return receiver is fixed.
"
The apparatus may be constructed with the pipe tube trough or channel fixed
along each side of the table and inclined down to the "spot" end of the table with
suitable openings under each pocket so that when a ball is pocketed it will fall
into this channel trough or pipe and at once commence rolling towards the "spot
end of the table where it will come to rest in a suitably formed recess or gallery at
the end of the table but in order to also return the ball to the " balk" end of the
table I fix on each side of the table a suitable slide or arm which extends the
whole length with a handle or lever at each end so that when this handle or lever
is moved or pulled out it allows the ball to fall into a second or return pipe
channel or trough which is inclined down to the balk end of the table and thus the
ball will at once commence rolling to the balk end of the table where it will come
to rest in a receptacle similar to that at the "spot" end of the table.
The apparatus can be fitted to existing tables or built in on new ones and may
be made of wood or other suitable material and may be lined or padded with green
baize or other suitable material to protect the balls when falling into and travelling
in the pipes troughs or channels.

page_text: Now in order that my invention may be the more easily understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to describe the apparatus mounted on axes with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 an end elevation of a billiard table
with my improvements applied thereto. Figure 3 is a plan in this view the outer
contour only of the table is indicated by a thick dotted line.
a. a. are troughs pipes or channels arranged at cach side of the billiard table to
receive the balls after falling into the pockets. a³ a² are guides to keep the
troughs in position on centres at a¹ a¹. The troughs may be advantageously
constructed of thin metal and the inside lined with cork green baize or any
suitable material that will prevent noise or injury to the balls and the ends of these
troughs communicate with fixed receptacles b. b. at each end of the table one or
other of these receive the balls from the troughs a. a. according to which end of the
table these are inclined. At a³ a³ small gates are arranged to close the openings
by which the balls pass from the troughs to the receptacles when desired. By the
use of the above apparatus a player after pocketing a ball will incline the trough
to the end of the table at which that ball may next be required thus saving the
trouble of walking round the table to remove the ball from the pocket.
The ends of the said channels are connected together by a connecting rod c at
each end of the table so that by simply raising or lowering the rod the two
channels will move together or where no connecting rod is used each channel can
be inclined independently of the other.
The lower ends of the netting of which the pockets are made may conveniently
be fixed to the troughs to insure the balls always being received by them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The improved arrangement construction and application of apparatus
mounted on axes on a billiard table so that it may be tilted or inclined to return
the balls to either end as desired substantially as herein before described and
represented in the drawings hereto annexed.
Second. The improved method and apparatus for returning balls from the
pockets of a billiard table to either end of the table as desired substantially as
herein before described.
8x12
L
100R