Improvements in or applicable to Billiard Tables, Bagatelle Boards, Card Tables, and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 28th July, 1890-Accepted, 30th Aug.,
1890
Improvements in or applicable to Billiard Tables, Bagatelle Boards,
Card Tables, and the like.
1, GEORGE FREDERICK HOWARD, of No. 34, Walbrook, in the City of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to billiard-tables, bagatelle-boards, card-tables and the like and
it consists in the adaptation thereto of an arrangement of mechanism whereby the
table or board cannot be properly used for playing upon without setting a time keeper
going, and the said time keeper cannot be stopped so long as the table or board is
in proper condition for use thereby automatically indicating the time the table or
board is in use.
A suitable means of carrying out my invention as applied to billiard tables, for
which it is especially designed, is as follows:-
I make use of a bar jointed to the bed or frame of the table so that it can project
therefrom preferably over the "spot" or lie within the frame; this bar is connected
with the time keeper either direct or through the medium of a drawer or slide within
which the balls are placed in such a manner that the act of opening the drawer or
slide to gain access to the balls removes the bar from the "spot" and releases a lever
from contact with the balance-wheel or other portion of the time keeper and sets it
going. When the drawer or slide is replaced, the bar again covers the "spot" and
the time keeper is stopped. The time keeper can be situated in the frame of the
table or it can be placed at a distance from the table and be operated by electricity
as will be obvious or time keepers may be employed in both situations so as to
indicate both in the billiard saloon and in the office where many tables are in use.
Dated the 28th day of October 1889.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Billiard Tables, Bagatelle Boards,
Card Tables, and the like.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK HOWARD, of No. 34, Walbrook, in the City of London
Gentleman, 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 relates to billiard-tables, bagatelle boards, card tables, and the like
and it consists in the adaptation thereto of an arrangement of mechanism whereby the
table or board cannot be properly used for playing upon without setting a time-keeper
going, and the said time-keeper cannot be stopped so long as the table or board is
in proper condition for use thereby automatically indicating the time the table or
board is in use.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe a suitable
means of carrying it into practice as applied to a billiard-table, for which it is
especially designed, by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of part of a billiard-table illustrating my invention;
and,
Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a plan partly in section and an end elevation of
figure 1.

page_text: In the arrangement shewn in the drawings I make use of a bar a fixed to a hollow
spindle passing through and capable of being rotated in the bed c of the table
underneath the cushion d, so that the said bar can be made to project from the
cushion over the "spot" e, as in figures 1 and 2, or lie beneath the cushion, as
indicated by the dotted lines in figure 2.
case
The hollow spindle receives and is secured to one end of an arbor f located in a
containing the time-piece h and is made with a square i projecting outside the
case g in order to allow of the arbor f being turned by means of a key.
The arbor is provided with a tappet j engaging in a notch in a lever having
its fulcrum or pivotting point at 7 and carrying a spring m which, when the arbor f
is turned to place the bar over the "spot," bears upon the balance-wheel n of the
time-piece and stops the latter. When, however, the arbor is turned to remove
the bar from the "
spot the spring is moved clear of the balance-wheel and the
time-piece is set going, the spring, as it is removed, giving the balance-wheel an
impetus to ensure the time-piece being started.
"
o is a spring push-rod which, by contact with a pin p on the boss q of the lever k
causes the said lever to move and thereby free the balance-wheel n from the spring m
directly a commencement is made to move the bar a off the spot e, the notch j¹ in the
said lever k being made sufficiently wide for this purpose.
onto the "
By this arrangement when the bar a is in the position shewn in figures 1 and 2,
the time-piece is stopped, and in order to enable the table to be played upon the
marker must by means of his key turn the bar a into the position shewn in dotted
lines in figure 2, thereby setting the time-piece h going. When the table is no
longer required for use the marker, by means of the said key, moves the bar a
spot" e, and at the same time stops the time-piece. A complete check
is thus provided upon the money paid to the attendant or marker for the use of
the table, it only being necessary for the proprietor to note the time indicated by
the time-piece when the marker is left in charge of the table and then after some
time has elapsed to again note the time indicated. The difference will represent the
actual time the table has been in use.
My invention obviously admits of modification for example instead of employing a
bar arranged to cover the "spot" as herein before described one or more of the
pockets can be put out of order by covering the same with a plate or other obstacle
in connection with the time-keeper. Also the time-keeper can be connected with
the bar, plate or other obstacle through the medium of a drawer or slide within which
the balls are placed in such a manner that the act of opening the drawer or slide to
gain access to the balls removes the obstacle and releases lever or spring from
contact with a suitable portion of the time-keeper and sets it going and when the
drawer or slide is closed, the obstacle is replaced and the time-keeper is stopped.
Further when applying my invention to a card table the latter can advantageously
be made with a flap or flaps so connected with a time-keeper that the act of raising
the flap to allow of the table being played upon will set the time-keeper going and
the lowering of the flap will stop the time-keeper.
Also the time-keeper instead of being situated under the table can, if required, be
placed at a distance from the table, board or the like and be operated by electricity,
or time-keepers may be employed in both situations so as, for example, to indicate
both in a billiard saloon and in the office where many tables are in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
--
1. The combination with a billiard-table, bagatelle board, card-table or the like of
a suitable arrangement of mechanism, such as is herein described, whereby the table
or board cannot be properly used for playing upon without setting a time-keeper
going, and the time-keeper cannot be stopped so long as the table or board is in
proper condition for use, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 2. The combination with a billiard-table or the like, of a bar adapted to project
over the table and connected with a time-keeper in such a manner that the act of
moving the bar from its projecting position sets the time-keeper going and the
latter cannot be stopped without replacing the bar, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. The improvements in or applicable to billiard-tables hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 28th day of July 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.