An Improved Appliance for Recording Scores in Games and Sports.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 14th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Appliance for Recording Scores in Games and
Sports.
I, LOUIS CHARPIAT, of 64, Camden Street, Camden Town, N.W., Pianoforte Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved appliance for recording scores in games and
sports, and although more particularly intended for use when playing whist and other
card games, is nevertheless adapted for for use in connection with other games and
with sports. The apparatus consists essentially of a preferably circular and flat box
through the edge of which are openings for the protrusion of tongues, the tongues
being caused to protrude in succession for the purpose of recording the score of the
game. The tongues may be varied in shape, size, or otherwise, so as to indicate
multiples of scores. Thus for whist, there may be five broad tongues, and three
narrower ones. The centre lines of the tongues radiate from the centre of the box,
and the tongues are protruded when the appliance is used, or held back, when not in
use, by any suitable means of which I prefer the following:-The lid or cover of the
appliance is made flat, and screwed or otherwise attached to the lower and thicker
part of the box.
In the upper surface of the lower part of the box, are as many
(preferably) flat grooves as there are to be tongues. Each tongue is made so as to
slide freely in its groove, the upper surface being flush with the upper surface of the
lower part of the box. A notch is made in each tongue, by cutting it half through at
about the centre of its length, and then removing that portion of the material com-
prised between the bottom of the cut and the under edge of the outer end of the
tongue, thus producing an inclined plane. When the tongue is pushed in, the
upturned end of an upwardly tending flat spring enters the notch and keeps
the tongue from springing out. A slot is provided in the tongue extending from the
notch towards the inner end of the tongue. In the centre of the lower part of
the box is a block having a number of radiating pins each pointing towards a groove,
the centre line of each being coincident with the centre line of a tongue. The inner
end of each tongue terminates in a pin, and around this and the opposing pin on the
centre block, is a spiral spring of sufficient strength to propel the outer end of the
tongue beyond the edge of the box when allowed to do so. Through the cover of
the box are passed a number of pins (one for each tongue). These pins have their
heads outside the box cover and their lower ends pass through the slots in the tongue
and touch the upward tending springs which hold back the tongues. To prevent the
pins being shot up and out through the lid, I provide them with shoulders working
in recesses in the under side of the lid. Assuming all the tongues to be pushed in
and flush with the edge of the box, then on pressing down any knob or head of the
pins, the particular pin will depress the spring under it, remove the end of it from
the notch in the tongue, and thus cause the latter to be sprung out and to protrude
beyond the edge of the box by the force of the spiral spring acting on the inner end

page_text: of the tongue. When the tongue is pushed in, it is held back by the upturned end
of the flat spring entering the notch already referred to.
All the flat springs may be stamped out of a single piece of metal, and the ends be
turned up at the same time.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Appliance for Recording Scores in Games and
Sports.
I, LOUIS CHARPIAT, of 64, Camden Street, Camden Town, N.W., Pianoforte Maker,
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 an improved appliance for recording scores in games and
sports, and although more particularly intended for use when playing whist and other
card games, is nevertheless adapted for use in connection with other games and with
sports. The apparatus consists essentially of a preferably circular and flat box through
the edge of which are openings for the protrusion of tongues, the tongues being
caused to protrude in succession for the purpose of recording the score of the game.
The tongues may be varied in shape size, or otherwise, so as to indicate multiples of
scores. Thus for whist, there may be five broad tongues, and three narrower ones.
The centre lines of the tongues radiate from the centre of the box, and the tongues
are protruded when the appliance is used, or held back, when not in use, by any
suitable means.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings,-
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of an appliance constructed according to this invention
and adapted more especially as a whist marker and Fig. 2 is a part sectional plan
view of the same.
Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of a slightly modified arrangement, Fig. 4 being
inverted so as to more clearly show the construction. In the arrangement illustrated
in Figs. 1 and 2, the lid a or cover of the appliance is attached by screws or other-
wise to the lower portion b, and in the upper surface of the portion b a series of
grooves c are formed in which the tongues d by which the record is made, slide
freely.
A notch e is made in each tongue d in which, when the tongue is pushed in, the
upturned end fl of the spring fenters and keeps the tongue from springing out. A
slot g is formed in the tongue d extending from the notch e towards the inner end of
the tongue. In the centre of the box is a block h having a number of radiating
pins each pointing towards a groove, and the centre line of each being coincident
with the centre line of a tongue. The inner end of each tongue d terminates in a pin,
and around this and the corresponding pin i upon the block h is a spiral spring of
sufficient strength to propel the outer end of the tongue beyond the edge of the box
when the end of the spring f is disengaged from the notch e.
In order to effect this disengagement when required, pins k resting at their lower
ends on the springs f, are arranged to pass through the slots g in the tongues and.
project up through holes in the cover a of the box. The pins are preferably
attached to the springs but they may be simply arranged to rest thereon.
In this

page_text: latter case shoulders are provided upon the pins which engage with the underside of
the lid so as to prevent the pins being shot up.
Assuming all the tongues d to be pushed in and flush with the edge of the box, then
on pressing down any pink the corresponding spring f is pressed down so that its
upturned end f¹ is disengaged from the notch e and the required tongue d is caused
to protrude beyond the edge of the box by the force of its spring j.
When the tongue d is pressed inwards again the upturned end f¹ of the spring f
will again engage with the notch e.
All the flat springs f may be stamped out of a single piece of metal, and the ends
be turned up at the same time.
When used as a whist marker, there are five tongues for recording the tricks and
three of smaller size or otherwise distinguished for the games. For other games the
tongues will be suitably arranged and any desired number may be used as will be
readily understood.
In the modification illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 the flat springs f are replaced by
small spiral springs f2 arranged around the pins k. The pins are provided with
shoulders which fit in the enlarged portions g¹ of the slots g and normally retain
the tongues d in their inner position as the shoulders are larger than the slots g.
When however the pins k are depressed against the action of the springs f² the
shoulders will pass underneath the tongues & and as the pins k being smaller will
fit in the slots g, the springs j will cause the tongues d to protrude as described above.
On pressing in the tongues d the shoulders k¹ being forced upwards by the springs f²
will again retain the tongues in their inner position.
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:-
(1) An improved appliance for recording scores in games and sports, comprising a
series of tongues which are caused to protrude as required for recording the scores,
said tongues being normally retained in their inner positions by means of spring
catches which can be pressed out of engagement therewith by means of pins projecting
up through the cover and springs adapted to cause the tongues to protrude when thus
released substantially as described.
(2) An improved appliance for recording scores in games and sports, comprising a
series of tongues which are caused to protrude as required for recording the scores,
said tongues being normally retained in their inner positions by means of springs, the
upturned ends of which engage in notches in the said tongues, the said springs being
pressed out of engagement therewith by means of pins projecting up through the
cover, and springs adapted to cause the tongues to protrude when released
substantially as described.
(3) An improved appliance for recording scores in games and sports, comprising a
series of tongues which are caused to protrude as required for recording the scores,
said tongues being normally retained in their inner positions by means of spring pins
the enlarged portions of which engage with the said tongues until depressed out of
engagement therewith by means of the pins which project up through the cover
and springs adapted to cause the tongues to protrude when released substantially as
described.
(4) An improved appliance for recording scores in games and sports, comprising
the tongues & having notches e formed therein, springs f, the upturned ends fl of
which engage with the said notches so as to retain the tongues in their inner
positions, pins & fitting in slots g and projecting up through the cover, adapted when
depressed to press the springs f out of engagement with the tongues, and
springs adapted to cause the tongues to protrude when released substantially as
described.
(5) An improved appliance for recording scores in games and sports comprising the
tongues d provided with slots g having enlarged portions g¹, spring pins k provided
with shoulders k¹ which engage in the said enlarged portions g¹ to retain the tongues

page_text: in their inner positions, the said spring pins k projecting up through the cover and
arranged so that when depressed the shoulders k¹ are out of engagement with the said
enlarged portions gl and springs i adapted to cause the tongues to protrude when
released substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of February 1808
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.