An Improved Apparatus for Scoring or Marking at Billiards or other Games and for the Registering the Number of Games Played.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 29th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 15th Jan., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Scoring or Marking at Billiards or
other Games and for the Registering the Number of Games
Played.
I, WILLIAM HUGHES of 112 St. Domingo Vale, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Commission Agent do hereby doclare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
-
Moveable pointers running in horizontal slits operate levers, which levers in
conjunction with a spring close and open a vertical shutter fitted to the end of an
oblique tube, the said shutter' so contrived that only one ball can be admitted at one
time, and the action of the first pointer to mark the completed game drops the said
ball, and no concurrent action of the second pointer can drop a second ball for the
same game.
The vertical shutter is fitted with a projecting angle piece, the angle forming a
chamber the size of one ball only.
The ball falls into a locked drawer which also admits access to the trap which closes
the upper mouth of the tube.
At the end of each slit on the face of the board is a disc which is automatically
released on the attainment by each player of the score of 50, exposing, said figure
to view.
.
At the end of the board are fitted two dials shewing in figures the number of games
played, and the said dials are moved automatically by one of the pointers on its return
to zero.
A novel method of locking, the pointers when not required to mark the game
is introduced.
n
1
SA 1000
WILLIAM HUGHES,
112, St. Domingo Vale, Liverpool.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
4
An Improved Apparatus for Scoring or Marking at Billiards or
other Games and for the Registering the Number of Games
Played.
I, WILLIAM HUGHES of 112 St. Domingo Vale, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancashire, Commission Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the saine is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in apparatus for scoring at
billiards and for registering the number of games played.
The improved apparatus is illustrated on the accompanying drawings, of which,
Figure 1 represents the exterior front elevation.
Figure 2 represents an elevation of the interior, being. the back side of front
panel.
Figure 3 represents a section of case at F Fig. 1.
Figure 4 represents a plan view, enlarged, of shutter or cut-off controlling the
delivery of balls.
Figure 5 represents the aperture for feeding in the balls at Fig. 3 and the trap for
closing same.
Figure 6 represents the slutter closed and thus preventing the escape of a ball.
Figure 7 represents the shutter opened and the angle-piece cutting off and
expelling a ball through the open shutter.
Figure 8 represents a plan view of apparatus for locking the pointers when the
scorer is not in use.
Figure 9 represents a sectional view of locking apparatus.
Figure 10 represents the key of the locking apparatus.
Figure 11 represents a clock work arrangement for shewing in figure numerals
on the face of the board the number of games played, thus doubling the check on
the marker.
Figure 12 represents a sectional view of the mechanism shewn in Fig. 11.
Figure 13 represents a front view of, the dials in Fig. 11.
Figure 14 represents the discs at end of scoring board used when games of upwards
of 50 are played.
Figure 15 represents interior mechanism for releasing discs.
The
This improved apparatus is constructed with a flat horizontal case A of any
required dimensions, having two longitudinal parallel slots B in which move two
pointers C pointing to the figures D according to the progress of the game.
pointers are fitted at the inner end of the shank a with a circular disc b and the said
disc in its progress towards the end of the slot engages with and depresses the
lever c, the lever acts upon and depresses the shutter d which upon being depressed
exposes the open aperture to the ball e. By the same movement of the shutter the

page_text: angle-piece f cuts off one ball only and striking its upper inner side expels it through
the aperture g. The ball then falls into a locked drawer hand in its descent rings
the bell -, and the accumulated balls indicate the number of games played. On
its return to fig. 0 or zero the upper pointer only, operates the pendulum i and forces it
to the left side a space equal to that occupied by a figure on the dial k. The dia! is
engaged by a pawl Z on the inner side of pendulum i kept in place by a spring m.
The dial is fitted with a single tooth n which tooth engages with the slots o in
the periphery of dial p moving it one figure space for each revolution of dial k thus
marking tens, and exhibiting the number of games played in figures at E on the front
of case.
The balls or marbles are fed at F to the slanting square tunnel q and gravitate
towards the chamber forined by the angle-piece and the shutter d where they
are held in check until released one by one by the depression of the shutter d.
The feed trough is closed at s.by the trap t, the lever u of which is actuated by
the hand inserted into the recess of drawer h, said drawer being locked, usually, the
trap t is closed and no balls or other articles calculated to choke or interfere with the
proper working of the tunnel y can be inserted. At the close of each day, or any
other suitable time, the proprietor, who alone keeps the key of drawer will take
out the balls e and on counting them ascertain the number of games actually played
and scored, and the tally of the balls will be confirmed by the figures at É thus
making a double check.
.
To prevent any unauthorised person from scoring and registering in the absence of
the appointed marker, the lock Q is introduced, this, when the board is not in use
locks both pointers at B3 by the closing in of the T bar over the circular discs or
buttons at b clutching them firmly. To unlock the apparatus a key w of peculiar
design is used. This key is inserted at x and pressed inwards against the stem of
the bar forcing it inwards and by a half turn the transverse pin in key grips the
inner edge of the keyhole and holds fast until it is desired to lock the board which is
instantaneously done by the withdrawal of the key w when the spring y presses
the T bar against the panel or front. The T bar is hinged in a groove cut three
parts through the block 5.
At the right hand of the board are two circular discs G hinged on a swivel pin,
intended to cover the figures 50 at H. When the pointers C reach the end of each
slot, the inner disc or button b on the pointer shank a presses against and forces to one
side a small pendulum hinged on a pin 2 having a slight groove in its head 3 which
groove allows the outer disc to fall on the pressing of the pendulum by the pointer
at Z exposing the figure 50 at H which added to the subsequent number scored on the
board enables the players to score a game of 100, the register, however, marking each
game of 50 as one game.
The shutter d is connected with a spring at 4 and is depressed by the levers c the
levers being actuated by the pointers C.
The apparatus thus described is also suitable for scoring or marking other games
than billiards.
said invention
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The improved construction and arrangement of apparatus for scoring at billiards
and for registering the number of games played, substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The use of such apparatus for scoring and registering other games than billiards
for which it may be suitable.
3. The improved method of delivering the balls, one by one, by means of the
spring shutter d and cut-off the method of actuating same by the use of levers c
subject to the movable pointers C.
4. The use of the double checking dials k and p and the mode of actuating the
same by the pendulum i.
5. The design and method of locking the pointers C and the form of the key w.

page_text: 6. The discs at end of slots B and the pendulum 1 for disengaging same.
7. The trap t for closing the feed trough and its arrangement.
8. In combination the disc bat end of pointer shank a, the levers c actuated by the
disc b, the spring shutter d depressed by the lever c the angle-piece f projecting from
shutter d for expelling the ball e the clockwork mechanisin J actuated by the
pendulum governing the exact rotation of dials k and these forming an absolute
accurate register of the number of games scored, the lock Q and key w effectually.
protecting the marker from interference by irresponsible persons. The trap closing
the upper mouth of the tunnel 9 preventing the choking of same and the dises G for
augmenting the score when required, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 28th day of November 1888.
も
WILLIAM HUGHES,
.112, St. Domingo Vale, Liverpool; Lanc.