Improvements in and relating to Billiard Cues and Tips therefor, and to Apparatus Employed in Preparing the said Cues.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1891-Accepted, 11th July, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Billiard Cues and Tips therefor,
and to Apparatus Employed in Preparing the said Cues.
I, STEPHEN CHARLES DAVIS, of 80, Gray's Inn Road, Holborn, London,
Ivory Turner, 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 cues and to tips therefor, whereby the said tips
are easily and securely fastened upon the said cues; and it also relates to portable
tools or apparatus whereby the cues are easily prepared to receive tips, so that
almost any person may prepare the cues and apply tips thereto; thus dispensing
with the skilled labour and delay usually required for this purpose.
I employ two varieties of tips for cues; one which is entirely flat over the whole
surface of its base, and the other which has a recess or projection at the central
part of the base; and I use a special tool, placed in a chuck or holder, of corre-
sponding form, to prepare the end of the cue to receive the tip adapted to be placed
thereon.
The ordinary tips now used have a flat under surface or base, and these are
glued or otherwise secured to the end of the wooden cue employed. In striking
billiard balls at different points upon their surface, and at different points upon the
striking surface of the cue tip to give particular motions or directions to the balls,
a great deal of strain is thrown upon the tip. This strain is frequently a twisting
or other severe strain to the tip, and often results in the tip coming off, thus
requiring a new one to be glued on. As this involves some skill, and in any case
some time for the glue to set, before the cue can be used again, more cues are kept
in stock to meet such emergencies than would otherwise be required.
If
In preparing the end of the cue for a flat base tip, it is necessary to make it
perfectly flat to afford the maximum area for the glue or other adhesive substance
used, and support to the tip. Unskilled persons file or cut the cuc end in a more
or less rounded form, so that the tip comes off after a small amount of wear.
the base of the tip is made with a central recess or projection, and the end of the
cue correspondingly formed, the relatively fitted cue end and tip support each
other to a certain extent by the mechanical fit, while the increased area provided
for the adhesive surface adds greatly to the strength of the joint. On making a
glue joint, in the latter case, the cue may be used immediately afterwards, and thus
a favourite cue may be kept in constant use.
By my invention, I insert a flat cutting tool of steel in a suitable handle, and fit
a brass or other suitable tube over it, which tube is prolonged some distance beyond
the face of the tool. I also provide a suitable chuck or tube, (which may be made
of hard wood), which is adapted to fit over the end of the cue for about
three inches. One end of the chuck is turned on its exterior to fit within the
brass tube above named, while the other end is reduced in diameter in a tapering
manner and split or sawn down three or four places for about two thirds the
length of the chuck. A metal ring is fitted over the tapered end and by forcing
it on a short distance it closes in the split portion of the chuck so as to securely
clamp the cue within the chuck. The metal ring is also turned on its exterior to
fit within the brass tube appended to the handle before named, so that it forms a
guide within the tube, in .concert with the enlarged end of the chuck, to keep the
cue end exactly in the centre of the said tube. By pressing the handle down firmly
upon the cue-end, and turning it, the latter is surfaced by the tool within as well

page_text: as if done in the lathe; and it requires no special skill to perform the operation.
For a flat base tip I prefer to form the tool with a slight projecting point in the
centre, and to slightly serrate the cutting edge. The point thus centres itself in
the centre of the cue end, and the serrations form concentric rings upon the cue
end, as the tool surfaces the same, and these rings serve as keys to hold the glue,
and thus add to the stability of the joint.
For a tip which is formed with a central recess or projection on its base, I make
a tool with one or more cutting surfaces to correspond therewith, which is inserted
in its handle, and proceed as before stated. In the case of using a tip having a
central recess in its face, I make a rose faced cutting tool, with a central plain
recess of the same diameter and depth as the recess in the tip. When this is
applied in the manner before stated to the end of the cue, the latter is formed to
correspond and as the depth of the recess is fixed, it forms the shoulder around the
cue end at its exact position, for the cue base to fit upon, and this cannot be altered
by the operator.
I also apply an adhesive substance to the base of the tip, so that it can be
moistened in the mouth, and the tip applied to the cue end, (preferably with some
pressure), and used at once; thus avoiding the trouble of preparing ordinary glue.
Any suitable cement or mouth glue may be used for this purpose, or I may use a
preparation of gum, spirit and shellac for the purpose. The adhesive substance
may be applied to any kind or form of tip, as desired.
In the accompanying drawings, a is a tip, the end of a cue, c is the handle of
the tool, d is the cutter or cutting edge of the tool, e is the brass tube f the chuck,
and g the metal ring on the chuck for tightening up the spring jaws of the chuck
upon the cue.
Fig. 1 is a section through the end of a cue which is made square and has a
plain flat base tip a fitted thereon, in the usual manner.
Fig. 2 is a similar section, but the cue end b has a central projection formed
thereon which fits into a corresponding recess sunk into the base of the tip a.
Fig. 3 is also a section through the end of a cue b, but in this case the tip a is
made with a central shank or projection, and a corresponding recess is sunk into
the end of the wood cue to receive the projection of the tip.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of a tool, c being the handle, and d the steel cutter, and
Fig. 5 is a plan of the same. In this case the cutting face of d is straight or square
with the parallel portion below the handle c, but is preferably made with a slight
pointed projection in the centre of d and the remaining portion slightly notched or
serrated to form concentric rings, in the manner already described. The cutting
tool d is intended for facing or squaring up the end of cues of the kind shown
in Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is an elevation and Fig. 7 a plan of a similar tool handle c with a steel
cutter d, but in this case the cutter is circular or rose faced with several cutting
edges. A recess is sunk in the centre of the cutter d and is adapted to cut an
annular face or shoulder upon the cue end b, leaving a central projection to fit into
a corresponding recess in the base of the tip a as is shown in Fig. 2. The cutter d
is modified in form to cut a recess in the cue end 6 (as shown in Fig. 3) in a manner
readily understood from the foregoing description, and the tip a is made to
correspond thereto.
Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation showing the end of a cue 6 clamped in position
by the metal ring g in the spring jaw chuck ƒ all placed together inside the brass
tube e and held centrally therein. While the cue end b, chuck f, and lower end of
tube e are all held firmly in one hand, the cutter d is inserted at the top and rotated
with pressure by the handle c upon the end of the cue and this is faced in a
manner corresponding to the form of the cutter as already described.
Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 10 a plan of the chuck f, which is made
with spring jaws at its tapered end, and adapted to be compressed inwards by the
metal ring g.
The chuck may be made of wood or metal, as desired, and 'the
ring g may be made to screw on.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. A portable hand tool and cutter, combined with a device for centering and
holding the end of a cue, whereby the latter may be prepared to receive the base
of a correspondingly formed tip, substantially as described.
2. A hand tool for facing or preparing the end of a billiard cue for a corre-
spondingly formed tip consisting of a cutter having a cutting face or faces of the
desired form and a handle adapted to hold and rotate the said cutter, substantially
and for the purpose described.
3. A chuck or holder adapted to receive the end of a cue and a clamping
device to secure the said cuc firmly therein, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
4. A chuck or holder adapted to hold a cue centrally therein, combined with a
concentric enclosing tube, and a cutting tool capable of being rotated and operating
upon the end of the said cue and within the tube, substantially as described.
5. A portable hand tool adapted to cut the end of a billiard cue into the form or
forms shown by Figs. 1, 2 and 3, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown
and described.
6. The combination of a soluble or mouth glue, cement, or adhesive substance,
with the base of a tip, whereby the latter may be applied to the end of a cue and
immediately used for playing, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
herein described.
Dated this 10th day of June 1891
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.