Sighting Cards, applicable to the Game of Billiards.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 14th May, 1895-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Sighting Cards, applicable to the Game of Billiards.
1, JAMES HUTCHESON HOGG of No. 5 Nightingale Park Crescent S.W. in
the County of Surrey Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:―
I manufacture these cards by the application of a firm, transparent substance,
using preferably what is known as "Rizaline," in combination with printed outlines
of a billiard table, drawn to scale; said outlines bearing a variety of angles of
play upon the table and "position" measurements of the situation of the balls as
required for particular strokes. When the transparent sighting card is placed
upon any printed outline, drawn to same scale, it shows by inspection of this
superimposed guide the measurement for "position" of the balls as they lie on the
table; or, in other cases, the natural angles for certain kinds of play according to
the lines drawn on the transparent surface.
The cards are prepared with a variety of lines adapted to winning and losing
hazards, cannons, doublet hazards and mere "position." The colour of the lines
printed on the "Rizaline" varies,--red, black or white or cream colour as may be
desirable. For some purposes several cards may be used in superimposed
combination, the various printed markings being easily seen through the transparent
substance which I employ.
Dated this Fourteenth day of August 1894.
Sighting Cards, applicable to the Game of Billiards.
I, JAMES HUTCHESON HOGG, of No. 5 Nightingale Park Crescent in the
County of Surrey, Merchant, 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:-
"
I manufacture "sighting or "key" cards for teaching the mode of playing
strokes at billiards by taking pieces of transparent sheet gelatine and printing
upon them guide lines of various colours straight or dotted as required. One of
these cards when laid upon a printed diagram of a billiard table with the balls
lying in a certain position will show at a glance by the guide lines upon the gelatine
surface the stroke which it is advisable to play to the particular position delineated
underneath and the course which the balls will follow when struck, as indicated
by a cue point drawn upon the gelatine "key." Both sighting card and diagram
being drawn to the same scale "position" measurements can easily be taken upon
the table itself so as to enable the player to repeat exactly the same stroke until
proficient therein both as to "strength" and the direction given to the balls.
"
Hitherto billiard diagrams have been drawn showing at once the "position" and
the "play" thereby reducing the scope for independent judgment. By the use
of "sighting" cards the "positions in a "break," as laid down by a master of
the cue, may be studied as on the actual billiard table, before applying the "key"
afforded by the transparent gelatine with its guide lines.

page_text: "
The sighting cards are prepared so as to show winning and losing hazards,
which frequently recur and
cannons, and doublet hazards as well as "positions
others of exceptional character and difficulty. The angles of the table can likewise
be clearly and usefully shown by sighting cards prepared for the purpose.
For some special purposes more than one sighting card may be used in super-
imposed combination, the various markings printed in colour on each being easily
seen through the firm transparent gelatine which I employ preferably of the
thickness of stout paper or thin cardboard.
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
The application and combination of thin gelatine "sighting" cards bearing guide
lines as 66
keys" to "play" at billiards, by placing these, as hereinbefore described,
upon diagrams to scale representing a given position of balls upon a billiard table.
Dated this Fourteenth day of May 1895.
JAMES HUTCHESON HOGG.