Im- PROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND REGISTERING POOL AND OTHER GAMES OF SKILL, AND INDICATING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY PAID BY THE PLAYERS FOR THE USE OF THE TABLE
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John James Cousins, of Allerton Park, near
Leeds, in the County of York, Banker, for the Invention of “Im-
PROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND REGISTERING POOL AND OTHER GAMES
OF SKILL, AND INDICATING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY PAID BY THE PLAYERS
FOR THE USE OF THE TABLE."
'
Sealed the 24th March 1871, and dated the 29th September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John James Cousins
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th September 1870.
I, JOHN JAMES COUSINS, of Allerton Park, near Leeds, in the
County of York, Banker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS. FOR INDICATING AND REGISTERING POOL
AND OTHER GAMES OF SKILL, AND INDICATING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY PAID BY THE
PLAYERS FOR THE USE OF THE TABLE," to be as follows:-
:-
In order to register the progress of a game of pool played on a.
billiard table a marking board is employed in which there are a number
of slides corresponding to the number of players, and as the game,
progresses the slides are drawn forward until they are closed.
The

page_text: closing up of a slide indicates the end of the game so far as that par-
ticular player is concerned, and when all the players but one or two
who may stand in an equal position are disposed of, the winner or
winners take or divide the stakes or pool. This game is played by any
number of players up to say 12 more or less, and each player pays a
fixed sum per game, say 3d. more or less for the use of the table.
The object of the present Invention is to devise an apparatus which
shall not only register and indicate the state of the game while it is
proceeding, (as is the case with the present marking board), but also
to indicate the amount of money that has been paid by the players for
the use of the table. To this end each slide is made to act on and to
rotate a spindle, on which is mounted a worm that takes into and drives
a large toothed wheel, on the face of which are marked cither numerals
or figures in money. An opening is made in the marking board at
some convenient part opposite the face of the toothed wheel, so as to
allow the figures or numerals to be seen as the wheel rotates. Each
slide is provided at back with a spring which when the slide is drawn
back on commencing a game comes against a pin or piece of flat metal
on the vertical shaft and pushes it round part of a revolution. At one
end of each of the slides is a pin which when the slide is drawn back
passes between two tumbling levers, which are capable of being moved
apart a sufficient distance to allow the pin to pass. A number of these
tumbling levers are arranged one above another and rest on each other.
They are only capable of being moved a sufficient distance to allow
one of the slide pins to pass at a time, it will therefore be evident that
two slides cannot be drawn back at the same time, and therefore the
marker cannot cheat the proprietor. In order to prevent the indicating
wheel from being carried round too far or past the last or highest figure
a stud is fixed on the back of the wheel and comes against a block which
is fixed by means of a lock at a certain spot and can only be moved
out of the way by a master key. When the pin or stud in the wheel
comes against the block the wheel cannot be moved any further, but
must then be reset by the proprietor who will demand of the marker
the amount of money indicated by the rotating wheel. Moving forward
the slides during the game will not affect the indicating wheel as the
springs connected with the slides will pass over the pins or studs of the
vertical shaft and will not actuate it,, but on pushing back the slides on
commencing a new game every slide will in succession act on the pin
shaft, and consequently move round the indicating wheel the required

page_text: distance to indicate the payment made by each player for the use of
the table. In order to prevent the indicator from being tampered with
in the absence of the marker all the slides may be locked by means of a
locking bolt which the marker can fix by means of a key so that none
of the slides can be moved.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John James Cousins in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
JAMES COUSINS, of Allerton Park, near Leeds, in the County of York,
Banker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John James Cousins, Her special licence
that I, the said John James Cousins, my exccutors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John James Cousins, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR INDICATING AND REGISTERING POOL AND OTHER GAMES OF SKILL,
AND INDICATING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY PAID BY THE PLAYERS FOR THE USE OF
THE TABLE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
James Cousins, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John James Cousins, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
:-
In order to register the progress of a game of pool played on a billiard
table a marking board is employed in which there are a number of
slides corresponding to the number of players, and as the game progresses
the slides are drawn forward until they are all closed but one or two.
The closing up of a slide indicates the end of the game so far as that
particular player is concerned, and when all the players but one (or two
who may stand in an equal position) are disposed of the winner or
winners take or divide the stakes or pool. This game is played by any
number of players, up to, say twelve more or less, and each player
pays a fixed sum per game, say threepence, more or less, for the use of
the table.
The object of the present Invention is to devise an apparatus which
shall not only register and indicate the state of the game while it is
proceeding (as is the case with the present marking board), but will
also indicate the amount of money that has been paid by the players
for the use of the table, so that the marker will not be able to defraud
the proprietor of the table.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1, Sheet I. represents an external
or front elevation of one of my improved marking boards; Fig. 2 is a
back view of the same, with the back of the frame removed in order
to show the working parts of the mechanism; Fig. 3 is a horizontal
section of the same.
In Fig. 1
Each slide
a, a, a, are the slides, which are each provided with a button or
knob a', whereby they are moved to and fro in-their guides.
three of the slides are shown open, and all the rest closed.
is also provided with a projecting pin or stud a³, the use of which will
be presently explained. To the back of each slide a is attached a spring
finger b, which as the slide is moved back is made to act on one of the
arms c', c', c¹, c', of a spindle e, as scen best in the enlarged views,
Figures 4 and 5, which represent this part of the mechanism drawn full
size; Fig. 4 is an elevation, and Fig. 5 a horizontal section. On the
spindle c is mounted a worm d, Fig. 2, that takes into and drives a

page_text: large toothed wheel e, on the face of which are marked either numerals
or figures in money. An opening is made in the marking board at some
convenient part opposite the face of the toothed wheel as shewn at e',
Fig. 1, so as to allow the figures or numerals to be seen as the wheel e
6 rotates. Each slide a is provided at back as before mentioned with
a spring finger b, which when the slide a is drawn back on commencing
à game comes against the pin or a piece of flat metal c¹ on the vertical
shaft c and pushes it round part of a revolution. At one end of each
of the slides a is the projecting pin or stud a², which when the slide a
is drawn back passes between two of the tumbling levers f,f, shewn.
by dots in Fig. 1, and which are mounted on centre pins, and are
capable of being moved apart a sufficient distance by lifting the upper
onc so as to allow the pin a² of the slide to pass between them.
A number of these tumbling levers are arranged one above another,
and rest on cach other as seen by dots in Fig. 1. They are only
capable of being moved a sufficient distance to allow one of the slide
pins a to pass at a time, it will therefore be evident that two of
the slides a cannot be drawn back at the same time, and therefore
the marker cannot cheat the proprietor by moving any slide without
acting on the indicating wheel. In order to prevent the indicating
whcel e from being carried round too far or past the last or highest
figure or stud a pin e¹ is fixed on the back of the wheel e and comes
against a block g, Figures 6 and 7, fixed on a sliding bar g¹ which
is capable of being securely held and prevented from moving by
mcans of a lock g³. This block y cannot therefore be moved out of the
way of the stud e¹ until the sliding bar ¹ is unlocked, when it can be
drawn back as indicated by dots in Figures 6 and 7, which represent
front and plan views of these parts drawn full size. When the pin or
stud e' in the wheel e comes against the block g the wheel e cannot be
moved any further but must then be reset by the proprietor who will
demand of the marker the amount of money indicated by the rotating
wheel e. Moving forward the slides a, a, during the game will not
affect the indicating wheel e as the springs connected with the slides
will pass over the pins or studs c¹ of the vertical shaft c and will not
actuate it, the vertical shaft c being moreover prevented from rotating
in the wrong direction by means of a click taking into a ratchet wheel c²
on the lower end of the shaft c. On pushing back the slides a on
commencing a new game every slide a will in succession act on the pin
shaft c, and will consequently move round the indicating wheel e the

page_text: a number of
The locking
required distance to indicate the payments made by each player for the
use of the table. In order to prevent the indicator from being tampered
with in the absence of the marker all the slides a may be locked by
means of a locking bolt which the marker can fix by means of a key so
that none of the slides can be moved. This arrangement is shewn in
the enlarged elevation and sectional view Figures 8 and 9. The locking
bolt or sliding plate is shewn at h and in it are made
notches corresponding with the number of the slides a, a.
bolt or plate is capable of being moved (by means of a key inserted in
the keyhole h') up or down a sufficient distance to bring a full part of
the plate opposite the pins or studs a³ of the slides so that the latter
cannot be moved back. It will be evident therefore that when the game
is over and the marker wants to leave the room it will only be necessary
for him to lock all the slides by means of the locking plate h. At the
end of a game there will always be one (and sometimes two) slides open,
and if it were possible to begin a new game without previously closing
these slides it will be evident that the marker or attendant would be
able to cheat the proprietor. To prevent this the mechanism is so
constructed and arranged that a new game cannot be commenced (that
is to say, it will be impossible to draw back the closed slides of the old
game) until the remaining open slides have been previously closed.
The mechanism connected with this part of the operations consists of a
vertical shaft i, Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, in which are mounted the star
wheels j, j, j, corresponding in number to the number of the slides
which by means of projecting studs a³ act on the teeth of the star wheels
and thereby cause the shaft i to rotate. At each end of the shaft i, i,
is a disc / provided on one side with a stud and on the other with a
spring click m. By the rotation of the shaft i and disc k in one direction
the stud will be brought against a pin or block n on the sliding bar n',
and by rotating the disc k in the opposite direction the click will come
against a pin or block o on the sliding bar o¹. These two sliding bars
are jointed to the ends of a rocking lever p so that they both move
together. The end of the sliding bar n¹ is wedge-shaped and passes
behind the cranked end pieces of a vertical bar p* which is capable of
being forced back whenever the wedges n² of the sliding bar n¹ are
pushed behind it as shewn at Fig. 5. On the inner side of this bar are
fixed projecting horizontal pins or studs p', shewn by dots in Fig. 5
which work in holes in the framing. A flat spring p² keeps the bar p
constantly pressed forward so that when the sliding barn is drawn

page_text: back and the wedge n² is withdrawn from behind the cranked ends of
the bar p, the latter will be pressed forward and the pins p¹ will be
made to project from their holes so that upon attempting to open or
push forward any of the slides the springs 6 of the latter will strike
against the pins p' and be blocked. It has been already stated that when-
ever any of the slides a, a, are moved either in or out the studs a³ at the
back thereof will come against the teeth of the corresponding star
wheel j, and will move it round, and in so doing will rotate the shaft i
and disc k. The shaft i with its appendages is held steady in any given
position by means of friction bowls at the end of the spring lever q, q,
which, however, by its elasticity will allow the star wheels and shaft
to rotate in either direction when acted upon by the slides. The position
of the click m on the disc k is so arranged that when all the slides but
say three or four are closed the click will be brought against the stud
or pin o of the sliding bar o' and will force it forward, thereby drawing
back the other sliding bar n¹ and withdrawing the tongue n² from
behind the bar pas already explained. When all the slides with the
exception of say two are closed the pin will have been brought
into proximity with the stud n on the sliding bar n', and on pushing in
or closing the last slide the disc k will be carried round so far by means
of the pin. as to have pushed the wedge n² behind the bar p, and by
forcing it back will withdraw the projecting pins p¹, and thus allow the
slides a to be opened.
It will be evident that the indicating apparatus above described (when
suitably modified to suit the peculiar nature of other games) may be
used as a marking board for other games of skill besides the game of
pool played on a billiard table. I do not therefore intend to confine
the use of my improved indicating and registering apparatus to the game
of pool, but I reserve to myself the right of adopting it for other games
or purposes for which it may be applicable. A. stud is to be placed upon
the large wheel to prevent it turning further than to indicate the highest
number or most money shown upon the wheel, otherwise the marker
would be able continuously to revolve the large wheel and indicate any
sum he pleased. This stud is released by withdrawing a slide at the
top of the case, and which slide is kept locked by the proprietor. The
key of this lock fits the top of the spindle e and it can only be used
when the locking slide above mentioned is unlocked and drawn out
until a certain hole in it comes over the end of the spindle. This slide
is to be so arranged that when closed it stops the large wheel at the stud

page_text: upon it which is to be so arranged that the wheel will be fixed when 62/-
or the highest money is opposite the hole e¹ in the case. By means of
this arrangement the proprietor whenever he may take the money from
the marker may set the indicating wheel almost instantly at zero again.
Having now described my Invention of "Improved Apparatus for
Indicating and Registering Pool and other Games of Skill, and Indicating
the Amount of Money Paid by the Players for the use of the Table," and
having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim
as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the
adaptation to the slides of pins, studs, finger springs, or other equivalent
devices whereby such slides may through the intervention of a common
shaft or its equivalent be made to act upon an indicating wheel as hercin
set. forth.
I also claim the use in combination with these parts of the devices
shewn and described or other equivalent mechanism for preventing the
registering and indicating apparatus from being tampered with.
In witness whereof, I, the said John James Cousins, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.