Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 14th Dec.. 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 22nd Jan.. 1889
I, ANDREW SAUTTER of 415 Strand W.C. London Cigar Merchant and Billiard
Room Keeper do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I place, fix or adjust under the table of Billiards one or several runners, viz. gutters,
grooves, channels or the like, in such manner as to receive the balls when they fall in
the pockets and hereby have them automatically returned to either end of the table as
required.

page_text: I, ANDREW SAUTTER of 415 Strand W.C. London Cigar Merchant and Billiard
Room Keeper 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 fix or adjust under the Bed of Billiard Tables such gutters, grooves or channels,
hereafter called Runners, made of wood, metal or other suitable materials, lined or not
with cloth or other soft, yielding stuff, in such a manner hereafter described so that
when Billiard Balls fall into any of the Pockets they will run down automatically to
either end of the table as required for any of the usual games played on Billiard
Tables These Runners supported either on legs from the floor or by swivels or
hinges from the frame of the Table, form a continuous frame of 4 straight sides joined
by 4 rounded corners, preferably of a sectional V shape and are placed either under
the rim or edge of the bed outside the legs or between the legs as may be required in
consequence of the understructure or frame of any particular Billiard Table. In any
case the Pockets are Bottomless & have their lower ends fastened to the runners in
such a way that the Balls when falling through any of them shall take a slanting or
oblique direction towards the Balk end of the Table. These runners are fastened or
supported at 3 places in the following manner: On swivels or hinges at about (more
or less) one twelfth of the length of the table on one side and one sixth of the same
length on the other side from the balk end of the table and at a third place by a
spring at or near the middle of the other end of the Table and so regulated that the
natural or ordinary position of the Runners be a slight slant or inclination towards
the Balk end of the Table but easily reversed towards the other end by depression of
the spring when convenient for certain games & being so retained, if desired, by a
catch or hook.
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
alaim is:
Firstly The invention of an improved apparatus & arrangement for facilitating
& rendering more popular & amusing the games played on Billiard Tables.
Secondly: That my apparatus is more perfect & less complicated than any other
with the same object in view, and answers more readily to all the requirements of the
various games.
Thirdly That it can be fitted to any kind of table old or new, having wood or
iron frame & sides of different width and depth.
Dated this 14th day of December 1888.