A New Game, and Apparatus appertaining thereto.
Year: 1896

page_text: A New Game, and Apparatus appertaining thereto.
CHARLES MONTAGUE LINLEY 42 St. Luke's Road Clapham in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of a table or board preferably made of glass or any
smooth surfaced material and provided with an edge all round. The table is
provided with pockets or goals and the game is played by slanting the table so
that a ball or balls, roll of their own weight into the pockets. In some cases
I provide a number of racks and pinions situated at intervals round the table
which can be manipulated by the players to elevate or depress their side of the
table.
:
I prefer to make my table circular and when I make the game for two players
I have four vertical racks, and pinions engaging them, arranged at equal distances
round the table. On the spindle of each pinion I have a lever or finger grip so
that each of the players may control a rack with each hand. The table rests on
the top of the four racks and when any of the pinions are revolved so that a rack
is raised, the table is made to slant and the ball, or balls will roll to the lowest
side. I prefer to use racks or pinions but in some cases for simplicity and cheapness
I use levers to raise the table and as a still simpler form I have a universal joint
under the centre of the table and four handles fixed to the table which the players
take hold of and pull against each other using their strength as well as their skill
to roll the balls into the goal they want. I prefer to have two goals near together
and near the centre of the table, but I do not bind myself to any number or
position of goals nor to any number of balls nor to any number of players. I make
the machine with a coin freed attachment in some cases and I do it in the following
manner. In the centre of the table I have a vertical tube extending below and
above the table. From the goal I have a tube leading to the central tube so that
when a ball drops into a goal it runs into the central tube. Inside the central tube
I have a second tube which extends up through the top of the central tube and is
provided with a knob at the top. When a ball drops through a goal it falls into
the central tube and through a hole in the tube inside it. The inside tube has a
plunger inside it, which is not connected to it, that is to say the inside tube can be
raised by means of the knob without raising the balls, but when a coin is dropped
into a slot it passes down a flat tube and through a slot in the central tube into the
inside tube and connects the plunger with the inside tube so that when the knob at
the top is raised the inside tube brings with it the plunger and the balls which roll
out of holes provided for them, over the surface of the table.
Lifting the knob without putting a coin in the slot will not bring the balls to the
surface. I prefer to have a sheet of glass over the table so as to prevent the balls
from being improperly removed.
Dated this Ninth day of January 1806

page_text: I, CHARLES MONTAGUE LINLEY, of 42, St. Luke's Road, Clapham, London,
Gentleman, 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 consists of a table or board made of any smooth surfaced substance
or material and provided with an upstanding edge all round. The table aforesaid
is provided with pockets or goals, and the game is played by slanting the table so
that a ball or balls rolls or roll of its or their own weight or weights into the
pockets or goals.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood, and readily carried
into effect I will describe the same with reference to the two accompanying
sheets of drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon,
that is to say.-
Fig. 1 is a plan of the new game and apparatus forming the subject of my
invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation, and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation.
Fig. 4 is a diagram shewing the action of the coin freeing mechanism and the
method of raising the balls after being pocketed.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the figures.
a is the table or board formed with the raised edge at all round, b b are holes or
apertures formed in the table or board and which constitute the goals or pockets
into which the players endeavour to roll 'the balls b by tilting the table. The
holes or apertures 6 may be surrounded by different colored rings such as * to
distinguish the opposing sides. I prefer to have two goals b as shewn near the
centre of the table, but I do not bind myself to that particular arrangement of
goals nor to any number of balls nor to the number of players. In the drawings
annexed I have illustrated a convenient mechanism for elevating or depressing the
sides of the table and of so giving motion to the balls. In this arrangement
I provide a number of racks c and pinions d situated at intervals around and
beneath the table. As being suitable for two players I have shewn four vertical
racks and four pinions engaging them, all arranged at equal distances around the
table. To the spindle d' of each pinion d I have a lever or finger grip e so that
each of the players may control a rack with each hand. The table a rests upon
the tops of the four racks c (see particularly Fig. 3) and when any of the pinions
are revolved so that a rack is raised the table is made to slant and the ball or balls
rolls or roll to the lower side. The arrangement of racks and pinions is preferable,
but as an equivalent and for simplicity and cheapness I may use levers for the
purpose of raising the table, and again as a still more simple form, I may have a
universel joint under the centre of the table, and four handles fixed to the table
which the players take hold of and pull against each other, using their strength as
well as their skill to roll the balls into the desired goal. Or, again, cords passing
over pullies may be employed for tilting the table.
To adapt a coin freeing mechanism to this machine, I construct the apparatus
preferably in the following manner, but without confining myself to that precise
position of the tube or accessories.
In the centre of the table a, I have a vertical tube f extending above and below
the table. From the goals I have tubes g leading to the central tube f so that
when a ball drops into a goal, it runs into the central tube. Inside this central
tube I have a second or inner tube which extends upwards through the top of
the tube and is provided with a knob h¹ at its upper end. When a ball drops

page_text: through a goal it falls into the central tube and thence into the inner tube h
suitable apertures being formed in the tubes to permit of the passage of the
balls. The inner tube h is provided with a plunger therein which is not connected
to it, that is to say, the inside tube can be raised without lifting the balls, but when
a coin is dropped into a slot it passes down a flat tube k and rests on a platform x
fastened to the tube h. From the plunger i is a projecting arm or lug z. The
platform & is slotted to allow the arm to pass freely through it, unless there is a
coin on the platform in which case the coin arrests the motion of the arm z thus
allowing the plunger to be raised with the balls by pulling up the knob ', the balls
then roll out of holes provided for them on to the surface of the table a. Lifting the
knob without putting a coin in the slot will not bring the balls to the surface. lis
a curved or flat glass cover placed over the table a.so as to prevent the balls being
improperly removed. m is a casing attached to the stand m' of the table. Slots
or apertures n are formed in the casing m at suitable intervals in which work
pins n¹ connected to the table casing a². These pins and slots act as guides for the
table when tilted. oo are springs (shewn flat in Fig. 3 but which may be spiral
or otherwise if preferred) attached at one end to stand m¹ and at the other end
bearing upon a washer o' or equivalent projecting portion of rack c and tending to
keep said rack in its downward position when the finger grip e is released. p p are
brackets attached to bottom of table a the projections pl pl of which are bifurcated
or bored to permit of the racks e passing therethrough. These brackets rest when
the table is in its normal position upon the horizontal portion of the casing m and
serve to hold the table steady. qq are tubes or hollow columns connected at the
ends to the stand m¹ and casing m and through these tubes the racks c pass, the
horizontal tubes in which work the pinions d are connected to the columns q
suitable openings being formed to allow the pinions to engage with the racks.
an arm pivotted or fulcrummed at sl to the bracket t depending from the under
side of table a to one end of which arm s the spring u is attached the upper end of
said spring being conveniently attached to the under side of table a. As the
plunger is raised with the tube h, the hooked end of arms is also lifted,
(as shewn in dotted lines Fig. 3), and when lowered again, the heel pushes
the coin off the plunger aud causes it to fall (as shewn dotted in Fig. 3) into
the box or space beneath. w is a stop to prevent inner tube h slipping through
tube f.
3 19
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.-
CLAIMS.
1. The new game and apparatus appertaining thereto substantially as shewn and
described.
2. In the new game hereinbefore described the tilting of the surface or table by
mechanical means and guiding the balls into goals or pockets, substantially as
hereinbefore described and shewn.
3. In the new game hereinbefore described the apparatus and mechanism-for
raising the balls after being pocketed substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 11th day of November 1896.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
Agents.