IMPROVED MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE APPLICATION OF CHALK TO BILLIARD-CUES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, KENNEDY BERESFORD, of South Front Barracks Dover, Lieutenant in the
1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for IMPROVED MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE APPLICATION OF CHALK TO
BILLIARD-CUES, to be as follows:-
A hollow metal Box to contain Chalk, (I, I, I, I) which is connected with stand,
or small platform, (P, P,) by means of a hinge on one side, (H, H,) and a spring bolt
or catch (B, B) on the other side of the instrument; so as to be opened at will for
the insertion of any piece of chalk of the required shape.
When the Chalk is inserted and the instrument closed, there is a small circular
opening (o, o) in front through which the Billiard Cue can be inserted to receive
the necessary application of Chalk for use in the game of Billiards.
The instrument can then be fixed in any convenient position in the Billiard
room, and the box containing the chalk stands out from its base in a horizontal
position with the circular opening, (o, o,) above referred to, appearing in the front
of it.
The point of the cue can then be inserted through the circular opening (o, o) in
front, and applied to the chalk inside; which is kept in its position, close up against
the circular opening, by means of a spiral spring (S) inside the box containing the
chalk.
This spiral spring (S) keeps the chalk in its position & pushes it forward up to
the opening (o, o) according as it is worn away; at the same time it enables the
chalk to concede to every motion of the Billiard-Cue thus preventing the leather
disc at the point of it, being forced off by excess of pressure.
The box (1) containing the Chalk being connected with the base by means of a
hinge (H,H) and spring bolt, (B, B) the box can be opened to replenish the supply
of Chalk when necessary by drawing back the bolt (B, B) and opening the box on
its hinge (H,H) when the chalk is inserted; the box is closed, and kept firmly in a
fixed position, by slipping back the bolt into the catch (c), which is constructed on-
the box to receive it.
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page_text: I, KENNEDY BERESFORD, of the South Front Barracks Dover, Lieutenant in the
Royal Irish Rifles, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for IMPROVED
MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE APPLICATION OF CHALK TO BILLIARD-CUES and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement -
The Chalk is contained in a Holder which is connected with a base or platform
from which it stands out in a horizontal position when in usc.
This Holder containing the Chalk is so constructed (as is described below) that
the point of the Billiard Cue may be applied to the Chalk which it contains in such
a manner as may be necessary when playing the Game of Billiards.
The holder attached to its Base; and standing out from it in a horizontal
position; when supplied with Chalk, presents a vertical surface of Chalk in front,
to which the Cue can be applied.
Thus the instrument, when supplied with Chalk, can be fixed in any convenient
position in the room, or against the Billiard Table, so that it can be made use of
when it is necessary to chalk the cue, in playing the Game of Billiards.
As it is necessary that the instrument should be constructed the meet the
different requirements which circumstances will demand, in playing the Game of
Billiards; the holder, or part containing the Chalk must be varied slightly in shape
according to these different requirements: these variations are divided into a series
of three.
But in each of these variations the principle remains the same; which is, that the
holder, must be so adapted that the Chalk may be removed & the supply
replenished when necessary.
First. When the instrument is required for affixing to the Billiard Table; in order
to prevent the chalk coming in contact with the players, the holder or part
containing the chalk, (H,H) would consist of a hollow metal box (Figs. 1 & 2, H, H,
H, H) with a circular opening in front, (o) through which the point of the Billiard
Cue can be applied to the Chalk inside.
Then the holder would be connected to the Base by means of Spring catches,
(Fig. 2, x, & y,) the springs of which are rivetted to the sides of the interior of the
holder, and are produced down beneath it; ending in catches (Fig 2, x &y) which
project outwards from under the sides of the holder, and pressing into niches
formed in the base (Fig 2. N, N) secure it firmly thereto.
When it is necessary to remove the Chalk from the holder so as to replenish the
supply; the button (Fig 2, A & B) on each spring, which project outwards from the
sides of the holder, through two circular opening is pressed inwards; by this
movement the catches are withdrawn from the niches in the base (Fig. 2, N, N)
& the holder comes off in the hand.
To replace the holder, the spring catches are pressed down into the niches in
the base; which springing into them, secure the holler to the base.

page_text: Thus the instrument with the chalk inside can be affixed to the Billiard table by
nails or screws through the holes in the base.
Second. When the instrument has to be fitted with cylindrical pieces of chalk, or
cubic pieces in a cylindrical holder; the part holding the chalk would be slightly
varied in shape; which however does not affect the principle of the invention.
In this case the holder would be made cylindrical in shape, (Fig 3, H, H, H,)
& fixed immovably to the base (M, M M M); while the top of it would be constructed
to screw off or on at will (Fig 4, a) and the spring catclies would be omitted.
Then to remove the chalk, the top of the holder would be screwed off, & the
chalk being forced upwards by the spiral spring (s) can be removed.
This spiral spring, in each of the above cases is placed in the interior of the
holder to enable the chalk to concede to the motion of the cuc when applied to it.
In the two above cases, the base and holder may be made of metal wood,
vulcanite, or any other material or of all of them combined, with or without any
other material.
In each, the method of using the chalk remains the same; since in each, there
is a vertical surface of chalk in front, to which the cue can be applied.
It will also be seen that the same principle exists in each, which is that the
holder must be so adapted, that the chalk may be removed, and the supply
replenished when necessary.
Also that the idea embodied in the invention is; to retain chalk in an instrument
which may be fixed in any convenient position, & which at the same time presents
the chalk for use, in playing the game of Billiards, Bagatelle, or any similar game
in which a cue is used.
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
The method of holding chalk in an instrument which can be fixed in any
convenient position; at the same time presenting a surface of chalk to which the
cue can be applied in playing the game of Billiards, Bagatelle or other like game:
as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Datad