A New or Improved Marker or Scorer for the Game of Golf.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec.. 1892
Complete Specification Left, 31st Aug., 1893-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Marker or Scorer for the Game of Golf.
I WOOLLASTON JOHN BURMAN of No. 57 Temple Row, Birmingham in the
County of Worcester Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention has for its object to enable the scorer in the game of golf to effect
the rapid registration of the strokes of the player and consists of an instrument or
apparatus the parts of which are constructed and combined, and operate in the
following manner.
The body of the instrument consists of a sheet or piece of metal, wood or other
hard material preferably oblong in shape and of a size convenient for being carried
in the pocket. In the face or upper surface of the body a series of nine equi-
distant parallel grooves are made, the said grooves extending nearly but not
quite from end to end of the body. The said grooves have a dovetail or undercut
figure and in each of them a short dovetail slide works the said slides having small
knobs or heads projecting above the 'face of the instrument by which they can be
pushed from end to end of the grooves. Each of the grooves is numbered at one
end and is divided in length into about thirteen equal divisions by cross notches.
Connected with each slide and situated inside its groove is a light spring pressing
the slide downwards or as an alternative upwards and the underside of the knob of
the slide has a projection which when the knob is brought over one of the cross
notches is made by its spring to snap into the cross notch and secure the knob
temporarily in the place to which it has been brought. By thus moving the knob
the scorer indicates the number of strokes made by the player in lodging the ball
in the first of the nine or eighteen holes of the game. When the player has lodged
the ball in the second hole the scorer moves the knob of the second groove to the
position indicating the number of strokes made by the player in lodging the ball in
the second hole and so on until each of the nine or eighteen grooves is made to
indicate by the position of its knob the number of the strokes made by the player
with respect to each hole of the game.
At the end of the body opposite that at which the numbering of the divisions
in the grooves commences is a recess in which a strip of card can be inserted by a
sliding motion. On this card the number to which the knob in each groove has
been brought is recorded and the column of figures thus obtained on being added
up at the foot of the column gives the whole number of strokes made by the
player.
After the conclusion of the game all the knobs are brought to the zero position,
a fresh strip of card is inserted in the recess provided for it and the apparatus is
ready for use in another game.
Dated this 7th day of December 1892.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Marker or Scorer for the Game of Golf.
1, WOOLLASTON JOHN BURMAN, of No. 57 Temple Row, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 has for its object to enable the scorer in the game of golf to effect

page_text: the rapid registration of the strokes of the player and consists of an instrument or
apparatus the parts of which are constructed and combined and operate in the
following manner.
The body of the instrument consists of a sheet or piece of metal, wood or other
hard material preferably oblong in shape and of a size convenient for being carried
in the pocket. In the face or upper surface of the body a series of nine equi-
distant parallel slots or grooves are made, the said slots or grooves extending
nearly but not quite from end to end of the body. In cach of the said slots or
grooves a short slide works, the said slides having small knobs or heads projecting
above the face of the instrument by which they can be pushed from end to end of
the slots or grooves. Each of the slots or grooves is numbered at one end and is
divided in length into about eleven equal divisions by cross notches. Connected
with each slide is a light spring pressing the slide upwards and the underside of
the knob of the slide has a projection which when the knob is brought opposite one
of the cross notches is made by its spring to snap into the cross notch and secure
the knob or head temporarily in the place to which it has been brought. By thus
moving the knob the scorer indicates the number of strokes made by the player in
lodging the ball in the first of the nine or eighteen holes of the game. When the
player has lodged the ball in the second hole the scorer moves the knob of the
second slot or groove to the position indicating the number of strokes made by
the player in lodging the ball in the second hole and so on until each of the nine
or eighteen slots or grooves is made to indicate by the position of its knob
the number of the strokes made by the player with respect to each hole of
the game.
At the end of the body opposite that at which the numbering of the divisions in
the slots or grooves commences is a recess by which a strip of card can be inserted
by a sliding motion. On this card the number to which the knob in each slot or
groove has been brought is recorded and the column of figures thus obtained on
being added up at the foot of the column gives the whole number of strokes made
by the player.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in front elevation and Figure 2
in plan my new or improved golf marker or scorer; Figure 3 represents a portion
of the same in cross section and Figures 4 and 5 represent in back elevation a
portion of the marker and one of its slides. Figures 6 and 7 represent respectively
one of the slides and its spring detached: Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are drawn to a
larger scale than Figures 1 and 2.
The same letters of reference indicate the samne parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
The body of the instrument consists of the metallic plate a (but other hard and
durable material may be used for the body of the instrument) having in it a series
of parallel slots b each of which is divided by a series of preferably eleven equi-
distant nearly semi-circular cross notches in one side of the said slot. The several
cross notches in each of the series of slots are arranged in vertical lines. The
first vertical line or row of notches is unmarked but the other vertical rows are
marked respectively 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
The body a of the instrument preferably has on its left hand side a tube d for
the reception of a black lead pencil or other marking instrument and on its opposite
side grooved strips e, e which said grooved strips e, e form a recess for the reception
of a scoring card f, the said card being introduced into and withdrawn from the
recess by a sliding motion. The scoring card f is prevented from accidentally
sliding out of its recess by a stud or ping at the head or open end of the recess.
The scoring card has printed thereon numbers which indicate the numbers of the
slots opposite which they are situated.
The slides c (one of which is shown detached in back elevation, side elevation
and plan in Figure 6) consist essentially of a head or knob having at each end
depending pins marked respectively c², c² the ends of which depending pins c¹, e² are
turned or clinched at right angles to the other parts in directions opposite to one

page_text: another. The said slide c also has on its underside a projection ³ the end of
which is turned at right angles to the other part, the turned or bent end being
situated in a plane higher than that in which the turned or clinched ends of the
pins c', care situated. The face of the head or knob of the slide has a cross
ridge e immediately over the projection e³ on its underside.
C
Situated under the head or knob of the slide c is a slotted bow shaped steel
spring (shown separately in front and side elevation in Figure 7) which raises the
head or knob of the slide e from the face of the instrument and causes the
projection to engage with one or other of the cross notches in the slots when
the ridge on the face of the knob of the slide e has been brought opposite one of
the horizontal row of numerals at the top of the plate a.
C
The slides c, after engagement with their springs h, are introduced into their
respective slots in the following manner. At one end of each slot and in the
opposite side of the slot to that having the cross notches described an additional
notch is made the distance of the notch i from the nearest of the series of cross
notches being equal to the distance of the pin c² from the projection e³ of the slide c.
The pin e' of the slide c is passed through one of the cross notches and engaged
with the back of the plate. By moving the slide along the slot the other pin e² is
brought opposite the notch i and the projection c³ is brought opposite the cross
notch nearest to the notch i. By pressure on the knob of the slide c the said pin c²
and projection e³ are made to pass through the said notches (as seen in Figure 4)
and engage by a sliding motion with the back of the plate a. To prevent the
slides c becoming accidentally disengaged from their slots the clinched ends of one
or both of the pins c', c² of the slide are bent through a small angle and made to
cross the notches through which they have been passed as represented in
Figure 5.
C
The instrument is used in the following manner;-
C
The slides c at the commencement of a game are arranged in the positions
represented in Figure 1, that is, with the projection c3 of each slide engaged with
the zero cross notch of its slot. On each stroke of an opponent at the commence-
ment of the game the players move the slide c in the first slot by pressure on the
knob of the slide through the space between two adjacent notches. The position
the slide c takes when pressure is put on it is indicated by the position of the top
slide in Figure 3. When an opponent. has made a successful stroke, that is, has
succeeded in putting the ball into the hole in the link for which he was playing, the
slide c is left in the position to which it has been brought thus registering the
number of strokes made in obtaining the hole. Supposing a player has taken six
strokes to get his ball into the first hole of the link, his opponent has moved the
slide e in the first slot of his the opponent's, instrument from the zero cross notch
to the sixth cross notch and has thus registered the number of his strokes.
C
On the player trying for the second hole of the link his opponent indicates the
strokes by means of the slide c in the second slot in the manner described with
respect to the first slot and so on until the nine holes have been played for when
the first round of the game is completed.
Before commencing the second round of the game the numbers registered by the
several slides are written in the first column of the scoring card f and are added
up, the total score for the first round being written at the foot of the column.
On the commencement of the second round the slides c are brought to the zero
position and at the finish of the round the numbers registered by the slides c are
written in the second column of the scoring card. By comparison of the cards of
the contesting players the winner of the game is at once ascertained.
After the conclusion of the game all the slides are brought to the zero position,
a fresh scoring card is inserted in the recess provided for it and the instrument is
ready for use in another game.
Figure 8 of the accompanying drawing represents a modification of my new or
improved golf marker or scorer in which only one notched slot is employed. In
using this instrument the number of strokes registered by the slide in playing for

page_text: a hole is recorded on the scoring card f and the slide returned to its zero position
before commencing to play for the next hole.
Figures 9, 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawing represent in front elevation,
plan and back elevation respectively another modification of my new or improved
golf marker or scorer by the use of which not only can an opponent's score be
recorded but each player may keep a record of his own score and thus keep a check
on each others scoring. In this modified instrument two parallel notched slots are
used the slides of which are arranged on opposite faces of the instrument and two
scoring cards also on opposite faces are employed for receiving the scores registered
by the slides. The scoring card and slide on the front face of the instrument are
used for the opponent's score and the scoring card and slide on the back face for
the player's own score as will be understood by an examination of the drawing.
The instruments Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 are provided with a ring by which
they may be suspended from the person by a watch or other chain.
Although I have described and represented and prefer to use a notched slot or
slots in the body of the instrument yet one or more notched grooves may be
employed in place of the said slots. In this case the sides of the grooves are
undercut and the slides working in the said grooves are dovetailed to fit them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that I claim
as my invention :-
The new or improved golf marker or scorer hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawing, the said golf marker or scorer consisting essentially
of a flat or plate like body having in it a notched slot or groove or two or a series
of parallel notched slots or grooves in which a slide or slides, substantially of the
kinds described and represented, works or work, the said flat or plate like body of
the instrument preferably carrying a scoring card or scoring cards and a pencil or
other marking instrument as described and represented.
Dated the 21st day of August 1892
WOOLLASTON JOHN BURMAN.