Apparatus for Counting and Indicating the Points Made by Billiard Players.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 21st July, 1894
Apparatus for Counting and Indicating the Points Made by Billiard
Players.
I, PAUL RŎDEL of Stephanienstrasse, Dresden, in the German Empire, Brewer,
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 :-
This invention relates to an apparatus for counting or adding up and indicating
the points made by billiard players, the mechanism being actuated by pressing
down keys or finger knobs placed in connection with revolving drums furnished
with figures representing units, tens, hundreds, etcetera.
In the drawing
Fig. 1 is a front view of the complete apparatus.
Figs. 2 and 3 side and back views of the mechanism.
Figs. 4 to 7 views of details.
a (Fig. 1) is a wood case. b a metal frame plate fixed therein. c are numbered
finger knobs having extensions c¹ sliding in plate b. There are always eleven of
these in a set for counting units, tens and hundreds. d are rectangular apertures
in plate b, three apertures for each set of keys, through which numerals on the
revolving drums, indicating the counted points, may be observed. e is a wide
plate like lever mounted to turn on spindle f and against which the extremities of
the finger knob extensions c¹ may be pushed. It is shewn in Fig. 3 in dotted lines
so as not to cover over the parts behind it. It has a side attachment or extension .
f is a spiral spring mounted on spindle and tending to keep the plate lever
pressed towards the plate 9 firmly connected to plate 6 by stay bolts g and nuts g².
Levere may be operated by pressing back any one of the units knobs c, the stroke of
Baid lever being the greater the nearer the pressed knob is to the point of
oscillation that is when the strokes of the several knobs are equal, but such
strokes may be limited or shortened according as required by means of enlarge
ments such as which cannot pass into plate b. Extension or arm of plate
levere carries at top an oscillating bar fitted with a pawl e engaging, pressed by
a spring ea ratchet wheel h. This latter with a spur wheel his keyed on a
shaft hand is in connection with shaft i through spur pinion said shaft at its
ends being journalled in angle plates which also serve for carrying the shaft h¹.
The distances of the several knobs e from the point of oscillation and the
extensions c, d, are so calculated that each knob with a certain numerál
corresponds to a given stroke of the lever e, e', which stroke is then transmitted
through pawl to the ratchet wheel h in such a way that this wheel is turned
round to the extent of one tooth for each unit, therefore upon pressing back
knob 1 the lever e is caused to move backwards only so far as will insure the
engagement of the pawl in the next tooth space and upon the return of the
levere by spring move wheel h round to the extent of one tooth. To count
two the ratchet wheel is caused to turn to the extent of two teeth and so OD.
Ratchet wheel h has 40 teeth. The circumference of spur wheel * relatively to
pinion is as 4 to 1, so that when the ratchet wheel turns oue tooth or of its
circumference the spur pinion i will turn of its circumference and so on, the
ten sided numeral drum 1 in connection with said spur pinion and carrying
numerals 0 to 9 being always turned round to correspond with the numeral on the
particular unit knob operated and to shew the added number through the apertures d
or one of them.

page_text: .
a
For the purpose of counting above units the mechanism comprises a second
numeral drum 2 mounted loose on shaft i in conjunction with a ten toothed ratchet
wheel k in which engages pawl of lever I mounted to turn on point l'. Lever!
is actuated by toothed wheel fixed on shaft hand is kept pressed towards said
wheel by spring 1. It is pressed back by the teeth of wheel, when this revolves
in the direction shewn by the arrows, to strike and slide against arm . The
pawl will then fall into the next tooth of wheel k. When wheel has turned so
far round that it no longer contacts with arm the lever actuated by spring.
will spring back and turn the ratchet wheel k to the extent of one tooth and the
drum 2 to the extent of 16 its circumference so that the next following numeral
will be shewn at the corresponding aperture d. There is also fixed to the opposite
side of the drum 2 a ten toothed ratchet wheel & engaged by a pawl on lever m
which is actuated from a finger knob bearing the numeral 10 and serves for
turuing drum 2 independently of drum 1. It is mounted to turn on point m' in
bracket m and is kept pressed back by the force of spring m³. Spring m
prevents the ratchet wheel from turning backwards. Upon pressing down the
finger knob the ratchet wheel is turned round to the extent of one tooth and in
this way the addition of the tens effected independently of the units drum.
For the purpose of counting above_tens, the mechanism comprises a third
numeral drum 3 loose on the shaft i. The counting from tens to hundreds may
be accomplished automatically from the tens drum, or independently, or both.
In the former and latter cases, mechanism similar to that described and shewn for
counting automatically tens from the units drum is interposed between the tens
and hundreds drums the distance between them being correspondingly increased.
The mechanism for the independent counting above tens is also similar to that
referred to for the independent counting of tens. This mechanism is operated
from a finger koob bearing the numeral 100. It is located at the right hand
side of the drum 3, is shewn in two views in Fig. 7, and, as in the former case,
comprises a lever m pressed by a spring m³, a ratchet wheel pressed by a
spring m and a spring pawl engaging the ratchet wheel. Upon pressing down
the 100 knob said fever and pawl operate the ratchet wheel so as to turn the drum.
In Fig. 6 the pawl end of the three mentioned levers is shewn in two views,
o being a spring against the resistance of which the pawl turns on pin n carried in
the lever."
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-
1. In a counter for billiard players, the treble row arrangement of the knobs
or keys representing units with the knobs for the larger numbers located nearer
to the point of oscillation f of the levere than those for the smaller numbers, so
that upon pressing the knobs, said lever is caused to perform a greater or less
stroke which is transmitted through a ratchet wheel and suitable gearing to a
numeral drum by which the added number corresponding to the pressed knob is
indicated, substantially as described and shewn.
2. In a counter for billiard players, the rods cl of knobs c provided with
enlargements c for obtaining from the several keys in a row, different lengths of
stroke from the lever e, substantially as described and shewn.
3. In a counter for billiard players, the toothed wheel on shaft h said wheel
upon each revolution of the units drum actuating, through a lever a spring paw!
and a ratchet wheel, the tens drum to the extent of one numeral, thus effecting an
addition from the units into the tens; and similar mechanism interposed between
the tens and hundreds drums, substantially as described and shewn.
4. In a counter for billiard players, the arrangement for tens and hundreds of
special knobs or keys for actuating through levers m and ratchet wheels k¹, k, the

page_text: tens and hundreds drums independently of the other mechanism, substantially as
described and shewn.
Dated this 24th day of April 1894.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.