IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING OR TELEGRAPHING THE SCORE FOR ATHLETIC OR OTHER GAMES, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE AS AN INDICATOR FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES.
Year: 1882

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Charles Green, of Ashton under Lyne, in the County of
Lancaster for an Invention of IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING OR
TELEGRAPHING THE SCORE FOR ATHLETIC OR OTHER GAMES, WHICH
APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE AS AN INDICATOR FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS
PURPOSES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Green at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th November 1882.
CHARLES GREEN of Ashton-under-Lyne in the County of Lancaster "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR INDICATING OR TELEGRAPHING THE
"SCORE FOR ATHLETIC OR
OTHER GAMES, WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE AS AN INDICATOR FOR
OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES
"
"
The principal object of this invention is to provide a convenient apparatus either
stationary or portable, for the purpose of indicating or telegraphing the "score
for athletic or other games, such as cricket, foot ball, lawn tennis or billiards, the
invention being also applicable as an indicator for other purposes as hereinafter set
forth.
The apparatus consists externally of a casing or frame provided at the front with
a number of openings or windows suitable to the purpose for which the apparatus
is intended to be used.
Immediately behind these openings inside the casing, is arranged a series of
plates (preferably made of sheet metal) facing the front of the said casing and
jointed together so as to form a number of flat chains corresponding with the
number of windows in the casing, some of these plates are plain or blank and others
are marked with a number letter or word as may be required.
These chains are arranged side by side and are passed over a series of square
revolving blocks mounted opposite the openings, each face of each block corre-
sponding in length to one plate or link of the chain.
The object of having square blocks instead of cylinders or rollers is to prevent

page_text: the chains from slipping and thus to ensure the exact presentation of each plate
opposite to its respective opening.
I may here remark that other flat sided sections such as triangular pentagonal
hexagonal and so forth might be used but I prefer the square form of blocks.
Each chain is provided at the front end with a weight, and is connected at the
rear end to a cord passing round a pulley near the bottom of the casing and thence
to a drum situated within convenient reach of the "scorer" or "marker" who may
be at any reasonable distance from the indicator or telegraph board or casing.
These drums are provided with suitable handles or knobs so that on turning them
in either direction the cord will be wound onto the drum and the chain will be
moved so as to present a fresh plate (with its number letter, or word) to the opening
or window in the casing, and thus alter the score indicated by the apparatus.
The number of chains arranged side by side will depend upon the particular
purpose to which the indicator is to be applied. I prefer to direct the cords
diagonally onto the drums to prevent overlapping and to ensure their even winding
thereon.
In cases where the face of the indicator is in such a position that it is not visible
to the “scorer ” I adapt dials or indicating plates to the aforesaid handles or knobs
so as to show the "scorer exactly what indication. he is registering on the
elegraph board.
27
In some cases (especially when the apparatus is required to be portable) I make
the chains of plates endless thus dispensing with the weights cords and drums, and
pass each chain over two similar square or other flat sided blocks, and by causing
any of them to revolve by a handle or other convenient means I can present the
_ required figures.letters, or combinations thereof to the openings in the casing of the
apparatus.
I have described this invention above only as applied to indicating or telegraphing
the " score
for athletic or other games but it will be evident that with slight
alteration the same may be applied for many other analogous purposes; for instance,
-for-indicating-the-time-of-departure-and-destination-of-railway-trains, tramcars,
and omnibuses at their several stations; or it may be employed for teaching
children letters and figures or to read or spell, and for other purposes too numerous
to mention wherein it is required to indicate or telegraph a number or combination
of figures, letters, words or other marks in a visible manner.

page_text: "
"
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Green in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th May
1883.
AN
CHARLES GREEN of Ashton-under-Lyne in the County of Lancaster
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INDICATING OR TELEGRAPHING THE SCORE FOR
ATHLETIC OR OTHER GAMES WHICH APPARATUS IS ALSO APPLICABLE AS AN
INDICATOR FOR OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES.
"
The principal object of this invention is to provide a convenient apparatus either
stationary or portable for the purpose of indicating or telegraphing "the score
for athletic or other games such as cricket football lawn tennis or billiards tho
invention also being applicable as an indicator for other purposes as hereinafter
set forth.
I construct the apparatus externally of a casing or frame provided at the front
(and back when required) with a number of openings, or windows suitable to the
purpose for which the apparatus is intended to be used Fig 1.
Immediately behind these openings inside the casing I arrange a series of
plates Fig 2 (preferably made of sheet metal) facing the front of the said casing
and hinged together by being turned at each end round links of wire so as to
form a number of flat chains A Fig 2 corresponding with the number and each
link of the saine area as the windows of the casing. Some of these plates are left
blank and others are marked with a number letter word or figure as may bo
required.
I arrange these chains side by side and separate them one from another by thin
partitions B Fig 2 passing each one over a separate square revolving block C
Fig 2 mounted opposite or above the openings each face of each block corre-
sponding in length to one plate or link of the chain.
Each chain is provided at the front end with a weight D Fig 2 and is connected
at the rear end to a cord passing round a pulley near the bottom of the casing E,
Fig 2 and thence to a block or drum Fig 3 situated within convenient reach of the
scorer" or "marker" who may be at any reasonable distance from the indicator,
or telegraph board or casing-I provide this block or drum with a suitable
handle A Fig 3, so that on turning it in either direction the cord will be wound
onto the block or drum, and the chain will be moved so as to present a fresh plate
(with its number letter word or figure) to the opening or window in the casing and
thus alter the " score indicated by the apparatus.
The number of chains arranged side by side will depend upon the particular
purpose to which the machine is to be applied. I prefer to direct the cord
diagonally on to the block or drum to prevent over lapping and to ensure its even
winding thereon.
For this purpose I adapt a screw to the handle which works the drum so as to
make it move forward when turned one way and backwards when turned the other
way B Fig 3.
In order to keep the chain or band in any fixed position that may be required
I attach a break to press upon the rod turning the drum or block at the point C
Fig 3 by moving the bolt D Fig 3 up and down by means of a rod hinged at the
point E Fig and also at the point F Fig 3 where it passes through the back
casing. At the end of this rod I hinge a ring at the point G Fig 3 which can be
hooked down tightly on the fixed pin H Fig 3 when it is required to apply this
break.
In cases where the face of the apparatus is in such a position that it is not
visible to the "scorer I adopt dials or indicating plates to the aforesaid handles
و"

page_text: Fig 4 so as to shew the "marker" exactly what indication he is registering on the
machine
I make the dials or indicating plates (which are marked with similar numbers
letters words or figures as the chains to which they refer) to move past a fixed
finger A Fig 4 by fixing a small cog wheel on the driving rod of the drum B Fig 4.
wide enough to prevent its getting out of gear of the cogged edge of the dial C
Fig 4 by the action of the screw moving the block or drum backwards and forwards.
I "set ог
arrange" the numbers letters words or figures on the dial to arrive
opposite the fixed finger at the same time as a similar number & on the chain
appears at the window or opening in the front of the apparatus.
"
The object of having square blocks instead of cylinders or rollers is to prevent
the chain from slipping and thus to ensure the exact presentation of each plate
with its numbers letters word or figure opposite its respective window or opening.
I may here remark that other flat sided sections such as triangular pentagonal
hexagonal and so forth might be used but I prefer the square form of block..
In some cases (especially where the apparatus is required to be portable) I make
-the chains of plates endless thus dispensing with the weights cords and drums.
and pass each chain over two similar square or other flat sided blocks Fig 5 and
by causing any of these blocks to revolve-by a handle or other convenient means I
can present the required figures letters words or numbers or other combinations to
the openings or windows in the casing or casings of the apparatus.
In one machine on the endless band system suitable-to "scoring" at cricket I
cause cach hand to revolve by attaching to one side of either of the aforesaid blocks
(but-1-prefer-the-lower-one)-a-thin-circular-plate-or-wheel-A-Fig-5-the-diameter-of-
which is sufficiently greater than the diagonal measurement of-the-side-of-the-
block as to allow of it being grasped by the hand as it protrudes from the front
or back of the machine as it may be required to be used-1 cause the wheel or plate
to be let into the division against which it works so that it will not rub against
the edge of the chain or band when revolving Fig 6 I cut the divisions separating
the chains in a semicircular form round the point where the wheel revolves A
Fig 7 so that when the apparatus_is_closed_in_by_a casing fastened on these
divisions the wheel will project through narrow apertures cut for the purpose in
the said casing B Fig 9 on that side from which it is proposed to work the
machine. I cause the edges of the divisions on the other side of the apparatus from
which it is worked to be made wide enough from the point where the wheel
commences to project to allow the wheel to revolve without touching the casing
which I fasten on these divisions to cover in the wheel on that side altogether B
Fig 7.
Where this apparatus is to be worked from the back I adopt a method of
indicating to the "scorer' "what number letter word or figure is represented by
each band on the front of the machine by leaving an unligured or unlettered
margiu on the left hand edge of each plate forming the band A tig 8 opposite
which margin at the back of the apparatus and a little above the driving wheel
or handle I cut a small window or opening in the back casing of the same width
as this margin (now on the right hand side of the inverted plate having revolved
from front to back A Fig 9.
"
On this margin 1 represent miniature numbers letters words or figures similar
to those on the land or chain and so "set" or "arranged as to indicate at the
same moment a like letter number word or figure as appears at the front window
or opening which front opening is of the exact size as the figured or numbered
portion of each plate not including the margin aforesaid.
In another apparatus an endless band system suitable to marking at lawn-
tennis Fig 10 I cause the bands to revolvo by passing a rod fitted at the
end with a handle A Fig 10 through one side of the casing through all the divisions
through one of the blocks B Fig 10 (preferably the lower one) in which it is firmly
fixed to the opposite casing through which it passes and works.
The handle rod and block working the next band C Fig 10 is arranged lower

page_text: down in the apparatus at such a distance as to allow of its working clear of the
rod driving the first band and round which the second band revolves without
touching D Fig 10. The third handle rod and block E Figure 10 with its corre-
sponding chain or band is likewise placed below the second whose rod passes
through its centre without touching-The upper blocks of the first and second
bands work on separate axles F F Fig 10 fastened on each side through the
divisions between which the blocks work-The third band has its upper block
working on the rod of the first band G Fig 10 In this machine I represent (when it
is required to show the "score" on the back and front at the same time) two figures
letters words or numbers on each plate H Fig 10 each of the width of one half of
the plate and so arranged as to appear simultaneously opposite windows or openings
in both the front and back of the machine-These openings are each of the width
of one half of the band or chain one opposite one set of numbers letters words or
figures represented on one half of the band and the other opening opposite the
other set of representations on the other half of the band.
"
I have described this invention as applicable to indicating or telegraphing the
score for athletic or other games but it will be evident that with slight alteration
the same may be applied for other analogous purposes for instance for indicating
the time of departure and arrival of railway trains tramcars omnibuses steam boats
and other conveyances at their several stations for marking at shooting or rifle
matches shewing the names and numbers of riders and horses at race meetings or
it may be employed for teaching children letters and figures or to read or spell
and for other purposes too numerous to mention wherein it is reqired to indicato
or telegraph a number or combination of figures letters words or other marks in a
visible manner.
Having described my invention and the manner of working the same I wish it
to be understood that I claim the following:-
First: A method of indicating numbers letters words or figures by moving or
causing to revolve in front of a casing provided with windows or openings and
over square or other flat sided sections certain flat plates or links (preferably
made of sheet metal) hinged together so as to form a chain or band in which each
plate or link is of the same size as one side of the block or section over which it
revolves and is. marked with a number letter word or figure or left blank or
unnumbered as it may be required.
Second: A metho! of representing with the aforesaid bands or chains similar
numbers letters words or figures on the front and back of the apparatus
simultaneously.
Third: The general arrangement and combination of mechanism together forming
my improved apparatus for indicating the score for athletic and other games
and other analogous purposes substantially as herein before described and shewn on
the drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Charles Green have hereunto set my hand
and seal this ninth day of May in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundead and eight thres
CHARLES GREEN (L.S.)