An Automatic Billiard Table Game Recorder.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1898-Accepted, 15th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Automatic Billiard Table Game Recorder.
I, MAURICE GALLAGHER, Loco. Foreman, Uganda Railway, Kilindini, Moin-
bassa, British East Africa, 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:-
The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism whereby the proprietors
of billiard tables may have a means of checking their markers." Up to the
present time proprietors have had to trust to the honesty of their markers to
ascertain the number of games that have been played on their tables and unfor-
tunately such trust has often been misplaced. By my invention the number of
games played on a table will be accurately recorded on the score board, but in such
a way that the marker, though the number of games played will be visible to him,
will have no opportunity of tampering with the record, nor will the players be
able to use the board in the absence of the marker, who cannot therefore say that
the number of games recorded is not the correct one.
Referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference
designate like parts throughout,
Figure 1 is a front view of my board,
Figure 2 the back view with the casing taken off,
Figure 3 a section on line A-B of Figure 2
Figure 4 a section on line C-D) of Figure 2
Figure 5 a section on line E-F of Figure 2
Figure 6 a section on line G-H of Figure 2
Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 are respectively the right side view, back view left side
view and top view of the mechanism attached to the pointer.
Figures 11 and 12 are respectively the side and back view of the levers and
tumblers.
Figures 13, 14 and 15 are respectively the back view and left and right
side views of the ratchet and pawl arrangement for actuating the counters.
Figure 16 the rod for putting the desired counter in gear and throwing the
others out of gear.
Figures 17 and 18 are back and side views of the locking mechanism,
Figures 19 and 20 are side and back, views of an alternative form of locking
mechanism.
The board has on its face the usual scoring pointers C which move in slots A,
a roller B with figures on its four sides for scoring the four games generally
played viz., 24, 51, 63 and 101, and holes M through which the counters I for
the various games appear.
The slots A, one above and the other below the
roller run nearly the whole length of the board and through this slot the pointer
is connected to a sliding block 1) having thereon a finger E capable of vertical
movement in a sleeve and having a head above and a pin below to restrict its
movement, and also a pawl F and a tongue K with a slot therein. The finger E
is. arranged to actuate a lever G which moves the connecting rod H operating
the counter mechanism. This lever G is regulated to move only a certain distance
by means of a pin, and has two tumblers J fitted on it so as to allow the fingers.E
of the sliding block D to pass over it after the lever has been moved its full
DO/1

page_text: distance either on the forward or return journey of the pointer. The tumblers
on the lever at each end of the stroke of the latter conie in contact with the
stopping pin, which pushes down one side of the tumbler and causes the other
to form an inclined plane up which the finger E easily passes. The lever is so
arranged that it can be actuated by either of the pointers, the one first passing
over the board causing it to move.
The pawl F is loosely attached to the sliding block 1) by means of a pin which
permits it to trail on a rack L when moved backwards or forwards. This rack
is a serrated bar running the. whole length of the board under the blocks D with
a gap at each end to allow the pawl to reverse. As soon as the pointer has
moved from zero, the pawl F engages the rack L and the pointer cannot be
returned to zero until it has traversed the whole length of the board and a game
has been recorded. The reason for this is obvious. On the rod H are attached
connecting bars whose other ends are loosely fixed on the axles of the ratchets R
actuating the counter mechanisms I. On each of these connecting bars is loosely
held a finger S (somewhat similar to the finger E) on which is a pin T which
actuates the ratchet.
The counters or recorders I are so arranged that by turning the scoring roller B
to show the game desired to be scored, only the counter for that game is in gear
while the remaining counters are put out of gear. For this purpose the
roller B is fitted with a small toothed wheel N which engages a bar having
similar teeth, and, working vertically up and down, engages a wheel P similar
to N but in a plane with the counters. A partially toothed horizontal bar Q
engages with this wheel 1'. This bar Q extends along the board in close contact
with the pins T actuating the ratchets R and has recesses in it so placed that
only one of the pins T lie in one of the recesses and therefore in gear with the
ratchet R at a time while the others are raised out of gear with the ratchets.
The turning of the roller moves the horizontal bar whereby another of the pins T
The recesses U
drops into gear while the one previously in gear is lifted out.
on the bar Q are so arranged that when the roller is turned to any particular
game the counter intended to record that game only is in gear. Thus when the
lever G is actuated by the pointer it causes the rod H to move the connecting arms
and the fingers S and pins T thereon and the one of such pins in gear with the
ratchet rotates such ratchet and causes the counter to record a game.
The roller B is also arranged so that when a game has been started the roller
cannot be turned to show another game until both the pointers C have been
brought back to zero and the pointers locked in that position. To attain this
result the roller is fitted at either end with metal spindles which revolve in metal
bushes. At the locking end this spindle has four slots on its periphery, one to
correspond with each side, and into one of which a tongue Y of a lock bolt X
passes and prevents the roller being turned when the lock is unfastened. While
either of the pointers are out the lock cannot be fastened owing to the two small
hinged pawls 7 which prevent the bolt moving upwards. When both the pointers
are moved back to zero the tongues K on the sliding block D raise the pawls out of
the way of the bolt and the lock can be fastened, whereupon the bolt will
enter the slots in the tongues K and prevent the pointers being moved. The
bolt being withdrawn from the roller, the latter can be turned to the desired
game and the lock unfastened whereupon the roller will become immovable
while the pointers can be used. It will, of course, he noticed that until both
pointers are at zero, and hence both pawls raised, the lock cannot be fastened.
It will therefore be seen that if the marker has locked the board and retained the
key the pointers cannot be used in his absence, nor when he has unlocked the
pointers and a game has started can the roller be turned to another game until
the pointers have gone to the end of the board and have been returned to zero
and locked in that position-thus preventing one game being started, and con-
tinued until it has been registered, and the roller then being turned to a higher
game.

page_text: An alternative form of locking device is shown in Figures 19 and 20 wherein
instead of the pawl Z there is a wedge shaped pawl Z which is held down by a
spring to prevent the lock being fastened and the roller released until both the
pointers have been returned to zero when the tongues K will raise the pawls
and allow the bolt of the lock to move.
The above arrangement of the board is specially designed for a four sided roller
showing the four games, but if for any reason only one, two or three games are
desired the roller can be arranged with one, two or three sides only, in which
case the board need have only one, two or three counters or recorders respectively,
and the horizontal bar Q would have only one, two or three recesses in it for putting
the counters in and out of gear.
The counters or recorders are not new. Any counters of the usual form which
are suitable in size could be used.
A lid having a lock is fitted on the back of the board to enclose the mechanism
and the key is retained by the proprietor.
In use my invention is very simple. The pointer lock key is retained by the
marker who when away should keep the lock fastened. When a game is to be
played the roller is turned to the desired game by means of a handle, and the
pointer lock unfastened, whereupon the roller becomes locked while the pointers
may be moved in the usual manner. As the first pointer passes along the board
it actuates the lever G and counter mechanism in the manner described and a
game is recorded. At the end of the game both the pointers are taken to the far
end and then returned to zero-the pointer first returning moving the lever back
in position for the next game, and the second pointer passing over it without
affecting it. Both pointers can be moved at the same time with a similar result.
The counter will show on the face of the board how many games have been
played and the marker will be able to see without being in a position to alter
the same. The proprietor can by opening the back of the board set the counters
at zero whenever he wishes.
I do not restrict myself to the exact form and arrangement above described, but
claim to alter same as I may find convenient so long as I do not depart from the
principle of my invention. For instance the serrated bar L instead of having
teeth along its whole length could have teeth at intervals and so long as these teeth
prevented the pointer from being returned to zero after it had once started save
by first going the whole length of the board its object would be accomplished.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
I claim is:-
1. In an automatic billiard table game recorder, the slots A, running above
and below the roller B, along which the pointers move and through which the
said pointers are connected with the mechanism for recording games, substantially
as described and illustrated.
2. In an automatic billiard table game recorder, the mechanism for preventing
the pointers being returned to zero until the whole length of the board had been
passed over, consisting of the pawls Fattached to the backs of the pointers in com-
bination with the racks or serrated bars L adjacent thereto, substantially as
described and illustrated.
3. In an automatic billiard table game recorder, the mechanism for working
the counters consisting of the lever G actuated by the moving of the pointer along
the board and attached to the rod H, having connecting arms connecting it with
a counter mechanism worked by means of fingers on such connecting arms and
pins gearing with the ratchets R of the counter mechanism, substantially as
described and illustrated.
4. In the mechanism last claimed, the fingers E loosely held on sliding blocks D
fixed to the pointers in combination with the tumblers J on the lever, sub-
stantially as described and illustrated.

page_text: 5. In the mechanism secondly above claimed, the fingers S having pins T
for driving the ratchet wheels R of the counter mechanism, substantially as
described and illustrated.
6. In an automatic billiard table game recorder, the mechanism for allowing
only one counter (namely, that for recording the game being played) to be in
gear at a time consisting of a toothed wheel N on the roller B, vertical toothed
bar O, pinion P and partly toothed horizontal bar Q having recesses U, sub-
stantially as described and illustrated.
7. In an automatic billiard table game recorder, the mechanism for alternately
locking the pointers and roller consisting of tongues K on the sliding blocks
attached to the pointers, and having slots therein, the roller spindle having holes
in the periphery thereof for locking same, the lock bolt X having tongue Y and
the pawls substantially as described and illustrated.
8. In an automatic billiard table game recorder, the mechanism for alternately
looking the pointers and roller consisting of tongues I on the sliding blocks
attached to the pointers, and having slots therein, the roller spindle having holes
in the periphery thereof for locking same, the lock bolt X having tongues Y
and the pawls Zi, substantially as described and illustrated.
9. The combination and arrangement of the above described parts forming an
automatic billiard table game recorder.
Dated this 15th day of Tuna 1808
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the. Applicant.