Year: 1899

page_text: I. GORDON СгMING WHADCOAT, of 110, Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My object is to produce an improved miniature game of billiards or the like
which can only be played by the insertion of a coin or the like into the machine
and to carry my invention into effect I make my improved coin freed game as
follows:
I construct a wooden or other case having a length and breadth of about
17 inches in front and a depth of about 7 inches from front to back, glazed
upon the top and upon about one third of the top front. To meet the bottom
of the glass and wooden interior back I place a slanting ground or base repre-
senting the billiard table the highest part being the left side I make an excava-
tion or hollow in the table ground or base leaving a wall or ridge about two
thirds of an inch in height of an oblong shape reaching from the highest end
of the ground or base upon the left side to about 4 inches from the lowest part
on the right side. About two inches to the right from the centre of the said
table ground or base I make two holes or narrow cuts through the said table
longitudinally each of an oblong shape about half an inch in length and about
two inches apart, the left end of the said holes or cuts being nearer together
than the two ends at the right. About two inches from the wall at the back
of the table a shaped ridge is placed extending from about two inches from the
extreme left of the table lo about two inches below the said holes or cuts and a
like ridge is fixed the same distance from the front wall. Near the centre of
the said hollow a further ridge is fixed pointed at one end about two inches
from the centre of the top end of the said table and gradually widening and
extending to a point nearly touching the two holes or cuts the width at that end
being a little more than sufficient to fill the space between the two holes or cuts.
Upon the lowest part of the base at the back of the case is fixed the model of
a man or part of a man the figure standing outside the said wall and showing in
profile the figure facing the left when fixed in the case. The right arm of the
model man is suspended upon a pivot near the top centre of the model man.
Ipon the lower part of the arm is fixed a model billiard cue having a large end
the same being fustened loosely to the said bottom part of the arm by a pivot
allowing the cue to ride over the ground without rising from it when the arm
is moved upon the beforementioned pivot. The arm is bont at the elbow and
flat with rounded edge that it may have the appearance of the elbow of the
model man showing behind his back or shoulders. Upon the left side of the
pivot of the arm as the model mon as fixed in the case is a cone or other shaped
weight sufficient to bring the arm and cue back to the extreme right if the arm
be moved. Upon the back of the elbow a metal loop or pin is fixed in such a
way that a string fastened to such loop or pin and pulled from below will force
the arm and cue in a forward direction or from right to left looking at the
figure from the front of the case and upon releasing the string the aforesaid

page_text: weight will bring the arm and cue back to its former position with the elbow
as the highest part. A hole is cut through the base at the extreme right near
the back to enable the string or other substance connected with the model mans
elbow to pass through to the lower part of the case. A few inches beneath the
said table ground or base I adjust a spindle having one end in a socket at the
back and extending to the front of the case a lever being fixed to the front end
to enable the said spindle to be moved round from the outside when the case is
closed in. Upon the end of the said spindle near the back is fixed a pin point-
ing to the right and upon the end of the said pin is fastened loosely the aforesaid
string or connection to the model man's elbow so that when the said lever is
depressed the spindle and pin will revolve with it so that the string will be
pulled and the arm made to move the billiard cue as above stated. Upon the
centre of the said spindle is fixed a metal stop projecting upwards. Beneath
the said two holes or cuts through the table I place two strips of metal having
a small billiard ball fixed upon the top of each the said balls only showing above
the table. Tho said two strips of metal are fastened by holders fixed beneath the
table round the holes or cuts and the said strips of metal are fastened to the
said holders cach by a pivot allowing the said strips of metal to move forward
and backward but not from side to side the forward and backward motion
inclining nearer the centre when most forward.
Upon the actual base of the box beneath the table and at above the centre is
fixed a stand upon which a metal beam rests longitudinally upon a pivot. A
small part of the bottom of the said beam resting upon the right of the sland
is cut away in order that the beam may fall only downwards to the right for
about an inch and the balance of the beam is adjusted so that it will always
lean downwards to the right unless a weight be placed upon the left side. A
curved piece is cut from the bottom of the right of the beam so as to catch upon
the aforesaid stop fixed in the centre of the large spindle. The left end of the
said beam is made in the shape of a broad arrow with a small rounded ridge at
the inner side and upon each of the two inner points so that if a coin be slid
upon the said arrow the coin will strike the three ridges or projections and will
remain upon that end of the said beam weighing it down. The position of the
arrow-like end of the said beam must be such that the bottom of the two strips of
metal before described as having billiard balls at the top will travel up the
cutout in the broad arrow and will each strike the end of the said cutout knock-
ing off anything which may have been placed on the broad arrow. If a coin
be placed on the arrow head and the back strip of metal be moved forward as
aforesaid the coin will be knocked off towards the operator but if in the like
circumstances the front strip of metal be so moved the coin will be knocked off
away from the operator. Upon the actual bottom of the case is also fixed a
guide so that when the coin is knocked off the arrow towards the operator it
will fall down the said guide to the edge of the case at the bottom where a slot
is placed in the case to enable the operator to retake the coin. Upon the interior
front of the case is a fixed slot or guide so that when a coin or the like is
inserted in the slot it will be guided to fall gently upon the aforesaid arrow
shaped head of the beam and upon falling will weigh the beam to a horizontal
or slightly inclined position and will lift the other end of the beam off the stop
fixed to the spindle and so permit the spindle to be turned by the lever.
space is cut in the front of the case covered upon the inside to allow the lever
to be worked about a quarter or third of a revolution. A ball is placed in
the hollow of the table and the said ball will fall by reason of the slant to the
cue and the game played by the operator by placing a coin or the like in the
slot which falls upon the aforesaid arrowhead and lifts the other end of the lever
enabling the aforesaid spindle to revolve. The operator presses the outside
lever and so pulls the string or connection with the model man's arm moving
the billiard cue forward and pushing the hall up the slope whence it will either
fall and strike one of the aforesaid billiard balls attached to the levers and roll
A

page_text: back to its original position or roll to its original position without having
struck one of the balls. When it strikes the inner balf the strip of metal will
knock the coin or the like to the slot where the operator may retake it but if
it hits the outer ball the coin will similarly be knocked over the other side and
it will full and be retained in the case. If either be hit, and the coin be
dislodged the beam will again fall and the stop will hold the spindle so that it
cannot be turned.
Various modifications may be made and any suitable materials used.
GORDON CUMING WILADCOAT, of 110, Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what muuner
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 construct a model of a billiard or bowling
game which can only be played by the insertion of a coin or the like into the
machine, and to carry my invention into effect I make my improved coin freed
billiard or bowling game as follows:
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a front exterior view of the machine.
Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is a plan of the slanting playing ground showing position of
circular barrier guides and balls.
Fig. 3. Sheet 2, shows an elevation of the box under the glass topped case
with front removed showing the mechanism.
Fig. 4 Sheet 2, is a plan of Figure 3 with the upper part removed.
Similar letters denote corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is a suitable case with a glass front and top having a base B about 10 inches
deep and made in the form of a box with a top slanting downwards from left
to right which slanting top forms the bottom of the glass fronted case and
represents the ground or table upon which the game is played.
pon this ground are fixed three guides C, D and E each guide leading from
about two inches from the left and highest end of the said ground to about an
inch from the two balls F and G which are respectively fixed upon the two
swinging strips of metal H and I attached to the said ground by pivots. The
guide is extended to a greater length than the others and the extention shields
the ball F. A further circular guide K encircles the others and extends around
the said ground terminating at cach end near the half of a model man which is
also fixed to the said ground. At the back of the model man a flat arm is placed
upon a pivot L, the top end of the arm extends beyond the said pivot and is
weighted in order to bring the arm back into position next to the right hand
side of the case A. A band of flexible material M is loosely fixed to the point N
of the arm and rums through the said ground which is at this point cut away
to admit it. At the bottom end of the arm a rod O is fastened by a pivot the
rod resting on the said ground. It will be seen that if the band M be pulled
the arm will move the rod 0 in a forward direction and will consequently push
before it the loose ball P if it be leaning against the end of the rod O. The
sloping ground and the guide K will roll the loose ball P back to the rod O
•

page_text: from any part of the said ground. To the bottom of the box B a block or stand
is fixed and upon it fastened near the centre by the pivot Q is a metal beam J.
Near the right hand end of and underneath the beam Ja notch is cut and at
the left end of the beam Jan arrow-shaped head R is fixed sufficiently large to
retain a pennypiece there being a barrier at the three right hand ends of the
arrow-head R to stop a penny piece from slipping off the arrowhead R if the coin
be slid thereon from the left. The whole beam J as thus completed, with arrow-
head at one end and notch at the other, is adjusted and made so as to be slightly
heavier at the right side of the pivot Q than the left side and so that the beam J
is slanting downwards to the right until a coin or other like weight be placed upon
the arrowhead R which would weigh that end of the beam J down to a horizontal
position. Through the box B from the back to the front a revolvable spindle S
is fixed and into this spindle near the back of the box a metal rod T about two
inches long is fixed and the band M is fastened to the projecting end of the rod T
so that if the spindle S be partly revolved it will by means of the rod T pull
the band M and so move the said arm of the model man. A spiral spring X
is also fastened at one end to the rod T and at the other end to the said ground
so that the rod T may be continually pulled upwards. Tpon about the centre
of the spindle S a projecting ratchet U is made to fit the notch cut in the beam J
so that, when the beam J is not weighed to a horizontal position by the placing
of a weight on the arrow end R the notch in the other end of the beam I will
catch the ratchet U and prevent the spindle S from being moved round. At
the front end of the spindle S a lever Y is fixed to show outside the box B and
enable an operator, when the box B is closed and when the arrow end R of the
beam J is weighed down, to turn the spindle S about a quarter of a circle by
pressing the lever Y downwards and and so moving the model man's arm and push-
ing forward the ball P. Near the top of the box B a slot is cut and a guide V
for the coin is made, the guide V being supported from the bottom of the box B
and being adjusted so that a coin placed in the said slot will travel down the
guide and slide upon the arrow head R thus weighing the arrow end R of
the beam J down and releasing the ratchet U and enabling the operator to press
down the said lever working the spindle S and the model man's arm and pushing
forward the ball P which will roll upon the said ground and back to its original
position in front of the rod O. If the ball 1' rolls down between the guides D
and E it will hit the ball G and the ball G being fastened to the swinging metal
strip I which is fixed by a pivot to the said ground the force of the blow and
weight of the ball P will push back the ball G and so swing forward the
bottom of the metal strip I into the space cut for its reception in the arrow
head R and so knock the coin off the arrow-head away from the operator into
the box B. On the other hand if the ball P rolls down between the guides C
and D the bottom of the metal strip H will swing forward and the coin will be
knocked off the arrow head R towards the operator upon a guide W which is
fixed to conduct the coin under such circumstances to a slot at the bottom of the
box and the operator is enabled to retake possession of such coin. If the ball P
returns to the rod O without having hit either of the balls For G the said lever
can be worked until such an event happens and the beam J is freed from the
weight of the coin.
Various modifications may be made and any suitable materials 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
1. The use in combination with coin or the like freed or connected machines
of a model man or similar device the arm or moveable part of which remains
inoperative until a coin or the like is put into the machine but the movement of
which can be regulated by the operator after a coin or the like has been so
placed in the machine.

page_text: 2. The use in combination with coin or the like freed or connected machines,
of mechanism for returning the coin put into the machine if a moveable ball
operated by the user, strikes another particular ball projection or place and for
retaining the coin and preventing the further use of the machine until a further
coin is inserted, if the moveable ball strikes a third ball projection or place.
3. The coin or the like freed ball game substantially as described and illus-
trated in the accompanying drawings.
Naind this Pinot das of August 1000
GORDON C. WHADCOAT,
110, Cannon Street, London, .E.C.,
The Applicant.