US1070592A - Game-table. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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E. E. PAY.

GAME TABLE.

APPLIOATIQN FILED JUNE 29, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANuuRAPl-l C04, WASHINGTON, n. c.

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GAMB TABLE.

APPLICATIONTILBD JUNE 28. 1912. 1,070,592, Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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UNTE) STATES EDGAR E. FAY, OIE NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAME-TABLE.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 29, 1912. Serial No. 706,730.

To all whom Z5 may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDGAR E. FAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Game-Tables, of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates to improvements in game tables and the prime object thereof is to provide a cushioning means, which .1s arranged along the edge of the rail of said table and which shall be far more durable and much less expensive than the ordinary bank of rubber so commonly used in such connection.

Another object of the invention is to provide a table adapted to be quickly converted from a pool to a billiard table or vice versa with but little trouble and with no adjustments or alterations connected therewith to secure such conversion.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means to dispose of the balls which are used in connection with the pool table as the same are shot from the playing surface thereof into the pockets arranged about the edge of said table.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement o-f parts by which the said objects and other objects hereinafter appearing are attained, as set forth in the following specification and particularly po-inted out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a table embodying my invention with the same arranged as a billiard table. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a table embodying my invention as shown converted into a pool table. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation taken on line 3, 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged det-ail sectional plan of one of the wires constituting a cushioning means, and the means for varying the tension of said wire. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation taken on line 5, 5 of Fig. 2, with parts broken away. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation taken on line 6, 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional elevation taken on line 7, 7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation taken on line 7, 7 of Fig. 2 illustrating a modified form of my invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 10 is a base constructed in a manner common to that in which the bases of pool and billiard tables are constructed and which is surmounted by a top 11 provided with a playing surface 12, said top being preferably rectangular in shape. A frame 13 is disposed about the edge of said top preferably at a slight distance away from said edge and is sustained in coperative relation to said playing surface by brackets 14, 14 secured to the base 10 and provided with projections 15, which project upwardly and engage the inner wall 16 of said frame and thus locate the same in its proper relation to said top, the space between said inner wall 16 and the edge of said top being for the purpose of permitting the dust and dirt from the surface of the table to be swept therethrough, and rendering said table much easier to be kept clean. The frame 13 is reversible, one face 17 of which is adapted to be used for playing billiards, as illustrated in Fig. l, while the opposite face 18 is provided with pockets 19, 19 as in Fig. 2, which may be used when playing pool. Said frame simply rests upon the brackets 14 and is adapted to be reversed at will without disconnecting or adjusting any part of said table, and furthermo-re said frame is hollow having a passage 20 preferably extending along the sides, which co-nducts the balls from the playing surface of said table as they are shot into vthe pockets 19, from the corner pockets toward the pockets 19a and 19h, which are located midway between said corner pockets on the sides of said table, the bottom of the passage 20 from said corner pockets 19 toward the pockets 19a and 19b is preferably inclined, as shown by the dotted lines 21 and 22, Fig. 3, and in section Fig. 5 and as the balls, which are shot into said passage, move toward said pockets 19a and 19`D they are guided by curved guides 23, 23 `loutwardly and through t-he openings 24 (see Fig. 6) and into the net 25 from which they may be readily removed, while the balls entering the pockets 19a and 19b direct from the playing surface are shot downwardly upon the incline 26 and into said net. For the purpose of more successfully guiding the balls from the playing surface 12, the frame 13 is provided with extensions 27 which project across the opening between said frame and the top 11 at points adjacent to the sockets 19, 19 and 19a and 191.

In tne ordinary billiard or pool table a bank of rubber is arranged along the inner Patented Aug. 19,1913.

the balls as they are shot across the tabley and cause them to rebound. This form of cushioning means is exceedingly expensive owing to the high price of rubber and to the fact that the rubber deteriorates or becomes dead which necessitates the replacement thereof from time to time. To overcome this objection, I employ a cushioning means embodying in its construction wire strands 23, 28 disposed parallel to the inner walls of said frame at a slight distance therefrom, and at a slight distance above the playing surface of said table. In connection with the billiard table said strands might be mounted directly upon the top of said table, but for convenience in operation in .changing from one table to the other, I preferably support said wires upon said frame and in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4, the end of said strand 28 being looped and attached at one end to a pin 29 in said frame 13, and at the opposite end thereof to a screw 30 provided with projections 31, 31 adapted to engage slots 32 extending into the frame 13 along the side of the hole 33 in which said screw is placed. A nut 34 is inserted in a hole 35 upon the outer wall of said frame and presses against the shoulder 36. Said nut is also pro-vided with a tubular shank portion 37 which is screw-threaded to receive the end of the screw 30. The head of said nut 34 is iush with the outer wal-l of said casing and is provided with a recess 38 screw 30 drawn into said shank portion 37` and thus vary the tension of said strand 28,

said screw 30 being prevented from rotat-y ing by the projections 31 engaging said slots 32. Each of the strands 28 in the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 is preferably provided with this form of tension applying means.

In connection with the pool table illusfv trated in Figs. 1 and 2 different means of support for said strands are employed on account of the pockets 19, 19 as the wire must terminate at said pockets, these means being more clearly illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 and consisting of levers 39 pivoted at 40 to plates 41 which are preferably mounted upon the inner wall of the frame 13. Secured to said levers 39 are resilient extensions or springs 42 which incline upwardly at an angle to said playing surface 12 and toward the openings in the pockets 19, 19 and 19a and 19h, one of said levers being disposed at .each side of each of said pockets. Guards 43 are secured at the upper ends of said extensions and form guides from said playing surface iii-to .each of said pockets, each .of said pockets also having rings 44 which connect with said guards 43 and receive the balls as they are shot from said playing surface from which point they drop into said passage 20. The strands 28 are connected to the upper ends of said extensions 42, and have tension applied thereto through the rocking of said levers 39 by means of screws 45 having screw-threaded engagement with said levers 39 and contacting with the upper edges of the plates 41. It will be noted by reference to Figs. 6 and 7 that the strands 28 are disposed slightly below and above the upper and lower faces respectively of the frame 13 vand are slightly outside of the edge 46 of the top 11 of said table, in order that said strands may clear said top as said frame 13 is removed from said base to be reversed.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a modified form of my invention which embodies a frame 48 having a passage 49 and provided with an opening 50 which preferably extends entirely around said table and which passage is provided with inclines at the bottom thereof which are adapted to guide the balls away from said pockets, it being understood that said gallery or passage is'al- .on said surface will contact with said wires .at about lmidway their vertical diameters, the ytension being such that they will rebound from one side to the other, and in addition to said wires being cushioning means `the levers or the extensions 42 formed on the levers 39 are also of such resiliency that as .the balls strike the upper ends thereof they will also rebound and the saine may be said lwith regard to the guards 43, said guards being preferably covered with felt or other suitable material to deaden the sound caused by the impact between said balls and said guards.

lVliile I have clearly described in the above, the preferred embodiment of my invent-ion no undue limit-ations should be understood therefrom, but the claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in View of the prior art.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. A device of the class described having, in combination, a top provided with a playing surface and cushioning means thereon embodying parallel wires extending longitudinal-ly of said top and adjacent to opposite sides thereof respectively, parallel wires extending transversely of said top and adja-Y change the angle of said springs to vary the tension to said wires.

2. A device of the class described having, in combination, a base, a top therefor provided with a playing surface, a reversible frame extending around the edge of said top, and cushioning means disposed adjacent to the inner wall of said frame and in close proximity to the top and bottom faces respectively, of said frame.

3. A device of the class described having, in combination, a base, a top therefor provided with a playing surface, a reversible frame supported on said base, with a portion of said frame projecting above the playing surface of said top and a portion thereof extending below said top, cushioning means disposed adjacent to the inner wall of said frame above said top, and a second cushioning means disposed adjacent to the inner wall of said frame below said top.

4. A device of the class described having, in combination, a base, a top therefor provided with a playing surface, a reversible frame, means to sustain said frame on said base in cooperative relation to said playing surface, and cushioning means disposed adjacent to the Ainner wall of said frame in close proximity to the top and bottom edges thereof respectively.

5. A device of the class described having,

i in combination, a base, a top therefor provided with a playing surface, a hollow reversible frame provided with a plurality of pockets, upon one face thereof, means to sustain said frame in cooperative relation to said playing surface, and cushioning means disposed adjacent to the inner walls of said frame in close proximity to the top and bottom edges thereof respectively.

6. A device of the class described having, in combination, a base, a top therefor provided with a playing surface, a reversible frame, means to sustain said frame in cooperative relation to said playing surface, cushioning means including wire strands disposed parallel to the inner Walls of said frame, at a distance below the top and above the bottom edges thereof, and means adapted to adjust the tension of said wires.

7. A device of the class described having, in combination, a. top provided with a playing surface, a frame detachably arranged adjacent to the edges of said top, and cushioning means including wire strands disposed parallel with and in close proximity to the inner -Walls of said frame and at a distance above said playing surface.

S. A device of the class described having, in combination, a top provided with a playing surface, a frame arranged along the margin of said top, said frame having a passage therein and openings in the inner and top walls of said frame connecting said passage with said playing surface, and cushioning means including wire strands disposed along the margin of said top at a distance from said playing surface, said cushioning means being provid-ed with a plurality of openings corresponding with the openings in said frame.

9. A device of the class described having, in combination, a top provided with a playing surface, a hollow frame extending around the edge of said top, having openings in the inner and top walls thereof com-- municating with said playing surface, means to sustain said hollow frame in coperative relation with said playing surface, said hol low frame being placed at a distance from the edge of said top to provide a space between the outer edges of said top and the inner edges of said hollow frame, and cushioning means embodying wires disposed along the edges of said top between said hollow frame openings.

10. A device of the class described have ing, in combination, a top provided with a playing surface, a hollow frame extending around said top, having openings in the inner and top walls thereof communicating with said playing surface, means to sustain said frame with said openings in coperative relation with said playing surface, cushioning means embodying wires disposed along the edges of said top between said openings, levers pivotally mounted on said frame having` resilient extensions thereon adapted to support said wires, and means to rock said levers upon their pivots whereby the tension of said wires may be varied.

ll. A device of the class described having, in combination, a top provided with a playing surface, a frame having a passage therein surrounding said top, and provided with a plurality of openings communicating with the said playing surface, the bottom of said passage being inclined downwardly from said openings, wires disposed parallel with the edges of said top at a distance from said playing surface, and terminating at said openings, levers pivotally mounted on said frame having resilient upwardly extending arms inclining toward said openings at an angle to said playing surface and constituting supports for said wires, and means adapted to roch said levers to vary the tension of said wires.

12. A device of the class described having, in combination, a top provided with a playing surface, a frame having a passage therein surrounding said top, and provided with a plurality of openings communicating with said playing surface, the bottom of said passage being inclined downwardly from said openings, wires disposed parallel with the edges of said top at a distance from said playing surface, and terminating at said openings, levers pivotally mounted on said frame having resilient upwardly extending arms inclining toward said openings at an angle to said playing surface and constitut ing supports for said wires, means adapted to rock said levers to, vary the tension of said wires, and lguards secured to said resilient arms adapted to direct balls from said playing surface into said openings.

13. A device of the class described having, in combination, a top provided with a playing' surface, a hollow demountable frame extending around the edge 0f said top, and at a distance therefrom, and having openings in the inner walls thereof communicating' with said playing' surface, plates secured to the inner wall of said frame at opposite said plates to vary the tension of said wires.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing' witnesses.

EDGAR VE. FAY. Vitnesses:

SYDNEY E. TAET, LEONARD A. POWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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