US1028935A - Game-counter. - Google Patents

Description

W. L. DEMING.

GAME COUNTER.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 24, 1911.

1,028,935. Patented June 11, 1912.

ELLEN/172' COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHXNGTON, Bic.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. DEMING, OF SALEM, OHIO.

GAME-COUNTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, IVILLIAM L. DEMING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Game-Counters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a counting device adapted for use in keeping tally with various games, as billiards, pool, bilbola, etc., and particularly that type of counting device wherein there are a series of buttons or counters shiftable along a wire.

Among the objects of the present invention may be mentioned first the provision of means for supporting, by the table itself, the string or strings of counters.

A second object is to provide means whereby the support may be shifted on the table so that it may not be in the way in playing from any position.

A third object is to provide for normally holding the device to the table while allowing its convenient removal whenever desired.

A fourth object is to provide a simple and effective means for locking and applying proper tension to the supporting wires.

A fifth object is to provide a suitable supplementary counter for keeping count of thescore when it is in excess of that provided for by the strings of counters.

The invention comprises the means by which I attain the above objects or any of them, as hereinafter more fully explained and as definitely set out in the claims.

The drawings disclose my invention in an approved form.-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the game counter complete and installed on a billiard table, the upper portion of which is shown in section. The remaining figures are details. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the shiftable support for the standard or frame; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section through such parts; Fig. 4c is a sectional side elevation of a portion of the frame and of one of the string wires at the end thereof where the tension is applied; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same parts; Fig. 6 is a sectional front elevation of the frame at the other end of the string showing the anchor- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 24, 1911.

Patented June 11, 1912. Serial No. 635,200.

age of the string; Fig. 7 is an inside face view of a portion of the last mentioned standard frame at this point; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a spring plug shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Referring by numerals to the parts shown, 10 indicates a suitable billiard or pool table and is to be taken as illustrative of any game table, 11 indicates the usual elastic cushion and 12 the frame margin outside of the cushion.

20, in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, indicates a metal plate secured to the marginal frame 12 of the table and overhanging the edge thereof. This plate may be secured by screws 21 passing into the wooden frame. The plate, at its outer edge, overhangs the side of the frame as shown. Intermediately the plate is provided with a longitudinal slot 22. Slidably mounted on the plate is a block 25 which has its edge projecting downwardly and inwardly, as shown at 26, to engage the overhanging edge of the plate 20. The block is provided with an upwardly facing socket 27 adapted to receive and be secured to the lower end of a tubular standard or frame 30. This tube is a continuous approximately U-shaped member, having its legs rising from the blocks 25 on opposite sides of the table, first vertically and then bent outwardly, as at 31, and then again vertically at 32 and 33, and finally connected intermediately by the horizontal portion 34. The U-shaped frame is normally locked to the plate 20 by the pins 40 within the two legs of the frame extending through openings in the base of the block 25 into the slot 22. This construction limits the movement of the block 25 to a single path lengthwise of the table, the overhanging edge 26 preventing it being lifted off of the plate 20. The block, with its standard, may be shifted, however, freely lengthwise, the are about the other standard as the center being substantially a straight line for this short distance. This enables the frame to be pushed to one side or the other so as not to be in the way in playing on the table from such position.

To make the frame easily removable I arrange the pins 1O to stand simply by gravity in the lower ends of the standards. In this position the pin rests with a lower head 11 thereof on top of the block surface 25, while the pin has an upper head 42 standing opposite an opening 36 in the side of the standard. Accordingly, any small implement inserted through this opening engaging the under side of the head L2 may lift the pin clear of the plate 20 and thereby allow the block to he slid off of such plate to remove the frame.

The counting buttons 50' periodically marked with suitable indicia 51, as is usual, are mounted on wires 52 stretched between the frame portions 82 and 33. There are preferably two strings of counters, one for each player or side, and the count is kept by shifting the button along the wire from one side to the other, as is customary in this type of counter. The wires 52 at one end (the left hand end in the drawings) have notches 53 whereby they may seat in the reduced portion of a key hole slot 37 in the standard 30 after being passed into the tube through the larger and upper portion of such slot. After being put in place, the larger portion of the slot may be plugged by any suitable device as, for example, the spring metal plug 60. The flattened portion of the wire, together with the parallel sides of the opening it occupies prevent the wire turning, as well as moving longitudinally. Near its other end the wire passes through the portion 82 of the frame and has a tension device for keeping it taut. In the form shown, this tension device consists of a head 65, which the wire rigidly occupies, and which has an external thread screwing into the internally threaded sleeve 66 which bears against the outer side of the frame and has a knurled exterior by which it may be conveniently turned. Accordingly, the turning of the sleeve tightens or loosens the wire, as desired. 7

The wire 52 is effectively locked to the head 65 by being bent at right angles, to its main course and snugly occupying a groove 67 in the outer face of the head. I prefer to continue the wire beyond the side of the head and loop it around, as shown at 68, Fig. 5, and secure the free end 69 in the opposite portion of the notch 67. This loop is designed to carry suitable counters, each indicative of the total string of buttons. Thus, as shown, in each loop 68 are three counting disks, indicated at 70. The forward disk is shown as carrying the number 300, the next is supposed to carry the number 200 and the disk behind it 100, and the total number of each string is supposed, in this embodiment, to count up to 100. At the start of the play, all three disks 70 are turned up into the upper portion of the loop 68 with their blank sides visible. When the count on a string has reached 100, the first disk is turned down into the dependent position Where its numeral 100 is visible and the buttons are shoved back to j the edge,

the initial position and the count begun again. In this way it is feasible, by the combination of the buttons and disks, to keep track of the count to any desired maximum.

My counting device is neat and attractive in appearance; it has the advantage over the usual billiard counting strings of being much more sightly in appearance and not marring the wall nor being in the way of chandeliers, while it may be much more readily observed, the shiftable mounting of the standard enables it to be shoved out of the way whenever one desires to play at the side of the table immediately adjacent to the standard; and should there be any abnormal play where still more space is desired at that particular portion of the table side, simply raising the pin 40 allows the standard to be disconnected altogether from the plate.

Having thus described what I claim is 1. The combination, with a game table having side rails, of an inverted U-shaped frame having its legs movably carried by the side rails, and a string of counters carried by such frame.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of an inverted U-shaped frame, guides adapted to be stationarily carried, means for establishing a sliding connection between the legs of the frame and such guides, and a string of counters carried by the frame.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination, wit-h a pair of stationary guide plates, blocks slidably mounted thereon, a U-shaped frame having its legs secured to the blocks respectively, a wire extending between the legs of the frame, and shiftable counters strung on such wire.

a. In a game counter, the combination of a stationary guide plate, a-shiftable block riding thereon, a tubular standard rising from said block, a counting with the standard, and a locking pin with in the standard adapted to project into a slot in the guide plate.

5. The combination, with a game table, of a plate secured thereto and overhanging a block slidably mounted on said plate and formed to extend across and beneath its outer edge, the plate being longitudinally slotted, a standard rising from the block, a counting device connected with said standard, and a pin carried with the block and adapted to project into the slot.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a U-shaped tubular frame, a pair of blocks forming feet for the lower ends of the tubular legs, slotted plates on which such feet may ride, pins within the tubular legs extending into such slots, the legs having openings to allow access to my invention,

device connected the pins, one or more wires extending across the frame, and shiftable counters on the wire or wires.

7. In a counting device, the combination of an inverted U-shaped frame, shiftably mounted feet for the legs of the frame, stationary devices for guiding the movable feet, a wire extending from one leg of the frame across the frame and through the opposite leg, means for applying adjustable tension to the wire, and shiftable buttons mounted on the wire.

8. The combination of a U-shaped frame, a wire secured to one leg of the frame and passing through the other leg, a head on the wire on the outer side of such other leg, a sleeve screw-threaded on the head and abut ting the outer side of such leg to apply tension to the wire, and shiftable counters on the wire.

9. The combination of a support, a wire extending through it, counters on the wire on one side of the support, a head on the wire on the other side of the support, the wire extending through the head and being bent into the loop, and counting devices carried by the loop.

10. The combination, with a suitable support, of a wire carried thereby and having a series of shiftable counters thereon, a loop adjacent such wire, and one or more movable counting devices on the loop.

11. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a U-shaped frame, a wire extendlng across the same, shiftable counters on the wire withln the frame, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by

loop carried by the wire beyond the frame, and numbered registering devices on the loop.

12. The combination, with a game table, of a counting device carried thereby comprising a frame of substantially U-shape having its legs rising from the two sides of the table and then bowing outwardly and connected intermediately above, a pair of wires stretched between the two legs of the frame at the outwardly bowed portions and below the intermediate portions, and shiftable counters on such wires.

13. The combination of a wire, a string of counters thereon, a head on the wire hav ing a transverse groove, the wire extending through the head and bent transversely to occupy the groove and being formed into the loop, and one or more counting devices on the loop.

14. The combination, with a frame having two portions spaced apart, a wire stretched between such portions, means for holding one end of the wire against rotation, a head on the other end of the wire, the wire being formed into a loop at such head, and one or more counting devices on the loop, such loop being held in the proper position for its counting devices b means of the hold ing of the other end of the wire.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM L. DEMING.

Vitnesses:

ALBERT H. BATES, BRENNAN B. Wnsr.

addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. R

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