US1266012A - Pool-ball rack. - Google Patents

Description

G. F. 6088, DECD. L. 1. 6058, ADMINISTRATOR.

POOL BALL RACK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. 1917.

1 ,266,012. I Patented May 14, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Witnesses 0f the ealate of 00a Attorneys G. F. GOSS,'DECD. L. 1. coss. ADIMNISTRATOR.

POOL BALL RACK.

7 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. I917- Patented May 14, 1918.

. a llllll Witnesses ofzhe estate of 675. 001)!- Attorneys G. F. @083, DEC'D.

l. I GOSS ADMINISTRATOR.

POOL BALL RACK. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. 1917.

Patented May i4; 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

by I v i I V ptorneys GEORGE E. GOSS, nEoEAsEn, LATE 0E WALLACETON, PENNSYLVANIA, BY nEoNAEn :I.

" GOSS, ADMINISTRATOR, or wALLAoE'roN, PENNSYLVANIA.

POOL-BALL RACK.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that GEORGE F. Goss, deceased, late a citizenof the United States, residing at Wallaceton, Pennsylvania, invented new and useful Improvements in Pool-Ball Racks, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to pool ball racks, of the type disclosed in the patent granted to George F. Gross, No. 971,128, dated September 27 1910.

- The present invention embodies novel and useful improvements in such pool ball racks, having means for selectively delivering the balls from the pool table to the rack, and such means being improved and simplified, to enhance the utility and the efliciency of the device.v

Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it bein understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without. de parting from'the spirit of the invention.

; The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

, liiigure 1 is a front view of the pool ball rac Fig. 2 is a sectional detail on the line 2-2 ofFlg. 4.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the improved construction, portions being shown in section.

. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 of Fig. 1. v

Fig. Sis a diagrammatical view illustrating a modification, the stops being electrically controlled.

The pool ball rack embodies a suitable ca-sing ti which is attached to the end of the pool table, and which is provided with vertically spaced runways 7 slightly inclined so that theballs will roll to the lower ends thereof, said runways providing compartments for the balls driven into the pockets by the various players, the balls rolling from the pockets of the table to an opening 8 into the casing 6 in the same manner as in the patent above mentioned. The present 1mprovements relate to the means for selecis a cross section on the line 5-5 Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted May 14, 1918. Application filed June 12, 191?. Serial N 0. 174,358.

tively delivering the balls from the opening 8 to the several runways 7 as will presently appear.

i A vertical transverse plate or partition 9 is mounted within the casing 6, and is provided with a vertical slot 10 and with cars 11 at its upper end between which a pulley wheel 12 is mounted for rotation. A slide 13 is movable along the plate 9, and has an outstanding bracket 14 projecting away from the plate and upon which is mounted a carrier 15, said carrier being pivoted between its ends, as at 16, to thebracket. The rear portion of the carrier 15 seats upon the bracket, and has a lug l7 projecting through the slot 10,and said carrier has a depression 18. for receiving and holding the'pool ball 19 which enters the casing from the opening 8 below which the carrier 15 is movable vertically with the slide 13, said carrier moving between the plate 9 and upper ends of the runways 7 When the ball 19 seats upon the carrier 15, it holds the carrier seated on the bracket 14, the ball being held in place in the depression 18. A cord 20. passes over the pulley wheel 12 and has one end connected to the slide 13, while a weight 20 is fore depress the carrier and slide to the ex-.

tent permitted.

In order to limit the downward movement of'the slide 13 to bring the free or forward end of the carrier 15 into coincidence with the respective runways 7 upwardly projecting stops 21, 22 and 23 are pivoted, as at 24:, to the plate 9 at that side thereof opposite to'the slide 13 and runways,.and at one side of the slot 10, and the upper ends of said stops project across the slot 10 to limit the downward movement of the lug 17. The stops 21, 22 and 23 swing toward the slot 10 and across the same by gravity, and said stops are provided with laterally opening recesses 25 near their free upper ends to accommodate stop lugs 26 projecting from the plate 9 adjacent to the slot 10 to limit the movement of the stops when swung across said slot.

The means for retracting the stops 21, 22 and 23 embodiesa vertical slide or plate 27 disposed at the same side of the plate 9 as the stops and having flanges 28 at its edges bearing slidably against the plate 9 between the front and rear sides of the casing 6. One of the flanges 8 is provided with openings 29 receiving cams 30 with which the stops are provided below their pivots, and said flange 28 is provided with contact portions 31 at the upper ends of the openings 29 and spaced different distances above the cams 30, whereby, when the slide 27 is low ered, the uppermost contact portion 31 will first engage the cam 30 of stop 21, to swing the stop 21 away from the slot 10, the second contact portion 31 then engaging the cam 30 of stop 22 as the slide 27 moves downwardly farther, thus retracting the second stop 22, the stop 23 being similarly retracted after the slide 27 is moved still farther downwardly. Thus, the stops are retracted in succession, and their cams 30 in bearing against the flange 28 will hold said stops retracted until the slide 27 is again raised. Said slide moves downwardly by gravity, and has connected to its upper end a cord or flexible element 32, which can be guided to a suitable controlling member or knob 32, such as disclosed in said patent or its equivalent, whereby the players can readily set the slide 27 to proper position. The stops 21, 22 and 23 swing by gravity back across the slot 10 when the member 27 is raised, but should said stops stick or fail to swing back, they will be forced into place. Thus, the stops 21, 22 and 23 are provided near their upper free ends with cam shoulders 33 and holding shoulders 34 extending upwardly from the upper ends of said in clined cam shoulders 33, while the slide 27 has pins or lugs 35 projecting toward the plate 9. These lugs 35 move downwardly with the plate or slide 27, out of the way of the shoulders 34, thereby permitting the stops to be retracted, the cam shoulders 33 moving over said lugs 35. Therefore, should any of the stops fail to swing back by gravity across the slot 10, the member or slide 27 when raised, will cause the lugs 35 to contact with the cam shoulders 33, and forcibly move the stops across the slot against the lugs 26, the lugs 35 moving from the cam shoulders 33 onto the shoulders 34, whereby to hold the stops in projected position and prevent their accidental displacement.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing in connection with said patent, but briefly stated is as follows:

The weight 20 ordinarily raises the slide 13 and its carrier 15, so that the carrier is immediately below the opening 8, slightly above the uppermost run-way 7. The ball 19 which has been driven into the pocket in rolling through the opening 8 from the table will roll onto the carrier 15, which will hold the ball slightly in rear of the pivot 16, and

the ball will therefore, move the slide 13 downwardly, and the ball will move downwardly with the slide until stopped. When player #1 is playing, the slide 27 remains in normal position, so that whenthe carrier 15 reaches the first or uppermost runway 7, the lug 17 contacts with the upper end of the stop 21, thus limiting the movement of the rear portion of the carrier 15, but the slide 13 can move downwardlya little farther, until it contacts with'the lug 17, as seen. in Fig. 2. This will automatically tilt the carrier 15, whereby the ball 19 will roll therefrom onto the firstoruppermost runway7 of player #1. The balls of player #1 are thus accumulated on the uppermost runway 7. l/Vhen player #2 is playing, the controlling'member or device is set so as to lower the slide 27 the desired amount to retract the stop 21. This will, therefore, let the slide 13 move downwardly so that the carrier 15 registers with the second runway 7, the lug 17 now being limited in its downward movement by the stop 22, and the ball when lowered with the carrier and slide being delivered into the second runway. When the slide 27 is lowered another step for player #3, the stop 22 in addition'to the stop 21 is retracted, thus letting the slide move downwardly until stopped by the stop 23, thereby delivering the ball into the third runway, whereas if the slide 27 is lowered still farther, this will retract all of the stops, so that the downward movement of the slide 13 is limited by the lug 17 striking the plate9 at the lower end of the slot 10, thus delivering the ball into the lowermost runway. In this manner, the balls are delivered to the respective runways of the various players according to the position to which the slide or member 27 is set under the control of a knob or other suitable member. 1

As shown in Fig. 6, electrical means are employed for retracting the stops instead of the mechanical means above described, including the slide 27. In this modification, the upper ends of the stops 21, 22 and 23 have the armatures 40 under the influence of electro- magnets 41, 42 and 43 carried by the plate 9, and push buttons or other suit-' able switches 44, 45, 46 and 47 are provided on the table or any other suitable place to be pressedby the. players, the switch 44 being a dummy or false one, since the stops need not be retracted for the player #1. If desired, a plurality of sets of switches can be provided, they being readily connected in parallel, it being perfectly obvious that any number of switches for the same player can be connected in parallel for closing the respective circuit, and these sets of switches can be provided at various points of the table for the convenience of the players. The electrical circuit, as illustrated, embodies'a battery 48 or other source of electrical energy connected by a common conductor 49 with the switches 45, 46 and 47 and the other pole of the battery is connected by a common conductor 50 with each of the electro-magnets. A conductor 51 is connected to the magnet 41 and each of the switches 45, 46 and 47; a conductor 52 is connected with the magnet 42 and each of the switches 46, and-47 while a conductor 53 connects the magnet 43 with only the switch 47. 'Thus, when the switch 44 is operated, or when none of the switches are operated, this being unnecessary for player #1, the stops remain in place, whereby the lug 17 is stopped by the stop 21. When switch 45 is closed, this closes the circuit including said switch, conductor 51, magnet 41, conductor 50, battery 48 and conductor 49. The magnet 49 is, therefore, energized to retract the respective stop 21. When switch 46 is closed, this will not only close the circuit through magnet 41, but also close the circuit through the second magnet 42, since the switch 46 also connects the conductor 49 with the conductor 52 of magnet 42. The stop 22 as well as the stop 21 are, therefore, retracted, whereas when the switch 47 is closed, this will connect all three conductors 51, 52 and 53 with the conductor 49, thus energizing all three electro-magnets and retracting all of the stops.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A pool ball rack having vertically spaced runways, a vertical plate, a slide movable along said plate and having a ball carrier to register with said runways, means for raising the slide when unoccupied, movable stops carried by said plate for limiting the downward movement of said slide, and means for retracting the stops in succession and holding them retracted.

2. A pool ball rack embodying vertically spaced runways, a vertical plate having a slot, a slide movable along said plate at one 45 side thereof and having a ball carrier to register with said runways, means for raising the slide when unoccupied, movable stops carried by said plate at that side opposite to the slide and extending across said slot, said carrier having a portion projecting through said slot to be stopped by said stops, and means for retracting the stops in succession and holding them retracted.

3. A pool ball rack embodying vertically 55 spaced runways, a vertical plate, a slide movable along said plate and having a ball carrier to register with said runways, stops pivoted to said plate to limit the downward movement of said slide, and means for swinging said stops out of the way and holding them retracted in succession.

4. A pool ball rack embodying vertically spaced runways, a vertical plate having a slot, a slide movable along said plate, a carrier pivoted to said slide for holding a pool ball, said carrier having a lug extending through said slot, means for raising the slide when the carrier is unoccupied, stops pivoted to said plate at that side opposite to the slide and projecting upwardly across said slot to limit the downward movement of said lug, and means for swinging said stops away from the slot in succession and holding them in retracted position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

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