US1478046A

US1478046A - Game-table cushion

Info

Publication number: US1478046A
Application number: US613339A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles P Miller
Original assignee: Brunswick Balke Collender Co
Current assignee: BRUNSWICK-BALKE-COLLENDER Co; Brunswick Balke Collender Co
Priority date: 1923-01-18
Filing date: 1923-01-18
Publication date: 1923-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 1940-12-18

Description

Patented Dec. 18, 1923.

their states CHARLES P. MILLER, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEJV YORK, ASSIG-NOE TO THE BEUIilS'iFVIGY- BALKE-COLLENDEB, COMPANY, GE VJILMINGTOH, DELAWARE, A OORPORATIGN OF DELAWABE.

GAME-TABLE CUSHION.

Application filed January is, 1923. Serial No. 613,339.

To (:ZZ ve/2.0m it may concerns Be it known that I, CHARLES P. MILLER,

a citizen of the United States,residing at Mount Vernon, in the County of i v estchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GameTable Cushions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cushions for game tables, more particularly for billiard tables, and its object is to provide a fast cushion which will reflect the ball more accurately than has been done heretofore. Many efforts have been made to provide a cushion having a high degree of resiliency for refleeting the ball without materially reducing its speed, and at an angle as nearly approaching absolute accuracy aspossible; but so far as I am aware these two desirable results have never been satisfactorily accomplished in any one cushion. The difflculties encountered are great because the two desired results are, in a sense, directly antagonistic to each other. A soft cushion, which will give the desired speed of reflection, will not reflect the ball at a true angle, and the softer the cushion the greater the inaccuracy of the angle; on the other hand, a hard cushion will give more nearly accurate angle of reflection, but it will materially reduce the speed of the ball.

After long experience in this art and a great deal of experiment and test work I have produced a cushion which accomplishes the desired combined results of speedy and accuracy in reflection of the ball more nearly approaching absolute accuracy than has ever before been acomplished, to my knowledge, and these results are attained by what may be regarded upon inspection as a very slight change in cushion construction, but which, in fact, represent a marked and important improvement in the art when the results of such change are known and appreciated.

I have illustrated my invention in a selected embodiment in the accompanying drawings. in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a billiard table embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a short section of the cushion.

Referring to the drawings, 3 is a cushion strip, 4 the rail and 5 the bed of the table. The cushion strip has an inclined face 6 to which a cushion 7, generally triangular in cross section, is aflixed, and a cloth covering 8 is disposed over the cushion and cushion strip and is secured in position in the usual manner.

The cushion has a groove or channel 9 in its back 1d and the entire face of the back is covered with a strip of fabric ll affixed thereto.

Cushions of this general form and shape have been used heretofore, but it has been customary to aflix canvas or other fabric to the working face 12 and to the top face 13 and to the nose 1% in various ways, and in different combinations and arran ements, but, so far as I am aware, it has never been possible to obtain with any of these combinations and arrangements cushion having the desirable speed and accuracy of the angle of reflection which. is the object of this invention and which is attained by this invention. And my invention consists essentially in affixing a strip of thin fabric 15, preferably thin muslin, to the nose 14: of the cushion. This strip of fabric extends over the nose and just a short distance back from the nose on the working face and on the top of the cush on, so that the nose of the cushion is well covered with the fabric. From the edge of the strip of fabric to the back of the cushion the working face and the to?) face are both clear rubber. without any fabric embedded therein or placed thereon, with the exception of the usual covering fabric 8 which is stretched over the cushion in the usual manner as before .tated.

It has been known and the knowledge has been availed of in making cushions that the provision of a canvas covering, embedded in the workingtace. nose and top face of the cushion would materially improve the angle of reflection. make it more accurate than would be the case without the canvas. but the speed of the ball would be materially reduced because of the presence of the canvas which stiifens and reduces to that extent the action of the cushion as a whole. Accordingly the cushion was made in various shapes with the idea of overcoming this disadvantage and in an effort to make a fast cushion which would reflect the ball at an angle more nearly approaching absolute accuracy. Some of these improvements have developed faster cushions and some of them have improved the angle of reflection, and some of them have combined these desirable cushions which have been proposed.

results in a measurable degree, but none of them has advanced the art to that extent which can be said to be satisfactory to manufacturers of game tables and to players, and some have introduced structural features which present other objections.

For many years 1 have been. connectet with the manufacture of cushions, from the purchase of the raw material to the sale of tables equipped with cushions, and l have played billiards and pocket billiards also for many years, and I believe that I fully unde.r stand what is desired in a cushion and the action of the ball on the cushion when itis driven by the cue against the cushion, and also the action of the cushion in reflecting the ball therefrom. For many purposes it is desirable to have a fast cushion, one which will no materially retard the speed of the ball; and it is always desirable to approach as nearly as possible absolute accuracy in the angle of reflection. These results are highly desirable to skilful players and they are just as important to other players, although their importance may not be so well appreciated. It is desirable to have a fast cushion to obtain the full benefit of the stroke and that the angle of reflection should be as nearly accurate as possible in order that the travel of the ball may conform with the mathematical calculations of the game. I have found that my improved cushion produces these desirable results much more satisfactorily'and to a degree more nearly approaching perfection than has been possiole heretofore with any game table cushions which I have known, and I beleive that I have known all the game table cushions which have been manufactured to any extent and probably most of the game table The thin muslin strip may be vul *anized or otherwise aflixed to the nose of the cushion, and it is just sutlicient. I have found, to prevent the ball. from indenting itself too much in the cushion, which would result in an inaccurate reflection of the ball; and it does not stiffen or confine or hold the nose ofthe cushion to lessen its elasticity to an extent Which will materially reduce the speed of the cushion. The muslin strip has the apparent effect, as I understand it, of preventingthe ball from indenting itself in the cushion to an extent which will make the angle of reflection inaccurate, and yet it does not affect the inherent elasticity of the cushion to an extent which will materially retard the speed of the ball.

fl believe that the drawings illustrate the invention. in a form which will give most complete satisfaction under all ordinary circumstanccs, but it may he found desirable to change the details of construction, to make the strip wider or narrower to meet differenl conditions, and otherwise to modify or change the invention to conform with r q ircments of games, and to meet the wishes of players, as well as to adapt the invention i0 cushions of different sizes and shapes, and l reserve the right, therefore, to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

l claim: I

l. A game-table cushion of a generally triangular shape in cross section having a working face, a top face, and a nose at the juncture of the working face and the top face. and a strip of fabric ailixed to said nose throughout v its length and terminating a short distance on the working face and on the top face back from said nose.

2. A game table cushion of a generally triangular shape in cross section having a working face, a top face, and a noseat-the juncture of the working face and the top face, and a strip of thin muslin aff xed to said nose throughout its length and terminating short distance on theworking face and on the top face back from said nose.

3. A game table cushion of a generally triangular shape in cross section having a back provided with a longitudinal channel and covered with fabric, a working face and a top face, and a nose'at the juncture thereof, and a strip of fabric aiiiXed to said nose throughout its length and terminating a short distance on the working face and on the top face back from said nose. that portion of the working face and thatportion of the top face between said strip and the juncture of the working face with the back and the juncture of the top face with the back being clear rubber and free from fabric.

CHARLES P. MILLER.