US923249A - Convertible pocket-carom billiard-table. - Google Patents

Description

H. F. DAVENPORT.

T OAROM BILLIARD TABLE.

' Patented June 1, 1909. I 3 BHBETS E H. r. DAVENPORT. CONVERTIBLE POCKET OAI'POM BILLIARD TABLE.

. APPLIOATIQN'IILED 1FAR.13, 1907. I V

Patented June 1 .1909.

' 8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Asr-imamu, n. c

IBILE POCKET OAROM BILLIARD TABLE; APPLICATION FILED EAR. 13, 1907.

IL 1?. DAVENPORT. GONVERT Patented 1, 1909. as BB gun a g Q i T AVA/ 21% able fromf'the said bed-rails by means of -Urirrl5E1) HARMON nnA'vENroa'r, or CHICAGO, ILLiNOis,

No. 923,249. r

I T 0 all whom it may Concemi OOLLENDE ASSIGNOR TO THE BRUNSWIOK-BALKE- It COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

COR'VEBTIBLE POCKET GAROM BILLIARD-TABLE.

Be it knownthat I, HAnMoN F. DAVEN- IORT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, v county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have inventeda new and useful Improvement 1n Convertible Pocket -Carom Billiard-Tables, of which the following is a specification,

reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing,-form1ng part thereof.

My invention relates, to what is commonly denominatedi,a combined billiard I and pool'table, which is, more properly speaking, a table which byeither the use or disuse of certain parts, in connection with the major portionsof the'table, or by the adjustment of certainparts always attached tothe table, may be transformed from a transformation. Many i been made and patented having pocket-table into a carom-table and vice versa, at the pleasure of the user of the table and without the employment of a skilled mechanic and tools to effectuate the inventions have for their end andobject the accomplishment of this desideratum, among whic 1 may be instanced a tablehaving a bed-rail rovided with six permanently-arranged poc iets, a set of six pocket cushion-rails, and an interchangeable set of four carom cushion-rails, each of such sets of rails being attachable to and detach- Letters Patent to Bartel No. 650,085, of May 22,1900, in which its construction and opera- 'tion will be found fully set forth. Many other forms ofconvertible table have been devised;

tinuity' of the a patented; and used; but only two kinds have evergone much intouse, viz. 1st, that kind comprising the use of attachable and detachable cushion-blocks, which kind has been in commercial use now for a great many years and'to a considerable extent; (mainly on account of its simplicity, its cheapness, and the easewith which it may be used by the owner of. thetable) but which kind has given "butlittle satisfaction to players of much skill; on accountof the imperfect action of the cushions, hen adjusted for use as a carom table, due to, the lack of a perfect con- -playingsurfaces of the cushions, or the jointures of the permanent and the detachable parts of the cushions; and 2nd.that otherstyle of convertible table patented to Bartel, asstated, and which is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1909.

Serial No. 362,136.

now well known in the market as the Bartel table; which has gone very extensively into public use, and has given and now gives satisfaction to the purchasing public; because, while costing much more than the ordinary pocket table provided with attachable cushion-blocks to transform it into a carom table; and while requiring more time and hand labor, on the part of the owner or user, to effectuate the transformation, it is perfect in operation when adjusted for use for carom billiards.

My invention relates convertible billiard table, and has for its obj ect to improve the means by which the attachable and detachable or translatable sets of cushion-rails are rigidly and perfectly connected with and disconnected from the stationary or fixed bed-rails of the table, in making the transformation of the latter from a pocket table to a carom, and vice versa, so that the table can be changed from a pocket to a carom table with much greater expedition, and with much less trouble to the user of the table.

In the Bartel table, the cushion-rails, as is well known, are removably, but very securely, attached to and detached from what are called the bed rails of the table, by means of a series of vertically arranged thumbscrews; which pass upwardly through the bed-rails and are manipulated from beneath, by hand, and which engage, at their upper, threaded, ends, with nuts which are securely and permanently attached to, or let-into, the cushion-rails proper. Under this construction, as is well known, in making the transformation from one to the other kind of table, quite a number of these securing thumb-screws has to be separately manipulated (usually five or six of each longer, and three or four of each shorter set of cushion-rails) which involves considerable time and trouble by the user, or by the per son making the transformation.

My invention has for its object to render much easier and more expeditious the manipulation of thetranslatable sets of cushion-rails, by the user or manipulator of the table; and to this end and object may be said to consist essentially, in the combina- 'tion, with a series of female locking members,

the removable cushion-rail, of a adapted to and sewithin the past few years; 7

to this Bartel type of usual corner pockets with their cured to an operating-bar located in the stationary bed-rail; and a device or mechanism for actuating said operatingbar, adapted to be moved by hand; so that, by a slight and rapid manipulation of a single hand-lever, (located preferably immediately beneath the bed-rail) all the male members of the raillocking mechanism may be simultaneously moved into, or out of engagement with the female members; as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates, to make and use the above mentioned type or species of con vertible table with my improvement embodied therein, I will now proceed to describe my said invention more particularly, by reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a Bartel convertible table, illustrating the method of shifting or translating the cushion-rails, and embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a partial top view, on an enlarged scale, of one corner portion of the said table, showing one of the corner pockets and the arrangement therewith of a set of pocket table cushion-rails. Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing in connection with the corner pocket and its pocket iron, a set of carom cushion-rails. Fig. 4 is a view of one of the slide-bars and its fastener-hooks, detached. Fig. 5 is a vertical crosssection through the cushion-rail, bed rail, table bed, and cushions proper, at the vicinity at which is located one of the series of improved or novel fastening devices, made according to my invention. Fig. 6 is a vertical, partial, longitudinal section taken in a plane indicated by the dotted line 66, of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a partial, horizontal section, taken in a plane indicated by the dotted line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

In the several views the same parts will be found always-designated by the same character of reference.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, A represents the bed or playing surface; B, the body or broad-rails; and C, the legs of a convertible billiard table of the Bartel type, and embodying my improvement. In this and the other views, 40 indicates the pocket irons, and 42 the side pockets with their corresponding irons, of a Bartel convertible table; while, as seen at the front and lefthand sides of the table, shown at Fig. 1, 24 are the side bed-rails; 25 the end bed-rails of the table; 26, the end cushion rail of the pocket table species; and 27, 28, two side cushion rails of a pocket table; while 29 is a side rail of the carom table species, illustrated as being substituted for a set of pocket cushion rails which have been removed; and 30 is an end cushion rail of the carom spel rail of the said I l l l been placed in posiof transforming the l. ood by reference ble made accord invention, each and every one of the detachable and re-attachable cushionrails is provided with a nut-like devices 9, each of the stock of the cushion-rail end lies about flush with th plurality of metallic which is let into so that its lower e bottom surface of said rail; and each of these metallic devices is ning through the device in the length of the table-rail.

perforated with a polygonal anerture, runi the direction of Adapted to e11- gage with this aperture, in one of the devices 9, 1s a male fastemng devic particularly Figs.

proximately wedge shaped side view, and integral with portion marked (Z, of extending downwardly and e member (see 4 and 5) which is of an anconfiguration in which 1s a bodyplate-like form, which,

being located in a housin or cut-awav in both the removable cushion-rail and the stationary bed-rail, has its lower end securely fastened (preferably by rivets as seen at Fig. 4) to a longitudinally Sl1CllI1 bar a which is housed within the lower portion of the bed-rail of the table, and

1S free to move, endwise, on supporting devices h; and which is held against upward movement; by ov devices 2'. The function is to form a rigid vertically arranged sliding one bed-rail, to enforce a sin neous movement of all of any bodily er-lymg metallic of this sliding bar 72 connection between all the plates (Z, of any nlar and simultasuch devices (1,

(with their cam-like fastening members f) when anyone is moved.

Within the lower part of each bed rail is suitably arranged, within a metallic housing,

or journal box Z, a vertical crank-shaft b, the

upper end of which with a crank which engages in some one of the sliding arm 0, the

with a horizontal is formed or provided vibratory end of aperture 6,

plate-like devices (Z; (preferably with one which may be located near the middle of the series of any one cushion-rail) and the lower end of which vertical shaft 1), is securely fas of a hand lever a, which is downwardly vibration of which, horizontally, (by a piece a) the vertical crank s rotated sufliciently on its a tened to one end provided with a projecting handle a," and by a to the proper extent, manipulation of said hand haft, or stud b, is x1e to effectuate,

through the medium of the connection of said crank arm 0 with the proper longitudinal movem the cam-like devices pass along within the rated devices 9; therefrom pose to be hereinafter more The vibratory end of the perforated plate (Z the ent with the bed operating-bar to cause all of to either enter into and apertures of the perfoor to be wholly withdrawn in the manner and for the purfully explained. actuating handlever a, is formed or provided with a pail-like device 1), which engages with one or the other of a series ofratchet likenotches in one edge or face of the, horizontally arranged vibratory arm n, (see Fig. 6) which arm is mounta) all in such manner, as will be plainly understood, that whenever the vibratory handleve'r a shall be vibrated or swung at its movable end toward the'body of the table and into a position whichbrings it beneath the bed rail thereof, itwillcome into engagement with the notched,hold-fast device n, and will be by the latter'securely locked, or held in such position; 1 a a In the operation of he device or mechanism shown,-particularlyatFigs. 5, band 7, and so far described, assuming the rail fastoning devicestobe in the position or condition seen at said figures (in which the cushion railis securelyfastened in place on top of the bed rail) bymoving the lower end ofthe locking device'a sufliciently*(against the tendency of its spiral spring) in the direction indicatedbythe arrow at Fig. 7, so as to releasethelocked end 1) of the hand lever a, the latter may then be swung outwardlyftothe requisite position, or extend to rotate the vertical studror shaft 1) suiii ciently to cause thevibratory end of its crank c, which engages with the aperture 6 in'the plate-like device d, to move said platelike device, lengthwise of the table, or in the direction indicated by the arrow at Fig. 6, to a suflicient extent to wholly withdraw the cam-like or wedge-shaped inter-gal part f from the aperture in theperinanent female member of the fastening mechanism; whereupon (this operation and effect being duplicated in all the fastening devices of the one cushion-rail) the latter may readily be removed fromthe bed-rail and put one sid c,

' to permit the substitution therefor of a other species of cushion-rail, which, of

course, is provided with the same female fastener devices 9," and, when the substitution shall have been made, then by turning the crank handle a back to its former position or condition, a reverse movement of the plate-like device d will be efiected, causing themale members, of thelocking mechanism to enter the perforation of the devices I, g, of thenewly applied, or substituted, cush- ,G' ion-railyancl as these male members enter said perforations ofsaid" devices, they will, by reasonof the oblique or inclined shape of their lower edges, ooac'ting with the upper surfaces of the perforations, or cut-outs, of g, draw or force downwardly into the final or proper position, said devices g; which will, of course, similarly force or draw down the newly applied cushion-rail; and insure the retention of the latter in its proper position.

Of course, as plainly shown, the perforations in the devices 9, are such, in a vertical direction, that there will be sufficient play or space between the top of the opening or aperture, and the upper edge of the male member f, of the locking plate, to permit the necessary descent or enforcement down wardly, of the applied cushion-rail to bring it into juxtaposition with the bed-rail of the table rail where, as has been said, itwill be firmly held in place, by the cam-like action of the lower part of the member f, on the bottom surface, so to speak, of the aperture 9.

To compensate for any wear or variation, structurally, in the co-acting parts of the fastening devices (composed, as explained, of the male members f and the female members g) I provide the means shown and above described, of the ratchet-like, or notched hand-lever or arm n, with which the vibra tory end of the crank bar a engages so that, in forcing home the applied cushion-rail by the manipulation of the crank handle and bar a and a, not only will the parts be socurely locked and held in the right position, by the positive engagement of the male member p, of the crank handle with one of the notches in the locking bar a; but, furthermore, by forcibly pushing inwardly, beneath the rail of the table, (by manipulation of the handle a) the vibratory end of the crank arm a, to a greater or less degree, so as to effectuate the looking with one or another of the notches in a, any wear in the coacting parts 'or surfaces, of the male and female members of the fastening devices, will be taken up, or compensated for.

It will be understood, of course, that, in so far as the general construction and operation together, of all the other parts of the table, (such, for instance, as the bed-rails; the translatable cushion-rails; and the attached cushions) are concerned, it is immaterial to my invention exactly how these parts may be made and assembled; so long as the general construction and mode of assemblage peculiar to the Bartel construction of convertible table be followed. And, in so far as many of the details of construction of the parts constituting my improvement are concerned, variations may be made therein, without departing from the spirit of my invention; so long as any such changes do not materially affect the novel principle of construction, which lies, essentially in means for producing the simultaneous actuation of the 1 effectuate the attachment to, and permit the 1 detachment from the bed-rails of the interchangeable cushion-rails, by the manipulation of a single hand-lever, as I have hereinbefore explained.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with the bodily removable cushion-rails; and the stationary bed-rails, of a convertible pocket carom billiard table, of a locking mechanism comprising a series of female members immovably arranged in the cushion-rail and a series of bodily movable male members located in the bed-rail; means for causing a simultaneous and similar movement of all of the said male members; and means for so moving the said male members that is actuated through the medium of a single hand-operated device all in substantially the manner hereinbefore set forth.

2. In a convertible pocket-carom table of the species shown, the combination, with one of the stationary bed-rails, and one of the bodily removable cushion-rails, 01' a series of female locking members immovably con nected with the said removable cushion-rail and a series of male looking members in said bed-rail, engaging with said female members and all attached to a connecting device or member;'whereby the actuation of one of said male members necessarily produces a like movement of all the male members, of the said set of male cushion-locking devices substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with the stationary bed-rails the removable cushion-rails a se ries of female locking device members, arranged in the latter and a series of male locking device members permanently connected so, that all move together, of a ver i tically arranged crank-shaft, located within the table rail and provided with a crank, the vibratory end of which engages with one of the said male members of the locking devices; and a crank-handle adapted to oscillate said crank-shait on its axis, to effectuate the locking and unlocking oi the removable or translatable cushion-rail, and provided with means at its vibratory end or portion, by which it may be locked in position, when turned beneath or under the bed-rail, for the purpose of eiiectuating said locking in place of the said cushion-rails; all substantially as hereinbel'ore set forth.

4. The combination, with the end portion of the stationary bed-rail the locking mechanism; and the vibratory end of the handlever of the latter, of an automatically operating locking device, for fastening in place the vibratory end of said hand-lever, in such different positions as the conditions of the working parts of the rail-locking mechanism may require; substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of March, 1907.

HARMON F. DAVENPORT.

In presence of Enw. F. THOMAS, JOHN H. I/VIEsn.

Images