US955995A - Counter-holder. - Google Patents

Description

0. E. RANEY. 9 COUNTER HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED IBB.10, 1909. V

. 955 ,995, Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. RANEY, OF COURTENAY, NORTH DAKOTA.

COUNTER-HOLDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. RANEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Courtenay, in the county of Stutsman and State of North Dakota, have invented a new and Improved Counter-Holder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to counter holders, and more particularly to devices of this class for holding and manipulating spherical counters used in certain pool and billiard games, and consisting of a casing adapted to contain a predetermined number of counters, and so formed that the presence of the counters in the casing can be determined without the recognition of each counter or a determination of the number borne by each counter, and a compartment connected with the casing and adapted to receive the counters, so that these can be mixed up in the compartment, in order to allow chance to determine the order in which the counters are dispensed from the holder.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and durable holder for pool and like counters, in which the number of counters remaining in the holder can at all times be easily determined, in which the counters cannot be identified, which serves as a substitute for the ordinary bottle commonly used to contain pool counters, and which obviates the occurrence of certain mistakes in the use of the counters.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, to be more fully described hereinafer and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings formin a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal partial section of the device; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a partial cross section of a counter of special form.

Before proceeding to a more detailed explanation of my lnvention, it should be clearly understood that, while the same is particularly useful as a holder for the spherical counters used in connection with cer- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 10, 1909.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

Serial No. 477,067.

tain pool or billiard games, it can also be advantageously applied to other games or the like in which a holder for a certain number of counters is necessary. The counters used in pool are small partly spherical bodies, and are fifteen in number, each having one of the numbers from 1 to 15 inscribed or otherwise indicated thereon. The counters are used in various w. s. For example, each one of a number 0 players receives a counter, and in the ensuing pool game, it is then his object to pocket a pool ball having a number correspondin to that carried by the counter which has een assigned to him. He, of course, kee s the number secret until he has succeec ed in pocketing his ball, whereupon the stakes are awarded to him. It will be seen that if a player can secure more than one counter, contrary to the rules of the game, his chances of winnin are far better. My counterholder obvlates the unauthorized retention of counters, as the number of counters therein can at all times be determined; thus, for example, if there are five players and it is seen that ten counters remain in the holder, there is no possibility of one of the players having more than the single counter to which he is entitled. The holder also has a compartment, in which the counters can be mixed up by shaking, so that the order in which they are dispensed from the compartment to the players depends upon chance. The bottle ordinarily used for a like purpose is also employed in a form of pool known as bottle-pool, and when the bottle is so used, the counters are removed therefrom, so that there is danger of losing or misplacing the counters. My holder cannot be used as a substitute for the bottle in the game of bottle-pool.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I provide a casing 10 consisting of two adjacent and parallel tubular members 11, fashioned from any suitable material and of a diameter such that the pool counters 12 can easily enter. One of the tubular memhers is arranged to contain eight of the balls, while the other at the lower end has a solid part 13, so that it is adapted to contain seven counters, making fifteen in all in the easing. The upper counters are substantially flush with the open ends of the members. The latter are rigidly mounted in any convenient manner upon a base 14,-, which enables the holder to stand securely.

A band 15 encompasses the members in-: termediate their ends and holds them se-v curely together. Each member at oppositesides has longitudinal slots 16 which permit the counters within the member to be viewed, but are so narrow that the numbers upon the counters cannot be recognized or identified. Furthermore, the member at the outside has numbers 17 inscribed thereon in any suitable manner and each corresponding to the posi tion of a counter within the member. Thus the memberwhich contains eight counters has the numbers from 1 to 8 inscribed thereon, 1 being at the bottom and 8 being at the top. Thus by looking through the slots 16 in that member, the number of counters the-rein can be determined at a glance. For example, if the counters do not. extend above the number 6, it will be known that there are six counters in the member. The other member 11 has similar numbers from 1 to 7 inscribed thereon, for a like purpose.

The members at the opposite sides have upward extensions 18, to which is secured a collar 19. The latter also engages at the top of the members, and is secured to the extensions in any suitable manner, for example, by means of rivets 20. A mixing compartment 21 having an opening at the lower end with a downwardly-disposed elongated rim 22 is mounted upon the collar by means of the rim, which fits at the outside of the collar. The compartment is preferably flat and laterally extended to form an oval. It has at the top an outlet 23, through which the counters can be dispensed one at a time- The compartment is fashioned from any suitable material, such as rubber, leather or the like, and can be used to mix up or mingle the counters. I prefer to employ two tubular members instead of a single member adapted to hold fifteen counters, as, when a single member is used, the height of the holder is excessive,

and itdoes not stand steadily upon its base.

In Fig. 5 is shown a counter 24:, of special form, which I prefer to employ with my invention. Counters of this type are hollow and are thicker at one side so that they tend to assume positions with the thicker.

side underneath. 'The designating numbers 25 are inscribed at the thicker side, so that these numbers are hidden when the counters assume positions of rest after being rolled or thrown upon a surface. Furthermore, when counters of this type are introduced into the holder they normally tend to assume positions with the numbers downward, and as the slots 16 are so positioned that the sides of the counters are visible therethrough, the possibility of having the numbers on the counters seen through the slots is practically obviated.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A device of the class described, comprising a casing formed to contain a predetermined number of counters. the saidcasing having narrow slots in its Wall, and a mixing compartment communicating with said casing.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a base, a tubular casing mounted upon said base and formed to contain a predetermined number of counters, the said casing having openings in its wall, Whereby the presence of the counters in said cas ing can be determined without identification of the counters, and a mixing compartment having an outlet and communicating with said casing. V

8. A device of the class described, comprising a casing formed to contain a predetermined number of counters, and having narrow slots, whereby the presence of the counters in said casing can be determined without identification of the counters,'and a mixing compartment communicating with said casing and having an outlet through which the counters can be dispensed.

4. A device of the class described, comprising a base, a tubular casing mounted upon said base and adapted to contain a predetermined number of counters, said ca s ing having narrow longitudinal slots, said casing further having numbers indicated on the outside thereof and each corresponding to the position of a counter therein when said casing is filled with counters, and a mixing compartment communicating interiorly with said casing and having an outlet through which the counters can be dispensed one at a time.

5. A device of the class described, comprising a base, a tubular casing mounted upon said base and adapted to contain a pre determined number of counters, said casing having longitudinal slot-s through which the presence of said counters can be determined,

said slots being small, whereby the counters cannot be identified therethrough, said casing having numbers indicated on the out bers, each adapted to contain a predetermined number of counters, each of i said members having slots extending longitudinally thereof, and eachhaving numbers on the outside thereof, said numbers corre sponding to the positions of counters within said members, a collar encompassing the open upper ends of said members, and a mixing compartment mounted upon said collar and having an outlet.

7. In a device of the class described, a tubular member of predetermined capacity and havin a longitudinal slot, the said member bemg adapted to contain a certain number of counters of predetermined size, and a second tubular member having a longitudinal slot and adapted to contain similar counters, the capacity of said second tubular member being less than that of the first member.

8. A device of the class described, comprising two longitudinally slotted tubular members mounted adjacent and parallel to each other, and each adapted to contain a predetermined number of counters, the said members being each open at one end and closed at the other end, the bore of one of said members being of less length than that of the other member, and a mixing compartment connected with the open ends of said members.

9. A device of the class described comprising a casing consisting of adjacent tubular members each adapted to contain a predetermined number of counters, the said tubular members each having openings in its wall whereby the presence of the counters can be determined without identification of the counters, and a mixing compartment communicating with the members of said casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. RANEY.

Witnesses:

LORAN NICHOLS, A. L. CASEY.

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