A Parlor Cue Alley
By C. QUINCY IVES
Parlor cue alley is really a game of bowling except that it is played on a small raised board, and, instead of throwing the balls by hand, an ordinary billiard cue is used, the balls being about 1¹⁄₄ in. in diameter. The automatic feature of this new game saves the time usually required to set up the pins, and assures that they will be set absolutely true each time.
A Cue is Used to Shoot the Ball on This Alley
The Alley Board with Its Attachments
To build this alley, first procure three planed boards, hard wood preferred, though they are more difficult to work; two, 10 ft. long, 9 in. wide, and ¹⁄₂ in. thick, and the other, 10 ft. long, 15 in. wide, and ¹⁄₂ in. thick. Place the first two boards side by side and fasten them with cleats, the first cleat being placed 18 in. from the end to be used for the pins. The cleats should be of ³⁄₈ or ⁷⁄₈-in. material and cut as long as the upper board is wide, or 15 in. These are placed on top of the lower boards, or between the two. By placing the first one 18 in. from the end, clearance is obtained for the trap A. The other board is placed on the cleats and fastened, after it has been centrally located, with screws from the under side. The screws must not come through or the surface of the upper board be marred in any way so that the balls cannot roll freely. The difference in width of the lower board and the upper one provides 1¹⁄₂-in. clearance on each side as grooves for the return of the balls.
Inclose the alley with boards, 3 in. wide and ¹⁄₂ in. thick, to the point B, and from there around the pin end with boards, 6 in. wide. The upper board should be cut to such a length that a space of 2 in. at the end C will be provided. Into this space is fitted a block of wood, about ⁷⁄₈ in. thick, having its upper surface slightly pitched toward the sides of the alley to start the balls back to the front of the board. From the ends of this block two strips, 1¹⁄₂ in. wide, are fitted into the side grooves, from D to E, on an incline, to return the ball after each shot.
The location of each pin is marked on the end of the upper board, and small holes are drilled just large enough to admit pieces of stout cord, like a fishline, to pass through freely. The pins are made of hard wood, carefully balanced, so that one end will not be heavier than the other. The lower end of each pin is drilled to make a recess, F, in which the cord is fastened with a screw or nail. Holes are bored through the bottom board, ³⁄₈ in. in diameter, to correspond to the 10 small holes made through the upper one. Lead weights of about 2 oz. are fitted in the holes and attached to the strings from the pins. The ends of the weights should extend about ¹⁄₂ in. from the under side of the alley.