GB2166362A - Improvements in or relating to games and game tables - Google Patents

Abstract

A game table comprises a playing surface (16) the perimeter of which is bounded by more than four (preferably eight) upstanding side walls (11) each provided with a resilient element. The playing surface (16) is provided with a centrally positioned hole (17) through which balls to be used on the playing surface may pass. A variety of games may be played on the table using different numbers of balls including a cue ball. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to games and game tables Description of invention The present invention relates to new or improved apparatus for games and new or improved game tables.

The present invention is primarily, but not exclusively, concerned with a game table comprising a substantially flat playing surface bounded by one or more upstanding side walls. Such a game table will hereinafter for the sake of convenience be referred to as a game table of the type described, It will be understood that the term "table" is intended to include any device comprising a substantially flat playing surface bounded by one or more upstanding side walls but it need not necessarily be provided with legs to raise the playing surface above a supporting surface such as a floor.

Game tables of the type described are well known and used for the games of snooker, billiards or pool for example, such tables having a substantially rectangular playing surface, each side being provided with an upstanding side wall and the playing surface being provided with a plurality of holes or pockets located adjacent said upstanding side walls.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a new or improved game table of the type described.

According to one aspect of the present invention we provide a game table of the type described wherein the playing surface has more than four sides and wherein said playing surface is provided with one or more holes through which a ball may pass, said one or more holes being positioned in said playing surface spaced from the side walls.

According to a second aspect of the present invention we provide a game table of the type described wherein said playing surface is provided with one or more holes of a size through which a ball in use may pass, said hole or at least one of said holes being provided in a central region of said playing surface.

Preferably said game table is provided with a single hole in a central region and conveniently said hole may be equi-distant from each of said side walls.

It is envisaged that the game table of the present invention may have any number of sides and conveniently may have at least six sides.

According to one preferred embodiment the game table of the present invention is provided with eight sides and has a hole, the centre of which is positioned in a central region.

It is envisaged that in addition tQ a hole in the central region additional holes may be provided which may be spaced from the side walls of said game table, may be positioned adjacent the side walls, or a combination of both.

Preferably the game table is provided with side walls and at least one of said side walls are provided with a resilient element, for example a strip of rubber, to provide a returning force to any object, for example a ball, hitting said element. Conveniently all of said side walls are provided with a resilient element.

Preferably the game table is provided with passage means to enable balls passing through holes situated remote from the side walls thereof being delivered to a delivery area or areas substantially adjacent to, but below, the side walls. Such a facility enables a player to retrieve balls that have passed through a hole or holes remote from the edge of the table.

The table of the present invention may be used for the playing of any suitable ball game.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide new or improved apparatus for playing a game.

According to a further aspect of the present invention we provide, in combination, a game table in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention and a plurality of balls and cue means whereby the balls may be hit by one or more players.

Preferably the number of balls is between four and sixteen.

Preferably at least some of said balls have markings different from one another and further means may be provided whereby a player or players may indicate the score achieved by said player or players throughout the course of the game.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of game table; Figure 2 is a section along the line A-A; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the table shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of an initial ball position to play one game of the present invention; Figure 5 is a schematic view of initial ball position to play a second game of the present invention.

Referring first to Figures 1-3, the embodiment of game table shown therein comprises a playing surface member 10 of octagonal form, each side having a side wall, one of which is generally indicated at 11. The side wall comprises an outer portion 12, an intermediate portion 13 and a rubber-like element 14, the rubber-like element being covered with cloth 15. The side wall element 11 is securely fixed by adhesive, screws or any other suitable means to the playing surface member 10.

The playing surface member 10 is provided with a substantially flat surface 16 and a hole 17 is provided in the playing surface member 10, the hole 17 being positioned at least approximately in the centre of the playing surface member 10.

The hole 17 is of a diameter so that a ball to be used on the table may pass therethrough and into a ball passage means 18 having a slightly inclined lower surface 19 such that balls passing through the hole 17 into the ball passage means 18 will roll towards the edge region 20 so that they may be easily retrieved.

The game table may be provided with legs, two such legs being shown at 21 and 22 and connected by bracing bar 23, the legs 21 and 22 may be hinged or otherwise pivotally mounted to the playing surface member 10 so that they may be folded or alternatively detached from the remainder of the game table to facilitate easy storage.

It is envisaged that the game table need not be provided with legs but may be adapted to rest on an ordinary table or other supporting structure.

Whereas the table shown in Figures 1-3 is of octagonal form, it is envisaged that the table may have any number of sides and preferably is provided with at least six sides.

Furthermore, it is envisaged that, in addition to, or instead of, the centre hole, one or more holes may be provided in the playing surface member 10 and, it is envisaged that such holes will communicate with a common ball passage means such as the ball passage means 18..

Two games which may be played on the table of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

Referring first to Figure 4, eight balls, at least four of which have different markings from the other four, are placed in a circular array on the playing surface 16 around the hole 17. Preferably the balls each have different markings and may be numbered from 1 to 8 as shown in Figure 4.

A further ball No.9 is positioned as illustrated.

The game is intended for two players or two teams of players and for the sake of convenience reference will hereinafter be made to two players.

One player has cue balls 1 to 4 and the other player has cue balls 5 to 8. The object of the game is for each player to hit, with a cue, the No.9 ball into the hole 17 a total of nine times. When this has been achieved that player is the winner.

Before a player is allowed to directly cue the No.9 ball into the hole 17, he must first, by cueing one of his own balls, for example any one of balls No. 1 to 4, hit one of the opponents balls, balls Nos.5 to 8, into the hole 17.

Once this has been achieved he is allowed to directly cue the No.9 ball from whatever position it may be at the time on the table directly into the hole 17.

The No.9 ball is then retrieved from the ball passage means 18 and replaced on the position as shown in Figure 4, and the player continues by once again cueing any one of his own balls in an attempt to knock one of the opponents balls into the hole 17 and, if successful, he may once again directly cue the No.9 ball into the hole 17.

The player continues until he either fails by cueing one of his own balls to knock the opponents ball into the hole, or he fails to cue the No.9 ball directly into the hole 17.

The opponent then plays and tries, by cueing one of his own balls 5 to 8, to knock one of his opponents balls 1 to 4 into the hole 17, after which, if successful, he is permitted to try and directly cue the No.9 ball into the hole 17.

Once any one of the balls 1 to 8 is knocked into the hole 17 it will remain in the hole passage means 18 unless it is retrieved by the player whose cue ball it is. Retrieval is possible by the player, when it is the player's turn to play, by cueing one of the cue balls, for example 1 to 4, and knocking the No.9 ball into the hole 17. If such a shot is successful the player may receive, not only the No.9 ball for which he receives no score, but he may also retrieve one of his cue balls from the ball passage means 18.

Once a player has succeeded in directly cueing the No.9 ball in the hole 17 a total of nine times he is the winner of the game. As an alternative, if the cue balls of one player, i.e. the balls 1 to 4 or the balls 5 to 8, are all in the ball passage means 18 then the player with cue balls left on the table will be the winner since the other player can no longer play.

A player is permitted also to retrieve a cue ball "lost" in the ball passage means 18 if, after hitting an opponent's ball into the hole 17 by cueing one of his own cue balls, he elects not to try and cue directly the No.9 ball into the hole 17. He may alternatively opt for recovery of one of his own cue balls in the ball passage means 18.

if a player commits a fault, for example by (a) failing to hit one of the opponent's balls when he is try to knock his opponent's ball down the hole 17, (b) accidentally cueing not his own ball but one of his opponent's balls or the No.9 ball when he is not entitled, (c) hitting the No.9 ball down the hole 17 when it is not permitted then the turn of the player at the table would cease and he would also suffer a forfeit, for example by allowing his opponent an extra turn at the table.

It is envisaged that the game may be played along the above lines with more than nine balls and also, as aforementioned, may be played by different numbers of players, for example 4 players, in which case each player may have two cue balls.

Referring now to Figure 5, a table of the present invention is provided with sixteen balls positioned in two concentric circles around the centre hole 17.

Each ball is marked differently from others and the balls will, for the sake of convenience, be referred to, and as illustrated in Figure 5, as balls No.1 to 15, the sixteenth ball being a cue ball 16.

The game may be played by two or more players and a player will in all cases strike with his cue only the cue ball 16.

The object of the game is for a player or team to score more points than their opponents. Points are scored by a player cueing the cue ball 16 to knock one of the balls from the inner ring 25 into the hole 17 and if successful the player is then allowed, by cueing the cue ball, to knock one of the balls from the outer ring 26 into the hole 17. If that player is once again successful he may repeat the process by cueing the cue ball to knock any one of the balls 1 to 8 into the hole 17, followed by cueing the cue ball to knock any one of the balls 9 to 15 into the hole 17 until he fails to successfully knock any ball into the hole 17.

The player will score points by hitting the balls into the hole 17 and it is envisaged that all the balls may be provided with a different scoring point, for example 1 to 15 as shown in Figure 5.

Thus, if a player, by cueing the white ball, cues in ball No.1, followed by ball No.10, he will score a total of 11 points.

When a ball from the inner circle 25 is knocked into the hole 17 it will not be retrieved. However, any ball knocked from the outer ring 26 into the hole 17 will be retrieved until all of the balls from the inner ring, i.e. balls 1 to 8, have been knocked down the hole 17.

When a ball from the outer ring 26 is retrieved it is placed on its appropriate spot as shown in Figure 5. If a player commits an error by accidentally or otherwise hitting a ball down the hole 17 which should not have been hit down the hole 17, then he may suffer a forfeit, for example a deduction in points or alternatively he may automatically give points to his opponent or opponents.

The aforementioned two games described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 are examples of many different games which may be played on a table of the present invention.

It is further envisaged that a table of the present invention may be provided with a detachable table top to permit the table to be used as an ordinary table for dinning purposes for example, and, in view of the shape of the table of the present invention, in particular where it is hexagonal or octagonal, a central leg support system may be provided making the table eminently suitable for dinning purposes.

It is further envisaged that alternative table tops may be provided which are readily detachable from the table of the present invention to provide for other games, for example table tennis or cards.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed results, or the class or group of substances or compositions, is appropriate, may, separately or any combination of such features, be utilized for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (16)

1. A game table of the type described wherein the playing surface has more than four side walls and wherein said playing surface is provided with one or more holes through which a ball may pass, said one or more holes being positioned in said playing surface spaced from said side walls.

2. A game table according to Claim 1 wherein the or each hole is provided in a central region of said playing surface.

3. A game table according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said playing surface is provided with a single hole.

4. A game table according to Claim 3 wherein said single hole is substantially equidistant from each of said side walls.

5. A game table according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the game table is provided with eight side walls and a hole through which a ball may pass in a central region of the playing surface.

6. A game table according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least some of said side walls are provided with a resilient element to provide a returning force to a ball hitting said element.

7. A game table according to Claim 6 wherein all of said side walls are provided with a resilient element.

8. A game table according to any one of the preceding claims wherein passage means are provided to enable a ball or balls passing through the or each hole situated in the playing surface and remote from said side walls being delivered to a delivery area or areas substantially adjacent to, but below, the side walls.

9. In combination, a game table according to any one of the preceding claims and a plurality of balls for use with said game table.

10. A game table of the type described wherein said playing surface is provided with one or more holes of a size through which a ball in use may pass, said hole or at least one of said holes being provided in a central region of said playing surface.

11. A game table according to any one of the preceding claims in combination with nine balls, four of which have markings different from the markings on four other balls, the playing surface being marked in a manner as shown in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A game table according to any one of the preceding claims in combination with a plurality of balls, the game table being marked in a manner as illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A game table substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A game table as hereinbefore described in combination with a plurality of balls, the table being marked in a manner substantially as described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A game table as hereinbefore described in combination with a plurality of balls, the game table being marked in a manner substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A game table including any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.