GB2172208A - Games - Google Patents

Abstract

A cue ball is caused to roll along the upwardly inclined edges 18 of a block 14. As the ball moves along the block it passes over and deflects downwardly a succession of stops 20. Once the ball has passed over the stops 20 they return to the position shown and prevent the ball from rolling back down the block. The cue ball may come to rest against the end of any of the stops 20 in dependence upon the speed imparted to the ball when hit with a cue. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Games The present invention relates to a game and is particularly, although not exclusively applicable to a game for practising the strength with which a cue ball should be hit in order to travel a certain distance.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a game includes a guide path along which a rolling object may travel and a plurality of discrete areas located in succession along the guide path in any one of which areas the rolling object may come to rest.

When such a game is used with the rolling object comprising a cue-ball, a user can hit the ball with a cue along the guide path and use his skill to allow the ball to come to rest in a selected discrete area.

The path which the rolling object may be arranged to travel may be substantially straight which may afford a player the chance to hit the rolling object ball in a direction comparable to that which balls are hit on a flat table and provide a measure of the success of the speed inparted to the ball by allowing the ball to come to rest at discrete areas.

The guide path may, in use, be arranged to be upwardly inclined and the rolling member may be hit so as to roll up the inclination.

Associated with each discrete area may be a displaceable member which is adapted to be deflected by the rolling member out of the path of the rolling member when the rolling member is travelling in one direction along the guide path but to return into the path of the rolling member to prevent the rolling member from rolling in the other direction along the guide path.

The displaceable members may each comprise a pivotally mounted member which may be resiliently biased such that a portion thereof is biased into the path along which the rolling object is arranged to travel. The portion of the pivotally mounted member which is biased into the path of the rolling object may be located upwardly along the guide path from the pivotal mounting of that member.

Instead of the pivotally mounted member being resiliently biased into the path which the rolling object is arranged to travel, it may be caused to occupy that position without any external forces acting on the pivotally mounted member.

The guide path may be defined by opposed sides of a channel member, the pivotal mounting of the displaceable members may extend across the channel, and the resilient bias of the displaceable members may be afforded by a resilient portion located between each displaceable member and the base of the channel.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but one embodiment will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game arranged to be played with a cue ball, and Figure 2 is a section through the line ll-ll of Figure 1 showing the details of the mounting arrangement of one deflectable stop.

As shown in Figure 1, the apparatus for playing the game comprises an elongate block 10 including a channel 12 in its upwardly facing surface. The block 10 is inclined upwardly from a start position 14 located at one end of the channel by a stand or support 16 located at the other end of the block.

In use, a cue-ball is placed in the start position 14, the ball resting on opposed upper edges 18 of the channel. The ball is then hit along the block 14 to cause the ball to roll along the edges 18.

As the ball moves along the block, it.meets a succession of deflectable stops 20. As shown in Figure 2, the bottom of the ball defines a path indicated by the line 22. Thus the bottom of the ball will initially contact a stop at the point 24 on a gradually inclined surface 26 thereof. The weight of the ball causes the stop of pivot about a mounting 28 in a clockwise direction until the bottom of the ball passes over the end 30 of the stop.

The stop is then returned to the position shown under the force exerted by a foam rubber block 31 located between, and glued to the base 32 of the channel and the underside 34 of the stop. The pivotal mounting 28 of the stop is provided by a pin extending through the stop and into either side of the channel.

The block 10 may be made from wood and covered, at least along the opposed upper edges 18 with beize. The stops may be covered in beize and made from wood or plastics. In an alternative embodiment of the deflectable stop (not shown), the pivot of the member is provided in the vicinity beneath the end 30 of the stop, below the path which the bottom of the ball travels along. The other end of the stop rests on the base of the channel. The weight of the stop in relation to the pivot is such that the top of the stop is biased into the path of the ball when no other forces are acting on the stop.

Once the bottom of a ball has passed the end 30 of the stop it is prevented from rolling back down the channel by abutment with that end 30.

Accordingly, it can be seen that, depending on the velocity with which a ball is hit, it will travel up the channel until it comes to rest against the end 30 of one of the stops.

Associated with each stop is a peg 36 which lies in a recess 38.

Various different games can be played with the apparatus.

In the illustrated embodiment a game of snooker can be played with the pegs being coloured as are the balls in such a game in the following order, going away from the start position:- red, red, yellow, red, red, green, red, red, brown, red, red, blue, red, red, pink, red, red, black. The players take turns in hitting the cue ball and the idea is first to cause the ball to come to rest against a red peg, then a coloured peg, then another red peg and then a further coloured peg. The red pegs are removed when a ball comes to rest alongside them, but the coloured pegs are returned until all the of the reds are removed. The players then attempt to bring the cue-ball to rest adjacent to the colours in the traditional snooker sequence.

Each player can make "breaks" where they continue to play until the ball comes to rest alongside the wrong peg or alongside a peg which has been removed. Scoring can correspond to points allocated in a conventional game.

With an alternative selection of pegs, pool can be played. In this instance a black peg is located in the middle and red and yellow pegs are alternated on either side of the black peg.

The rules used in pool can be applied to the apparatus in order to provide the game.

Claims (11)

1. A game including a guide path along which a rolling object may travel and a plurality of discrete areas located in succession along the guide path in any one of which the rolling object may come to rest.

2. A game as claimed in Claim 1 in which the guide path is substantially straight.

3. A game as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which, in use, the guide path is inclined upwardly.

4. A game as claimed in any preceding claim including a displaceable member associated with each discrete area, each displaceable member being arranged to be deflected out of the path of the rolling object when the rolling object is travelling past the displaceable member in one direction along the guide path but to return into the path of the rolling object after the rolling object has rolled past the displaceable member to prevent the rolling object from travelling in the other direction along the guide path.

5. A game as claimed in Claim 4 in which each displaceable member comprises a pivotally mounted member.

6. A game as claimed in Claim 5 in which at least one of the pivotally mounted members is resiliently biased into a position in which it will be engaged by a rolling object travelling along the guide path.

7. A game as claimed in Claim 5 or 6 in which at least one of the pivotally mounted members is arranged to occupy, or return to a position in which it will be engaged by a rolling object travelling along the guide path under gravitational force.

8. A game as claimed in any preceding claim in which the guide path is defined by opposed sides of a channel.

9. A game as claimed in Claim 8 in which the guide path is defined by the upper edges of the opposed sides of the channel.

10. A game as claimed in Claim 8 or 9 when dependent on any of Claims 5 to 7 in which the pivotal mounting of the displaceable members extend across the channel.

11. A game substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in Figure 1 or 2 of the accompanying drawings.