GB2192800A

GB2192800A - Snooker cue

Info

Publication number: GB2192800A
Application number: GB08617711A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dennis Garrison
Original assignee: Garrison Tool & Engineering Li
Current assignee: Garrison Tool & Engineering Li
Priority date: 1986-07-19
Filing date: 1986-07-19
Publication date: 1988-01-27
Anticipated expiration: 2006-07-19
Also published as: GB8617711D0; GB2192800B

Abstract

A snooker cue is turned in one piece from a single piece of wood, and cut into two parts (6, 8), the two parts being secured together by a securing device in a manner which enables the two parts to be secured together with the grain of the two parts in alignment. The securing device comprises a spindle (14) and a sleeve (16). The spindle comprises three sections, a first exteriorally threaded section (18) adapted to be screwed into the bore (12) of one of the cue parts, a second section (20) provided with exterior threads (21), and a central section (22) integral with the first and second sections. The sleeve is provided over the whole of its exterior with threads (24), and is provided over only a minor portion (26) thereof with inferior threads which have the same pitch as the threads (21) of the sections (20). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cues Description of Invention This invention is concerned with improvements relating to cues, specifically of the kind as are used for ball games including billards, snooker and pool. Such cues are hereinafter termed snooker cues.

A desirable method of manufacturing a snooker cue is to turn the cue from a single length of wood. However it is for transportation purposes desirable to divide the cue into sections (usually two) and to provide the sections with securing means (e.g. screw-thread means) to enable them to be secured together.

However conventional means for securing the two parts of the snooker cue together are such as to make it impossible to determine and to adjust the relative orientation on the two parts when secured together. Thus, the grain pattern which is a highly distinctive feature of quality snooker cues is out of alignment, and this detracts from the appearance of the cue.

According to this invention there is provided a device for enabling two parts of a snooker cue to be secured together, comprising: (a) a spindle having a first exteriorally threaded portion adapted to be screwed into an axial bore in a first of said two parts, and a second exteriorally threaded portion, and (b) a sleeve which is exteriorally threaded and which may be screwed into an axial bore in the second of said two parts and an interior threaded portion with which the second portion of the spindle may be engaged.

In this manner the spindle may be screwed into the bore in the first part, and the sleeve screwed into the bore of the second part, and the two parts secured together by screwing the spindle into the interior threaded portion of the sleeve. Should this result in misalignment of the grain of the wood of the two parts, either the spindle or the sleeve may be positionally adjusted until the two parts when secured together are in grain alignment.

Preferably the thread pitch of the second portion of the spindle is finer than that of both the first portion and the exterior threads of the sleeve. In this manner tendency for the spindle and/or the sleeve to be screwed into the bores of the cue parts on securing of the two parts together is reduced.

According to this invention there is also provided a method of manufacture of a snooker cue comprising machining the cue in one piece from a single piece of wood, cutting the cue into two parts, and providing each of the parts with securing means to ena ble the parts to be secured together, the securing means being adjustable to enable the two parts to be secured together with the grain of the two parts in alignment.

There will now be given a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawing, of a snooker cue which is a preferred embodiment of this invention, and which has been selected for the purpose of illustrating the invention by way of example.

The snooker cue which is the preferred embodiment of this invention is manufactured from a single piece of wood by a turning operation which is subsequently divided into two parts, a shaft end part 6 and a butt-end part 8, by cutting generally along a generally central plane. Bores 10 and 12 drilled axially into the ends thereof.

The cue is provided with securing means to enable the two parts to be secured together in axial alignment, the securing means being provided by a securing device consisting of a spindle 14 and a sleeve 16. The spindle comprises three sections, a first, exteriorally threaded section 18 adapted to be screwed into the bore 12, a second section 20 provided with exterior threads 21, and a central section 22 integrai with the first and second sections.

The sleeve 16 is provided over the whole of its exterior with threads 24, and is provided over only a minor portion 26 thereof with interior threads which have the same pitch as the threads 21 of the section 20.

In the use of the securing device in assembling the two parts 6 and 8 together, the first section 18 of the spindle 14 is screwed into the bore 12, leaving the sections 20 and 22 protruding from the bore 12. The sleeve 16 is screwed into the bore 10 with the interior threaded portion 26 innermost, until it is generally flush with the end face of the shaft part. The two parts 6 and 8 may thus be secured together by entering the protruding part of the spindle into the sleeve 16, and screwing the threaded section 21 into the interiorally threaded section 26 of the sleeve, until the end faces of the cue parts abut.

Should this result in a misalignment of the grain of the cue parts, the two parts may be separated, and either the spindle 14 and/or the sleeve 16 may be rotated in their respective bores, so that when the cue parts are again secured together they are in grain alignment.

The threaded section 18 of the spindle and the exterior threads 24 of the sleeve are of coarse, wood screw pitch, whilst the threads of the sections 21 and 26 are fine engineering threads. Thus when screwing the section 20 into the section 26, any tendency for rotation of either the spindle or the sleeve is reduced.

By the use of the invention above described, a cue may be produced which, although being capable of being separated into two parts for ease of transport, when in use has the visual appearance of being of a single part, with the wood grain ofthe two parts being continuous throughout the length of the cue.

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 result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A device for enabling two parts of a snooker cue to be secured together, comprising: (a) a spindle having a first exteriorally threaded portion adapted to be screwed into an axial bore in a first of said two parts, and a second exteriorally threaded portion, and (b) a sleeve which is exteriorally threaded and which may be screwed into an axial bore in the second of said two parts and an interior threaded portion with which the second portion of the spindle may be engaged.

2. A device according to Claim 1 wherein the thread pitch of the second portion of the spindle is finer than the thread pitch of the first portion.

3. A device according to one of Claims 1 and 2 wherein the thread pitch of the second portion is finer than the thread pitch of the exterior threads of the sleeve.

4. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the spindle comprises a ceritral, unthreaded section.

5. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the sleeve is provided over the whole of its exterior with threads, and is provided over only a minor portion with interior threads.

6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the interior threads of the sleeve have the same pitch as the threads of the second portion of the spindle.

7. A method of manufacturing a snooker cue comprising machining the cue in one piece from a single piece of wood, cutting the cue into two parts, and providing each of the parts with securing means to enable the parts to be secured together, the securing means being adjustable to enable the two parts to be secured together with the grain of the two parts in alignment.

8. A method according to Claim 7 wherein the two parts are secured together by a device according to any one of Claims 1 to 6.

9. A device for enabling two parts of a snooker cue to be secured together, constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawling.

10. A method of manufacturing a snooker cue, when carried out substantially hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

11. Any novel feature or novel combination of features as hereinbefore described and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.