GB2243556A - Tables for playing ball-potting games - Google Patents

Abstract

A pool table is arranged to permit two different types of pool game to be played, such as 9-ball pool and 8-ball pool, by having two different ball stores (48, 50, Figs 4 & 5) in a section 34. Once the coin mechanism 40 has been activated and the type of game selected, balls are released from the appropriate ball store. Each ball potted is returned to the store from which it was released. The section 34 and coin mechanism 40 are formed as a single removable section or separate removable sections. As shown, pocketed balls fall down a J-shaped channel 24 which ends at 26 in a hole 28 for the cue ball and a gate (54) for directing balls to either store (48) or (50). Alternatively, the table may be arranged to provide a choice of games between two or more of say 9-ball, 15-ball, pokerball, snooker and billiards. <IMAGE>

Description

TABLES FOR PLAYING BALL-POTTING GAMES This invention relates to tables for playing ball-potting games, such as pool, snooker, etc. For simplicity such tables will hereinafter be referred to as "pool tables", it being understood, however, that this term should not be interpreted as being limitative to the games traditionally known as "pool".

With one conventional form of pool table, the players insert money in a coin mechanism, which then enables the pool balls to be released from a store within the table. During the course of the game, the balls are potted and return to the ball store, until all of the balls have been potted, which marks the end of the game. There are many different forms of pool game, some requiring different numbers of balls to others, but with the conventional type of pool table the number of balls is predetermined.

The present invention enables a selection between two types of game to be played on the table, and different balls are released for play from the ball store for different selected games. Thus, it is possible to use the same table for, for example, "9-ball pool" and for "8-ball pool". 8 ball pool is traditionally played with fifteen balls, the term being derived from the fact that the winner is the first player to pot eight balls properly. Throughout the remainder of this specification the game traditionally known as 8-ball pool will be referred to as 15-ball pool.

Preferably, the table of the invention permits the release of balls for one game or another only if all of the balls are present in the ball store. This prevents confusion which would otherwise arise if balls were released for different types of game at the same time.

In one embodiment of the invention, described in detail below, the table has first and second ball stores which store first and second sets of balls. The balls are released from the first or second store in dependence upon the type of game selected. Furthermore, a diverter device is provided which diverts the balls, once potted, from a common return path to the ball store from which the balls were released.

The pool table may include a single coin mechanism which is set up to require different payments for the different types of game. Thus, a greater charge may be made, for example, for a game of 15-ball pool than for a game of 9-ball pool.

The ball store, selection mechanism and ball release device may be a unitary part of the pool table, or they may form part of a removable unit which can be used to replace the ball store and ball release device in a conventional pool table. The invention also encompasses such a removable unit per se.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a pool table; Figure 2 is similar to Figure 1, but with the table top removed; Figure 3 is a side view of the table of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a plan view, on a larger scale of the ball store shown in Figure 2; Figure 5 is a side view taken along the line V-V in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuiting of the pool table; and Figure 7 is a side view of a modified ball release mechanism.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, a pool table 10 comprises, as is conventional, a rectangular tray-like housing 12 which stands on legs 14. A table top 16 is fitted into the top of the housing 12 to provide a playing surface, with four pocket holes 18a-d being formed at the corners of the table, and two pocket holes 18e,f being formed halfway along the longer sides of the table.

Referring specifically to Figure 2, six pocket cups 20a-f are mounted beneath the pocket holes 18a-f, respectively, to catch balls which are potted in the pocket holes. Each pocket cup 20a-f feeds a ball via a respective downwardly inclined pocket channel 22a-f to various locations along a common J-shaped channel 24, which is inclined so that the balls roll to the end 26 of the curved part of the common J-shaped channel 24 in the direction shown by arrows in Figure 2.

Adjacent the end 26 of the J-shaped channel 24, a hole 28 is formed in the base of the common channel 24 of a width which is smaller than the diameter of a normal playing ball, but which is greater than the diameter of the cue ball (which is conventionally smaller in diameter than the normal playing balls) so that, if the cue ball is potted, it runs down the common channel 24 and falls through the hole 28 onto a downwardly inclined L-shaped cue ball outlet channel 30 disposed beneath the curved part of the J-section channel. The cue ball then runs along the channel 30 to a cue ball outlet 32 in one of the shorter sides of the housing 12, from where it can be retrieved by the players.

From the end 26 of the J-shaped channel 24, the normal playing balls are fed into a ball store and gate section 34, which is disposed beneath the pocket channel 22f and which will be described in detail below. At the beginning of a game, balls are released from the section 34 onto a downwardly-inclined L-shaped outlet channel 36, disposed beneath the straight part of the J-shaped channel 24. The balls run along the outlet channel 36 to a playing ball outlet 38 in the other shorter side of the housing 12, from where they can be taken by the players for setting up on the table. Once a playing ball is then potted, in one of the pockets 18a-f, it rolls from the respective pocket cup 20a-f along the respective pocket channel 22a-f, and along and around the common J-shaped channel 24 to the ball store and gate section 34, where it is retained until the next game commences.

Associated with the ball store and gate section 34 is a coin mechanism section 40, into which money is inserted to pay for a game.

The ball store and gate section 34 and the coin mechanism section 40 are conventionally formed as a single or separate removable sections, which can be removed from the housing 12, after releasing appropriate locking devices, by sliding in the direction II shown in Figure 2, in order to facilitate servicing or repair of these sections and collection of coins from the coin mechanism.

The pool table 10 as described so far above with the exception of the ball store and gate section 34 is conventional, and features of the table in accordance with the invention will now be described below.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the ball store and gate section 34 comprises a housing 42 having a inlet 44 and a pair of adjacent outlets 469, 46-15. A downwardly inclined J-shaped channel 48 extends from the inlet 44 to the outlets 46-9, 46-15, and is sub-divided along most of its length from adjacent the inlet to the outlets by a fence 50, so that two parallel ball store channels 52-9, 52-15 are formed.

A diverter gate 54 in the form of a flap is mounted adjacent the inlet 44 for hinging movement about a vertical post 56 at the inlet end of the fence 50. The diverter gate 54 can move between the two positions shown in Figure 4 in solid line and dotted line, limited by stops 58, so that when in the solid line position incoming balls are directed to the ball store channel 52-15, and when in the dotted line position incoming balls are directed to the ball store channel 52-9. In order to set the position of the diverter gate 54, a pair of solenoid actuators 60-9, 60-15 are mounted on the opposite side walls of the channel 48, above the level of the balls, and have free-floating plungers which can bear against the diverter gate 54.

When the actuator 60-9 is energised, it moves the gate 54 to the dotted line position so that balls are diverted to the ball store channel 52-9, and when the actuator 60-15 is energised, it moves the gate 54 to the solid line position so that the balls are directed to the ball store channel 52-15.

Once moved by one of the actuators, the gate 54 stays in the position to which it has been moved (by friction, gravity, magnetic attraction or some other detent device) until it is moved to the opposite position by the other actuator.

Release gates are provided at the two outlets 46-9, 46-15 by respective solenoid actuators 62-9, 62-15 which are mounted by the sides of the ball store channels 52-9, 52-15. These actuators have respective horizontally movable plungers which are spring-loaded so as normally to block the passage of balls from the outlets, but when either actuator is energised, its plunger is against the spring-loading so as to permit balls to roll from the respective ball store channel 52-9, 52-15 to the outlet channel 36.

Part-way along each of the ball store channels 52-9, 52-15, a respective normally-closed microswitch 64-9, 64-15 is mounted on the channel wall and has an actuator wire which extends above the channel and can be engaged by a ball on the channel beneath the wire to open the switch. In the present embodiment, the ball detect switch 64-9 is located in a position such that, with the release actuator 62-9 closed, and with nine playing balls in the ball store channel 52-9, the last ball engages the actuator wire to open the detect switch 64-9. Also, the detect switch 6415 is located in a position such that, with the release actuator 62-15 closed, and with fifteen balls in the ball store channel 52-15, the last ball engages the actuator wire to open the detect switch 64-15.

Referring to Figure 3, the front panel of housing 42 of the ball store and gate section 34 has a number of manually operable switches and indicator lights, namely: a nine ball missing indicator 66-9; a fifteen ball missing indicator 66-15; a nine ball select switch 68-9s with indicator 689i; a fifteen ball select switch 68-15s with indicator 68-15i; and a play switch 70s with indicator 70i. These various switches and indicators, together with the diverter solenoids 60-9, 60-15, release solenoids 62-9, 62-15, detect switches 64-9, 64-15 and coin mechanism 40 are connected to a circuit section 72, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, which will now be described in further detail with reference to Figure 6.

The circuit section comprises a coin processor 74 with associated memory 76 and play logic circuitry 78. The coin processor 74 may be based upon the MAXIMISER device manufactured by D. M. Electronics (Kent) Limited, of Kent, U.K. The coin processor receives a signal COIN from the coin mechanism 40 indicative of the value of the coins inserted into the mechanism, and stores the total value CREDIT of inserted coins in the memory 76. The coin processor also receives a signal CST from the play logic indicative ofthe cost of a game. When the value CREDIT is equal to or greater than the value CST, the coin processor sets a signal SUF indicating that sufficient coins have been inserted.The SUF signal enables the play logic for starting a game, and when the game is started, the play logic sends a signal DEC to the coin processor, in response to which the coin processor decrements the stored CREDIT signal by the cost of the game indicated by the CST signal. The circuit section also includes a nine ball cost DIP switch 80-9 and a 15 ball cost DIP switch 8015, which are set in accordance with the cost of a nine ball game and a fifteen ball game, respectively, and provide corresponding signals 9CST and 15CST to the play logic 78.

It will be appreciated that the credit facility described above is optional, and that the coin mechanism and processor may be more simply set up to require payment of at least the correct amount of money for a game, without the facility to carry forward credit for a future game.

The play logic can be readily implemented in many different forms, for example using hard-wired relays, discrete transistors, or TTL logic, with resistor-capacitor timers or semiconductor timer devices, or in software running on a microprocessor. Therefore only the logic functions of the play logic need be described in detail.

At the beginning of a game, nine balls will be stored in the ball store 52-9, and fifteen balls will be stored in the ball store 52-15, and therefore the ball detect switches 64-9, 64-15 will be open producing signals 9DET and 15DET of logic level 0. The signals 9MIS and 15 MIS to the 9-ball missing indicator 66-9 and 15-ball missing indicator 66-15 are derived either directly from 9DET and 15DET, respectively, or via smoothing circuits which prevent transients of 9MIS and 15MIS as balls run underneath the actuator wires of the detect switches 64-9, 64-15.

Anyway, in the steady state at the beginning of a game 9DET = 15DET = 0, and 9MIS = 15MIS = 0, and so the indicators 66-9 and 66-15 are not lit.

When 9MIS = O AND 151vlIS = 0, the select indicators 68-9i and 68-15i are lit by signals 9SIN = 1 and 15SIN = 1, indicating to the players that they can select a game. In order to select a nine ball game, a player operates 9-ball select switch 68-9s, which produces at least momentarily a signal 955W = 1. In response to 955W = 1 momentarily, the 15-ball select indicator is extinguished by 155IN = 0, in order to confirm to the player that the 9-ball select switch 68-9s has been operated. Also, the cost signal CST is set equal to the 9-ball cost signal 9CST.

Once the player has inserted sufficient coins so that CREDIT > = CST, the coin processor 74 sets the sufficiency signal SUF = 1. In response, the play logic illuminates the play indicator 70i by setting PLI = 1, to indicate to the players that sufficient coins have been inserted. The player then operates the play switch 70s, setting PLS = 1. In response, the play logic 78: (a) sends a pulsed decrement signal DEC = 1 causing the coin processor to decrement the stored signal CREDIT by the amount indicated by the cost signal CST; (b) sets the 9-ball release signal 9REL for a predetermined time such as 10 seconds, causing the nine balls to be released from the store channel 52-9, in response to which the 9-ball detect switch 64-9 is closed, setting 9DET = 1, and accordingly lighting the 9-ball missing indicator 66-9 by setting 9MIS = 1; (c) sets the 9-ball diverter solenoid signal 9DIV for a predetermined time such as 10 seconds, sufficient to cause the diverter gate to move to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, so that potted balls will be returned to the store channel 52-9; and (d) extinguishes the play indicator 70i by resetting PLI = 0.The players can then play 9-ball pool, and as the balls are potted, they are returned to the 9-ball storage channel.

It will be appreciated that, in order to play 15-ball pool, the above procedure is carried out except that references to 9 should be changed to 15 and vice versa.

It should be noted that there are a number of important features of the arrangement described above. Firstly, although a single coin mechanism is employed, different charges can be made for the different games by setting the cost DIP switches 80-9, 80-15. Secondly, the play logic provides an interlock so that balls cannot be released for a new game until all balls have been returned to the ball store from a previous game. Thirdly, a conventional pool table of the type initially described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 can be simply converted to a dual-play table by removing the conventional ball store and gate section and replacing it by one as described above with particular reference to Figures 4 to 6.

It will be appreciated that many modifications and developments may be made to the table described above. For example, the invention may be embodied in a purpose built dual-play table, without having the ball store in a removable section. Furthermore, the table may be arranged to enable more than two different types of game to be played.

Also, the invention is not limited to conventional types of pool, but may be used to provide a choice of games between two or more of, say, 9-ball pool, 15-ball pool, "Pokerpool", snooker and billiards.

Another modification is shown in Figure 7, which is an alternative to the ball release solenoids 62-9, 62-15 shown in Figures 4 and 5. A panel 82 extends across the outlets 46-9, 46-15 of the ball store channels 52-9, 52-15 and has a pair of cut-outs 84 which are aligned with the channels.

A pair of vertical rabbeted members 86 are mounted to either side of each cut-out 84 to form a pair of slideways in which sliding gates 88-9, 88-15 are fitted. Each sliding gate has a semicircular notch 90 in its lower edge, and its upper edge is connected to a downwardly spring-loaded plunger of a respective solenoid actuator 62-9, 62-15. When each solenoid actuator is not energised, the respective sliding gate assumes a lower position, under the influence of gravity and the spring-loading, as shown by the sliding gate 88-9 in Figure 7, and blocks the release of balls from the respective ball channel. However, when each actuator is energised, the plunger raises the respective sliding gate to a position, as shown by the sliding gate 88-15 in Figure 7, in which cut-out 84 and notch 90 permit the balls 92 to be released from the respective ball store channel.The actuators 62-9, 62-15 shown in Figure 7 may be energised in a similar manner to those described with reference to Figures 4 to 6.

Although, in the arrangements described above, the balls are stored in queues in the inclined channels 52-9, 52-15, it will be appreciated that, space permitting, the balls may be stored in inclined trays, for example holding the nine balls in a 3 x 3 array and holding the fifteen balls in a 5 x 3 array, with wide shutters at the lower edges of the trays operated by actuator solenoids or electro-magnets.

The circuitry described above is preferably powered by a rechargeable battery, and the table may include a built-in battery charger, with the circuitry being disabled when the battery is on charge, or when the battery voltage falls below a predetermined value.

For cash control and checking, three counters may be included, two for the different types of game and one for the total number of games.

Claims (8)

1. A games table having a ball store for storing a plurality of balls, means for selecting any one of at least two types of game to be played on the table, means for releasing from the ball store different balls for play in response to different selections by the selecting means, and means for returning the balls to the ball store once they have been potted.

2. A games table as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for detecting whether all of the balls are present in the ball store, the release means being responsive to the detecting means such that the release of the balls is inhibited unless all of the balls are present.

3. A games table as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the ball store comprises first and second ball stores for storing first and second sets, respectively, of the balls, the releasing means comprising first and second release devices for releasing for play the balls from the first and second ball stores, respectively, in response to selection by the selecting means of first and second types of game, respectively, and further including a diverter device responsive to the selecting means for diverting the returned potted balls from a common return path to that one of the first and second ball stores from which they were released.

4. A games table as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first and second ball stores are adapted for holding different numbers of balls.

5. A games table as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising means for receiving money or the like in payment for games and for enabling the releasing means in response to receipt of different predetermined amounts in dependence upon the selection by the selecting means.

6. A games table as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the ball store, selecting means and releasing means form part of a unit which is removable from the games table.

7. A removable unit for a games table as claimed in claim 6.

8. A games table or a removable unit therefor, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.