GB2308816A

GB2308816A - Games table

Info

Publication number: GB2308816A
Application number: GB9600122A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Hampson
Original assignee: RILEY E J Ltd
Current assignee: RILEY E J Ltd
Priority date: 1996-01-04
Filing date: 1996-01-04
Publication date: 1997-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 2016-01-04
Also published as: GB2308816B; GB9600122D0

Abstract

A games table, such as a snooker table, has a top playing surface bounded by cushions (5). The cushions are supported by rigid L-shaped metal extrusions (9) having an upstanding part (11) to which the cushion is attached, and a base part (10) which is fixed by bolts (15) to the edge of the playing surface. Ball-receiving pockets are provided in gaps between runs of cushions and rigid bridging members are incorporated in the pockets and are rigidly fixed to the ends of adjacent metal extrusions. The pockets have structural bodies with press-fit inner detachable bucket or channel units.

Description

Games Table This invention relates to a games table of the kind having top playing surface bounded by cushions for use in playing ball games such as pool and snooker.

Typically, the cushions of a pool or snooker table comprise clothcovered rubber elements fixed to backing strips supported within a rigid frame secured around the periphery of the table top. Traditionally, the rigid frame is a wooden construction which may be bolted through the table top.

For best performance the cushions should be supported as rigidly as possible. With professional-standard snooker tables it is known to support the cushions on upstanding steel plates tightly screwed into the edges of the table top. The table top of a professional-standard snooker table is customarily formed from a relatively thick slate slab whereby rigid, secure attachment can be readily attained by screwing into its edges.

In the case of pool tables there is also the requirement for rigid cushion fixing but it is customary for the table top to be formed from a thinner slate sheet. It is not therefore feasible to use a steel plate support of the snooker table kind. The table top has insufficient thickness to permit adequate purchase of edge fixing screws without risking cracking of the slate.

One object of the present invention is to provide a cushion support of improved rigidity without requiring fixing into the edges of the table top.

According to one aspect of the present invention therefore there is provided a games table of the kind having a top playing surface bounded by cushions, wherein the cushions are supported by rigid elongate metal members fixed to the playing surface, characterised in that each said member has a base part overlying an edge region of the playing surface and an integral upstanding part having the respective cushion attached thereto, the base part being fixed to the playing surface by at least one bolt captively engaged with the base part and passed through the said edge region of the playing surface.

With this arrangement it is possible to attain very secure and rigid support of the cushions with a particularly convenient and simple construction. Since the fixing bolt is passed through the playing surface and acts to hold the cushion support on top of the surface, very tight fixing can be attained without undue risk of cracking or otherwise damaging the playing surface.

Moreover, insofaras the cushion support is fixed on top of the edge region of the playing surface, generally in like manner to the fixing of a conventional wooden frame type of cushion support, it is possible to use the arrangement of the invention with conventional size slates without changing the dimensions of the playing area bounded by the cushions.

With regard to the elongate metal member, conveniently this may be an aluminium or aluminium alloy extrusion.

Most preferably the elongate metal member is L-shaped having a relatively short limb (in cross-section) forming the upstanding part and a longer limb forming the base part.

The parts may be reinforced with one or more integral webs or other construction for strength and/or to provide spacing and/or fixing or support structures. Thus, for example, the upstanding part may have a top web defined by an inturned construction which adds strength and provides a support surface for edge trims. The base part may have a lower track or channel construction which adds strength and provides a retention structure for the bolt.

With regard to the bolt, this may take any suitable form and thus may comprise a headed bolt engageable with a nut, or a pin or screw or any other suitable elongate fixing element engageable in any suitable manner with the base part of the elongate member above the playing surface and retainably engageable relative to the playing surface beneath such surface.

Most preferably there is provision for adjustment of the positioning of the bolt relative to the elongate member longitudinally of the elongate member. Thus, for example the base part of the elongate member may have a track or channel construction, as mentioned above, along which the head of the bolt can slide prior to tightening.

Preferably also there are multiple bolts provided at spaced intervals along the length of the elongate member.

The cushions supported on the elongate members may be of any suitable construction. In a preferred embodiment a conventional cushion construction is used, comprising an elongate resilient member attached to a wooden backing strip and covered in cloth fixed to the backing strip.

The elongate metal members and the edge of the playing surface may be covered for decorative and protective reasons with a top trim and an outer downwardly projecting skirt, which may be formed from wood.

In the case of a table having ball pockets at corners and/or sides of the playing surface, there will be appropriate gaps between runs of the cushions to accommodate pocket structures. At these gaps, the said elongate members may terminate whereby structural strength at the gaps may be derived from the pocket structures, separately from the elongate members. Alternatively, and preferably, the pocket structures may incorporate rigid bridging members which are rigidly fixed to the ends of adjacent elongate members to provide a continuous integrated structural bridge therebetween.

Thus, and in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a games table of the kind having a top playing surface bounded by cushions with ball-receiving pockets in gaps between runs of said cushions, and wherein the cushions are supported by rigid elongate members fixed to the playing surface, characterised in that each pocket incorporates a rigid bridging member which is rigidly fixed to the ends of adjacent said elongate members at the respective said gap.

The bridging member preferably comprises a rigid metal structure. At corner pockets this may be generally L-shaped. At side pockets the member may be straight.

The bridging member may be fixed to the adjacent elongate members in any suitable manner, preferably detachably to permit replacement of pockets when required. Fixing may be achieved with bolts and/or through interengagement of cooperable configurations e.g. by insertion of prongs or tongues on the bridging member into sockets or ends of channels of the elongate members.

Preferably the second aspect of the present invention is utilised in the context of the first aspect of the invention.

With regard to the pockets, these may comprise bucket or channel type constructions which direct pocketed balls into the usual pocket bag or side storage rails or runways beneath the playing surface. Most conveniently the pocket may have a structural body with an inner detachable bucket or channel unit which can be readily replaced as required, without disturbing the main structural integrity of the pocket body.

Thus and in accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, preferably although not necessarily combined with the first and second aspects, there is provided a pocket construction for use with a games table of the kind having a top playing surface bounded by cushions with ballreceiving pockets in gaps between runs of said cushions, characterised in that the pocket construction comprises a structural body with an inner detachable bucket or channel unit.

The said bucket or channel unit may be a press fit within the structural body.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a cut away perspective view of one form of a games table according to the invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are exploded perspective views of part of the table showing corner and side pockets; and Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views of bridging members of corner and side pockets.

As can be seen from Fig. 1, a pool table has a playing surface formed in conventional manner from a cloth covered rectangular slate sheet 1 which is supported on a wooden frame 2 mounted on legs (not shown). The slate sheet 1 has curved cut-outs 3, 4 at corner and side positions, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, for the usual ball-receiving pockets.

Cushions 5 are supported around the periphery of the top of the slate sheet 1 enclosing a playing area. The cushions 5 are provided in two runs at each long side of the table and one run at each short side. There are gaps between the runs to accommodate the corner and side pockets.

Each cushion run comprises an elongate rubber element 6 fastened to a front face of a wooden backing strip 7 and covered in cloth 8 which is fixed to a back face of the strip 7.

Each cushion run 5 is rigidly supported on the slate sheet by means of an aluminium extension 9 of L-shaped cross-section. The extension 9 has a bottom part 10 which overlies the edge region of the slate sheet 1, and an upstanding part 11 on the inner side of the extrusion to which the backing strip 7 of the cushion is firmly fixed (by screws passed through the upstanding part 11 and screwed into the strip 7).

The upstanding part 11 terminates in a horizontal flat flange 1 2 turned away from the cushion 5.

The base part 10 has a horizontal flat top surface 13 and has depending parallel flanges 14 on its bottom surface defining channels with downwardly directed central longitudinally extending slots bounded by inturned edges.

The extrusion 9 is rigidly fixed to the slate 1 by means of vertical bolts 15 which are passed through bored holes in the slate 1 and underlying wooden frame 2. The bolts 15 have enlarged heads 16 which fit inside one of the channels of the extrusion 9 and are retained in position by engagement of the heads 16 above the inturned edges of the channel.

Beneath the slate 1 the bolts 15 have threaded ends which are engaged by nuts 16 within recesses in the wooden frame 2. The nuts 16 can be tightened to clamp the aluminium extrusion 9 tightly against the top of the slate 1.

The extrusion 9 can be positionally adjusted longitudinally prior to tightening by movement of the head of the bolt 15 relative to the extrusion 9 along the channel.

As shown in Figs. 1 - 3, the aluminium extrusion 9 is concealed with a shaped wooden edge trim 17 and beneath this a wooden skirt 18. On the outer side of, and below the skirt 18 there is an inclined cover 19. The outer edge of the extrusion 9 may overhang the slate 1 and the top edge trim 17 may be fixed in position by screws 20 through this overhang. As shown, the trim 17 also retainably interengages the top flange 12 of the extrusion 9.

The corner and side pockets 21, 22 are constructed in two parts, namely a structural body 23, 24 and an inner insert 25, 26.

The body 23, 24comprises a recessed plastics moulding incorporating a shaped rigid metal insert plate 27, 28.

As shown in Fig. 4, the insert plate 27 for the corner pocket 21 comprises a curved central strip 29 terminating at each end in two side by side tongues 30, 31. The two ends are at right angles to each other. There is a short upstanding flange 32 in the middle of the central strip 27.

The insert plate 28 for the side pocket, as shown in Fig. 5, comprises a curved central strip 33 with an upstanding central flange 34 and two aligned ends each with two tongues 35, 36.

The tongues 30, 31, 35, 36 at each end of each insert plate fit into the ends of the channels at the adjacent end of the respective aluminium extrusion 9. The tongues 30, 31, 35, 36 are fixed in position by bolts passed through holes in the tongues and the extrusion 9.

The inner insert 25, 26 of each corner and side pocket is a plastics unit of part-bucket or channel shape and comprises a top, rimmed curved mouth and a downwardly tapered curved channel. A waist region of the channel has peripheral projections thereon which snap fit with cooperable configuration within the structural body 23, 24 of the pocket. In this way the insert can be pushed into the body and securely retained therein, and it can be readily removed when required for replacement by flexing the plastics insert to disengage the snap fit configuration.

The bottom ends of the installed units 25, 26 lead to ball runways or the like in conventional manner.

The arrangement so far described provides an extremely robust and rigid support for both the cushions and the pockets. High speed ball impacts will not appreciably deflect the cushion supports nor dislodge or damage the pocket structures.

It is of course to be understood that this invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only.

Claims

1. A games table of the kind having a top playing surface bounded by cushions, wherein the cushions are supported by rigid elongate metal members fixed to the playing surface, characterised in that each said member has a base part overlying an edge region of the playing surface and an integral upstanding part having the respective cushion attached thereto, the base part being fixed to the playing surface by at least one bolt captively engaged with the base part and passed through the said edge region of the playing surface.

2. A table according to claim 1 wherein the elongate metal member comprises an aluminium extrusion.

3. A table according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the elongate metal member is L-shaped with one limb forming the upstanding part and a longer limb forming the base part.

4. A table according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the parts are reinforced with one or more integral webs.

5. A table according to claim 4 wherein the upstanding part has a top web defined by an inturned construction.

6. A table according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the base part has a lower track providing a retention structure for the bolt.

7. A table according to claim 6 wherein the bolt has a head engageable with the track, the head being slidable along the track prior to tightening of the bolt.

8. A table according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein there are multiple bolts provided at spaced intervals along the length of the elongate member.

9. A table according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein each cushion comprises an elongate resilient member attached to a wooden backing strip and covered in cloth fixed to the backing strip.

10. A table according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the elongate members and the edge of the playing surface are covered with a top trim and an outer downwardly projecting skirt.

11. A table according to any one of claims 1 to 10 having ball pockets at corners and sides of the playing surface with gaps between runs of the cushions accommodating pocket structures, wherein the pocket structures incorporate rigid bridging members rigidly fixed to the ends of adjacent elongate members.

12. A games table of the kind having a top playing surface bounded by cushions with ball-receiving pockets in gaps between runs of said cushions, and wherein the cushions are supported by rigid elongate members fixed to the playing surface, characterised in that each pocket incorporates a rigid bridging member which is rigidly fixed to the ends of adjacent said elongate members at the respective said gap.

13. A games table according to claim 11 or 12 wherein the bridging member comprises a rigid metal structure.

14. A games table according to claim 13 wherein the bridging structure is L-shaped at corner pockets.

15. A games table according to claim 13 or 14 wherein the bridging structure is straight at side pockets.

16. A table according to any one of claims 13 to 15 wherein the bridging member is detachably fixed to the adjacent elongate members.

17. A table according to claim 16 wherein the bridging member and the adjacent elongate members are interengageable via cooperable configurations.

18. A table according to any one of claims 13 to 17 wherein the pockets comprise bucket or channel constructions have a structural body with an inner detachable bucket or channel unit.

19. A pocket construction for use with a games table of the kind having a top playing surface bounded by cushions with ball-receiving pockets in gaps between runs of said cushions, characterised in that the pocket construction comprises a structural body with an inner detachable bucket or channel unit.

20. A table according to claim 18 or a pocket construction according to claim 19 wherein the bucket or channel unit is a press fit within the structural body.

21. A table according to claim 1 or 12 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

22. A pocket construction according to claim 19 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.