GB2437181A

GB2437181A - A billiards rest

Info

Publication number: GB2437181A
Application number: GB0707198A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Desmond Edward Morley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-04-13
Filing date: 2007-04-13
Publication date: 2007-10-17
Also published as: WO2007119050A1; GB2437062A; GB0607511D0; GB0707198D0

Abstract

A snooker, pool or billiards rest 2 comprising a body 12, a head 6, and a shaft 10 therebetween. The shaft 10 is bendable such that the head 6 is repeatedly repositionable relative to the body 12. Preferably the shaft 10 comprises a plastically deformable material, such as a bendable metal tube comprising a helical outer section. The rest head 6 can be positioned relative to the shaft 10 by bending or deforming the shaft 10, and remains in the chosen position until the head 6 is repositioned as desired. The head 6 may have a cue guide in the form of a pair of protrusions 7 and a foot portion 8 that may rest on the table surface. An extension is preferably received in the body 12. The shaft 10 is preferably a gooseneck formed of a metal helical spring.

Description

A Rest The present invention relates to a rest. In particular, the

present invention relates to a rest for a cue or the like.

When an object or target is out of reach, means for providing access to the object or target are required. This is particularly the case in sports where a cue is used to strike a ball, such as snooker, pool, billiards or the like.

Many devices have previously been proposed for providing a bridge for supporting a cue to facilitate a shot. Conventional rests, or spiders as they are also known, have been available for many years and there have been many developments in attempts to improve these conventional devices. For example, GB 310118 discloses a rest having a bridge which has an extending portion to pass over a group of balls. However, this arrangement appears cumbersome to use and to store, and undesirably time consuming to set up for each shot GB 2235880 discloses a rest having a head with a plurality of cue guides therein to provide alternative playing positions depending upon the loáation of the head. However, such a large head cannot be placed in positions on the table which may be partially obstructed by the cushions, pockets or other balls, for example. GB 2329845 discloses a rest having a telescopically mounted shaft which can be adjusted to provide a desired length. As is the case for other, conventional rests, the snooker rest disclosed in this document has a large head that will be restricted as to where it can be placed on the table by obstructions such as cushions, pockets and other balls. WO 2004/112920 relates to a rest having a main portion that is arcuate in shape for attempting to avoid obstructions adjacent a ball. This arrangement may be difficult to use near the cushions and also will be hindered by the position of other balls on the table and may cause the player to undesirably contact with balls other than the cue ball.

GB 21 96867 discloses a cue rest having a pivot pin securing a first member, having a cue guide at one end, to a second member. This arrangement allows the cue guide to move upwards or downwards or, if the cue is rotated, laterally in either direction.

However, the rest appears unwieldy to use, particular when held at its far end and the first member, which comprises a long and rigid metal shaft some distance away from the end of the rest that is held, will be difficult to control and may contact with balls on the table Furthermore, fine adjustment of the cue rest is not possible since the members are fixed relative to each other by a ball and spring arrangement that has a limited number of locking positions. Such an arrangement is also prone to wear and may over time become loose fitting, allowing the cue guide to wobble.

In light of the above problems, the applicant has realised that there remains a need for a cue rest that is compact, simple to use, reliable and allows the cue to be supported in a plurality of different positions and/or at a plurality of different angles as desired by the player.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rest comprising a body, a head and a shaft therebetween, wherein the shaft is bendable such that the head is repositionable relative to the body.

The present invention therefore provides a cue rest, suitable for use with a snooker, pooi or billiard cue or the like, which is flexible and can easily be formed into any desired configuration such that it can, for example be used to bend the cue rest around or over a ball on the table, or over or against a cushion or pocket or any other obstruction on the table. Furthermore, the head of the rest can be angled relative to the rest, for example it can be angled such that the head is closer to the cloth of a snooker table, or such that it is away from the cloth, or it can be angled laterally, relative to the general longitudinal axis of the rest, or it can be angled both laterally and longitudinally relative to the rest body and/or any angle therebetween, providing the player with complete flexibility in positioning the head of the cue as desired. This is advantageous for shots where it is desired to impart a directional spin to the ball, since the head can be angled such that the cue is supported in the position required to impart the spin. Still further, as the shaft is bendable, the head of the rest can be angled in combination with the shaft being bent around obstacles or the like, thereby providing a cue rest that can accommodate a wide variety of shots that would not be playable using conventional cue rests.

In a preferred embodiment, the rest further comprises an extension, the extension being received in the body of the rest. This allows the rest to be held some distance from the cue ball and thus shots that would otherwise be unreachable or in an unplayable position, can be played. The extension can be formed of any suitable material and preferably is formed of wood or the like. Furthermore, it is preferred that the rest body comprises a standard screw thread, which may be integrally formed or separately provided, and the extension comprises a screw portion, which may also be integrally formed or separately provided, for co-operating with the standard screw thread. This allows the extension to be removed from the body for storage or for replacing the extension with a shorter or longer extension if required.

The bendable shaft of the rest may comprise any suitable construction. Suitable materials can be used and preferably should be capable of being deformed easily by the player using the cue, and preferably also should have sufficient resilience such that the head can be precisely positioned. Furthermore, the bendable shaft preferably is plastically deformable such that once it has been bent into the desired position, it will remain in the desired position without the need for any additional locking means or the like, even when weight and pressure is applied during normal use of the rest. This provides a rest that is easy to position for playing a shot, and reliably remains in the desired position during the shot. However, when it is desired to reposition the rest, this can easily be achieved by simply bending the bendable shaft into the new required shape and position.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shaft comprises rubber, plastic or other bendable material. The shaft may comprise a solid tube of rubber etc., or any other suitable shape of solid material. The tube or the like may have slits therein, thus facilitating bending of the shaft. In order to maintain the chosen position of the shaft when bent, the rubber or plastic shaft may be provided, for example, with a plastically deformable material, such as a suitable metal, either embedded within the shaft, at least partially surrounding the shaft, or a combination of both. Alternatively or additionally, locking means may be provided to lock the shaft into position.

Thus in accordance with a further broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rest comprising a body, a head, and a shaft therebetween, the shaft comprising a plastically deformable material that is repeatedly bendable such that the head is repeatedly repositionable relative to the body.

Whilst deformable rubber, plastic or other polymers may be useful for carrying out the present invention, these materials may be subject to wear with use and it may be that the shaft will not retain the desired deformation or may become permanently deformed with repeated use. Therefore, in a particularly preferred embodiment the shaft comprises metal. Suitable metals are particularly advantageous for the shaft of the present invention since they arc gcnerally more durable than rubber or plastics and should be more resilient to wear and less prone to failure. In one embodiment, the shaft comprises a plurality of smaller, rigid metal or plastic shafts, connected in series to each other by a plurality ofjoints. The joints may comprise a plurality of hinges or a plurality of ball sockets or the like. Forming a shaft in this manner allows the joints between the smaller shafts to be set in the desired position (locked in place by any suitable locking means, for example with ball joints, a core elastic can pull the joints into a locked position which is overcome by manually stretching the elastic to release the ball joints). By having a plurality of joints, the rigid smaller shafts can be formed into a continuous bent shaft as desired.

Although the above arrangement allows a great deal of flexibility, it may be that there are some positions that cannot be achieved with this arrangement. Therefore in an alternative and preferred arrangement, a deformable metal can be chosen for the shaft. For example the shaft could comprise a tube of aluminium or other suitable metal. The metal tube may also be provided with an outer sheath of plastic, rubber, cloth or the like for comfort and/or to enable the shaft to be gripped for deforming. In an alternative embodiment, an aluminium tube having an inner tube of rubber or plastic could be provided for the shaft, thus having a shaft that smoothly deforms along its length without forming angular bends or kinks, since the resilience of the inner material aids in preventing the aluminium outer from kinking.

As discussed above, it is particularly advantageous for the shaft of the rest to be bendable such that it can readily be bent into any desired position and will retain that position even when the cue rest is subject to pressure from a cue resting on the rest and a player retaining the rest on a table. It is further desirable for the head of the rest to be readily repositionable after use into whatever position is next desired, including positioning the head to avoid obstacles (by going around or over the obstacle in whatever direction is required) and also to provide the correct angle for the cue for imparting the desired level and direction of spin to the ball being struck.

Therefore in particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention the shaft is repeatedly bendable in a plurality of different directions relative to the axis of the unbent shaft. For example, when the shaft is unbent and has a longitudinal axis, the shaft is capable of being bent preferably at any and all points along its length in a direction away from the axis, such as vertically, horizontally and/or in any direction between the vertical and horizontal directions and/or may be bendable in other directions that are not normal to the unbent shaft axis. This enables the shaft to be bent into any desired shape and/or position and/or enables the head to be tilted and/or otherwise angled relative to the shaft axis and/or the end of the shaft etc. Preferably the bendable shaft has sufficient resilience such that a chosen shape and/or position that the shaft is bent into will be maintained even under the influence of a degree of weight and/or pressure being placed on the shaft and/or cue head.

Thus the shaft and the cue head can be positioned as desired, and will hold the shape and positioning until sufficient force is applied to re-band and/or reposition the shaft and/or head. Thus a cue rest is provided that is flexible yet sufficiently resilient to enable a shot to be taken. The shaft is preferably sufficiently resilient that the head can support a cue and enable a shot to be taken even when the cue head is raised above, e.g. a table, i.e. when the head is not resting on a surface.

Therefore in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rest comprising a body, a head and a shaft therebetween, wherein the shaft comprises a gooseneck member. The gooseneck member is a co-axial member as is known in the art comprising an inner member and an outer member, the inner member being a helical spring and the outer member being a deformable matenal wound about the outside of the helical spring and at least partially aligned with the spacing between the coils of the spring. For example, if the outer material is a strip of material, the coils of the spring will be at least partially separated from each other by at least part of the width of the strip. This arrangement provides a member that is flexible and that can be bent into any desired shape and alignment but that can be retained in a desired position even under pressure and yet can be repositioned readily as desired and repeatedly reposition and/or re-shaped as many times as is desired.

In a preferred embodiment, the helical spring is formed of spring steel, preferably having a carbon content of between about 0.9 and 1.05%. This is an advantageous material to use as it is durable, can be moulded into the desired spring configuration and it is relatively stiff and so would tend to return the spring to its initial configuration, yet in combination with the deformabk material around the outside of the spring, the co-axial member will retain the desired deformed position.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the gooseneck member, the outer member comprises a strip of metal. Preferably the strip of metal comprises mild steel, preferably having a carbon content of up to about 0.3%, or more preferably up to about 0.25%. This material is particularly suited for use in a gooseneck member because its low carbon content renders it strong, yet flexible and soft so it can easily be shaped. In combination with, for example, a spring steel helical inner member, this provides a member that can be bent and repositioned as desired as discussed above. In alternative embodiments, the strip of metal comprises stainless steel, or galvanised steel, or brass, or any combination of these or other suitable materials.

In addition to the above described gooseneck member, in a preferred embodiment there is further provided an insert means, inserted inside the inner member of the gooseneck member and extending at least partially along the length of the inner member. Preferably the insert means extends along substantially the whole length of the inner member. This arrangement is advantageous because it provides further resilience to the shaft which may assist in maintaining the shaft in the desired position, and/or may provide a shaft that bends more smoothly or evenly along its length. In a preferred embodiment, the insert means comprises an aluminium tube Preferably the aluminium tube has an outer sleeve comprising a flexible polymer, such as polyvinylchioride, rubber or other plastics or the like In an alternative embodiment, the insert means may comprise a solid strip, solid or hollow tube or the like of a flexible polymer.

In order to allow shots played with the rest to be controlled, it is preferable for the head of the rest to have some form of guiding means for guiding the cue.

Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the head further comprises a cue guide. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the cue guide comprises a plurality of protrusions, protruding from the head such that a cue can be supported between the protrusions. This provides a cue guide requiring only a small amount of material thus keeping the rest head as light as possible for ease of use, yet providing accurate guidance for the cue. furthermore, it is undesirable to have a large cue guide as this may obstruct the players view of the ball to be struck and may also be difficult to place in the desired position if there are obstructions on the

table.

The protrusions can have any suitable shape and size, but in a preferred embodiment the protrusions protrude generally upwardly and at an angle from the head. Preferably there are two protrusions and the pair of protrusions form an angle between them of between about greater than 0 and less than 180 degrees. This allows a cue to be placed in the cue guide and to be guided when striking the ball.

The profile of the head between the protrusions may have any suitable shape and, for example may be rounded or arcuate to correspond with the shape of the outside of the cue. However, to provide improved control and guidance for the cue, preferably the portion of the head between each pair of protrusions has a profile corresponding to a generally acute angle. For example, the protrusions may come together at the position where they connect with the head so as to form a V shape.

The head and the cue guide, such as the protrusions, can be formed of separate parts and attached together in a suitable manner, or they can be integral, for example they can be cast or moulded integrally from the same material. This is advantageous for ease of manufacturing and to provide a smooth finish without joining lines that might interfere with guidance of a cue in the rest.

The cue guide may comprise just the protrusions or the like for guiding the cue. I lowever, in a preferred embodiment, the cue guide or the head itself further comprises a foot portion, generally opposed to the protrusions or other guide means, such that the foot portion is capable of resting on a surface, such as a snooker table, in use. This is advantageous because greater stability can be provided by resting the cue guide or the head against a surface and resting the cue guide or head on the surface will also assist in maintaining the head and cue guide in its deformed position by relieving some of the stresses placed on the cue rest in use. Whilst the foot portion can comprise any suitable part of the head or cue guide and can, for example, be integrally cast or moulded with the head and/or the cue guide, it is particularly preferred for the foot portion to be provided with a radiused profile for contacting a surface. This is advantageous because, when used on a snooker, billiard, pooi table or the like, such tables are generally surfaced with cloth and a smooth, radiused foot portion will help to prevent damage to the cloth, such as scratching or tearing. Alternatively or additionally the foot portion may be provided with a cap of soft material, such as plastic or rubber or the like to provide grip and to reduce the risk of damage to the surface it is resting upon.

The cue guide and/or the rest head and/or the foot portion can be formed of any suitable material and, as discussed above, they may be integrally cast, formed or moulded for case of manufacture. In a preferred embodiment, any or all of these components may comprise stainless steel, galvanised steel or the like. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the cue guide and/or the head and/or the foot portion compnses brass. This material is advantageous because it can be used to form smooth, preferably polished, surfaces for providing accurate guidance to a cue in the rest, and for providing smooth surfaces for preventing damage to, for example, a table cloth. Furthermore this material is durable and long wearing and has a weight suitable for use as such portions of a cue rest. Alternatively, the cue guide and/or the head and/or the foot portion may comprise a polymer such as plastic, rubber or the like, or in addition to being brass, steel or other material, the cue guide and/or the rest head and/or the foot portion may be provided with polymer caps or coverings.

The body of the rest can comprise any suitable member for receiving the shaft and for receiving an extension if desired to the rest. Preferably the body further comprises at least one foot for contacting a surface and for supporting the body.

This is advantageous in that the body having one or more legs can support the rest and provide stability to the rest, which is generally long and potentially difficult to control from one end. The foot or feet can take any suitable form but in a preferred embodiment, the body comprises a pair of feet, disposed on sides of the body such that an acute angle is formed therebetween. Preferable the feet are disposed at about a 45 degree angle to the body, thereby forming an angle of about 90 degrees between them. alternatively the feet can form an angle of about 45 degrees between them. Having a pair of feet, preferably opposed to the protrusions of the cue guide or the like, provides feet that can contact the table and can support the weight of the body, providing a stable body with only limited movement possible once the feet are engaged on the surface. In a preferred embodiment, like the head portions of the rest and for the same reasons, the foot or feet comprise steel, brass or the like As the feet are intended to be placed on a surface which is covered with cloth, in a preferred embodiment the feet are provided with an end cap comprising a polymer such as plastic, rubber or the like or the feet themselves may comprise polymer, such as rubber or plastic or the like, to prevent damaging the cloth. The feet may be formed integrally with the body or they may be provided as separate members and attached to the body in any suitable manner such as welding, soldering, by adhesive or preferably by having a screw portion and a co-operating recess having a screw thread therein in the body portion. Alternatively a recess having a screw thread can be provided in each foot and a corresponding protrusion comprising a screw can be provided on the body for each foot.

The components of the rest may be assembled or attached in any suitable manner. For example, one or more of the components could be integrally formed.

In one embodiment, the head, cue guide, foot portion, shaft and body could all be integrally cast from brass or other metal or could be integrally moulded from a suitable polymer. Additional means could be provided on the body, such as metal fittings for screwing an extension onto the integral components of the rest.

Preferably however, at least some of the components are separately formed. In particular, in a preferred embodiment, the bendable shaft is separate from, and received in a recess of, the rest body. This can be achieved in any suitable manner and is advantageous because it allows the shaft to be removed from the body, for example if the shaft needs to be replaced then this can easily be achieved if the shaft is separable from the body. Preferably also, or alternatively, the bendable shaft is received in a recess in the head. Therefore the shaft is also or alternatively separable from the head. In any of these embodiments, the shaft is retained in the recess or recesses by any suitable means. For example, the shaft could be pinned, gripped or screwed into place. In a preferred embodiment, the shaft is retained in the recess by a retaining means. Preferably the retaining means comprises a washer or other suitable fitting. This allows the rest to be assembled and disassembled for repair or replacement of any of the components. Alternatively or additionally the shaft is held in one or more of the recesses by gluing the shaft therein with a suitable compound, thus providing a strong joint between the shaft and the body and/or the head.

The above described construction of a rest provides a rest with improved flexibility and positionability, that is easy to use and provides good support for a cue or the like. Certain preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows in perspective from the top and side a cue rest in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows the cue rest of Figure 1 and supporting a cue; Figure 3 shows a top view of the cue rest of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a side view of the cue rest of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows a side view of the cue rest of Figure 4, having the bendable shaft bent to provide an angled cue guide; Figure 6 shows a cue guide of a cue rest in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 7 shows an alternative cue guide of a cue rest in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a cue rest 2 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The cue rest 2 comprises a head 4, a bendable shaft 10 and a body 12. The head 4, which is generally located at a first end of the rest 2, comprises a cue guide 6 and a foot portion 8. in one embodiment, these components 4, 6, 8 of the rest 2 are integral and can, for example, be cast as a single brass, steel, plastic etc. component. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 1, one or more of the components can be provided separately and attached to the other components by welding, adhesive, or other suitable form of attachment. In the embodiment of Figure 1, the head 4 comprises a shaft receiving portion 16 and a cue guide 6 with an integral foot portion 8. The shaft receiving portion 16 is generally cylindrical and has an opening at the end 15 opposed to the end 17 to which the cue guide 6, 8 is attached. The opening of the shaft receiving portion 16 is sized and shaped such that it is suitable for receiving bendable shaft 10 in a closely fitting relationship. Any known means can be used to secure the shaft 10 in the shaft receiving portion 16. For example, retaining means (not shown) can be provided between the shaft receiving portion 16 of the head 4 and the bendable shaft 10, and suitable means include resilient washers, adhesive, mechanical fastenings such as pins or the like, or the shaft receiving portion 16 can be directly fixed to the shaft 10 by crimping the shaft recciving portion to the shaft, etc. The cue guide 6 is connected to the shaft receiving portion 16 of the head 4 at the end 17 opposite the opening. This can be achieved by any suitable method, such as welding, soldering, adhesive or the like. The cue guide 6 has an integral foot portion 8 which, in the embodiment shown in Figure 1 is generally at the base of the cue guide 6 such that it can contact with a surface such as a snooker table 20 (as shown in Figures 4 and 5). As most clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5, the foot portion 8 has a curved or radiused lower surface 18 for contacting the table 20, which is radiused to prevent damage to the table as the rest head 4 is moved over the

table 20.

The cue guide 6 comprises a guiding portion comprising a pair of generally upwardly pointing protrusions 7. When a cue 30 is placed in the cue guide 6 (as shown in Figure 2 for example) the cue 30 rests between the protrusions 7 and is prevented from moving laterally by them but can still be moved backwards and forwards between them for taking the shot. In effect, the cue guide 6 acts as the player's bridge when the player cannot reach the desired position to form a bridge by hand. The protrusions 7 can be any suitable size or shape but in the embodiment shown, the protrusions 7 are generally upwardly pointing and angled apart from each other (approximately symmetrically disposed either side of an imaginary vertical axis 9 when the rest is in its neutral position as shown in Figures 6 and 7).

The angle a by which the two protrusions 7 are separated can be selected for optimum gripping and guidance of the cue 30. The shape of the protrusions and also of the portion 26 of the head 4 between them can be selected to provide improved guidance of the cue 30. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the protrusions generally have straight iimer sides 28 and curved or pointed tips 29. The portion 26 of the head 4 between the protrusions 7 can also take any suitable shape and, as shown in Figure 6, may be rounded to generally comply with the outer surface of the cue 30 or may -12 -be angled as shown in Figure 7 to assist with guiding the cue and allowing it to pass through the cue guide 6.

The body 12 of the rest 2 compnses, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 5, a generally cylindrical brass tube having openings at each end ii, 13. The opening at the first end 11 is sized and shaped such that it is suitable for receiving bendable shaft 10 in a closely fitting relationship (in a similar manner to the opening at the end 15 of the shaft receiving portion 16). Again, any known means can be used to secure the shaft 10 inthe body 12. For example, retaining means (not shown) can be provided between the body 12 and the bendable shaft 10, and suitable means include resilient washers, adhesive, mechanical fastenings such as pins or the like or the body can be directly fixed to the shaft 10 by crimping it to the shaft, etc. At the opposite end 11 of the body 12, there is provided a further opening 22 (as best seen in Figures 3, 4 and 5) for receiving an extension, such as a wooden pole (not shown). The extension can be chosen to be any suitable length and should be provided with a fitting having a screw portion to co-operate with a screw thread inside opening 22. For a standard snooker cue rest, for example, a suitable screw thread is a British standard 1I2 Whitworth but any other screw thread can be used as appropriate.

The body 12 further comprises a pair of feet or legs 14, These legs 14 are attached to the body 12 by welding or the like (though of course they could be integrally formed with the body). The legs 14 are usually brass or they can be plastic or other suitable material. En some embodimcnts having brass legs 14, the legs 14 are fitted with rubber or plastic end caps (not shown) to prevent damage to the surface upon which the legs 14 rest. Whilst a pair of legs generally forming a triangle with a surface on which they rest, the body 12 being at the apex of the triangle, is shown, the legs 14 can have any configuration that is suitable for supporting the body 12 and can compnse a single leg or foot, or more than two legs if desired.

Between the body 12 and the head 4 is the bendable shaft 10. Many types of shaft 10 can be used in the various embodiments of the present invention. For example, a single strip or tube of plastically deformable material, such as plastic or aluminium could be provided. Or a strip of flexible material such as rubber or -13-plastic with a plastically deformable inner such as a wire of metal or the like could be used. Alternatively, the shaft 10 could comprise a plurality of smaller shafts of rigid material with the shaft 10 rendered bendable by virtue of a plurality of directional flexing means such as pivots, hinges or the like or by a plurality of multi-directional flexing means such as ball joints However, although all these forms of shaft 10 can be used with the present invention, the embodiment shown in the Figures illustrates a particularly preferred shaft 10, which comprises gooseneck tubing as is known in the art. Such gooseneck tubing is commercially available and can be obtained, for example, from Whitehouse Flexible Tubing Limited under their trade name of "Stayput Type Tubing". Gooseneck tubing, which comprises an inner member generally comprising a helical spring of a resilient material such as spring steel and an outer member generally comprising a strip of defonnable material such as mild steel, is particularly suited to the embodiment of the present invention because it can be bent into a desired shape by hand, and will retain its shape once deformed even under the levels of pressure expected to be exerted on the rest 2 during use. However, it can readily be bent into any other desired shape as required.

For example, as shown in Figure 4, the shaft 10 can be formed into a generally elongate and regular cylinder for playing shots with a cue 30 that are generally directly in front of the player but some distance down the table 20. Alternatively, should, for example, an obstruction such as a coloured ball 42 prevent the rest 2 being aligned directly with the cue ball 40 (as shown in Figure 3 for example) then the shaft 10 can be curved such that the head 4 and the cue guide 6 are no longer axially aligned with the rest body 12 (and the extension that is not shown). This means a shot can still be taken with the rest 2, whereas a conventional rest would need to be held at an awkward and possibly unplayable angle in order to avoid contacting the coloured ball 42 and receiving a penalty. For more complicated obstructions, the shaft 10 of the rest 2 can be bent into more complex shapes as shown in Figure 1 for example.

The shaft 10 is not only for bending the rest 2 around obstructions such as balls 42, but can alternatively or additionally be bent to pass over obstructions such as a ball or even a cushion. For example, the legs 14 of the rest could be rested on the cushion or side of the table and the shaft 10 bent in a generally downwards arc -14 -such that the foot portion 8 of the cue guide 6 contacts the table surface 20. Still further, should it be desired to apply spin to the cue ball 40, then a player usually raises the back end of the cue 30 upwards so that the tip 32 of the cue 30 strikes generally downwardly towards the cue ball 40 to provide back spin or will lower the back end of the cue 30 downwards so that the tip 32 of the cue 30 strikes generally upwardly towards the cue baIl 40 to provide top spin. Such shots can he prone to error but by providing a rest 2 having a cue guide 6 that can be angled andlor raised or lowered as desired, then the shot can be guided by the cue guide 6 at the desired angle thus improving the reliability of the shot. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the cue guide 6 is generally aligned such that the cue 30 will be level or will point downwards towards the tip 32 only slightly. However, by bending the shaft 10 as shown in Figure 5, a steep angle onto the ball 40 can be provided giving guidance when attempting to impart back spin on the ball 40. Furthermore, by selecting a correctly shaped cue guide 6, for example as shown in Figures 6 and 7, improved grip and prevention of lateral movement of the cue 30 can be provided.

Whilst the above described embodiments of the invention are shown for illustration purpose, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that all of the aspects and embodiments of the invention described herein can and preferably do include any one or more or all of the preferred end optional features of the invention described herein, as appropriate. -15-

Claims

Claims 1. A rest comprising a body, a head, and a shaft therebetween,

the shaft comprising a plastically deformable material that is repeatedly bendable such that the head is repeatedly repositionable relative to the body.

2. A rest as claimed in claim I, wherein the shaft is repeatedly bendable in a plurality of different directions relative to the axis of the unbent shaft.

3. A rest as claimed in claim I or 2, wherein the shaft comprises plastic.

4. A rest as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the shaft comprises rubber 5. A rest as claimed in claim I or 2, wherein the shaft comprises metal.

6. A rest as claimed in claim 5, wherein the shaft comprises a helical spring.

7. A rest as claimed in claim 6, wherein the helical spring is formed of spring steel having a carbon content of between about 0.9 and 1.05%.

8 A rest as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the shaft further comprises an outer coating at least partially surrounding the helical spring.

9. A rest as claimed in claim 8, wherein the outer coating comprises at least one strip of metal that is generally helically aligned around the outside of the helical spring such that the coils of the spring are at least partially separated from each other by the width of the strip of metal.

10. A rest as claimed in claim 9, wherein the strip of metal comprises mild steel having a carbon content of up to about 0.3%, or stainless steel, or galvanised steel, or brass. -16-

11, A rest as claimed in any of claims 6 to 10, further comprising an insert means, inserted inside the helical spring and extending at least partially along the length of the helical spring.

12. A rest as claimed in claim 11, wherein the insert means comprises an aluminium tube having an outer sleeve comprising a flexible polymer, such as polyvinylchloride.

13. A rest as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the head further comprises acue guide.

14. A rest as claimed in claim 13, wherein the cue guide compnses a plurality of protrusions, protruding from the head such that a cue can be supported between the protrusions.

15. A rest as claimed in claim 14, wherein the portion of the head between each pair of protrusions has a generally arcuate profile.

16. A rest as claimed in claim 14, wherein the portion of the head between each pair of protrusions has a generally acute angular profile.

17. A rest as claimed in any of claims 13 to 16, wherein the cue guide further comprises a toot portion, generally opposed to the protrusions, such that the foot portion is capable of resting on a surface in use.

18. A rest as claimed in claim 17, wherein the foot portion has a radiused profile for contacting a surface.

19. A rest as claimed in any of claims 13 to 18, wherein the cue guide comprises brass. -17-

20. A rest as claimed in any of claims 13 to 18, wherein the cue guide comprises a polymer such as plastic, rubber or the like, 21. A rest as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the body further comprises at least one foot for contacting a surface and supporting the body.

22. A rest as claimed in claim 21, wherein the body comprises a pair of feet, disposed on sides of the body such that an acute angle is formed therebetween.

23. A rest as claimed in claim 21 or 22, wherein the foot or feet comprise brass.

24. A rest as claimed in claim 23, wherein the brass foot or feet are provided with an end cap comprising a polymer such as plastic, rubber or the like.

25. A rest as claimed in claim 21 or 22, wherein the foot or feet comprise polymer, such as rubber or plastic or the like.

26. A rest as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the rest further compnses an extension, the extension being received in the body of the rest.

27. A rest as claimed in claim 26, wherein the rest body comprises a standard screw thread and the extension comprises a screw portion for co-operating with the standard screw thread.

28. A rest as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the bendable shaft is received in a recess in the body.

29. A rest as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the bendable shaft is received in a recess in the head.

30. A rest as claimed in claim 28 or 29, wherein the bendable shaft is retained in the recess by a retaining means.

31. A rest as claimed in claim 30, wherein the retaining means comprises a washer or other suitable fitting.

32. A rest comprising a body, a head, and a shaft therebetween, wherein the shaft is bendable such that the head is repositionable relative to the body.