US3498611A - Ball handling device with vanes for a billiard table - Google Patents

Description

March 3, 1970 P. KOTLER 3,498,611

BALL HANDLING DEVICE WITH VANES FOR A BILLIARD TABLE Filed Jan. 15, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

lNl/EN TOR PA UL K0 TL ER 6441A M Mir- A 7'TORNE'V P. KQTLER BALL HANDLING DEVICE WITH VANES FOR A BILLIARD TABLE Filed Jan. 15, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTUR by PAUL KOTLER did/Z544 A TTORNEV P. 'KOTLER March 3, 1970 BALL HANDLING DEVICE WITH VANES FOR A BILLIARD TABLE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 15, 1968 INVENTOR By PAUL [(07]. ER dab/fist 3 Qmw ATTORNEY March 3, 1970 P. KOTLER 3,498,611

BALL HANDLING DEVICE WITH VANES FOR A BILLIARD TABLE Filed Jan. 15, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR By PAUL K0725? A TTORNEV United States Patent O 3,498,611 BALL HANDLING DEVICE WITH VANES FOR A BILLIARD TABLE Paul Kotler, Irvington, NJ. 07111 Filed Jan. 15, 196 8, Ser. No. 697,856 Int. Cl. A63d 15/00 U.S. Cl. 27311 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Ball handling apparatus for a coin operated billiard or pool table is disclosed, which upon the initiation of a game, receives and stores each pocketed game ball, returns a pocketed cue ball prior to the end of the game, and retains a cue ball, that is pocketed after the pocketing of the last game ball. The aforesaid apparatus includes a plurality of rotatable longitudinal vanes which vanes individually and sequentially receive and store the pocketed game balls. Rotation of the vanes releases the balls for further play and positions another vane to receive subsequently pocketed game balls. The apparatus further includes means for detecting a pocketed cue ball and returning the same prior to the end of a game and means for retaining the cue ball. The latter means cooperates with the pocketed game balls to retain the cue ball at the end of the game.

BACKGROUND This invention relates to billiard tables and in particular to billiard table ball handling apparatus. Still more particularly, this invention relates to coin operated billiard table ball handling apparatus that is more reliable in operation and less susceptible to fraud than the prior art tables and apparatus.

In order to be commercially successful, it is necessary 1) that the ball handling apparatus of a coin operated billiard table operate reliably so that each customer receives the full amount of game play to which he is entitled and for which he has paid, and (2) that the apparatus have a minimum susceptibility to fraudulent manipulations so that the table owner receives the monetary deposit to which he is entitled for each game played on his table.

The conunercial use of coin operated billiard tables is characterized by the following sequence of operations, (1) the deposit of the required coin, (2) the dispensing to the players of the cue ball and the fifteen (15) game balls, (3) the pocketing of the game balls as play progresses, (4) the retention of each pocketed ball by the ball handling apparatus, (5) the return of a pocketed cue ball prior to the end of the game (the pocketing of the last game ball), and (6) the retention of a pocketed cue ball at the games end.

Coin operated billiard tables which operate in the manner characterized in the preceding paragraph are known in the prior art. However, all are susceptible, to varying degrees, of fraudulent manipulations so that pocketed game balls are returned and made available for further play, rather than being retained within the billiard table until the required monetary deposit is received for the next game.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a coin operated billiard table and ball handling apparatus therefore that, following the deposit of the required coin, permits the intended quantity of game play to be made available to the players and, at the same time, offers a maximum of protection against fraudulent operations.

In accordance with my invention, I provide coin operated billiard table ball handling apparatus having a plurality of spaced apart horizontally aligned vanes comprising substantially flat horizontally aligned bars which are parallel, with respect to their lengthwise axis, to each other. One end of the vanes is aflixed to a disc whose face is perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the vanes. The other end of the vanes is affixed to a spider having a leg unique to each vane and having the plane of the legs being oriented perpendicular to the vanes with respect to their lengthwise axis.

The fiat surfaces of the vanes are oriented radially with respect to the disc with the angles between the radii of each pair of adjacent vanes being approximately equal.

The center of the disc and the spider rotate about collinear axes. The rotation of the disc causes the vanes to travel in a circular path about the axis of the disc, or the spider, when viewed from the end of the vanes. The circular travel of the vanes is such that following the deposit of a coin and the operation of the coin apparatus to initiate a game, the disc and spider rotate and move the vanes in a circular are, when viewed from their ends, so that a vane is resting at the bottom of their defined circular path of travel with a flat surface of the bottom vane extending substantially downwardly. Subsequently, the pocketed game balls are received by a pan spaced below the vanes, and each pocketed ball comes to rest against the bottom most vane. This prevents the game balls from being fraudulently returned for further play. At the end of a game, the entirety of the game balls are resting against the bottom most vane. When the coin apparatus is activated for the next game, the disc is rotated and the vanes advance one step in their circular path so that the currently bottom most vane advances and allows the game balls to travel via the downwardly inclined plane of the ball receiving pan to the exit chute and are made available for play. The disc rotation and the alignment of vanes following each operation of the coin mechanism is such that a new vane is positioned with its fiat surface projecting substantially downwardly in order to receive the game balls subsequently pocketed and thereby prevent their being fraudulently returned for further play without the deposit of another coin.

Thus, successive operations of the coin mechanism cause the disc and the vanes to rot-ate in a step by step manner, one step for each operation, and when viewed endwise, the vanes define a circular path of travel as the shaft rotates. One of the vanes is at the bottom of said circle during the play of each game. The bottom vane against which the pocketed game balls are resting releases the balls for further play as the shaft advances for the next game. This advancement moves an adjacent vane to the bottom of said circle and the vane that was priorly at the bottom and against which the balls were resting advances upward.

My invention further includes facilities for detecting the pocketing of the last game ball and for subsequently preventing the further return of a pocketed game ball. This feature prevents any further activity of any sort that involves the use of the cue ball on the table.

These and other objects and features of the invention may be better understood from the following descrip tion thereof when read in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 comprises a plain view of my coin operated ball handling apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a side view taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1 with the apparatus being shown in its rest position corresponding to that in which it remains during the play of a game.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 except that it illustrates the position assumed by the various elements of FIG. 2 as a coin is deposited and the mechanism advanced to release the game balls.

FIG. 4 is an end view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 illustrates the details of the detector which precludes the return of a pocketed cue ball following the pocketing of the last game ball.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION With reference to FIG. 1, a billiard table frame is shown which supports the coin apparatus 12 and the ball handling apparatus, 14. With reference to FIG. 4 as well as FIG. 1, apparatus 14 comprises a plurality of vanes 16a, 16b and 160 which are aligned lengthwise parallel to each other and parallel to the horizontal as shown on FIG. 1. The right end of the vanes are oriented as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 and are aflixed to a spider 74 which is rotatably attached to shaft 18 which, by means of nut 18a, is attached to frame member 19. The left end of the vanes, as shown on FIG. 1, are aflixed to disc 71 which is rotatably attached to shaft 17. The threaded end of shaft 17 protrudes through disc 20 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 3) and frame member 63 and is held affixed thereto by means of nut 17a. Inner disc 71 is parallel to disc 20, is rotatable about shaft 17 and is attached to studs 20a, b, and c, and disc 20 so that discs 20 and 71 rotate together about shaft 17.

The pocketed balls enter the intake chute portion 24a of pan 24, travel leftwards on FIG. 1 through apparatus 26, to the portion 24b of pan 24. On FIG. 1, as a ball travels leftwards past member 80, it is deflected rearwardly by the end of member 80. With reference to FIG. 4, pan 24 is inclined downwardly to the right so that a ball entering portion 24b, falls down step 24c and would, except for vane 16c, continue to travel downwards to the right towards the edge 24a of pan 24. With reference to FIG. 1, pan 24 is inclined downwardly so that its left portion 24a is lower than its right portion 24f. Thus, except for vanes 16, a ball entering portion 24b of pan 24 of FIG. 1 would roll downwardly to rear edge 24d, then leftwards to the rear left corner 24c, and would fall to exit chute 28 and be returned for game play. With reference to FIG. 4, vane 160 is positioned so that when a ball enters pan portion 24b and falls down step 24c, it is retained from further downward travel to the right by vane 16c. Because of the downward and leftward slope of pan 24 on FIG. 1, the first pocketed ball travels to the left end of vane 160 until it strikes disc 71. Each subsequently pocketed game ball travels in a corresponding manner and, under the influence of vane 16c, comes to rest against the right side of the immediate priorly pocketed game ball.

As subsequently described, apparatus 26 permits the pocketed game balls to pass there through to pan 24, but prevents a cue ball from following the same path and instead, returns it for play via exit chute 30. However, the cue ball is not returned if all game balls have been pocketed and have passed through apparatus 26. Thus, at the termination of a game, the pocketed game balls are resting against vane 16c and are oriented in a line extending from left to right on FIG. 1. The pocketed cue ball is also resting against apparatus 26 and is blocked from chute 30.

As subsequently described, discs 71 and 20 are connected by studs 20a, 20b, and 200 which cooperate with detent 32a in bar 32 (FIG. 2) so that successive coin deposits and operations of the coin mechanism 12, cause bar 32 and its detent 32a to move disc 20 in a step by step manner counterclockwise as shown on FIG. 2. Each operation of the coin mechanism 12 advances disc 20 one such step so that each stud (20a, 20b and 20c) advances counterclockwise one step as shown on FIG. 2 to the position formerly occupied by its adjacent counterclockwise stud.

Since the vanes 16, 16b and 16c are afiixed to disc 71, each stepped rotation of the disc 20 cause the vanes to advance counterclockwise one step as shown on FIG. 4. Thus, a single operation of the coin mechanism would advance the disc 20 and the vanes so that vane 160 of FIG. 4, would travel to and assume the position occupied by vane 16a on FIG. 4. Also, vane 16a would then be in the position shown for vane 16b.

The counterclockwise advance of vane 16c one step on FIG. 4 permits all pocketed game balls to travel downwardly towards the rear portion 24d of pan 24, thence towards the left portion 24c (FIG. 1) of the pan to the exit chute 28 by means of which they are made available for game play. The subsequently pocketed game balls are then restrained by vane 16b in the same manner as priorly described for vane 160 on FIG. 4.

The step 240 of pan 24 increases fraud protection so that a slight tilting of the table will not permit the game balls to move to the left on FIG. 4 to pan portion 24b, and thence towards the right on FIG. 1 and be returned to play via exit chute 30.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, detector 34 is provided to detect the pocketing of the last game ball so that a subsequently pocketed cue ball will not be returned to play via chute 30. Detector 34 includes studs 35 and 36 each of which is affixed to bar 37 which is configured in the manner shown on FIGS. 1, 4 and 5. Bar 37 is, by means of pin 38, pivotably mounted to the yoke 39 whose top portion (FIG. 5) is aflixed as shown on FIG. 1 to pan portion 24b. The portion 37a of bar 37 is heavier and longer than portion 37b. Since the bar pivots about pin 38, this normally maintains the end 37a down and the portion 37b up with respect to the pivot 38. Studs 35 and 36 cooperate with suitably pinched openings in pan portions 24b and 24a. Since the bar portion 37b is normally higher than portion 37a, pin 35 normally protrudes above the surface of pan portion 24b while pin 36 is normally below the surface of pan portion 24a. However, the last game ball to be pocketed, depresses pin 35 downwardly and pin 36 upwardly so that it extends above the pan portion 24a. Pin 36 then prevents the return via chute 32 of a subsequently pocketed cue ball. Guide 40 deflects the pocketed balls entering via pan portion 24a towards apparatus 26 which is adjustable by screw 41 so that only game balls pass therethrough to pan portion 24b. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, spring 42 is mounted by its ends to frame member 43. Game balls are slightly smaller than cue balls. This permits screw 41. and tab 26a to be adjusted about corner 26 of frame 43 to depress spring 42 to the extent required for it to pass game balls but not cue balls. A cue ball is blocked from passing therethrough and instead passes via chute 30 and is returned to play provided stud 36 is not raised to indicate that play has been terminated by the last game ball pocketed depressing stud 35. Frame member 43 includes a tab 26a having a slot which receives screw 41 as shown on FIG. 4. Frame member 43 may be bent slightly about its corner 26 when screw 41 is loosened, tab 26a is adjusted to deflect cue balls, and screw 41 is retightened.

Coin apparatus 12 includes a guide member 50, a slide 51, a coin hole 52, and an L shaped member 53 which may be moved rearwardly on FIG. 1 when slide 51 is depressed following the deposit of a coin in hole 52. Spring 54 is attached at its rear end (FIG. 1) to member 57 and frame 56. The tension provided by spring 54 returns member 53 and slide 50 forward following the insertion of a coin and the operation of the coin mechanism.

Member 53 is attached by rivet 59 to member 58 whose right end portion 58a is upwardly bent and atfixed by screw 75 to bar 32. Each operation of the coin mechanism moves members 53, 58 and bar 32 rearwardly (FIG. 1) following which they are moved forwardly to rotate vanes 16a, 16b and one step and release the balls to initiate a new game.

With reference to FIG. 2, the vertical member 58:: is afiixed by rivets 70 to bar slide 61 which is slideably retained by guides 62 against frame 63. Screw 75 permits bar 32 to rotate with respect to member 58a, while guides 62 permit slide 61 and member 58a to travel to the right on FIG. 2 which, together with FIG. 3, illustrate the details of the apparatus that moves the vanes step by step under the influence of the coin mechanism.

FIG. 2 illustrates the normal position of the apparatus prior to the deposit of a coin and the operation of the coin mechanism. Spring 73 is attached to the right end of bar 32 and urges the left end of bar 32 downward so that its notch 32a engages stud 20c. Bracket 64 prevents bar 32 from rotating clockwise from upwards pressure exerted by stud 20b. This prevents the vanes from prematurely rotating counterclockwise. Bar 65 is rotatably afiixed at point 66 to frame 63, and its left end is upwardly urged by spring 67 whose upper end is attached to bracket 68 which is aflixed to frame 63. The notch 65a in bar 65 cooperates with stud 20a and, under the influence of spring 67, prevents the vanes from rotating clockwise. Notches 65c and 65b in bar 65 comprise additional fraud protection devices. Their function is to prevent disc 20 from being partially rotated counterclockwise to release the balls and then being fraudulently rotated clockwise to prevent the collection of a coin. With notch 650, for example, as soon as stud 20c rotates counterclockwise and engages the notch, it is impossible to fraudulently return disc and stud 20c clockwise to their starting position shown on FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 illustrates the orientation of elements of FIG. 2 following the insertion of a coin, the depression of coin slide 51 and the movement of elements 53, 58, 58a and 32 to the extremity of their rearward travel on FIG. 1 and their rightward travel of FIG. 3. Bar slide 61 is also shown in the extremity of its rightward travel on FIG. 3. In this position, the rightward travel of bar 32 causes it to rotate slightly clockwise until its notch 32a engages stud 20b, at which time bar 32 moves somewhat counterclockwise under the influence of spring 73.

The apparatus remains positioned as shown on FIG. 3 until the coin slide 51 is released. At that time slide 51 moves forward because of spring 54, while bar 32 and slide 61 on FIG. 3 move to the left because of the tension provided by spring 69. The leftward travel of bar 32 moves stud 20b and the vanes counterclockwise one step so that stud 20b finally assumes the position shown for stud 20c. At the termination of its leftward travel, the apparatus of FIG. 3 returns to the orientation shown on FIG. 2 except that each stud has advanced one step counterclockwise. The game balls pocketed during this game are restrained by vane 16b (FIG. 5 in the same manner as described for vane 160.

The pn'orly described operations are repeated for each operation of the coin mechanism and, in response thereto, the apparatus of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 rotates the vanes one step counterclockwise upon the initiation of each new game.

The invention as described above is the preferred embodiment of the invention. Numerous changes and modifications by those skilled in the art can be made to the embodiment described above without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as described in the disclosure and appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Ball handling apparatus for a billiard table comprising an intake chute for receiving balls from said table, an exit chute, a pan interconnecting said chutes and inclined so that a ball received by said pan from said intake chute is urged to roll downwardly towards said exit chute, each of said chutes and pan having a ball support surface, said surfaces of said chutes and pan being continuously interconnected, a plurality of rotatable elongated vanes positioned over said pan between said chutes and any one thereof being effective one at a time during the course of a game for preventing all balls received by said pan from reaching said exit chute, each of said vanes being of a size to simultaneously engage a plurality of balls, and means for altering the position of said vanes with respect to said pan so that the currently effective one of said vanes permits all of the balls on said pan to roll to said exit chute and so that another one of said vanes is positioned to prevent subsequently pocketed balls received by said pan from reaching said exit chute.

2. Ball handling apparatus for a billiard table comprising an intake chute for receiving pocket balls from said table, an exit chute, a pan interconnecting said chutes and inclined so that a pocketed ball received by said pan from said intake chute is urged to roll downwardly towards said exit chute, each of said chutes and pan having a ball support surface, said surfaces of said chutes and pan being continuously interconnected, a plurality of rotatable elongated vanes positioned over said pan between said chutes and having their lengthwise axes paralell to each other, each of said vanes being of a size to simultaneously engage a plurality of balls, means for controlling the position of said vanes so that each of said vanes is individual to a game played on said table and effecitve during the course thereof for preventing all balls received by said pan from reaching said exit chute, said controlling means including means effective for advancing the position of said vanes so that said effective vane releases all balls on said pan to said exit chute and for causing another one of said vanes to be individually effective during the next game for preventing balls received by said pan from reaching said exit chute.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a downward step on said pan is encountered by a ball rolling towards the vanecurrently positioned to block balls from said exit chute, and said step permits alignment of said balls in a pattern against said positioned vane.

4. Ball handling apparatus for a billiard table comprising an intake chute for receiving pocketed balls from said table, an exit chute, a pan interconnecting said chutes and inclined so that a pocketed ball received by said pan from said intake chute is urged to roll downwardly towards said exit chute, a plurality of elongated vanes positioned over said pan and having their lengthwise axes parallel to each other, a first disc connected to a first end of each of said vanes with the intersection of said disc and said vanes defining a plane perpendicular to the lenghtwise axis of said vanes, said disc being rotatable about its center within said plane, the inter-' section of each of said vanes with said disc being equidistant from said center, a spider having legs defining a plane parallel to said disc, means for connecting the other end of each of said vanes to an individual leg of said spider, said spider being rotatable about its center on an axis collinear with said center of said disc, and positionng means for causing one of said vanes at a time to be lower than all of said other vanes and closer to said pan so that said one vane is individually effective during the play of a game on said table for preventing the balls received by said pan from reaching said-exit chute.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said positioning means comprises means for rotating said disc and said spider in a step by step manner about their collinear axes of rotation so that at the initiation of each step said lowermost vane travels upwards in a semicircular path to release the balls on said pan and permit them to roll downwards to said exit chute.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said positioning means further comprises, a second disc spaced apart from and parallel to said first disc and having its center collinear with that of said first disc, a plurality of studs interconnecting said two discs and being lengthwise perpendicular to said discs, each of said studs being of equal distance from the center of each disc, and reciprocating means for engaging each of said studs sequentially 7 to rotate said discs in a step by step manner about their centers.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a downward step on said pan is encountered by a ball rolling towards the vane currently positioned to block balls from said exit chute.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in combination with a cue ball exit chute, detector means intermediate said intake chute and said pan, said detector means adapted to detect a difference in size between a cue ball and game balls, said detector means passing only pocketed game balls and causing pocketed cue balls to be returned for play via said cue ball exit chute.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, in combination with means for detecting the reception by said pan of the last game ball and means for subsequently blocking a pocketed cue ball from said cue ball exit chute.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 in combination with means effective subsequent to the partial forward rotation of' said discs upon the initiation of a step by step advancement for preventing said discs from being fraudulently rotated in a reverse direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 902,151 10/1908 Hepton 273-11 1,313,783 8/1919 Blackburn 273-125 3,096,981 7/1963 Fischer 273l1 3,424,456 l/1969 Daddis 27311 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner T. ZACK, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

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