WO1998046319A1

WO1998046319A1 - A table for a game and a method of playing a game

Info

Publication number: WO1998046319A1
Application number: PCT/AU1998/000242
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anthony Leslie William Savage
Original assignee: S & S International Promotions Pty. Ltd.
Priority date: 1997-04-14
Filing date: 1998-04-08
Publication date: 1998-10-22
Also published as: AUPO616597A0

Abstract

A games table and a method of playing a game on the table. The table has a planar surface and a wall around the planar surface and pockets in the wall. The game is played with a cue ball and a plurality of play balls. The object of the game is to pot each of the game balls into any one of the pockets with a cue. The games table has a return path from each pocket to a ball storage rack along which the ball takes substantially a fixed selected time to return to the rack independent of the pocket in which it is received to commence the return path.

Description

A TABLE FOR A GAME AND A METHOD OF PLAYING A GAME

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a table type ball game and a games table for playing the game.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The games of billiards, 8 ball and snooker are well known but these games are not easily adapted for informal playing where time limits are an important constraint.

It is the object of this invention to provide a game in which besides the normal skills of table ball games time to play the game is of an essence.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A game is proposed in which a single player attempts to pocket a selected number of balls in as short a time as possible. Particular provision is made so that if a cue ball is accidentally potted then a time delay is incurred before it is returned for continued play.

In one form therefore the invention is said to reside in a games table comprising a planar surface and a wall around the planar surface, a plurality of pockets in the wall, the pockets adapted to receive balls from the planar surface and a return path from each pocket to a ball rack for the balls, wherein the return path is of a selected configuration such that each ball takes substantially a fixed selected time to return to the ball rack independent of the pocket in which it is received to commence the return path.

The return path may be provided by a selected construction of a ramp through which the cue ball is returned from any one of the pockets to the ball rack or by a selected path length of tubes or ducts from each pocket to the ball rack. The games table of this form of the invention may have a timer mechanism for the game with a start button, a stop button and a timer indicating the elapsed time between the pressing of the start button and the pressing of the stop button.

In an alternative form the invention is said to reside in a games table comprising a planar surface and a resilient wall around the planar surface, a plurality of pockets in the wall, the pockets adapted to receive balls from the planar surface, the balls comprising a cue ball and a plurality of play balls, the object of the game comprising potting each of the game balls into any one of the pockets by hitting the cue ball with a cue so that the cue ball strikes the play ball and propels the play ball into one of the pockets, the games table characterised by a first return path from each pocket to a play ball storage rack for the play balls and a second return path from each pocket to a cue ball rack for the cue ball, and means to selectively return the cue ball to the cue ball rack, wherein the second return path is of a selected configuration such that the cue ball takes substantially a fixed selected time to return to the cue ball rack independent of the pocket in which it is received to commence the return path.

It will be seen that by this invention there is provided a games table where the game which can be played on it comprises potting a number of play balls with a cue ball but if the cue ball goes "in-off" or is accidentally potted into one of the pockets then it will be returned to a cue ball rack after a selected period of time which period of time is independent of the pocket in which the ball is potted.

It may be expected that if a cue ball was pocketed into a pocket close to the cue ball rack then it may be returned earlier but it is one of the objects of this game to ensure that the ball is returned in a fixed delay time to provide a time penalty during playing the game.

There may be provided a timer mechanism for the game so that the games table also includes a start button and a stop button and a timer indicating the elapsed time between the pressing of the start button and the pressing of the stop button. The timer mechanism may also include means to store information on earlier game and fastest times. In a further form the invention is said to reside in a method of playing a game on a games table the games table being of a type having a planar surface and a wall around the planar surface, a plurality of pockets in the wall, the pockets adapted to receive balls from the planar surface, the balls comprising a cue ball and a plurality of play balls, the object of the game comprising potting each of the game balls into any one of the pockets by hitting the cue ball with a cue so that the cue ball strikes the play ball and propels the play ball into any one of the pockets, and a timer arrangement, the method comprising the steps of starting the timer, consecutively pocketing the play balls until all of the plays balls are pocketed, pocketing the cue ball and stopping the timer, where if the cue ball is pocketed before all of the play balls have been pocketed a time delay is incurred before the cue ball returns to the cue ball rack for further play.

The provision of a time delay for the return of the cue ball may be provided by a selected construction of a ramp through which the cue ball is returned from any one of the pockets.

Alternatively the time delay may be provided by a selected path length of tubes or ducts from each pocket to the cue ball rack.

In a further method of providing a time delay there may be provided ball discrimination means so that as each ball is received in the pocket it is determined whether it is a cue ball or a play ball and if it is a cue ball then a time delay is incurred before the ball is allowed to proceed to the cue ball rack for further use.

To enable selection of the cue ball for return to the cue ball rack as distinct from return to storage for the play balls for a further game the cue ball may be distinguished from the play balls by its colour or by its size.

Where the cue ball is discriminated by its size the play ball rack may include a rail portion where the rails are spaced such that a play ball is supported by the rails but a cue ball is not supported by the rails by reason of spacing apart of the rails along at least a portion of their length and hence the play ball falls through the discrimination means and passes to a duct which returns it to the cue ball rack.

Where the cue ball is of a type which is selected by its colour then there may be provided ducts from each pocket to a central discrimination point where discrimination means detect the colour of the ball and determine whether the ball is to be transferred to a play ball rack if it is a play ball or to the cue ball rack if it is a cue ball. Discrimination may be by light or some other property of the ball.

To make the game a time dependent type of game there may be provided a timer associated with the games table which has at least a start button and a stop button and a display mechanism to show the elapsed time and the time for completion of a game.

To make the game suitable for playing in public houses or other establishments there may be a coin freed system whereby with the insertion of a coin the cue ball and play balls are released and the timer is primed for a start. The freeing may be done either mechanically or electro-mechanically.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention there may be one white cue ball and nine play balls, one red and eight yellow. The play balls may be arranged in a diamond shape in the middle of the table for the commencement of the game.

In one preferred embodiment the procedure for playing a game according to the present invention is as follows.

A coin is placed into a coin operation mechanism and the cue ball and play balls are released into a play ball return area and a cue ball rack. The play balls are placed into a selected formation in a selected position on the games table and the cue ball is placed behind a baulk line on the games table.

The timer is then switched on by depression of the start button and the player uses a cue to strike the cue ball which in turn strikes the play balls. By repeated striking of the cue ball with the cue the play balls are potted into the pockets on the games table until all of the play balls are pocketed. The cue ball is then pocketed and the player then proceeds around the table to depress the stop button for the timer.

The elapsed time of the game is then noted. Any penalties which may have been incurred by breaches of various rules of the game such as balls coming off the table are then added onto the time to give an overall game time.

If during the playing of the game a cue ball is pocketed before all of the play balls is pocketed then the time delay mechanism of the present invention comes into play and the play ball is returned to the cue ball rack after a selected period of time.

As discussed above the selected period of time may be provided by merely a convoluted path which ensures that whatever the pocket into which the ball is pocketed the return time to the cue ball rack is substantially the same or if electronic or electric discrimination means is used then the ball is retained by some electric or electronic means before it is released to the cue ball rack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This then generally describes the invention but to assist with understanding reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings

Fig 1 shows a plan view of a first embodiment of a games table according to this invention,

Fig 2 shows a view of the ball return mechanism of the embodiment shown in Fig 1 ,

Fig 3 shows a side elevation of the ball return mechanism shown in Fig 2,

Fig 4 shows an end elevation view of the embodiment shown in Fig 2,

Fig 5 shows an alternative embodiment of ball return mechanism according to this invention,

Fig 6 shows a side elevation of an alternative embodiment of ball return mechanism according to this invention,

Fig 7 shows an end elevation of a ball return mechanism according to this invention.

Fig 8 shows a plan view of an alternative embodiment of games table according to this invention, and

Fig 9 shows a still further embodiment of games table according to this invention.

Now looking at the first embodiment in detail as shown in Fig's 1 , 2, 3 and 4 the games table of this invention comprises a planar playing surface 1 and a resilient wall 2 around the surface 1. At six points around the wall there are provided pockets 3 into which balls are to be played in use. The games table includes a centre spot 4 and a baulk line 5. At one end of the table a timer mechanism 6 is provided which includes stop and start buttons and a time display. In this embodiment a second timer mechanism 7 is provided for a second player.

As can be seen in Fig 2 in which the upper playing surface has been removed, the ball return mechanism is shown in substantially plan view. There is provided two inclined surfaces 10 and 11 onto which the balls fall when they fall though any of the pockets 3 and by the inclined surface they roll down to a trough 12. The trough 12 is inclined sideways so that a ball which falls down either of the inclined surfaces 10 or 11 travels down the trough 12 until it enters the ball discrimination rack 13. If the ball is a play ball then it passes over the ball discrimination rack 13 onto the play ball rack 14 and is stopped by the release arm 15. If the ball is a cue ball however the size discrimination mechanism in the discrimination region 13 allows the cue ball to drop into a cue ball tube 17 which passes the cue ball to a cue ball return rack 18 from which it can be extracted and placed onto the games table behind the baulk line 5 for further play.

The length of the play ball rack may be selected such that if all of the play balls have been pocketed then the cue ball will not reach the position where its size can be discriminated so that it will not fall down and proceed through 1he cue ball return path 17. This signifies the end of a game.

There may be also provided underneath the planar surface a battery storage area 19, a computer operation module area 20 and electronic control lines 21 to the ball release mechanism 15.

When a coin is put into the coin release mechanism 23 the ball release gate 15 is operated to release the play balls into a play ball return area 24 to enable the loading of the play balls onto a table into a play ball diamond 25 as shown in Fig 1. At this stage the cue ball can then fall though the cue ball discrimination means 13 and pass to the cue ball rack 18 so that it may be removed and placed behind the baulk line 5 as shown at 26.

The embodiment of games table according to this invention shown in Fig's 5, 6 & 7 has substantially same upper surface as depicted in Fig 1 but in this embodiment when a play ball falls into a pocket 3 it is passed down a semicircular tube return path 30 to a central ball receiving area 31 which includes the discrimination means to determine whether the ball is a cue ball or a play ball.

If the ball is a play ball then it is returned down play ball return path 32 to a play ball rack 33. On activation of a coin freed mechanism not shown the play balls are transferred to a play ball access slot 34.

If the ball received in this discrimination apparatus 31 is a cue ball then it is selectively returned through cue ball track 37 to the cue ball return rack 38.

It may be noted that the return paths 30 from each of the pockets are of substantially the same length to the discrimination means 31 so that regardless of which pocket the play ball falls into it reaches the discrimination means in substantially the same time and then once discriminated takes a selected fixed time to return to the cue ball rack 38. By this means the total time from when a ball falls into a pocket until it can be retrieved from the play ball socket is independent of the pocket into which it falls.

Figure 8 shows a plan view of an alternative embodiment of games table according to this invention.

In this embodiment the games table is substantially circular with a circular playing surface 50 with a circular resilient wall 51 around it with six pockets 52 at intervals around the wall. A baulk line 53 is provided on the games table behind which the cue ball 54 is placed to commence the game. The play balls 55 which may be of more than one colour are placed in the centre of the table. The ball return mechanism may be of any of the configurations as shown in the earlier embodiments. A timer mechanism 56 and start and stop buttons 57 and 58 enable a player to start the timer at the beginning of a game and stop the timer at the end of a game to give the elapsed time for the game.

An alternative embodiment of the games table according to this invention is shown in Fig 9. In this embodiment the planar playing surface 60 is substantially hexagonal with hexagonal walls 61 and pockets 62 at the corners of the regular hexagonal shape. A baulk line 63 is provided on the planar playing surface. Once again the cue ball 64 is placed behind the baulk line and the play balls 65 are placed in the centre of the table. A timer mechanism 66 and start and stop buttons 67 and 68 enable a player to start the timer at the beginning of a game and stop the timer at the end of a game to give the elapsed time for the game.

Throughout this specification various indications have been given as to the scope of this invention but the invention is not limited to any one of these but may reside in two or more of these combined together. The examples are given for illustration only and not for limitation.

Throughout this specification unless the context requires otherwise, the words 'comprise' and 'include' and variations such as 'comprising' and 'including' will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Claims

1. A games table comprising a planar surface and a wall around the planar surface, a plurality of pockets in the wall, the pockets adapted to receive balls from the planar surface and a return path from each pocket to a ball rack for the balls, wherein the return path is of a selected configuration such that each ball takes substantially a fixed selected time to return to the ball rack independent of the pocket in which it is received to commence the return path.

2. A games table as in Claim 1 wherein the return path is provided by a selected construction of a ramp through which the cue ball is returned from any one of the pockets to the ball rack.

3. A games table as in Claim 1 wherein the return path is provided by a selected path length of tubes or ducts from each pocket to the ball rack

4. A games table as in Claim 1 further including a timer mechanism for the game having a start button, a stop button and a timer indicating the elapsed time between the pressing of the start button and the pressing of the stop button.

5. A games table as in Claim 4 wherein the timer mechanism includes memory means to store information on earlier games and fastest times and display means to show information on earlier games and fastest times.

6. A games table comprising a planar surface and a wall around the planar surface, a plurality of pockets in the wall, the pockets adapted to receive balls from the planar surface, the balls comprising a cue ball and a plurality of play balls, the object of the game comprising potting each of the game balls into any one of the pockets by hitting the cue ball with a cue so that the cue ball strikes the play ball and propels the play ball into one of the pockets, the games table characterised by a first return path from each pocket to a play ball storage rack for the play balls and a second return path from each pocket to a cue ball rack for the cue ball, and means to selectively return the cue ball to the cue ball rack, wherein the second return path is of a selected configuration such that the cue ball takes substantially a fixed selected time to return to the cue ball rack independent of the pocket in which it is received to commence the return path.

7. A games table as in Claim 6 further including a timer mechanism for the game having a start button, a stop button and a timer indicating the elapsed time between the pressing of the start button and the pressing of the stop button.

8. A games table as in Claim 7 wherein the timer mechanism includes memory means to store information on earlier games and fastest times and display means to show information on earlier games and fastest times.

9. A games table as in any one of Claims 6 to 8 wherein the return path is provided by a selected construction of a ramp through which the cue ball is returned from any one of the pockets to the cue ball rack.

10. A games table as in any one of Claims 6 to 8 wherein the return path is provided by a selected path length of tubes or ducts from each pocket to the cue ball rack

11. A games table as in any one of Claims 6 to 10 further including a coin freed system whereby with the insertion of a coin into the coin freed mechanism the cue ball and play balls are released and the timer is primed for a start.

12. A games table as in any one of Claims 6 to 11 having one white cue ball and nine play balls, one red and eight yellow.

13. A games table as in Claim 6 having discrimination means to select the cue ball and return it to the cue ball rack.

14. A games table as in Claim 11 wherein the discrimination means comprises a pair of rails defining a slot therebetween and the rails includng a portion being spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the cue ball but less than the play balls.

15. A method of playing a game on a games table the games table being of a type having a planar surface and a wall around the planar surface, a plurality of pockets in the wall, the pockets adapted to receive balls from the planar surface, the balls comprising a cue ball and a plurality of play balls, the object of the game comprising potting each of the game balls into any one of the pockets by hitting the cue ball with a cue so that the cue ball strikes the play ball and propels the play ball into any one of the pockets, and a timer arrangement, the method comprising the steps of starting the timer, consecutively pocketing the play balls until all of the plays balls are pocketed, pocketing the cue ball and stopping the timer, where if the cue ball is pocketed before all of the play balls have been pocketed a time delay is incurred before the cue ball returns to the cue ball rack for further play.

16. A method as in Claim 15 wherein the time delay for the return of the cue ball is provided by a selected construction of a ramp through which the cue ball is returned from any one of the pockets.

17. A method as in Claim 15 wherein the time delay is provided by a selected path length of tubes or ducts from each pocket to the cue ball rack.

18. A method as in Claim 15 wherein the time delay there is provided by ball discrimination means such that as each ball is received in the pocket it is determined whether it is a cue ball or a play ball and if it is a cue ball then a time delay is incurred before the ball is allowed to proceed to the cue ball rack for further use.

19. A method as in Claim 18 wherein discrimination is by ball size.

20. A method as in Claim 18 wherein discrimination is by ball colour.

21. A method as in Claim 15 further including a timer and means to start and stop the timer and to display elapsed time to show the elapsed time and the time for completion of a game.

22. A method as in Claim 15 further including a coin freed system whereby with the insertion of a coin the cue ball and play balls are released and the timer is primed for a start.

23. A method as in Claim 15 wherein the game is played with one white cue ball and nine play balls, one red and eight yellow and the play balls are be arranged in a diamond shape in the middle of the table for the commencement of the game.