Ball separator

Abstract

 A ball separator is provided for separating a larger cue ball from smaller object balls in coin-operated pool table. The separator has a ball outlet (7) between spaced edges (5, 6) of a runway (1). Both sizes of balls run along the edges (5, 6), but the larger ball strikes an overhead projection (19). This pivots an arm (18) and releases a flap (10) which forms part of one of the edges (6). The flap (10) drops and the larger cue ball falls into the outlet (7).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a ball separator for a games table used for playing pool or other similar game.

[0002] A well-known kind of coin-freed pool table comprises a box body which stands on legs and supports a top playing surface (usually a cloth-covered slate bed) bounded by cushions. Within the box body there are internal runways which link a ball storage rack with pockets in the cushions around the periphery of the playing surface and with a ball outlet at one end of the table. In use, after insertion of a coin (or token) into a coin mechanism of the table, object balls and a cue ball can be released from the storage rack to run to the outlet. During play, pocketed object balls run to and are retained in the storage rack. If the cue ball is accidentally pocketed before the end of a game this is diverted to the outlet by means of a ball separator. At the end of the game the cue ball when pocketed may be retained within the table with the object balls.

[0003] A pool table of this known kind is described in U.K. Patent Specifications 2132095 and 2132906. The ball separator depends on the use of a cue ball which is of smaller diameter than the object balls. There is a main inclined runway section and within this a secondary, narrower more steeply inclined runway. The object balls run along the main runway section to the storage rack whereas the cue ball drops through the main runway section and runs down the narrower secondary runway to be returned to the ball outlet. With this arrangement in order to ensure reliable operation, allowing for manufacturing tolerances (particularly with regard to the diameters of the balls), it has been found necessary or desirable to use a cue ball having a nominal diameter which is appreciably smaller than that of the object balls. A difference of one-eighth of an inch (3.175mm) in relation to a two inch (50.8mm) object ball is typical. If the difference in nominal diameters is smaller, the ball separator may not always be able to discriminate between the cue ball and the object balls. However, a difference of this magnitude is not wholly satisfactory since it influences to an appreciable extent the movement of the balls on impact.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a ball separator which is capable of discriminating in a reliable manner between balls of very closely similar diameters.

[0005] According to one aspect of the invention therefore there is provided a ball separator for separating a larger diameter ball from a smaller diameter ball, comprising a runway section having spaced-apart edges along which both balls can run, a ball outlet between said edges, a first movable structure having a projection alongside the runway section arranged to be engaged by the larger diameter ball but not the small diameter ball so as to effect movement of the structure, a second movable structure forming part of one edge of the runway section, and an element linking the two movable structures so that the second structure is caused to be moved away by said movement of the first structure to allow the larger diameter ball to fall between the runway edges into the said outlet.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a ball separator for separating a larger diameter ball from a smaller diameter ball comprising a runway section having spaced-apart edges along which both balls can run, a ball outlet for the larger diameter ball, a diversion device operable for diverting the larger diameter ball to the said outlet, and a movable structure having a projection disposed above the runway section, said projection being arranged to be engaged by the top of the larger diameter ball so as to operate the said diversion device to effect said diversion of the larger diameter ball.

[0007] Preferably the first and second aspects of the invention are combined whereby the said diversion device comprises the said first and second movable structures and said linking element, and preferably also the first movable structure has a pivotable membber disposed above the runway section, said member having a downwardly directed said projection which is engaged by the top of the larger ball so that the member is pivoted forwardly by such ball. The member may be pivotable about an axis which is at least generally horizontal and extends transversely across the runway section. The member may be pivotally mounted on a rigid gantry having upright side pieces joined at their top ends by a bridging piece. The said projection may be adjustably located on the pivotable member and suitably may comprise a screw. The projection may be aligned vertically with the centre of the ball on the runway section i.e. with a point midway between the runway edges. The said member may comprise a strip-shaped part which extends transversely across the runway section and is pivotally mounted at opposite ends thereof e.g. via pivot joints between bent back end portions of the member and top end portions of the aforesaid upright gantry pieces.

[0008] With regard to the second movable structure this may comprise a flap which is pivotally mounted about an at least generally horizontal axis.

[0009] The said link element may be arranged to lift the flap away from the runway section as the first structure is moved by the larger diameter ball. Thus, the link element may comprise an end part of a depending arm of the first structure which engages beneath the flap. To give a progressively increasing rate of lifting the end part may be wedge-­shaped or may engage an inclined ramp surface on the flap.

[0010] Alternatively, the said link element may be arranged normally ro hold the flap in position, whereby the flap is released and can move away from the runway section when the link element is moved away from the flap. With this arrangement the link element may comprise an end part of a depending arm which normally rests on top of the flap on an opposite side thereof to the edge of the runway section of which the flap forms part, so that the flap can drop away from the runway section when the arm moves away from the flap.

[0011] With both the above described link element arrangements, the said arm may be fixed to one end portion of the abovementioned transverse strip-shaped part of the first structure.

[0012] The ball separator can be used with a coin-freed pool table of the kind described above. However, the invention is not restricted to this application and the ball separator may be used with any suitable kind of games table.

[0013] The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic perspective view of one form of a ball separator according to the invention.

[0014] The ball separator may be used in a coin-freed pool table to separate a larger diameter cue ball from smaller diameter object balls so that an accidentally pocketed cue ball can be diverted away from the usual storage rack within the table and returned to the player. The object balls may be say two inches in diameter (50.8mm) and the cue ball may be say one-sixteenth of an inches (1.5875) larger.

[0015] The ball separator comprises a runway section 1 which is inserted between the runways leading from the pockets of the table and the ball storage rack. This runway section is defined by spaced-apart parallel rigid upstanding metal members 2, 3 fixed to a base board 4. The members 2, 3 as shown are defined by angle sections. All balls can run along the runway section 1 in rolling engagement with the top edges 5, 6 of the members 2, 3.

[0016] In the base board 4 between the memebrs 2, 3 there is a rectangular outlet opening 7 which is large enough to allow passage of the cue ball. This opening is linked to a ball outlet in one end of the table. One of the members 3 is cut away along the entire length of this outlet opening 7. The resulting gap 8 in the top edge 6 of this member 3 is bridged by a free edge 9 of a horizontal rigid metal flap 10 which is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis on two upstanding supports 11. The horizontal pivot axis of the flap 10 is disposed parallel to the edge 9 and centrally between such edge 9 and an opposite parallel edge 9a of the flap.

[0017] At the leading end of the opening 7 (i.e. the end nearer to the pockets rather than the ball storage rack) there is a rigid gantry 12 fixed to the members 2, 3 such gantry 12 having upstanding side pieces 13, 14 and a horizontal top bridging piece 15 extending perpendicularly across the runway section. A movable structure 16 is pivotally mounted on the gantry 12, such structure 16 having a horizontal strip-shaped top part 17 and a vertical downwardly projecting arm 18 fixed to one end portion of the top part 17. In the centre of the top part 17 there is a vertical downwardly projecting screw 19 which screws into a collar 20 whereby the height of the bottom end of the screw 19 above the runway section can be adjusted by rotation of the screw. The screw 19 is aligned vertically with a point midway between the edges 5, 6. The top part 17 has end extensions 21 which are pivotally mounted on the gantry 12 at joints 22 to permit upward pivoting of the top part 17 and the arm 18 about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the runway section.

[0018] The arm 18 has at the bottom end thereof a slightly tapered end part 23 which rests on top of the flap 10 adjacent the edge 9a to hold the flap 10 horizontal. In this respect, the flap 10 is generally counter­balanced but the pivot axis is positioned slightly nearer to the edge 9a so that this edge tends to pivot upwardly.

[0019] In use, pocketed object balls run along the inclined runway section 1 to the ball storage rack. These balls pass freely beneath the bottom end of the screw 19 and run on the edges 5, 6 of the members 2, 3 and the edge 9 of the flap 10. The edges 5 , 6 are one and seven-eighth inches (47.625mm) apart and the screw position is adjusted so that there is good clearance (say one sixteenth of an inch, 1.5875mm) between the screw and the top of a two inch (50.8mm) object ball.

[0020] In the event that a cue ball having a diameter of two and one-sixteenth inches (52.3875mm) is inadvertently pocketed this engages the bottom of the screw. It will be appreciated that the top of the cue ball will be roughly one-eighth of an inch (3.175mm) higher than the top of an object ball, not one-sixteenth of an inch (1.5875), because the larger diameter cue ball sits higher on the runway edges. Thus, the screw is firmly engaged by the cue ball and the structure 16 is thereby caused to pivot upwardly. This causes the end part 24 of the arm 18 to lift off the flap 10 whereby the flap is released and can pivot so that the edge 9 drops downwardly under the weight of the cue ball. The cue ball then drops through the gap 8 in the member 6 into the opening 7 and the structure 16 and the flap 10 pivot back to their starting positions under the influence of the weight of the structure 16. The flap 10, being generally counterbalanced, pivots easily.

[0021] With this arrangement the cue ball is separated reliably from the object balls even though the diameter of the cue ball is only very slightly larger than that of the object balls. Moreover, since the flap 10 is mounted separately from the structure 16, it can be ensured that the edge 9 is maintained in careful alignment with the edge 6 when not released for pivoting, whereby there is little tendency for the object balls to stick or jam on the runway as they pass through the gantry. Also, having regard to the positive acting drop-through action for the cue ball pole to jam - it makes point contact with the bottom of the screw 19 and this releases the flap 10 so that the cue ball then drops freely into the outlet rather than passing through a narrow opening.

[0022] The arrangement described can also be used on occasions with a conventional set of balls having a small sized cue ball. In this case the cue ball will drop between the members 2, 3 and roll along the board 4 into the hole 7 rather than running along the edges 5, 6 like the object balls. In this respect, a supplementary upstanding member which is less high than the members 2, 3 may be fixed to the base board 4 between the members 2, 3 so that the small sized cue ball rolls between the edge of this supplementary member and the side of the pertaining opposite members 2, 3 thereby to ensure easy movement of the ball.

[0023] When all object balls have been pocketed, the last object ball may trigger a mechanism (not shown) which blocks the runway section 1 and prevents the cue ball from being returned to the player until a new game is purchased.

[0024] It is of course to be understood that the 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 ball separator for separating a larger diameter ball from a smaller diameter ball, characterised in that it comprises a runway section (1) having spaced-apart edges (5, 6) along which both balls can run, a ball outlet (7) between said edges (5, 6), a first movable structure (16) having a projection (19) alongside the runway section arranged to be engaged by the larger diameter ball but not the small diameter ball so as to effect movement of the structure (16), a second movable structure (10) forming part of one edge (6) of the runway section (1), and an element (23) linking the two movable structures (16, 10) so that the second structure (10) is caused to be moved away by said movement of the first structure (16) to allow the larger diameter ball to fall between the runway edges (5, 6) into the said outlet (7).

2. A ball separator for separating a larger diameter ball from a smaller diameter ball, characterised in that it comprises a runway section (1) having spaced-apart edges (5, 6) along which both balls can run, a ball outlet (2) for the larger diameter ball, a diversion device (16, 10, 23) operable for diverting the larger diameter ball to the said outlet (7), and a movable structure (16) having a projection (19) disposed above the runway section (1), said projection (19) being arranged to be engaged by the top of the larger diameter ball so as to operate the said diversion device (16, 10, 23) to effect said diversion of the larger diameter ball.

3. A ball separator according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that said diversion device comprises the said first and second movable structures (16, 10) and said linking element (23) and the first movable structure (16) has a pivotable member (17) disposed above the runway section (1), said member (17) having a downwardly directed said projection (19) which is engaged by the top of the larger ball so that the member (17) is pivoted forwardly by such ball.

4. A ball separator according to claim 3, characterised in that said member (17) is pivotable about an axis which is at least generally horizontal and extends transversely across the runway section (1).

5. A ball separator according to claim 4, characterised in that the member (17) is pivotally mounted on a rigid gantry (12) having upright side pieces (13, 14) joined at their top ends by a bridging piece (15).

6. A ball separator according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterised in that said projection (19) is adjustably located on said pivotable member (17).

7. A ball separator according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterised in that said projection (19) is aligned vertically with the centre of the ball on the runway section (1).

8. A ball separator according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterised in that said second movable structure (10) comprises a flap which is pivotally mounted about an at least generally horizontal axis.

9. A ball separator according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterised in that the said link element (23) is arranged normally to hold the flap (10) in position whereby the flap is released and can move away from the runway section (1) when the link element (23) is moved away from the flap.

10. A ball separator according to claim 9, characterised in that the link element (23) comprises an end part of a depending arm (18) which normally rests on top of the flap (10) on an opposite side thereof to the edge of the runway section of which the flap forms part so that the flap (10) can drop away from the runway section when the arm (18) moves away from the flap (10).

11. A pool table incorporating a ball separator according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Drawing