Games using tangible projectile – Billiards or pool – Table or gameboard
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-23
2002-04-16
Sewell, Paul T. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Billiards or pool
Table or gameboard
Reexamination Certificate
active
06371861
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
A bumper pocket billiard table with one or more pockets, and with at least one adjustable bumper post positioned at a selected location relative to a pocket. In a preferred embodiment, the bumper pocket billiard table is circular with the bumper posts positioned only adjacent the pockets so that the table can be used for the play of BumperGolf™ Billiards.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rectangular pocket billiard tables as endorsed by the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) are considered to be conventional and, therefore, well known in the field of billiards. Bumper pool tables, which are generally smaller in size than regulation pocket billiard tables, are usually hexagonal or octagonal in shape with one or more pockets and a pattern of bumper posts usually positioned at table center. Bumper pool tables, like some pocket billiard tables, can be multi functional so that different orientations of or additions to the table permit it to be converted for other uses. For example, converted to a dining table, a game table for card or dice games, or the bumper pool playing surface. These bumper pool tables are sometimes identified as a “3-in-1” game table. Such bumper pool tables are also considered to be conventional and well known.
Throughout the years there have been variations to rectangular pocket billiard tables. There have also been variations to bumper pool tables. Selected references that individually teach one or more of these variations are as follows:
1. A circular or round pool game tabletop is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 217,370 where the tabletop has six pockets with each pocket positioned at 60° or a multiple thereof and equidistant from adjacent pockets.
2. A circular billiard and pool table having one central pocket is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 296,677.
3. A circular parlor pool table is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 606,546 having four pockets with each pocket positioned at 90° or a multiple thereof and equidistant from adjacent pockets.
4. An octagonal golf court table is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 1,625,265 having each one of eight pockets positioned at the vertices developed by the billiard type cushion sides.
5. A circular playing table for marbles is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 2,219,675 having four pockets with each pocket positioned at 90° or a multiple thereof and equidistant from adjacent pockets where each pocket has a vertical wall surface that opens into the table playing surface.
6. An oval or elliptical billiard table is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,463,489 having separate playing areas each with a focal point and either two-, three-, or four-pockets positioned at each respective focal point where each pocket has a vertical wall surface that opens into the particular playing area.
7. An hour-glass pool table with linear cushion rails is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,544,108 having six pockets with a separate bumper post spaced-apart from the lip opening of each of two pockets “located at the apices of the rail projections” which define the necked portion of the hour-glass table.
8. A circular billiard table is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,235 having six pockets with each pocket positioned at 60° or a multiple thereof and equidistant from adjacent pockets spaced a uniform distance apart, where each rail cushion therebetween has an intermediate bumper formed on the rail to prevent a cue or object ball from riding the rail until it drops into a pocket.
9. An octagonal 3-in-1 convertible bumper pool table is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,099 having a playing surface with two opposing pockets. Each circular pocket has a vertical wall that transitions to the playing/support surface through a radius that would appear equivalent to a BCA drop point slate radius of about ¼ inch. Each pocket is flanked by a spaced-apart pair of conventional bumper posts positioned on the playing/support surface and apart from the adjoining resilient cushion. A cross-shaped configuration of similar obstacle bumper posts is arranged in a generally centralized region of the playing surface. The bumper pool table of Pat. No. 3,711,099 is considered to be conventional and representative of today's popular bumper pool tables. (See also ESCALADE Sports of Evansville, Ind. that market a comparable 3-in-1 convertible bumper pool table having a removable dining table top which functions as a poker table when the top is turned over, and exposes a conventional bumper pool table when the top is removed. CAMELOT Billiards at http://www.calspas.com offers a similar 3-in-1 game table.)
10. A pentagonal and rotatable pool table is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,097 having five pockets.
11. A circular pool table that provides for the selection of a pocket opening in the periphery of a playing surface is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,345 where several adjacent cushion segments are tipped away from the playing surface to create a pocket opening to a circular gully on the table rim. The gully wall is vertical to support a “rim like” playing surface with no apparent BCA “drop point slate radius” at the junction of the gully wall and playing surface. (See also a similar circular pool/game table taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,218.)
12. A cruciform game table is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,052 having four oval pockets spaced equally around a central circular playing area with each generally rectangular playing area that form a respective base area in each arm of the cruciform.
13. A hexagonal pocket billiard pool table having six pockets with each pocket positioned at 60° or a multiple thereof and equidistant from adjacent pockets is available in today's market. This pool table has the hexagonal playing surface mounted on a “lazy-susan” system so that the table can be located in a corner of a room. The playing surface is rotated (compare with Pat. No. 3,801,097 as described above) to where a player is standing during play so that the player does not have to physically move around the table (see http://www.flash.net~jsa/pool/round.html).
Each of the foregoing variations to pocket billiard tables and to bumper pool tables, while contributing to the advancement of pocket billiard tables and bumper pool tables, do not provide an adequate bumper pocket billiard table for the play of BumperGolf™ Billiards.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, in accordance with the invention, one embodiment of a new and improved bumper pocket billiard table is provided having a circular playing surface bounded by a circular cushion-and-rail assembly with four circular pocket openings positioned in the perimeter portion of the playing surface and at least one bumper post, which can be adjustable, positioned on the playing surface at one of several bumper post sites adjacent to but spaced apart from the lip edge of a pocket opening at a selected dimension, and with a sell constant dimension that is equivalent to the value of a predetermined ball corridor or passageway width in order to complement the playing skill of a bumper pocket billiards player such as one playing BumperGolf™ Billiards.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved Bumper Pocket Billiard Table.
Another object is to provide a Bumper Pocket Billiard Table that is suited for the play of BumperGolf™ Billiards.
Another object is to provide a Bumper Pocket Billiard Table that is circular with one or more pockets located in the circular playing surface bounded by a circular cushion and rail.
Another object is to provide a Bumper Pocket Billiard Table that is circular with one or more pockets located in the circular playing surface bounded by a circular cushion and rail, and with at least one bumper post positioned adjacent to a pocket opening for more challenging play.
Another object is to provide a Bumper Pocket Billiard Table that has a circular playing surface where the pockets are preferably circular or round but can also be oval in geometry.
Another object is to provide a Bumper Pocket Billiard Table with at least one bumper post that is adjustable to at le
Chambers M.
Ellingsberg Donald J.
Sewell Paul T.
LandOfFree
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