Billard game apparatus

• US 3,917,264 A
• Filed: 08/28/1974
• Issued: 11/04/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Douglas B. Davidson, Randy D. Sines
• Original Assignee: Douglas B. Davidson, Randy D. Sines
• Inventors: Davidson, Douglas B., Sines, Randy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oechsle, Anton O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stouffer, R. T.
• Application Number:
  US05/501,059
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 273/2,3R,5R,14,127R,DIG.24,8,9,59R,12,68,59A 40/327,134 156/67 240/2.25
• US Class Current: 473/2
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/76 with means enabling use in the dark, other than powered illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/002 Billiards
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/008 with means for improving visibility, e.g. special markings or colours illuminating or reflecting means A63B43/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/06 with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 15/00 Billiards, e.g. carom billiards or pocket billiards; Billiard tables bagatelle A63D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 15/06 Cushions or fastenings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 15/08 Cues
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/24 Luminescent, phosphorescent

Abstract

A billiard game apparatus is provided for enabling a player to play a unique and unusual game of billiards on a billiard table. The apparatus includes a source of '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'black light'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' radiation directed onto the playing surface. The apparatus has a plurality of special billiard balls having a coating or layer (exterior, sublayer or inlay) of luminescent material that is responsive to black light to emit visible light. When the balls are placed on the table surface, they emit visible light and appear as if they are supported in an invisible plane with the balls being highly contrasted with respect to background objects. A special cue stick is provided having a luminescent coating adjacent its forward tip which is responsive to black light so that the player is able to more accurately stroke the billiard balls and visually observe their relative motions. It is preferable to pulse the black light source to obtain a stroboscopic effect in which the movement of the balls and cue stick produce a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'trail'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' image that is visible to enable the player to concentrate more fully and to execute billiard shots more accurately.

Claims

1. A billiard game apparatus for use in playing a game of billiards on a billiard table, said billiard table having a playing surface, peripheral cushions defining the boundaries of said playing surface and ball pockets intermediate the cushions about said playing surface, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of billiard balls supportable on a playing surface, said plurality of billiard balls including a cue ball and object balls, each ball including means which emits luminescent light in the visible spectrum of such intensity as to be clearly visible to the naked eye when subjected to sufficient ultraviolet rays in the black light band;

a boundary indentifying means adjacent substantially the entire length of said peripheral cushions intermediate said ball pockets to identify the boundary of the playing surface, to identify the location of said peripheral rebound cushions, and to indicate the location of said ball pockets between said boundary identifying means;

said boundary identifying means emitting luminescent light in the visible spectrum of such intensity as to be clearly visible to the naked eye when subjected to sufficient ultraviolet rays in the black light band;

radiation means adjacent the playing surface for directing ultraviolet rays of the black light band over the entire playing surface to luminesce the cue ball and object balls supported on said surface and to luminesce the boundary identifying means without visually illuminating the surface to enable the player to visually observe the billiard balls and their movement with an unusual contrast and effect; and

a cue stick having a forward end with a tip thereon for striking the cue ball to propel the cue ball against at least one of the object balls to direct at least one of said object balls into one of the pockets, said forward end having a portion thereof including means which emits luminescent light in the visible spectrum of such intensity as to be clearly visible to the naked eye when subjected to sufficient ultraviolet rays in the black light band to enable the player to visually observe the movement of the cue stick in relation to said cue ball as the cue ball is struck by the cue stick and thereby concentrate more fully on the execution of a billiard shot utilizing the peripheral cushions as located by the luminescent boundary identifying means and further utilizing the luminescent object balls.

2. The billiard game apparatus set out in claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of reference dots at desired locations along the periphery of the playing surface, each dot including means which emits luminescent light in the visible spectrum of such intensity as to be clearly visible to the naked eye when subjected to sufficient ultraviolet rays in the black light band to enable the player to more accurately execute banking shots against the cushions without being distracted by background objects.

3. The game apparatus set out in claim 1 wherein said radiation means is comprised of an electric discharge lamp powered by alternating current to emit pulsating black light of a desired frequency.