Patent ID: 6267685
Filing Date: 2001-07-31
Classification: A63D

Abstract:
A support aid for supporting an end of a billiards cue on a billiards table, said support aid comprising:a base for resting on a surface, said base having a generally disk-shaped lower portion and a generally frusto-conical upper portion;said upper and lower portions of said base being substantially coaxial with one another;said lower portion of said base having generally circular upper and lower faces, and a generally cylindrical outer side between said upper and lower faces of said lower portion;said upper and lower faces of said lower portion lying in generally parallel planes with one another;said lower portion of said base having a height defined between said upper and lower faces of said lower portion and a outer diameter defined across said outer side of said lower portion;said upper portion of said base tapering upwards from said lower portion of said base;said upper portion of said base having a generally disk-shaped lower region, and a generally frusto-conical upper region terminating at a substantially planar generally circular top face;said top face of said upper portion lying in a plane generally parallel with said upper and lower faces of said lower portion;said lower region of said upper portion of said base having a height defined upwardly from said upper face of said lower portion;said upper region of said upper portion of said base having a height defined between said lower region and said top face of said upper portion;said lower region and said top face of said upper portion each having an outer diameter;said outer diameter of said top face of said upper portion being less than said outer diameter of said lower region of said upper portion, said outer diameter of said lower region of said upper portion being less than said outer diameter of said lower portion of said base;a support upwardly extending from said top face of said upper portion of said base;said support having a pair of generally planar faces, opposite upper and lower ends, and a pair of substantially straight sides extending between said upper and lower ends of said support;said faces of said support lying in generally perpendicular planes to said top face of said upper portion of said base;said lower end of said support being coupled to said top face of said upper portion of said base;said sides of said support being extended generally perpendicular to said top face of said upper portion of said base;said upper end of said support being generally curved and having a downwardly facing concavity extending between said sides of said support;said support having a thickness defined between said faces of said support, a height defined between said upper and lower ends of said support, and a width defined between said sides of said support;said width of said support being substantially equal to said outer diameter of said top face of said upper portion of said base;said support having a guide hole therethrough between said faces of said support, said guide hole being adapted for extending an end of billiards cue therethrough;said guide hole having a generally inverted-U-shaped upper periphery and a generally V-shaped lower periphery connected to said upper periphery of said guide hole;said upper periphery of said guide hole having a spaced apart pair of substantially parallel and straight side regions and an arcuate top region connecting said side regions of said upper periphery together;said top region of said upper periphery being positioned adjacent said upper end of said support, one of said side regions of said upper periphery being positioned adjacent one of said sides of said support, the other of said side regions of said upper periphery being positioned adjacent the other of said sides of said support;said side regions of said upper periphery being extended generally parallel to said sides of said support;said side regions of said upper periphery being generally evenly spaced apart from the associated adjacent sides of said support;said lower periphery of said guide hole having a pair of side portions downwardly converging together at a lower vertex of said lower periphery;one of said side portions of said lower periphery being connected to one of said side regions of said upper periphery, the other of said side portions of said lower periphery being connected to the other of said side regions of said upper periphery;said lower vertex of said lower periphery being adapted for resting a billiards cue being extended through said guide hole;said lower vertex of said lower periphery being rounded and having an upwardly facing concavity;said upper and lower peripheries of said guide hole each having a round transverse cross section, said transverse cross sections of said upper and lower peripheries of said guide hole each having a convexity facing into said guide hole;said guide hole having a length defined between said top region portion of said upper periphery and said lower vertex of said lower periphery;said guide hole having a width defined between said side regions of said upper periphery;a generally V-shaped upper guide being upwardly extending from said upper end of said support;said upper guide having a pair of arms upwardly extending from said upper end of said support, said arms converging towards one another in a downwards direction towards said upper end of said support;said arms of said upper guide each having a generally circular transverse cross section;said arms of said upper guide being extended from one another at an angle less than about 90 degrees;said arms of said upper guide each terminating at a free end opposite said upper end of said support, said free end of one of said arms lying along a common line with one of said sides of said support, said free end of the other of said arms lying along a common line with the other of said sides of said support;said upper guide having a height defined between said upper end of said support and a line extending between said free ends of said arms;said upper guide defining a generally V-shaped space adapted for extending an end of a billiards cue therethrough;said space of said upper guide having a pair of substantially straight sides defined by said arms of said upper guide, and a rounded lower vertex connecting said sides of said spaced of said upper guide together; andsaid rounded lower vertex of said space of said upper guide being adapted for resting thereon a billiards cue extending through said space of said upper guide.