Abstract:
A pool cue tip repair apparatus comprises a cue clamp including a pair of opposing jaws having mating recesses defining a passage adapted to grip a pool cue stick, and a clamping device adapted to apply the jaws to the pool cue stick; and a tip clamp member detachably mountable on the cue clamp and having an operating screw axially oriented so as to be generally parallel with a longitudinal axis of the passage.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/384,106 filed May 31, 2002, incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to pool cue tip repair devices.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    After a period of use, a pool cue tip often becomes worn or damaged and is no longer desirable to be used. Conventional and commercially available devices to replace these tips have several disadvantages. Particularly, these devices generally include a clamp that is affixed to the cue stick by rings, which are forced on the wood portion of the cue stick to hold the device tight against the cue stick. These types of devices may damage the cue stick by exerting excessive pressure on the wood.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art. The present invention provides an effective and efficient means for repairing a cue tip that does not damage the cue stick and that properly aligns the cue tip on the cue stick.  
           [0007]    These and other features and advantages of this invention are described in or are apparent from the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of a pool cue tip repair device according to this invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    An exemplary embodiment will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a front view of a cue clamp of a cue tip repair device, according to the present invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a side view of the cue clamp of FIG. 1;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the cue clamp of FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a front view of a tip clamp member of the cue tip repair device, according to the invention; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a side view of the tip clamp member of FIG. 4. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]    The present invention is directed to a pool cue tip repair device including a cue clamp  10  and a tip clamp member  50 . A preferred construction of the cue clamp  10  is illustrated in FIGS.  1 - 3 , and a preferred construction of the tip clamp member  50  is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. The cue clamp  10  is configured to receive the tip clamp member  50 , as will be described below.  
         [0015]    The cue clamp  10  includes a first jaw  12  and a second jaw  14 . First and second jaws  12  and  14  include opposing surfaces  13  and  15 , respectively. The first and second jaws also include opposing bores  16  and  18 , respectively. Preferably, the bores  16  and  18  are substantially perpendicular to the respective surfaces  13  and  15 . The surfaces  13  and  15  are held adjacent each other by bolts or screws, not shown, via the bores  16  and  18 . Preferably, the bores  16  are threaded, and the bolts or screws extend through the opposing bores  18  to engage the threaded bores  16 .  
         [0016]    When held adjacent to each other, the first and second jaws  12  and  14  define a passage  20 . The passage  20  is configured to receive a ferrule attached to an end of a pool cue stick, not shown. The cue clamp  10  may be selectively tightened onto the ferrule, which is coaxial with the cue stick, by tightening the bolts or screws that hold the first and second jaws  12  and  14  together. It is preferred that the longitudinal axis of the passage  20  be substantially perpendicular to the axes of the bores  16  and  18 . The passage  20  is preferred to be generally oblong shaped in cross-section, so that it can accommodate cylindrical ferrules of different diameters.  
         [0017]    The tip clamp member  50  includes an operating screw  52 , which is a thumbscrew in the form shown. Operating screw  52  is provided with a plate-like tip portion  54  constituting a jaw for engaging the pool cue tip.  
         [0018]    A retaining channel  22  is formed at the top of the cue clamp  10 . The retaining channel  22  has groove portions  24  formed on both the first and second jaws  12  and  14  and is suitably configured to receive the tip clamp member  50 . The retaining channel  22  is generally T-shaped in cross-section in the form shown in FIG. 1. The laterally extending groove portions  24  of channel  22  receive the tip clamp member  50 , wherein the tip clamp member  50  may be slid within the groove portions  24 .  
         [0019]    The tip clamp member  50  includes engagement flanges  56 , which are operably configured to slidably engage the groove portions  24 .  
         [0020]    When the tip clamp member  50  is fully engaged in the retaining channel  22 , the operating screw  52  is preferably coaxially aligned with the passage  20  and the tip clamp member  50  is held against the cue clamp  10 . It should be appreciated that either the tip clamp member  50  or the cue clamp  10  may be configured with a means to set the distance (along the longitudinal axes of the groove portions  24 ) that the tip clamp member  50  will slide so as to ensure proper alignment of the operating screw  52  with the longitudinal axis of the passage  20 . For example, a series of stops or an adjustable stop may be provided so that the distance may be set in correspondence with different ferrule diameters.  
         [0021]    The retaining channel  22  and the tip clamp member  50  are configured such that the tip clamp member  50  may only be removed from the retaining channel  22  by sliding the tip clamp member  50  out of the groove portions  24 . It is preferred that the groove portions  24  extend substantially parallel to the axes of the bores  16  and  18 .  
         [0022]    When a new cue tip is placed on a cue stick, the cue tip is adhered to a ferrule attached to an end of the cue stick. The repair device of the present invention provides proper attachment of the cue tip to the ferrule without damaging the cue stick. Specifically, the flanges  56  of the tip clamp member  50  will slidably engage the groove portions  24  of the retaining channel  22 . A cue stick with a new cue tip provisionally attached to a ferrule by a not-yet dried adhesive is then inserted into the passage  20 . The cue clamp  10  is tightened so that it is firmly held against the ferrule (typically the surfaces  13  and  15  will be spaced from one another in this condition by a distance depending on the diameter of the ferrule, which determines the points of engagement with the walls of passage  20 ). The operating screw  52  is actuated to engage the plate-like tip portion  54  with the new cue tip so as to apply pressure in a direction corresponding to the axis of the cue stick. With this arrangement the repair device according to the invention provides proper alignment between the new cue tip, relative to the cue stick, while the adhesive dries. Additionally, because the surface of the passage  20  engages the ferrule and not the cue stick, the repair device of the invention will not damage the surface of the stick. In practice, depending on the user&#39;s preference, the cue clamp  10  may be applied to the ferrule before or after a new tip is placed on the ferrule, and the tip clamp member  50  may similarly be mounted to the cue clamp  10  with or without the new tip having been mounted to the ferrule.  
         [0023]    While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiment outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the embodiment of the invention, as set forth above, is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.