Billiard cue chalk holder

A billiard cue chalk holder having a housing with side walls, opposed end walls and a hollow internal cavity having a cross section configured to stationarily receive a cubical billiard cue chalk block. An aperture is formed in at least one of the end walls and disposed in communication with the cavity in the housing to allow insertion of the tip of a billiard cue stick therethrough into contact with the chalk block housed internally within the housing. Mounting flanges formed on the housing receive fasteners to stationarily mount the housing on a flat surface, such as the side of a billiard table. The length of the cavity is configured to receive one or more cubical billiard cue chalk blocks, all of which are accessible for applying chalk to the tip of a billiard cue stick through the apertures formed in one or both of the end walls of the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention: 
The present invention relates, in general, to article holders and, more 
specifically, to billiard cue chalk holders. 
2. Description of the Prior Art: 
While playing the games of pool and billiards, players frequently apply 
chalk to the tip of the cue stick in order to increase the frictional 
contact between the tip of the cue stick and the cue ball and to prevent 
slippage therebetween. Over the years, the fabrication of the chalk has 
been standardized to the form of a small cube or block, three-quarters of 
an inch on a side. Paper or cardboard is wrapped around all but one side 
of the chalk block. A hemispherical depression is formed in the uncovered 
end of the chalk block to receive the tip of a cue stick. 
The small size of the chalk blocks cause numerous problems in their use. 
For one, the chalk blocks are easily lost or misplaced thereby delaying 
the play of the game or diminishing its enjoyment since the level of skill 
of the players decreases without the use of chalk. Further, the chalk 
blocks are frequently dropped or knocked into the pockets of the billiard 
table causing jamming of the ball return tracks which prevents collection 
of the balls in the ball collection box or trough. Also, the chalk blocks 
usually break when dropped onto the floor thereby rendering them useless. 
Finally, theft of chalk blocks, either intentionally or accidentally, 
poses a major concern for the operators of commercial pool or billiards 
establishments. 
To overcome these problems, numerous devices or holders have been created 
to hold the chalk blocks in a readily accessible yet non-removable 
location on or near a pool or billiard table. The holders include a 
housing holding the chalk block. An aperture is formed in the housing and 
allows the cue tip to be inserted into the interior of the housing into 
contact with the chalk block to apply chalk thereto by manual rotation of 
the cue stick or automatically by rotational means mounted in the housing 
and coupled to the chalk block. 
However, such chalk holders are not without certain limitations. Such chalk 
holders are designed to hold one and at most two chalk blocks in a 
stationary position with respect to a billiard or pool table. While 
minimizing loss or misplacement of the chalk blocks, the minimal number of 
chalk blocks contained in each housing necessitates frequent replacement 
of the chalk blocks which is a time consuming task, especially in large 
pool and billiard establishments. 
What is still needed, despite the numerous attempts to provide an effective 
billiard cue chalk holder, is a billiard cue chalk holder which prevents 
loss or theft of chalk blocks, eliminates the possibility of droppage onto 
the floor or into the pockets of the billiard table and, at the same time, 
is convenient to use. It would be desirable to provide a billiard cue 
chalk holder which minimizes the need for frequent replacement of the 
chalk blocks mounted in the holder. It would also be desirable to provide 
a billiard cue chalk holder which is easily usable to apply chalk to the 
tip of cue sticks. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a billiard cue chalk holder which is capable of 
holding one or more chalk blocks in a readily accessible position for 
applying chalk to the tip of a billiard cue stick. 
The billiard cue chalk holder has a housing formed of side walls, first and 
second opposed end walls and a hollow internal cavity. The hollow internal 
cavity has a cross section configured to stationarily receive a cubical 
billiard cue chalk block and, in one embodiment, a plurality of chalk 
blocks in a co-axial arrangement. One of the side walls of the housing is 
open allowing access to the interior of the housing for inserting or 
removing chalk blocks therefrom. 
An aperture is formed in one of the end walls of the housing and is 
disposed in communication with the cavity in the housing to allow the 
insertion of the tip of a cue stick therethrough into contact with the 
chalk blocks housed internally within the cavity in the housing. In a 
preferred embodiment, an aperture is formed on each of the opposed end 
walls thereby allowing access to the chalk blocks housed within the 
housing from either end of the housing. 
Mounting means are provided for fixedly mounting the housing to a flat 
surface, such as the side of a billiard table, a wall, etc. In a preferred 
embodiment, the mounting means comprises at least one and preferably two 
flanges integrally formed with the housing and extending outward from the 
side walls of the housing. In one embodiment, the flanges are disposed 
adjacent to the open portion of the side wall of the housing. Apertures 
formed in each flange receive suitable fasteners, such as screws, etc., 
for removably mounting the housing to a flat surface. 
When the housing containing one or more chalk blocks is mounted to a flat 
surface, the open portion of the side wall of the housing is covered by 
the flat surface thereby preventing access to the interior of the housing 
and prohibiting unauthorized removal of the chalk blocks therefrom. Access 
to the interior of the housing for applying chalk to the tip of a cue 
stick is, however, easily provided through the apertures in the end walls. 
The unique billiard cue chalk holder of the present invention overcomes 
many of the deficiencies encountered with previously devised attempts to 
provide a stationarily mountable billiard cue chalk holder. By making the 
holder attachable to a flat surface, such as the side of a billiard table, 
loss or theft of the chalk blocks is eliminated. Further, droppage of the 
chalk blocks into the pockets of a billiard table or onto the floor is 
also eliminated. Both of these advantages tremendously increase the useful 
life of each chalk block thereby minimizing cost to the operators of 
billiard or pool establishments. 
The length of the housing and the internal cavity extending between the 
opposed end walls may also be designed in any length to house any number 
of chalk blocks in a coaxial arrangement. This reduces the time involved 
in replacing used chalk blocks in previously devised holders which contain 
one and at most two chalk blocks. 
Finally, the billiard cue chalk holder of the present invention is easily 
mountable in a readily accessible position which makes it easy for players 
to utilize the holder in applying chalk to the tip of billiard cue sticks.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Throughout the following description and drawing, an identical reference 
number is used to refer to the same component shown in multiple figures of 
the drawing. 
Referring now to the drawing, and to FIG. 1 in particular, there is 
illustrated a billiard cue chalk holder 10 which is useful in storing and 
allowing the non-removable use of one or more billiard cue chalk blocks 
and which can be stationarily mounted on a flat surface, such as the sides 
of a billiard or pool table. 
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the billiard cue chalk holder 10 of the 
present invention includes a housing 12 which is formed of any suitable 
material, such as plastic, metal, etc. The housing 12 generally has a 
shape to receive one or more cubical billiard cue chalk blocks, as 
described hereafter. Thus, while the housing 12 is illustrated as having a 
square cross section, it is only necessary that the internal cross section 
of the housing be sized to stationarily receive a standard cubical 
billiard cue chalk block. Thus, the housing may have any desired outside 
shape, such as square, triangular, circular, etc. 
The housing 12 is formed with first and second opposed end walls 14 and 16 
and a side wall 18. Due to the square cross section of the housing 12 
shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the side wall is formed of four portions, 
namely, solid side walls 18, 20 and 22 and open side 24. As shown in FIG. 
3, side wall 24 which is disposed in registry with a flat surface to which 
the housing 12 is mounted, as described hereafter, is open. The open side 
wall 24 allows access to the interior of the housing 12 for the insertion 
or removal of chalk blocks therefrom. 
A hollow internal cavity 26 is formed within the housing 12 and extends 
longitudinally between the end walls 14 and 16. The cavity 26, as shown in 
FIGS. 2 and 3, has a substantially square cross section and is sized to 
snugly receive a cubical, standard chalk block 28. It should be noted that 
the length of the housing 12 and the length of the internal cavity 26 may 
be provided in any desired dimension so as to stationarily house one or 
more standard sized cubical chalk blocks 28. Such standard chalk blocks 28 
are generally provided in a cube, three-quarters of an inch on a side. 
Thus, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 12 has an 
overall length for receiving five standard sized, individual chalk blocks 
28. The length may be varied as necessary to house more or less chalk 
blocks as desired. It should also be noted that the length of the housing 
12 and the internal cavity 26 may also be sized in any dimension to 
receive a single, non-standard sized chalk block having a length greater 
than the length of a standard single chalk block. The overall length of 
the non-standard chalk block may be equivalent to two, three, four, etc. 
individual standard sized chalk blocks arranged end to end. 
First and second apertures 30 and 32, respectively, are formed in the end 
walls 14 and 16, respectively. The apertures 30 and 32 have a circular 
cross section and communicate with the cavity 26 in the interior of the 
housing 12. The apertures 30 and 32 function to allow access of a tip 44 
of a standard pool or billiard cue stick 42, FIG. 2, therethrough into 
contact with the chalk blocks 28 housed in the internal cavity 26 in the 
housing 12, as described in greater detail below. 
Mounting means is provided on the housing 12 for fixedly mounting the 
housing 12 to a flat surface, such as the side of a billiard or pool 
table, a wall, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting means 
comprises at least one planar flange 34 which is mounted on the housing 12 
and extends outward from one of the side walls, such as side wall 18 as 
shown in FIG. 3. An aperture 36 is formed in the flange 34 and receives a 
suitable fastener 38, such as a screw, for fixedly mounting the housing 12 
to a flat surface. 
In another embodiment, a pair of longitudinally spaced flanges 34 and 40 
are formed on the housing 12 and extend outward from the side walls 18 and 
22, respectively, of the housing 12. Both flanges 34 and 40 are provided 
with apertures 36 for receiving fasteners 38 to mount the housing 12 to a 
flat surface. 
In using the billiard cue chalk holder 10 of the present invention, the 
desired number of chalk blocks 28 are first inserted into the interior 
cavity 26 in the housing 12 completely filling the internal cavity 26. The 
chalk blocks 28 are arranged with their hemispherical shaped end 
depressions 29 facing outward toward one of the apertures 30 and 32 as 
shown in FIG. 2. Certain of the depressions 29 are arranged in end to end 
relationship facing the aperture 30; while the remaining depressions 29 in 
the blocks 28 face the opposite aperture 32 in the end wall 16. 
The housing 12 is then mounted to a flat surface, such as the side of a 
billiard or pool table, by inserting the fasteners 38 through the 
apertures 36 in the flanges 34 and 40. Preferably, the housing 12 is 
oriented in a substantially horizontally extending position to allow easy 
access to either end of the housing 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the tip 44 of 
a cue stick 42 may be inserted through one of the apertures 30 or 32 in 
the end walls 14 and 16, respectively, of the housing 12 into contact with 
the outer endmost chalk block 28 to apply chalk to the tip 44 when the cue 
stick 42 is manually rotated about its lengthwise extending axis. As the 
outermost chalk blocks 28 are used up, a bore is gradually formed 
therethrough, as shown in FIG. 2, until the outermost chalk block 28 is 
completely used up. Due to the stacked co-axial arrangement of the chalk 
blocks 28 in the internal cavity 26 of the housing 12, the continued 
application of chalk to the cue tip 44 may be achieved since chalk is 
readily available from the next innermost positioned chalk block. This 
alleviates the necessity of immediately replacing used chalk blocks in the 
chalk holder 10. 
Thus, in one embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the billiard cue chalk 
holder 10 of the present invention includes a housing 12, first and second 
apertures 30 and 32 formed in opposed end walls 14 and 16, respectively, 
and at least one chalk block 28 housed in an internal cavity 26 in the 
housing 12. Mounting means in the form of at least one flange 34 
integrally formed on the housing 12 is provided for stationarily fixing 
the housing 12 to a flat surface, such as the side of a billiard or pool 
table. In another embodiment, an aperture is formed in one of the end 
walls of the housing 12 to allow access to an end to end co-axial 
arrangement of a plurality of chalk blocks housed internally in the cavity 
26 within the interior of the housing 12. Mounting flanges are again 
provided for stationarily fixing the housing 12 to a flat surface. In both 
embodiments, when the housing 12 is mounted to the flat surface, as shown 
in FIG. 3, the open side 24 of the housing 12 is disposed in registry with 
and covered by the flat surface thereby preventing access to the interior 
of the housing 12 and unauthorized removal of the chalk blocks 28 
therefrom. 
In summary, there has been disclosed a unique billiard cue chalk holder 
which provides all of the advantages of previously constructed chalk 
holders and, also, overcomes many of the deficiencies of such previously 
devised chalk holders. Since the housing of the present billiard cue chalk 
holder is stationarily mountable to a flat surface, such as the side of a 
billiard or pool table, access to the interior of the housing is prevented 
thereby eliminating any possibility of theft or loss of the chalk blocks 
housed within the interior of the housing. This also prevents any droppage 
of the chalk blocks onto the floor or their inadvertent droppage into the 
pockets of a billiard table. 
Arranging a plurality of co-axially arranged, standard, cubical, chalk 
blocks within the interior of the elongated housing minimizes the time 
required to replace used chalk blocks since additional chalk blocks are 
readily usable after the outer endmost chalk blocks have been completely 
used up. The construction of the billiard cue chalk holder of the present 
invention also enables easy access to either end of the housing thereby 
simplifying the application of chalk to the tip of a cue stick.