Abstract:
Apparatus for holding and supporting portions of a bridge and a cue stick utilized for playing games such as a pool and billiards. The top of a body holds the load, while the bottom of the body connects to a support for supporting the body from a flat surface such as the playing surface of a pool table. The support extends downwardly from the body a desired distance to rest upon the playing surface.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    This invention relates to apparatus for supporting, in combination with a prior art device referred to as a “bridge”, a cue stick for striking and propelling a driving ball (sometimes called a “cue ball”) over a flat surface. More particularly, games such as pool and billiards require that a ball be driven along a precise path over a flat surface. A driving ball may be inconveniently located close to other balls or beyond easy reach of a player and therefore difficult to strike with precision. This invention relates to apparatus to facilitate striking such inconveniently located driving balls.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Games of pool or billiards have endured over the years since their respective invention and now involve large rosters of professional players, large audiences and large sums of money. Apparatus for playing these games are being upgraded by highly skilled and inventive artisans who are inspired by a love of the game and by the large sums of money available to improve and facilitate play of the games. Such apparatus includes, but is not limited to, at least one driving, or cue ball which is usually white in color, a plurality of variously colored balls, sometimes called “object balls” which are to be propelled in desired directions by the cue ball and one or more cue sticks utilized for striking a cue ball. A cue stick may typically be about five feet long and made of wood such as ash or maple and be circumferentially tapered from about 14 mm. diameter at a free, gripping end to about 11 mm. diameter at an opposite, free striking end. Advantageously, there is assembled to the cue stick at the striking end, a deformable tip so the cue ball may be pressed into the tip by force of the cue stick when it is longitudinally translated and the tip is driven against the cue ball. The pressing of a deformable tip to a cue ball facilitates giving “spin” to a cue ball, sometimes called giving “english” to the ball. Another purpose of the tip is to impart velocity to the cue ball; still another purpose is to impart precise aim to the cue ball. It will be appreciated that imparting and controlling such spinning, velocity and aim cannot be achieved unless a cue stick is properly supported so its tip may engage a cue ball exactly as desired by a player. Normally, such support is achieved by a player applying a first hand near the gripping end for supportively translating a cue stick and applying a second hand near the striking end for supporting and guiding the tip into desired engagement with the cue ball. Such guiding is typically achieved by placing the second hand downwardly upon the flat driving surface, then raising the knuckles and thumb upwardly to form a “V” shaped bridge between the thumb and adjacent knuckle for supportively guiding the cue stick. Also, a player may utilize the forefinger of the guiding hand to wrap around and guide a cue stick. If a cue ball is close to a side rail which supportively encompasses a table, such rail may be utilized by the guiding hand to supportively guide a cue stick.  
           [0003]    A problem is that a cue ball may not always be conveniently located whereby supportively translating and guiding a cue stick may be achieved utilizing only a player&#39;s first and second hands. For example, a cue ball may be located closely adjacent to one or more object balls. Also, a cue ball may be located so far away from a side rail of a table that a player cannot extend a second hand sufficiently to get close enough to the cue ball to supportively guide the cue stick and tip into desired engagement with the cue ball.  
           [0004]    The problem of inconveniently located cue balls was addressed in the prior art primarily with apparatus referred to as a “bridge” (sometimes called a “rake” because the bridge sometimes resembles a miniature garden rake). The bridge has a handle resembling a cue stick with a gripping free end and a guiding end. Across the guiding end there is assembled a rectangular guiding plate to form a “T”. The plate has “V” shaped notches along a side which may be 4″ to 6″ long and at least one such notch along a shorter side which is about 2″-2½″ long. In use the player places the long side of the plate guide on the flat playing surface utilizing the bridge stick to position the guide on the player&#39;s side of a cue ball. Then a cue stick had its guiding free end placed into a notch along the edge of the bridge guide. By manipulating the gripping end of the cue stick with the player&#39;s one hand and manipulating the gripping end of the bridge handle with the player&#39;s other hand, the tip of the cue stick is brought into a desired engagement with the cue ball. When a cue ball is obstructed such as by one or more object balls, the player rotates the handle with the attached guide plate to bring one of the short sides of the rectangular guide to rest on the flat playing surface and elevating the notch on the other, short side of the bridge guide. The guiding end of a cue stick is then placed in the elevated notch whereby the cue tip may be translated over the obstruction and into a desired engagement of a cue ball.  
           [0005]    A problem with prior art bridges is that the guide plate often provides unstable support of the cue for the guiding end of the cue stick. Such instability is especially evident when a guide is rotated to rest on its short end to elevate a guiding end of a cue stick. Sometimes the plate guide cannot be placed sufficiently close to a cue ball so a cue stick, slidably supported in a notch in the guide, cannot be properly translated over obstructions and into a desired engagement of a cue ball.  
           [0006]    Accordingly, it is desirable to provide new and approved apparatus for supporting portions of a bridge and a cue stick. It is desirable to bring a guiding end of a cue stick and its tip into a desired engagement of a cue ball when the cue ball is inconveniently distant from a player or is obstructed such as by object balls. Prior art bridges are found in company with most pool and billiard apparatus so it is desirable to provide apparatus to enhance guiding support provided by such bridges. It is further desirable that such apparatus be easily carried in a player&#39;s pocket and be readily applied to such known bridges.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    Apparatus is provided for supporting a load such a portion of a bridge and cue stick utilized in playing games such as pool and billiards. A bridge support has a body with bottom legs and a top trough which is upwardly concaved and of a size and shape to fit closely and at least slightly more than halfway around the circumference of a desired handle of a bridge. The trough is sufficiently long so the length and fit of the trough provides a desired support for the bridge, it being understood that a portion of a player&#39;s cue stick is supported also by the bridge and, therefore, portions of the bridge and the cue stick are supported by the bridge support of the invention. The trough of the body also has opposing sidewalls extending the length of each side of the trough and of a height above that of a bridge handle when placed in the trough, sufficient that each sidewall has portions above the handle which may be bent away from the opposing portion to readily accept and guide a bridge handle into the trough.  
           [0008]    In a presently preferred embodiment, the body and its sidewalls are made of resiliently pliable material and the sidewalls are biased toward one another such that the sidewalls are forced apart to accept therebetween a bridge handle with a snap-fit in the trough. Such material of the body and the snap-fit are sufficiently strong that the bridge support may remain firmly snapped onto a handle when the bridge is lifted and carried about by a player.  
           [0009]    The opposing sidewalls of a body may be extended downwardly from the trough to form on either sides of the body respective opposing skirts for connection to respective opposing support legs. A top portion of each leg may be flattened into a plate extending upwardly along a surface of a skirt inwardly of the body. A thru-bore in each skirt and a thru-bore in each plate may be provided and a respective skirt and the plate of a respective leg may be assembled in matching relation whereby a thru bolt and nut may be installed and tightened in matching thru-bores for connecting each leg to a skirt.  
           [0010]    The opposing skirts of a body are provided to form an inverted “V” shape whereby the legs when connected to such skirts extend downwardly to continue and enhance the inverted “V” shape. Such legs are sufficiently long to support the body with a bridge handle therein so its guiding plate will support and aim the guiding end of a cue stick in a manner and at sufficient height to engage a cue ball as desired.  
           [0011]    In a further embodiment, at the bottom end of each leg, a rounded smooth portion is provided so a bridge support may be slid over a playing surface without damage to said surface.  
           [0012]    In another embodiment, the legs are rotatively connected to the skirts of a body. Resilient inserts are employed in nuts for bolts for biasing a leg plate against its respective skirt such that, when a leg is rotated about a bolt said bolt and its connecting nut remain in tight connection. The plate at the top of each leg plate may have a cam configuration around its bolt connection. A portion of the cam is wider than the remaining portions and such wider portion bears on a portion of the body to prevent rotation of a leg in a first circular direction and to permit rotation of a leg in a second circular direction. When both legs are rotated in the desired second circular direction, the legs may be stored in a preferred manner substantially parallel to a bridge handle. When a body is snap-fitted to such bridge handle and the legs are properly rotated for storage, the bridge supporte is readily carried by a player along with the bridge. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0013]    The invention will be more readily understood from the detailed description when read in conjunction with the drawing wherein:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a bridge utilized to support and guide a cue stick.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the bridge shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a left side view of a substantially rectangular guide plate taken along line  3 - 3  in FIG. 1.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a left side view of the guide plate taken along line  4 - 4  in FIG. 2.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a pictorial view of an unseen player manipulating his second hand upwardly to elevate and guide a cue stick (with tip) gripped by his first hand to engage a cue ball.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5, wherein a bridge is utilized in a typical manner to support and guide a cue stick to engage a cue ball which is too distant for the player to engage utilizing only first and second hands.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5, wherein a bridge handle is rotated to turn a guide plate upwardly extending its full length for the player to bridge over an obstructing object ball to engage a cue ball.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, wherein a typically oriented bridge is elevated by support of the present invention such that the guide is utilized in an elevated manner so a cue stick may be bridged well over obstructions for engaging a cue ball.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 9 is a top view of a bridge support according to one embodiment of the instant invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 10 is a first side elevation of the bridge support shown in FIG. 9, taken along line  10 - 10 .  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 11 is a second side elevation of the bridge support shown in FIG. 10, taken line  11 - 11  to show rotation of support legs.  
         [0025]    It can be seen that some features in the figures are abbreviated or simplified to highlight certain aspects of the invention. Also, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated in the figures to designate the same or corresponding features. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0026]    It is well known among pool and billiards&#39; players that a slight error in engaging and striking a cue ball can make a serious difference in the path and spin of the ball and results of play. Much skill is required when a cue ball is inconveniently located such as by being distant from the reach of a player&#39;s arms or by being closely obstructed such as by object balls. One approach to engaging such cue balls is to employ a mechanical extension to a player&#39;s reach utilizing a device referred to as a bridge  10  shown in FIG. 1. The bridge  10  includes a handle  12  having a free gripping end  14  and tapering to a thinner, opposite end  16 , very much like a conventional cue stick shown in FIG. 5. A difference is that the handle  12  has no cue tip, but instead is fixedly assembled to a hub  18  of a substantially rectangular guide plate  20  so disposed across the free end  16  of the bridge handle  12 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3 is a left side view of guide plate  20  taken along line  3 - 3  in FIG. 1. A phantom outline  19  is drawn about guide plate  20  in FIG. 3 to indicate the substantially configuration of plate  20  which may be 4″ to 6″ long and may be 2″ to 2½″wide. Plate  20  has a face  21  containing the hub  18  and there is a long bearing edge  17  and another long opposite edge  22  containing notches  23 ,  24  and  25 . The end  16  of bridge handle is seen in section in FIG. 3 and it is fixedly attached by means (not shown) to hub  18 . Also, for clarity, a phantom lined picture of an end  27  of an unseen cue stick  42  is shown in notch  24  to appreciate the function of a bridge  10  which will be later shown in more detail below. Bridge  10  is is seen FIG. 1 resting on a playing surface  28  which is typically hard and flat and covered by a soft material such as felt. When seen in the typical manner of FIG. 1, bridge  10  resembles a miniature garden rake.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the bridge  10  shown in FIG. 1. However, the the bridge handle  12  has been rotated toward the viewer to bring guide plate  20  (FIG. 4) to rest on surface  28  bearing upon a short edge  30 . Note that there is another opposing short edge  32  which is upwardly oriented and is elevated so a notch  34  in edge  32  may be utilized to hold and aim an unseen cue stick  42  having a phantom lined picture of a guide end  46  to show function of the bridge  10  in this mode of operation shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Note also that the bridge handle  12  in FIG. 2 has been elevated above surface  28  to better bridge over an obstructing object ball  40 .  
         [0029]    In another prior art method of bridging over obstructing ball  40  on a surface  28 , FIG. 5 shows a pictorial view of an unseen player engaging a cue ball  50 . A cue stick  42  having a gripping end  44  and a guiding end  46  is utilized without benefit of a bridge  10 . A player&#39;s first hand  52  is applied near the gripping end  44  for supportively translating the cue stick  42 . The player&#39;s second hand  54  is applied near the guiding end  46  of cue stick  42 . Such guiding is achieved by placing hand  54  downward upon the surface  28 , then raising the knuckles  55  (one shown) and the thumb  56  upwardly as shown in FIG. 5. There is formed a “V” shaped bridge  57  between the thumb  56  and the adjacent knuckle  55  and the fingers  58  and  59  (or more) bear on surface  28  to support “V” shaped bridge  57  for supportively guiding cue stick  42  over obstructing object balls  40  and  41  into engagement with cue ball  50 . A problem with the prior art method shown in FIG. 5 is that a cue ball may not always be within easy reach of a players hands  52  and  54  and the cue stick  42 . Another problem is that one or more obstructing balls may be much closer than the object balls  40  and  41  are to cue ball  50 . These and other problems are addressed in FIGS. 6 and 7 and are believed more fully resolved utilizing the present invention as shown in FIG. 8.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 6 shows a typical method using the bridge  10  to extend the reach of the player&#39;s hands  52  and  54 . The guide plate  20  is rested in its most stable position on its long edge  17  and the opposite long edge  22  having a notch  24  is utilized to hold and guide cue stick  42 . Player&#39;s hand  52  typically continues to grip end  44  and translate cue stick  42 , but hand  54  is now used to grip end  14  of handle  12  and to manipulate, as desired said bridge handle  12  to bring plate  20  into position behind the cue ball  50  and to hold and stabilize bridge  10  during the play.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 7 shows a typical use of the bridge  12  to reach the cue ball  50  when it is obstructed by an object ball  40 . The guide plate  20  is rotated upwardly by the player&#39;s hand  54  according to the arrow R 2 -R 2  until the guide plate  20  rests on its short edge  30  and the opposite, upward short edge  32  and its notch  34  can be utilized to hold and guide the cue stick  42 . Notch  34  is about twice as high above playing surface  28  as is notch  24  shown in FIG. 6. Accordingly, the end  46  of cue stick  42  may easily be bridged over the obstructing ball to engage the cue ball  50 . However, it will be appreciated that the bridge  10  is not nearly as stable in FIG. 7 as it is in FIG. 6. Moreover, the player&#39;s aim is known to be less effective and control of the translating function of hand  52  is less precise in playing a cue ball  50  with bridge  10  in the manner shown in FIG. 7. Moreover, the bridging function is less adequate when there is even more than just one obstructing ball  40  as shown in FIG. 8.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 8 shows new and improved apparatus for bridging a cue stick  42  over what may be several obstructions such as the object balls  51 ,  52  and  53  shown on surface  28  to engage a cue ball  50 . Bridge  10  is elevated and stabilized by a bridge holder  60  having a body  62  and legs  71  and  73 . Only leg  73  can be seen in FIG. 8 and its further detail will be explained later below.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 8 shows that holder  60  is applied near end  16  of handle  12 . However, holder  60  is slidably attached to handle  12  so holder  60  may be moved according to arrow D-D to an advantageous position such as that shown in FIG. 8 where guide plate  20  is disposed between obstructing ball  51  and  52 . A player&#39;s hand  54  grips end  14  of bridge handle  12  and slides bridge  10  forward or back to suit the conditions on surface  28 . The end  14  of handle  12  may also be raised and lowered using holder  60  as a fulcrum according to arrow A-A to move guide plate up or down according to arrow B-B to avoid an obstruction such as ball  52 . Note that, with holder  60 , there is no need to rotate guide plate  20  as shown in FIG. 7 so the instability associated with using the short edges  30  and  32  of guide plate  20  is avoided.  
         [0034]    Reference is now made to FIGS. 9, 10 and II which respective top and first and second side views of bridge holder  60 . FIG. 9 shows that the holder  60  may hold and support an unseen bridge by its handle  12  shown only partially and in phanom lines in FIGS. 9, 10 and  11 . Holder  60  includes a body  62  having an upwardly concaved top trough  64  and opposing sidewalls  66  and  67  fitted closely more than half way around the circumference of handle  12  (FIG. 10). The trough  64  and its sidewalls  66  and  67  are of a length (about 1″ as shown) along a handle  12  sufficient to provide stability for holding the load of a bridge  10  and a cue stick  42  (neither shown).  
         [0035]    In a presently preferred embodiment, the body  60 , its trough  64  and sidewalls  66  and  67  are made of a material of such as a resilient plastic which is pliable. Sidewalls  66  and  67  are bent inwardly toward each other and have portions  68  and  69  which are bent outwardly. The portions  68  and  69  (FIG. 10) are wide enough apart to readily guide a handle  12  toward trough  64  and sidewalls  66  and  67  are biased toward one another so they are forced apart by a handle  12  to form a snap-fit of such handle  12  when placed in the trough  64 . The snap-fit may be sufficiently tight that the entire holder  60  remains attached to a bridge handle  12  and is not detached when a bridge  10  is carried about for play or stored in a conventional stick rack.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 10 is a side view of holder  60  shown in FIG. 9 taken along line  10 - 10 . The sidewalls  66  and  67  are extended downwardly from trough  64  to form opposing skirts  74  and  75  which are preferrably coextensive in length with the trough  64  to support the load of at least portions of a bridge  10  and cue stick  42 . The skirts  74  and  75  also contain means such as thru-bores (not shown) to make connection to the legs  71  and  73  utilizing the bolts  78  and  79  and the nuts  80  and  81 . The legs  71  and  73  may be at least partially rounded as shown at the bottom ends  88  and  89  for protecting an unseen covered surface from damage when the holder  60  may be slid over such surface.  
         [0037]    The connecting means for the tops of legs  71  and  73  may include flattened portions  84  and  86  as shown in FIG. 10. Such portions  84  and  86  extend sufficiently upward along and in contact with the inward surfaces of the skirts  74  and  75  such that the bolts  78  and  79  and nuts  80  and  81  can firmly connect the legs  71  and  73  for stability and reliability.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 11 is a side view of holder  60  taken along line  11 - 11  in FIG. 10. The nearest skirt of sidewall  67  has been broken away to show means for rotating the leg  73 . The tops of the top plates  84  and  86  have cams  92  and  93  but only  92  is shown having a wide portion  94 . Accordingly, if leg  73  were rotated in a clockwise direction, the wider portion  94  would bear on a bottom portion  96  of the body  60  and stop rotation in that direction. However, when leg  73  is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as shown by arrow C-C, the wider portion  94  is rotated away from body portion  96  and a desired rotation is achieved bringing leg  73  to the position shown substantially parallel to the bridge handle  12 . It will be appreciated that both legs  71  and  73  may be rotated as desribed and the holder  60  may remain on the bridge handle  12  when holder  60  is not being utilized for bridging. In a further embodiment, the bolts  78  and  79  may contain resilient means such as pliable washers or pliable material in nut bores (not shown) such that the nuts  80  and  81  hold tight when legs  71  and  73  are rotated. In a still further embodiment, the skirts  74  and  75  and the legs  71  and  73  are formed into an inverted “V” shape (FIG. 10) for stability and to distribute the load on the holder  60  substantially equally between legs  71  and  73 . It will be further appreciated that the legs  71  and  73  may be made longer or shorter to suit a player&#39;s desire for height above a surface  28  for engaging a cue ball  40 .  
         [0039]    There have been illustrated herein certain embodiments of the invention and certain applications of the embodiments. Nevertheless, it is to be understood that various modifications and refinements may be made and utilized which differ from these disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
         [0040]    For example, in another embodiment, caps of a material which develop friction with the playing surface  28  may be applied over the bottom ends  88  and  89  of the legs  71  and  73 . The material may be elastic to provide a tight fit over the ends  88  and  89  and advantageously frictional with the surface  28  to prevent movement of legs  71  and  73  during play of the game.