Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
5~ ~ ~
The present invention generally relates to a gu-ide for
a cue stick which enables the cue stick to be more accurately
aimed and controlled during use when hitt;ng the cue ball w-ith
the guide ;ncluding a split sleeve having a tapered, long-itudi-
nally ribbed interior construction prov-id-ing easy gl;ding engage-
ment with the cue stick~
Various devices have been provided to enable a cue
s~ick to be guided when striking the cue ball. Such devices are
frequently used when the cue ball is in a position on a table
that requires the cue stick to be extended substantially complete-
ly across the table, Such devices, usually referred to as
"bridges", only provide supporting engagement with the undersur-
face of the cue stick and do not provide any substantial guiding
function~ Other devices are known which are hand held and facili-
tate sliding movement of the cue stick in relation to the hand of
the user, Exemplary of the development in th-is field of endeavor
are the follow-ing U,S~ patents:
Pat, Nos. 529,731 - Nov~ 27, 1894
635,569 - Oct. 24, 1899
690,617 - Jan~ 7, 1902
1,299,720 - ~pr~ 8, 1919
2,014,788 - Sep~ 17, 1925
2,931,649 - Apr. 5, 1960.
~ n object of the present invention is to prov-ide an
easy glide cue sti~k guide incorporat-ing a hand held, longitudi-
nally elongated, tapered, internally ribbed, spli~ slee~e -in
which the two halves of the sleeve are pivotally connected and
retained in gu;ding but yet very light frict-ional engagement with
the tapered shaft on the cue stick by exerting finger pressure
thereon by the forefinger when the guide is being used thereby
facil-itat-ing the long-itudinal movement of the cue s~ick by enabl-
ing it to easily glide through the sleeve and also mainta-ining
more accurate control of the aim and path of movement of the cue
stick when the cue stick is used to strike the cue ball~
Another object of the invention is to provide a guide
in accordance with the preceding object in which the ribs extend
longitudinally and are constructed so that it is unnecessary to
; utilize powder on the exterior of the cue stick and friction re-
ducing balls are employed internally of the sleeve to facilitate
the ease of sliding movement of the cue stick in relation to the
guide.
A further object of the invention is to provide a guide
in accordance with the preceding objects having a laterally ex
tending, adjustable length support member rigid with respect to
the sleeve and perpendicular thereto for supporting engagement
with the surface of the pool table to further control the a:im
and provide a steady support for the guide and cue stick guided
thereby~
Still another object of the invention is ~o prov:ide an
easy glide cue atick guide in wh:ich the two halves of the longi-
tudinally split sleeve have a spring structure assoc-iated w-;th
the h-inge along one edge of the sleeve to spring bias the two
halves of the sleeve together ;n a manner which will not -induce
sufficient friction against the cue stick to retard its longi-
tudinal movement with the control of the.longitudinal movement
being obtained by the person using the device with his foref;nger
wrapped par~ially around the split sleeve at the peripheral por-
tion of the sleeve in opposite relation to the hinge connect;on~
Still another important object of the present invention
is to provide a guide in accordance w-ith the preced-ing objects
z
wh;ch :is relatively simple in construct-ion, easy to use, effective
to glidingly support a pool cue stick and mai.ntain an accurate
aim and path of movement for the cue stick.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the easy gl;de cue
guide illus~rat;ng schemat;cally the manner of using the gu:ide for
aiming and controlling the path of movement of a cue stick when
it is used to strike a cue ball~
Figure 2 t8 an end elevational view of the guide~ ~ -
Figure 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken
generally upon a plane passing along sect;on line 3--3 of Fig. 2
illustrating the structural details of the guide~
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device in use
without the supporting pedestal.
The easy glide cue guide of the present invent;on is
generally designated by numeral 10 and -is ;llustrated in use ;n
Fig. l for guiding the cue stick generally des-ignated by numeral
12 toward a cue ball 14 for causing the cue ball 14 to move along
a pool table surface 16 toward a target area, ball, or the like,
-in which it i9 neceasary to properly pos-it-ion the cue stick 12 so
that its tip 1~ will be properly positioned w-ith respect to the
cue ball 14 and the tapered shaf~ 20 of the cue stick 12 will be
properly aimed and controlled during its movement toward the cue
ball 14 in a manner which is well known in playing pool or other : .
similar games.
The guide lO includes an elongated taper-ing sleeve 22
which is longitudinally split into two substantially :identical
substantially semi-frusto-conical members 24 and 26 which are
hingedly interconnected along their lower edges by a hinge struc-
ture generally des-ignated by numeral 28 and which includes a
hinge p:in 30 e~tending through aligned, interdig-itated hir~ge
barrels or p:intles 32 and 34 which are -integral with the respec-
tive members 24 and 26, An ax;al coil spring 36 is assoc:iated
with the hinge pin in a manner to lightly spring bias the members
24 and 26 toward each other~ The oppos-ite edges of the members
24 and 26 are ~ree and capable of movement toward and away from
each other to facilitate movement of the tapered shaft of the cue
stick 12 in relation to the sleeve 22,
The interior of the sleeve 22 is prov-ided with a
plurality of long~tudinally extending ribs or ridges 38 intercon-
nected by longitudinal grooves or valleys 40 with the apex of ~.
each of the ribs or r;dges also tapering or being -inclined at the
same angle of taper as the tapered shaft 20 so that the plurality
of circumferentially spaced ribs or ridges 38 will be in sliding
and guiding contact with the tapered shaft 20 throughout the
length of the ribs or ridges 38. The pivotal movement of the
members 24 and 26 enables the tapered shaft 20 to slide through
the sleeve 22 with the sleeve 22 opening or expanding ;n effective
diameter as the tapered shaft moves toward the cue ball and clos-
in~ or retract:ing in diameter as the tapered shaft 20 moves -in
the opposite direction~
The sleeve 22 has a depending tubular holder or n:ipple
22 connected thereto by the hinge pin 30 which also extends through
tabs 44 on the upper end of the holder 42 as illustrated in Fig~
3, The holder 42 is provided with a tubular socket 46 in its
lower end for receiving a rather short t.ubular member 48 wh-ich
: may be in the form of a p-ipe nipple, tubular plastic member, or
solid rod, which is telescoped into the socket 46 and detachably
secured thereto as by friction, screw threaded connection, or by
any other suitable meansO The lower end of the support member 48
is provided w;th a cushioning cap 50 ~hereon which may be of
--4--
)S~;~
plastic or resilient material and frictionally mounted on the
cylindrical or tubular support member 48 as illustrated in Fig.
2. The cushioning c.ap 50 is adapted to rest on the pool table
surface 16 as illustrated in Fig. 1 during use. The hand 52
of the person using the cue stick engages around the holder 42
and adjacent portion of the support mamber 48 as illustrated in
Fig. 1 with the thumb 54 underlying the sleeve 22 and the fore-
finger 56 extending over top of the sleeve 22 so that by exerting
pressure on the sleeve 22 by use of the forefinger 56, the person
using the guide 10 may determine the frictional engagement be-
tween the cue stick shaft 20 and the guide sleeve 22, thereby
enabling control of the movement of the cue stick 12 with the
holder 42, support member 48 and cap 50 providing a steadying
support for the stick in order to maintain proper control o the
cue stick when aiming the cue stick in its optimum relationship
to the cue ball 14 and when the cue stick ia being moved in lts
path of movement when the cue ball is bein~ struck by the tip 18
of the cue stick 12.
In some lnstances, the guide 10 may be used without the
support member 48 or the cap 50 in which event the hand 52 i8
placed around the sleeve 22 with the thumb 54 underlying the
sleeve 22 and the forefinger 56 overlying the sleeve 22 as illus-
trated in Fig. 4. In this position, the remainder of the hand
including the fingers 5~ are spread out and rest against the pool
table surface in a conventional and well known manner.
To reduce the frictional engagement between the guide
sleeve and the cue stick, the grooves or valleys 40 may be provided
with a plurality of spherical members in the form of ball bearings 9
or the like, 60 partially embedded therein in a manner that the
peripheries of the ball bearings 60 will lie inwardly in the
same circular plane as the apices of the ribs 3~ for engagement
w;th the cue stick w-ithout -introducing any fr-ictional res;stance
to movement and, in fact, reducing the frict;onal res-istance to a
minimum. The spherical members are embedded in the ;nterior of
the sleeves which may be formed integrally or as an ~;nsert of
hard rubber, plastic, or similar material, as designated by
numeral 62 with the material encapsulating slightly more than
one half of the periphery of the spher;cal balls.
The internal taper of the guide sleeve 22 corresponds
with the taper on the tapering shaft of the cue stick and guiding-
` ly engages the cue stick at circumferentially spaced lines of
contact, thus providing an accurate control of the cue st;ck dur-
ing its movement so that the cue stick will glide easily when
hitting the cue ball with a sort of interferring dry rub sim-ilar
to that imparted to the cue stick when a person is guid-ing the
cue stick by using his f-ingers and thumb in a convent-ional manner.
This device does not require the use of powder, such as is normal-
ly employed on the fingers, to prevent the cue stick from st-ick-ing
to the fingers and provides adequate control to the cue stick such
that persons normally unahle to hold the cue stick steady w-ill be
able to accurately aim and control the cue st:ick, thus enabling
such players to obtain more enjoyment from playing pool.
The device rnay be constructed of plast-ic material,
metal, or any other suitable equivalellt materials, thus rendering
the device relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easily used
by various pool players regardless of the size of cue stick wh-ich
is used w-ithin the limits of the swinging movement of the sleeve
members 24 and 26.
