BILLIARD TABLE FOOT AND LEG HEIGHT ADJUSTER

DISPOSITIF DE REGLAGE DE LA HAUTEUR DES PATTES ET DES PIEDS D'UNE TABLE DE BILLARD

English Abstract

A billiard table leg and foot height adjuster comprising a bottom plate including at least one concentric bearing race and an upstanding peripheral rim, an upstanding boss in the center of the bottom plate, a billiard table support plate resting on the bearing race within the upstanding peripheral rim, an axle having a lower end, and an upper end projecting up through the boss and support plate, a snap ring retainer on the upper end of the axle for securing the support plate, and at least one set screw in the upstanding peripheral rim and projecting above the support plate to engage a billiard table foot. The foot includes a frustoconical lower portion for rotatable adjustment of the foot by manually gripping and rotating the foot.

French Abstract

Un dispositif de réglage de la hauteur des pattes et des pieds d'une table de billard comprenant un plateau inférieur qui comporte au moins une bague de roulement concentrique et une bordure périphérique verticale, un insert vertical au milieu du plateau inférieur, un plateau de soutien appuyé sur la bague de roulement à l'intérieur de la bordure périphérique verticale, un essieu avec une extrémité inférieure et une extrémité supérieure qui traverse et dépasse l'insert et le plateau de soutien, un anneau d'arrêt élastique sur l'extrémité supérieure de l'essieu pour fixer le plateau de soutien, ainsi qu'au moins une vis dans la bordure périphérique verticale qui dépasse du plateau de soutien pour s'insérer dans le pied de la table de billard. La partie inférieure du pied est tronconique pour permettre de l'ajuster par rotation manuelle.

Claims

The invention claimed is:

A billiard table leg and foot height adjuster, comprising:

a bottom plate including at least one concentric bearing race and an
upstanding
peripheral rim;

an upstanding boss in the center of said bottom plate;

a billiard table support plate resting on said at least one bearing race
within said
upstanding peripheral rim;

an axle having a lower end, and having an upper end projecting up through said
boss and said support plate; and

at least one set screw in said upstanding peripheral rim and projecting above
said
support plate to engage a billiard gable foot.

2. The billiard table leg and foot height adjuster of claim 1, wherein said
axle has a
head on its lower end.

3. The billiard table Leg and foot height adjuster of claim 1, further
comprising a
billiard table foot.

4. The billiard table leg and foot height adjuster of claim 3, wherein the
upstanding
peripheral rim has a minimum diameter greater than the diameter of said foot
to receive
the foot therein and is thereby retrofittable.

5. The billiard table leg and foot height adjuster of claim 4, wherein said
foot
further includes a threaded upper end for height adjustment.

6. The billiard table leg and afoot height adjuster of claim 5, wherein said
foot
includes a frustoconical lower portion for rotatable adjustment of said foot
by manually
gripping the lower portion of said foot and rotating said foot and said
support plate on


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said at least one bearing race.

7. The billiard table leg and foot height adjuster of claim 1, wherein said
bottom
plate includes a pair of concentric bearing races.

8. A billiard table leg and foot and height adjuster, comprising:

a bottom plate including at least one concentric bearing race and an
upstanding
peripheral rim;

an upstanding boss in the center of said bottom plate;

a billiard table support plate resting on said at least one bearing race
within said
upstanding peripheral rim.;

an axle having a lower ends, and having an upper end projecting up through
said
boss and said support plate;

a snap-ring retainer on said upper end of said axle for securing said support
plate;

a billiard table foot of diamter D;

an upstanding peripheral rim having a minimum diameter greater than D, and is
thereby retrofittable; and

at least one set screw in said upstanding peripheral rim and projecting above
said
support plate to engage a billiard table foot.

9. The billiard table leg and foot and height adjuster of claim 9, wherein
said foot
further includes a threaded upper end allowing adjustment.

10. The billiard table leg and foot and height adjuster of claim 9, wherein
said foot
includes a frustoconical lower portion for rotatable adjustment of said foot
by manually
gripping the lower portion of said foot and rotating said foot.

11. The billiard table leg and foot and height adjuster of any one of claims 1
to 7,
further comprising a snap-ring retainer on said upper end of said axle for
securing said
support plate.


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Description

CA 02267631 1999-04-15
BILLIARD TABLE FOOT AND L,EG HEIGHT ADJUSTER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to billiard tables and particularly to a height
adjustment
device for the foot and leg of a billiard table, to f;nable leveling of the
table and retention
of the leveled condition once achieved.
Billiard tables are used to play games of pool, billiards and snooker. To
properly
play the game, the table playing surface must be absolutely level. Leveling is
achieved
by adjusting the height of each leg as necessary, using a threaded foot
assembly. Several
types of table leg adjustment devices have been devised over the years. Many
of these
are not suitable for a billiard table weighing hundreds of pounds . Commonly,
height
adjustment of billiard tables is achieved by one person manually lifting the
weight off
each corner of the table while a second person rotates the threaded device to
adjust the
foot height. U.S. Patent 5,071,097 presents several embodiments of a table leg
height
adjuster not requiring a person to lift the table wf:ight, and employing ball
bearings or
slide bearings while showing several types of handles or wings for applying
torque to the
adjuster.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a novel billiard table leg and foot
height
adjuster which is simple and easy to operate without manually lifting the
table, to
achieve a level table playing surface, is free of handles or wings so as to
provide an
aesthetically pleasing appearance, achieves a locking function for the
adjusted foot, and
can be retrofitted onto existing billiard tables wif.~hout requiring affixing
of the table foot
to the adjusting device.
These and other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will
be
further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to
the
following specification, claims and appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the adjusting device shown supporting a foot
of a
billiard table;
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view of the device in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device in Figs.. 1 and 2;
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CA 02267631 1999-04-15
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view of the dish portion of the device; and
Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the dish portion in Fig. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ',PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now specifically to the drawings, the adjusting assembly 10 there
depicted is shown on the bottom of a billiard table leg 12, the leg having a
foot
subassembly 14 in cooperative combination with the adjuster subassembly 16.
Affixed to leg 12 is a threaded stud 20 depending therefrom and in threaded
cooperation with a socket or nut 22 of the foot 24. Foot 24 is shown to
include a
frustoconical upper portion and a large-diameter lower portion which is
circular in cross-
section. The lower section rests on a flat, horizontal, circular support plate
30 of the
adjusting device 16. This adjusting device includes a dish-type housing 32
which
includes a bottom circular plate 34 and an upstanding peripheral rim 34' .
Formed into
bottom plate 34 is a pair of concentric circular bearing races 34A, each of
which
receives a plurality of ball bearings 40. The center of plate 34 includes an
upwardly
projecting boss 34B. A rotation axle 42 projects up through boss 34B, having a
head on
its lower end and a snap ring retainer 44 on its upper end. Beneath the snap
ring
retainer is plate 30, which rests on the two rings of ball bearings 40 and is
retained by
snap ring 44 thereabove.
Threadably engaged with rim 34' is at least one radially projecting set screw
46,
the inner end of which is engageable with the table foot 24 to lock the foot
in a particular
rotated position after adjustment has been made.
To adjust the height of the leg of the billiard table, therefore, it is only
necessary
to manually grip the lower portion of foot 24 and rotate it, causing the
threaded socket
of the foot to elevate or lower on the threaded stud or shaft 20, thereby
shortening or
lengthening the leg to adjust the table playing surface. Once the proper
position is
achieved, set screw 46 is tightened against the foot to retain this position.
The above description is considered that o~f the preferred embodiment only.
Modifications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and to
those who
make or use the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiment
shown in the
drawings and described above is merely for illustrative purposes and not
intended to
limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims as
interpreted
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CA 02267631 1999-04-15
according to the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of
equivalents.
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Representative Drawing