US 5,782,693 AGranted

Collapsing cue

OwnerFrank L. Jordan, Michael G. Givensinventors

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Abstract

Various embodiments of a sliding cue for gaming tables are shown and described. Each embodiment has a front portion for being held generally stationary in the user's front hand on the table and a back portion for being held in the user's back hand and for being moved forward and backward relative to the front portion. This forward and backward relative motion allows the user to accurately aim his shot, while holding the cue tip stably and generally motionless against or near the ball. The final forward motion of the back portion results in an impact between some part of the back portion and some part of the front portion, thus transferring kinetic energy to the front portion and, thus, to the tip of the front portion, so that the tip impacts the ball and completes the shot. An air-venting or regulating system may be included to adjust the amount of cushioning of the relative movements of the front and back portion of the cue. Transferable weights may be included to adjust the weight of the front and back portions, and detachment joints may be included for switching styles or sizes of front portion or back portion.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A retractable cue for propelling a game piece, the cue having a longitudinal axis, the cue comprising:

a. a front portion having a first interface;
b. a back portion;
and
c. a collapsing assembly removably connecting the front portion interface to the back portion so that the front portion, back portion and collapsing assembly are coaxial, the collapsing assembly comprising;
(1) a rod having a first rod being end and a second rod end, the first rod end removably joined to the first interface, the rod being coaxial with the front portion, and having a first glide at the second rod end;
(2) a first tube having an interior surface extending from a first tube end to a second tube end, wherein the first glide, in mechanical communication with the interior surface, aligns the first tube on the axis, the first tube having:
(a) a second glide supporting the rod at the first tube end, and provides a first abutment surface in mechanical communication with the first glide
(3) a sleeve having a bore along the axis, the sleeve being in mechanical communication with the third glide and having means to prevent removal of the first tube from the bore, and the sleeve having a second abutment surface that transmits an axial kinetic energy of the back portion to the first portion to propel a game piece when said cue is thrust forward by a user;
wherein said sleeve and said back portion are removably attached to each other at a second interface;
and
wherein FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C mean for interchangeable connecting said back portion to said first interface of the front portion upon removal of said collapsing assembly from the cue front and back portions.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.