Patent classifications
A63D13/00
Leveling device, system and method
A jack for leveling a pool table fits under at least one leg of the table. The jack has a circular base disk and a circular upper disk, with a gear wheel disposed between the disks. Opposing surfaces on the disks and the gear wheel have pairs of cooperating circular ramped grooves therein, with each pair of grooves receiving a ball. A worm gear has teeth in geared connection with the teeth of the gear wheel. Turning the worm gear causes the gear wheel to rotate, which causes the balls to roll in their respective pair of grooves, thus creating an axial motion of the gear wheel and upper disk. By selectively turning the worm gear in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, the axial motion may be used to selectively raise or lower the pool table, in order to level the playing surface.
Snooker pocket rail
A snooker pocket rail system (10) that provides an atmospheric control system (24) for heating the atmosphere in a region adjacent the rails (14) where one or more balls (18) are supported in use. This maintains the temperature of the balls (18) when not in playso as to reduce adverse playing effects, such as kick, when the balls (18) are placed back onto the snooker table. The snooker pocket rail system (10) has a ball ring (12) from which the pocket rail (14) is suspended, in use, below a pocket by a net; an end stop (20); a plurality of rails (14) affixed at one end to the ball ring (12) and at their opposite ends to the end stop (20); and suspension means (26). The atmospheric control system (24) can be a heated air supply which directs (80, 84) heated air onto the balls (18) when suspended on the rails (14), or heated rails (14).