US20030059752A1

US20030059752A1 - Laser beam pool ball teaching method

Info

Publication number: US20030059752A1
Application number: US09/960,909
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph Gratkowski; James Gratkowski
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-09-24
Filing date: 2001-09-24
Publication date: 2003-03-27

Abstract

A laser beam pool ball teaching method employs a laser-beam generator (2) on a pool table (1) to direct a laser beam (9, 10) from the laser-beam generator to beam a desired laser-beam spot (4) on a pool ball (5) on the pool table to be impacted by a cue ball (6) that is impelled from a cue-ball position on the pool table by a cue with which the cue ball is struck by a pool player for causing the pool ball to travel to a pool-table target (7, 8) intended by the pool player. For beaming the desired laser-beam spot, the laser-beam generator is placed on the pool table at a position from which the laser beam can be directed to the desired laser-beam spot and be seen effectively by the pool player from a player position from which the pool player impels the cue in accordance applicable pool-playing rules. The desired laser-beam spot is determined by experience, skill, vector analysis and computer-aided calculation selectively. Computer controls can be applied with a computerized controller (3) in computer communication with the laser-beam generator.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Our invention lies in the field of pool and billiards games and uses a unique method of teaching novices and experienced pool and billiards players how to put a ball into a pocket, which is the ultimate goal of every game of pocket billiards and pool.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Our invention uses a laser beam. The laser beam generator is about 2 inches long and has a diameter of about five-eighths of an inch. The laser beam is powered by a lithium battery in the generator which also has an on/off switch. The generator is held in an adjustable fixture designed to be mounted on the raised railing which surrounds the green felt playing surface of the pool table.

There is one point on the surface of each pool ball which, if it is struck by the cue ball, will positively go into the intended pocket. The fixture holding the laser generator is positioned on the railing so that the generator is lined up with the ball which the pool player wants to put into the intended pocket. The pool player turns the generator on and a bright red laser beam ends at the spot on the surface of the pool ball which should be struck by the cue ball to insure that the pool ball will roll into the intended pocket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention is described by appended claims in relation to description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the following drawings which are explained briefly as follows: [0004]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an American Billiard table showing its dimensional relationships and most common size; [0005]
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line [0006] 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing material makeup of a billiard or pool table;
FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side view of a laser-beam generator; [0007]
FIG. 4 is a front view of the FIG. 3 illustration; [0008]
FIG. 5 is the FIG. 3 illustration with addition of a computerized controller for direction of laser-beaming a laser beam spot to a pool ball; [0009]
FIG. 6 is the FIG. 4 illustration with addition of the computerized controller for direction of laser-beaming the laser beam spot to the pool ball; [0010]
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a first example of use of this method for executing a relatively straight-line shot; and [0011]
FIG. 8 is a plan view of a second example of use of this method for executing a relatively off-centered or “side” shot with “English” for a lateral or backward shot.[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Listed numerically below with reference to the drawings are terms used to describe features of this invention. These terms and numbers assigned to them designate the same features throughout this description.



1.	Pool table
2.	Laser-beam generator
3.	Computerized controller
4.	Laser-beam spot
5.	Pool ball
6.	Cue ball
7.	End pocket
8.	Side pocket
9.	First-example laser beam
10.	Second-example laser beam

This method is practiced on a pool table 1 shown in FIGS. [0014] 1-2 and 7-8 by use of a laser-beam generator 2 shown in FIGS. 3-6 with addition of an optional computerized controller 3 shown in FIGS. 5-6.
The laser-[0015] beam generator 2 is placed at a desired spot-siting position selectively on the pool table 1. A laser-beam spot 4 is laser-beamed from the laser-beam generator 2 to a desired impact spot on the pool ball 5 on a playing surface of the pool table 1. The desired impact spot is situated to cause the pool ball 5 to travel to a pool-table target. A cue ball 6 is then impelled from a cue-ball position on the pool table 1 by a cue, which is not shown, with which the cue ball 6 is struck by a pool player, also not shown, for causing the pool ball 5 to travel to the pool-table target.
In a first example shown in FIG. 7, the pool-table target is an [0016] end pocket 7. In a second example shown in FIG. 8, the pool-table target is a side pocket 8.
In the FIG. 7 first example, the [0017] pool ball 5 is in nearly a straight line between the cue ball 6 and the end pocket 7. Impacting the pool ball 5 centrally with the cue ball 6, however, would cause the pool ball 5 to miss the end pocket 7. Instead, the pool ball 5 must be impacted at near precisely a desired impact spot that is off-centered slightly on a ball side that is opposite the pool-table target as depicted on the pool ball 5 by a position of the laser-beam spot 4 that is laser-beamed with a first-example laser beam 9.
In the FIG. 8 second example, the [0018] pool ball 5 is obtusely out of line between the cue ball 6 and the side pocket 8. Impacting the pool ball 5 centrally with the cue ball 6, therefore, would cause the pool ball 5 to travel in a direction away from, not towards, the pool-table target and miss the side pocket 8 widely. Instead, the pool ball 5 must be impacted at very precisely a desired impact spot that is off-centered highly on a ball side that is opposite the pool-table target as depicted on the pool ball 5 by a position of the laser-beam spot 4 that is laser-beamed with a second-example laser beam 10. The laser-beam spot 4 of the second example is off-centered sufficiently to cause the pool ball 5 to travel slightly backwards laterally to the side pocket 8.
Ascertaining impact spots on [0019] pool balls 5 effectively for being impacted with the cue ball 6 for causing the pool ball 5 to travel to the pool-table target reliably requires considerable skill, knowledge, analysis or great ingenuity, not just luck. This is in addition to highly cultured skill in impacting the cue ball 6 with the cue to hit the desired impact spot accurately and reliably. This invention provides teaching methods for both.
Ascertaining the desired impact spot on the [0020] pool ball 5 can be learned from experience, from vector analysis and mathematical calculation and from both. Ascertainment thereof can be computer-programmed and transmitted to the computerized controller 3 for computer-aided control of laser-beaming the laser-beam spot 4 to the pool ball 5. Aids can be provided also for assisting in learning how to hit the cue ball 6 for effective utilization of the laser-beam spot 4. This invention provides evaluation of skills and abilities to ascertain and to execute pool-shot objectives.
The pool-table targets for pool objectives using this invention can be related to pocketing balls in Pocket Billiards, to impacting balls in Carom Billiards or to other variations of billiard games. [0021]
A new and useful laser beam pool ball teaching method having been described, all such foreseeable modifications, adaptations, substitutions of equivalents, mathematical possibilities of combinations of parts, pluralities of parts, applications and forms thereof as described by the following claims and not precluded by prior art are included in this invention. [0022]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A laser beam pool ball teaching method comprising the following steps:

placing a laser-beam generator at a spot-siting position on a pool table;

laser-beaming a laser-beam spot from the laser-beam generator to a desired impact spot on a pool ball on the pool table;

the desired impact spot on the pool ball being situated to cause the pool ball to travel to a pool-table target; and

impacting a cue ball that is impelled from a cue-ball position on the pool table by a cue with which the cue ball is struck by a pool player for causing the pool ball to travel to the pool-table target.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

ascertaining the desired impact spot on the pool ball from experience in impacting the cue ball that is impelled from the cue-ball position on the pool table by the cue with which the cue ball is struck by the pool player for causing the pool ball to travel to the pool-table target.

3. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

ascertaining the desired impact spot on the pool ball from vector analysis and mathematical calculation for impacting the cue ball that is impelled from the cue-ball position on the pool table by the cue with which the cue ball is struck by the pool player for causing the pool ball to travel to the pool-table target.

4. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

computer-programming ascertainment of the desired spot on the pool ball;

transmitting the ascertainment of the desired spot on the pool ball to a computerized controller on the laser-beam generator; and

directing the laser-beaming of the laser-beam spot from the laser-beam generator to the desired impact spot on the pool ball with the computerized controller.

5. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

practicing impacting the cue ball that is impelled from the cue-ball position on the pool table by the cue with which the cue ball is struck by the pool player for causing the pool ball to travel to the pool-table target.

6. A laser beam pool ball teaching method comprising the following steps:

ascertaining the desired impact spot on the pool ball from experience in impacting the cue ball that is impelled from the cue-ball position on the pool table by the cue with which the cue ball is struck by the pool player for causing the pool ball to travel to the pool-table target;

the desired impact spot on the pool ball being situated to cause the pool ball to travel to the pool-table target;

placing the laser-beam generator at the spot-siting position on the pool table;

laser-beaming the laser-beam spot from the laser-beam generator to the desired impact spot on the pool ball on the pool table; and

7. The method of claim 6 and further comprising:

8. The method of claim 6 and further comprising:

computer-programming ascertainment of the desired spot on the pool ball;

9. The method of claim 8 and further comprising:

10. A laser beam pool ball teaching method comprising the following steps:

ascertaining the desired impact spot on the pool ball from vector analysis and mathematical calculation for impacting the cue ball that is impelled from the cue-ball position on the pool table by the cue with which the cue ball is struck by the pool player for causing the pool ball to travel to the pool-table target;

placing the laser-beam generator at the spot-siting position on the pool table;

11. The method of claim 10 and further comprising:

12. The method of claim 10 and further comprising:

computer-programming ascertainment of the desired spot on the pool ball;

13. The method of claim 12 and further comprising: