BILLARD CUE WITH A CUSHION FERRULE

Abstract

A billiard cue includes a shaft, a ferrule engaged with the shaft and a tip mounted on the ferrule. The shaft includes a tenon defining an outward annular shoulder. The ferrule includes an opened end, an opposed closed end and an interior bore. The bore has a front portion and a rear portion. The diameter of the front portion is larger than that of the rear portion to define an inward annular shoulder therebetween. The tenon of the shaft is received in the front portion of the bore in such a way that the top surface of the tenon snugly leans against the inward annular shoulder, the end surface of the opened end of the ferrule is snugly seated against the outward annular shoulder of the shaft, and a buffer space is defined by the rear portion of the bore of the ferrule.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to billiard cues, more particularly, to a billiard cue with a cushion ferrule.

2. Description of the Related Art

U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,437 discloses a billiard/pool cue having a ferrule with a bore, and a shaft with a tenon inserting into the bore in such a way that a hollow portion is formed in the ferrule (especially shown in FIG. 8 of the patent). Such a structure will absorb a portion of the impact forces so as to permit easy outward flexure of the tip end of the shaft. This outward flexure of the tip end of the shaft minimizes inward buckling of the tip end of the shaft on off center hits and results in less deflection of the cue ball from the line of stroke of the cue.

However, the billiard/pool cue mentioned above has a disadvantage that the shaft and the ferrule engaged with each other only by an annular shoulder formed on the shaft and an annular end portion formed on the ferrule so that the ferrule would be easily cracked or depart from the shaft of the cue.

Thus, it would be desirable to provide a billiard cue having a shaft and a ferrule durably engaged with the shaft of the cue while forming a buffer space therein to absorb the impact forces generated during the impact of the cue on a ball.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To achieve the desire, the present invention discloses a billiard cue which comprises a shaft, a ferrule engaged with the shaft, and a tip mounted on the ferrule. The shaft includes a tenon at one end thereof defining an outward annular shoulder. The ferrule includes an opened end, an opposed closed end, and an interior bore extending longitudinally from the opened end for a predetermined length toward the closed end. The bore has a front portion with a first diameter, a rear portion with a second diameter. The first diameter of the front portion is larger than the second diameter of the rear portion such that an inward annular shoulder is defined therebetween. The tenon of the shaft is snugly received in the front portion of the bore of the ferrule in such a way that the top surface of the tenon snugly leans against the inward annular shoulder and the bottom surface of the ferrule at the opened end thereof is snugly seated against the outward annular shoulder of the shaft.

According to the combination disclosed above, the ferrule can be durably engaged with the shaft and the rear portion of the bore of the ferrule defines a buffer space therein to absorb the impact forces generated during the impact of the cue on a ball.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various features, advantages and other uses of the present invention will become more apparent by referring to the following detailed description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of a billiard cue according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing a cross sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of a billiard cue according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing a cross sectional view of a third preferred embodiment of a billiard cue according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing a cross sectional view of a fourth preferred embodiment of a billiard cue according to the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 2 but showing a cross sectional view of a fifth preferred embodiment of a billiard cue according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 to 2, there is illustrated a first embodiment of a billiard cue of the present invention, generally designated 10. Billiard cue 10 comprises a shaft 12 having a longitudinal axis, a ferrule 20 engaged on a distal end 14 of the shaft 12 and a tip 40 mounted on the ferrule 20.

The ferrule 20 is made of plastic materials and has a generally cylindrical body with an open end 22 and an opposed closed end 24. An interior bore 26 is formed in the body and extends inwardly from the open end 22 of the body for a predetermined length toward the closed end 24 of the body.

The bore 26 has a front portion 28 with a first diameter, a rear portion 30 with a second diameter. The first diameter of the front portion 28 is larger than the second diameter of the rear portion 30 such that an inward annular shoulder 32 is defined therebetween.

The ferrule 20 is engaged on the shaft 12 of the billiard cue 10 by means of a tenon 16. The tenon 16 extends longitudinally outward from the distal end 14 of the shaft 12 and defines an outward annular shoulder 18. In combination, the tenon 16 is snugly inserted into the front portion 28 of bore 26 in such a way that the upper surface 19 of the tenon 16 is leaned against the inward annular shoulder 32 and the end surface 34 of the opened end 22 of the ferrule 20 is snugly seated against the outward annular shoulder 18 of the shaft 12.

As described above, the billiard cue 10 constructed according to the present invention is provided with a buffer space defined by the rear portion 30 of the bore 26 of the ferrule 20 to absorb the impact forces generated during the impact of the cue 10 on a ball so that the buckling is minimized while permitting easier outward flex of the tip end of the shaft 12 to result in less deflection of a cue ball from the line of stroke of the cue 10.

In addition, the shaft 12 and the ferrule 20 engage with each other not only by the annular shoulder 18 of the shaft 12 snugly seated against the end surface 34 of the ferrule 20 but also by the upper surface 19 of the tenon 16 leaned against the inward annular shoulder 32 of the ferrule 20 so that the durability of the engagement between the shaft 12 and the ferrule 20 is better than that of the prior art.

Referring secondly to FIGS. 3 to 6, the present invention can be embodied in several ways. For example, in a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interior wall of the rear portion 30 of the bore 26 is provided with a plurality of reinforced ribs 31 to avoid deformation due to fatigue of materials, as shown in FIG. 3. In a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the rear portion 30 a shock absorbing member 33 can be received to increase the shock absorbing ability thereof, as shown in FIG. 4. In a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interior wall of the front portion 28 of the bore 26 can be provided with a threaded section 35 to get a better engagement between the ferrule 20 and the tenon 16 of the shaft 12, as shown in FIG. 5. In a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bore 26 of the ferrule 20 has a bottom end 21. Ferrule 20 further has a through hole 23 longitudinally extending from the bottom end 21 to the closed end 24 of the ferrule 20. The through hole 23 of the ferrule 20 has a third diameter being smaller than the second diameter of the rear portion 30 of the bore 26. Such a design can increase the flexibility of the ferrule 20.

Claims

1. A billiard cue comprising: a shaft having a tenon at one end thereof defining an outward annular shoulder;a ferrule having an opened end, an opposed closed end and an interior bore extending longitudinally from the opened end for a predetermined length toward the closed end;a tip mounted on the closed end of the ferrule;the interior bore having a front portion with a first diameter, a rear portion with a second diameter, and the first diameter of the front portion being larger than the second diameter of the rear portion such that an inward annular shoulder is defined therebetween; andthe tenon of the shaft snugly being received in the front portion of the interior bore of the ferrule in such a way that a top surface of the tenon snugly leans against the inward annular shoulder and an end surface of the opened end of the ferrule is snugly seated against the outward annular shoulder of the shaft;whereby the ferrule can be durably engaged with the shaft and the rear portion of the interior bore of the ferrule defines a buffer space to absorb the impact forces generated during the impact of the cue on a ball.

2. The billiard cue as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shock absorbing member received in the rear portion of the interior bore of the ferrule.

3. The billiard cue as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interior bore of the ferrule has a bottom end, and the ferrule has a through hole longitudinally extending from the bottom end of the interior bore to the closed end of the ferrule.

4. The billiard cue as claimed in claim 3, wherein the through hole of the ferrule has a third diameter smaller than the second diameter of the rear portion of the interior bore.

5. The billiard cue as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear portion of the interior bore of the ferrule has a first interior wall provided with at least a reinforced rib.

6. The billiard cue as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front portion of the interior bore has a second interior wall provided with a threaded section.