Abstract: A cue stick handle includes: an exterior casing of conical members; a rigid inner core, which includes linearly interlocked and glued components, including (a) a rigid tube composed of a hard, tensile material that provides steel-like characteristics, including rigidity and stiffness and (b) a pin holder composed of a strong composite or plastic material, having a high tensile and high bending strength, and adhesively coupled to the tube. The first end of a joint pin is securely inserted within the pin holder and a second end of the joint pin extends in an axial direction away from the tube. The tube is filled with a vibration-dampening, foam-like material. The rigid inner core may include a wood core securely mated to an end of the rigid tube. A pair of collars is coupled to each end of the rigid inner core to secure the rigid inner core inside the exterior casing.

Abstract: A cue stick handle includes: an exterior casing of conical members; a rigid inner core, which includes linearly interlocked and glued components, including (a) a rigid tube composed of a hard, tensile material that provides steel-like characteristics, including rigidity and stiffness and (b) a pin holder composed of a strong composite or plastic material, having a high tensile and high bending strength, and adhesively coupled to the tube. The first end of a joint pin is securely inserted within the pin holder and a second end of the joint pin extends in an axial direction away from the tube. The tube is filled with a vibration-dampening, foam-like material. The rigid inner core may include a wood core securely mated to an end of the rigid tube. A pair of collars is coupled to each end of the rigid inner core to secure the rigid inner core inside the exterior casing.

Abstract: A cue stick including a butt shaft having a proximal end and a distal end. A first vibration damping insert can be secured within the distal end of the butt shaft and can be formed of vibration damping material. A first joint member can be secured within the first vibration damping insert. The first joint member is for securing to a mating cue stick portion.

Abstract: A unique and improved billiard cue shaft is disclosed. The billiard cue shaft includes a core of light wood such as spruce and a skin of composite material such as carbon fiber/epoxy. The very light core combined with the extremely strong composite skin allow the billiard cue shaft to be very stiff where required without being too heavy and very light in areas where low mass is most critical for maximum performance while maintaining adequate stiffness. The shaft can be capped watertight at both ends to have none of the stability problems of a wood shaft while maintaining substantially all the feel and sound of a solid wood shaft.

Abstract: A billiard cue includes a shaft having a hollow bore extending for a predetermined distance from a first end of the shaft to reduce the tip end weight of the shaft. In one aspect, where the shaft is formed of a composite material consisting of fibers in a binder, such as carbon fibers in an epoxy resin, the bore forms an outer wall in the tip end of the shaft having a thickness between about 0.005 and about 0.05 inches The shaft material has a modulus of elasticity of at least 4.3×106 psi. The bore extending from the first end of the shaft, the thin wall thickness of the tip end of the shaft and the material forming the shaft combine to decrease the mass of the tip end of the shaft while maintaining substantially all of the stiffness of a conventional solid wood shaft formed of a hard maple to minimize buckling of the tip end of the shaft and thereby substantially decrease deflection of the cue ball from its intended path of movement along a path parallel to the stroke axis of the shaft.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a cue stick member is disclosed. A stiffness characteristic Sf factor for a series of wood strips can be tested and determined. The wood strips that have matching stiffness characteristic factors Sf can be selected within a predetermined tolerance for laminating together.

Abstract: Cue sticks, shaft sections of cue sticks, and methods of using such devices are disclosed, where the devices are configured to reduce the phenomenon of cue ball deflection. In particular, limits upon the mass of the cue stick in a section extending from the tip to a predetermined distance toward the butt end are revealed to improve cue ball deflection characteristics. Other embodiments of the invention place a lower limit on the bending stiffness of the tip end of a cue stick or shaft to reduce accentuation of cue ball deflection under high offset/high velocity conditions. As well, an upper limit on specific section modulus is described for deterring the phenomenon of double strike in off center ball strikes.

Abstract: A cue tip shaper for shaping and reshaping a shapeable cue tip on a cue stick utilized for playing pool or billiards. The cue tip shaper comprises a planar base, and an arrangement of articulable guides for receiving and aligning a cue stick tip with a tip shaping scuff member. The cue stick is received between the guides and pressable against the scuff member. The tip is typically leather. A scuff surface is arranged on the scuff member secured in the planar base, and is in alignment with the movable guides.

Abstract: The present invention is a joint assembly that enables the rapid and precise self-alignment of two portions of a pool cue. The joint assembly comprises a bushing and a pin, one coupled to each of the two cue portions, the bushing and the pin coupling in the normal male-female fashion to connect the pool cue portions. The bushing has a closed base to prevent glue from leaking into the bushing when the bushing is fastened to a portion of the pool cue. The interior of the bushing comprises a threaded region proximate to the closed base with a tapered portion where the threaded region meets a smooth bore region, and an angled entrance region between the bore region and the opening of the bushing. The pin is fastened to another portion of the pool cue and comprises a threaded head portion to engage the threaded region of the bushing.

Abstract: Pipeline repair and leak sealing are effected by unrolling a tube, using an inflatable mandrel disposed inside the tube, to radially expand a stretchable and circumferentially continuous gasket or sealant sleeve into flush contact with the pipeline interior. Before actuation, the tube is constrained in a rolled-up condition by a shrink-wrap sleeve of plastic film that may be sealed at its ends to an interior film sleeve in order to protect the tube against moisture. When fully expanded, the tube includes longitudinally-extending edges that overlap and are secured together by adhesive issued from a rupturable package disposed proximate one of the edges so as to be caused to burst as the edges approach overlapped positions. An outer sleeve of scrim material surrounds the tacky or gum-like gasket sleeve to facilitate handling and movement of the assembly in the pipeline.

Abstract: A skid assembly for supporting a packer or the like in a pipeline includes three skid blades of different configuration whereby the radial apex of each blade is longitudinally offset from the radial apex of the other blades. With this configuration the skid assembly is capable of being transported past a radial offset or other radially reduced portion of the pipeline as each apex passes the offset independently of the other apices.

Abstract: A television camera is encapsulated in plastic material providing protection from environmental hazards. The camera, including a camera body, lens and lens cover glued to the lens, is embedded in and chemically bonded to the encapsulate material. A lens opening in the forward end of the encapsulate housing exposes the lens cover. A camera cable and pushrod extend from the rearward end of the housing and are chemically bonded to the encapsulate material. Individual light sources, partially embedded in the encapsulate material, are disposed in respective recesses oriented in an annular pattern about the lens opening. The encapsulation process employs a mold assembly having a base with a raised pedestal on which the lens cover is placed to support the camera. Multiple lamp receivers are disposed in the base in an annular pattern about the pedestal to sealingly receive the forward portions of respective lamps while leaving the remaining rearward portions exposed.

Abstract: Pipeline repair and leak sealing are effected by unrolling a tube, using an inflatable mandrel disposed inside the tube, to radially expand a stretchable and circumferentially continuous gasket or sealant sleeve into flush contact with the pipeline interior. Before actuation, the tube is constrained in a rolled-up condition by a shrink-wrap sleeve of plastic film that may be sealed at its ends to an interior film sleeve in order to protect the tube against moisture. When fully expanded, the tube includes longitudinally-extending edges that overlap and are secured together by adhesive issued from a rupturable package disposed proximate one of the edges so as to be caused to burst as the edges approach overlapped positions. An outer sleeve of scrim material surrounds the tacky or gum-like gasket sleeve to facilitate handling and movement of the assembly in the pipeline.

Abstract: Detecting and locating leaks in building service lateral sewer pipelines is accomplished under remote control by inserting a lateral inspection television camera into the lateral pipeline from a main sewer pipeline. The lateral inspection camera is stored in a generally cylindrical launcher mechanism having a camera port opening through which the lateral camera may be projected and retracted using a hollow elongated and flexible push rod. The launcher is moved longitudinally in the main pipeline, along with a main television camera, until an entrance opening to a service lateral pipeline is viewed via the main camera. The launcher mechanism may also be rotated in order to properly align the camera aperture with the entrance to the lateral pipeline. The lateral camera can be propelled into the lateral pipeline by means of motor driven pinch rollers in the launcher mechanism pushing the push rod.