Abstract: A billiard table having a playing surface, a plurality of pockets associated with the playing surface, ball collecting mechanism below the playing surface for transferring balls entering the pockets into a common channel, cue ball separating mechanism including a light emitter disposed along one edge of the common channel, a light sensor disposed along the edge of the common channel closely adjacent to and at a point in the ball path beyond the light emitter for distinguishing between the intensity of light reflected from a cue ball and the remaining billiard balls, an electrical deflecting device in the common channel at a point in the ball path beyond the light sensor, and electrical circuitry connecting the light emitter, the light sensor and the electrical deflecting device.

Abstract: A billiard table having a playing surface, a plurality of pockets associated with the playing surface, ball collecting mechanism below the playing surface for transferring balls entering the pockets into a common channel, circuitry including an electrical power source, ball contacting switch mechanism disposed along the common channel, a first pulse counter responsive to pulses from the switch, an oscillator, a second pulse counter responsive to pulses from the oscillator, a latch associated with and responsive to the second pulse counter, a digital comparator receiving signals from the first pulse counter and from the latch of the second pulse counter, a decoder transmitting a pulse from the comparator and display mechanism capable of receiving the pulses from the decoder; whereby rapid periodic pulses transmitted from the oscillator to the second pulse counter cause signals to be sent to the latch at the same rate, so that when a ball passes the switch mechanism, a pulse is transmitted from the switch mecha