Historically, there are numerous games which use balls of all types, shapes and configurations. Such a variety of current ball designs have evolved a number of uses for particular gaming systems. However, each type of ball is usually designed for use in a particular range of games necessitating specific playing surfaces. For example, the games of snooker and table pool require perfectly balanced, rigid spherical balls for use on a level and smooth playing surface formed by the appropriate table. Such balls must be perfectly balanced so as to run along a true path. Alternatively, the game of bowls, whether crown green or indoor, utilise a non-spherical ball (a"bowl") which is effectively flattened on either side of a plane passing through the centre of such a bowl. Usually, one of these flattened sides will be weighted differently to the other so as to provide an asymmetrically weighted bowl such that the bowl does not run true but will follow a curved path by utilisation of the asymmetric balance.

Both of these types of games have become increasingly popular, but, due to their requirement of specific playing surfaces, are not readily available to all who may

be interested. Furthermore, current snooker tables are expensive articles for the limited use and variety of games that can be enjoyed on their surface. Also, conventional snooker balls, being perfectly balanced, are limited in their application and range of uses. Similarly, access to appropriate playing surfaces for bowling is also somewhat limited to specialised clubs which can become busy and/or expensive to join. Bowling greens are also inherently large, necessitating a large area for playing the game. As such, the current invention recognises that the playing surface of a snooker table will provide an ideal medium for games similar to bowls, but on a smaller scale, invoking specific skills associated with asymmetrically weighted balls.

Whilst indoor bowls (which comprise miniature bowling balls being approximately one quarter of the size of conventional bowling balls) are known, due to their specific flattened design they are difficult and expensive to manufacture and are further limited in their use as they can only be rolled in a specific manner along their major circumference.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a ball, suitable for use on a flat playing surface such as a snooker table, which alleviates the aforementioned problems, is inexpensive to manufacture and provides games of different skill requirements to be adopted on conventional flat playing surfaces.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a gaming system having a playing surface where the indicia of such surface are easily and inexpensively changeable to increase the variety of games that can be played thereon and particularly utilising the ball according to the current invention.

Therefore, according to the present invention there is now provided a ball having a uniform spherical outer surface wherein the density of the ball is not uniform about its centre, so that a centre of gravity of the ball is offset from a centre of curvature of the ball, thus providing an asymmetrically balanced spherical ball.

Preferably, such a ball will be solid or, alternatively, may simply comprise a hollow rigid outer shell.

Usually, the ball will have at least one uniform spherical layer of a first material of a first density and will have a portion thereof replaced with a substance having a second density. This spherical layer may form a solid ball or may simply be an outer shell. Alternatively the ball may comprise a plurality of spherical layers of which one or more has a portion thereof replaced with a substance of different density so as to effect its balance about its centre of curvature. Preferably, the spherical layer will form at least the outer surface of the ball so that the substance having a second density will comprise a plug having a curved outer face for maintaining continuity of the spherical outer surface of the ball when the plug is inserted therein. This plug may be hollow or gas filled so as to have an average density different to that of the shell or may, in fact, simply be a solid body. The

plug may be frictionally engaged, adhesively bonded, or screw threaded into engagement with the ball. Preferably, such a plug will be replaceable with interchangeable plugs of different densities so as to vary the effective position of the centre of gravity of the ball dependent on the density of the plug inserted therein. To this end, the position of the centre of gravity of the ball is variable with respect to the centre of the curvature.

Further, according to the present invention there is also provided a method of manufacturing a spherical ball having a centre of gravity offset from a centre curvature, which comprises the steps of firstly forming an outer spherical layer of a first solid material having a uniformed density, then removing a portion of this outer spherical layer and replacing it with a plug of different density, which plug comprising an outer curved face having a centre of curvature co-incident with the centre of curvature of the ball when the plug is received within this outer spherical layer. Again, this outer spherical layer may comprise a solid material forming a solid ball.

According to a further aspect of the current invention there is also provided a gaming system comprising a playing surface and having a light source positioned directly above such surface, wherein the light source has a support frame for receiving a projection template and for restraining that template between the playing surface and the light source so as to project a pre-determined pattern from the template onto the playing surface to vary the visible indicia on the playing

surface dependent on the pattern formed in such template. Usually, the system will comprise a plurality of interchangeable templates for restraint by the said frame so as to vary the pattern of indicia projected on the playing surface to enable the playing surface to be used for a plurality of different games.

Preferably, the frame of such system will comprise an adjustment mechanism for varying the relative distance of a restrained template from the light source and the playing surface so as to enable the projected indicia to be correctly focused on the playing surface. Usually, the playing surface will comprise a snooker table or a pool table. Usually, this type of gaming system will further comprise at least one ball of the type according to the present invention described above which has a uniform spherical outer surface and asymmetrical density such that its centre of gravity is offset from its centre of curvature.

A further aspect of the present invention is directed to a projection template for use in a gaming system of the type described above, which comprises a transparent sheet comprising a pre-determined opaque and or coloured translucent pattern formed thereon wherein shadows formed on a playing surface by the opaque or translucent pattern define indicia for a pre-determined game.

There is also provided a method of varying the indicia of a game playing surface by providing a light source above such playing surface and restraining one of a plurality of interchangeable projection templates having a first pattern formed

thereon between the light source and the playing surface so as to project a first pre-determined pattern of indicia on the playing surface and subsequently replacing this one of a plurality of interchangeable projection templates with a second or alternative one of said plurality of interchangeable projection templates with a different pattern formed thereon so as to project a different pattern of indicia on the playing surface.

Preferred embodiments of the present inventions will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings in which: Figures 1 is a cross sectional view of a spherical ball according to the present invention; and Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of an alternative ball according to the present invention; and Figure 3 is a schematical representation of a gaming system for using the balls according to the present invention; and Figures 4a through 4d show a plurality of projected indicia for generation by the gaming system shown in Figure 4.

Referring now to Figure 1, a modified ball (10) according to the present invention is shown in schematic cross section along a plane passing through the centre of curvature (16) of such ball. The ball (10) is perfectly spherical so as to be able to roll freely on a substantially flat surface and, in this particular embodiment, comprises a conventional snooker ball formed of solid plastic material. Whilst the embodiment to be discussed is solid, hashed lines (12) are utilised to schematically illustrate that the ball could be substantially hollow, simply having a rigid outer shell (14) if so desired. The ball (10) is formed in a conventional manner of a rigid plastic material, although it could be formed of any solid material such as metal, wood etc. having a substantially uniform density. Since the ball is spherical it has a centre of curvature (16) equidistant from every point on the outer surface of the sphere. Since this sphere is of a material of uniform density then the centre of gravity of such a sphere would usually be co-incident with the centre of curvature (16). For a true sphere, the centre of gravity also acts downwardly through the centre of curvature so that the ball when stationery remains in equilibrium. Thus, a sphere is able to roll in a true straight line since the centre of gravity, being co-incident with the centre of curvature, will always act in a plane extending vertically downwards through the centre of curvature.

The ball (10) of the current invention has been modified by simply removing a partial section (20) of such sphere, disposed on one side of the centre of curvature (16), and replacing the removed material with a plug (22) of an alternative material having a different density to that of the ball (10). In the embodiment

shown in Figure 1, the density of the plug (22) is greater than the density of the ball (10). In this preferred embodiment the plug (22) will be of comparable size to that of the portion of the ball removed so as to be received in a complimentary friction fit therein. This plug (22) has sufficient rigidity and resilience to effect a very close fitting frictional fit to be retained within the ball. Furthermore, the plug (22) has a convex outer surface (24), such convex outer surface having a radius equivalent to the radius (r) of the ball (10) so that its centre of curvature is co- incident with the centre of curvature (16) of the ball (10) when the plug is received within the ball (10), so as to maintain the outer spherical configuration of the ball (10) when the plug is received therein. By providing a plug of material having a greater density than that of the ball (10), the centre of gravity (26) of the modified ball is effectively displaced away from the centre of curvature (16) by a distance "d"whereby the resultant offset centre of gravity (26) creates a moment about the centre of curvature (16) which would effect rotation of the ball (10) in a direction indicated by arrow (28) in Figure 1. This resultant movement (28), caused by the moment of the centre of gravity (26) about the centre of curvature (16), will continue until such time that the displaced centre of gravity (26) is disposed vertically below the centre of curvature (16) so as to lie in a vertical plane extending through this centre of curvature (16). In this manner the asymmetrically weighted ball will have found its equilibrium position. Here the plug (22) will be disposed directly below the centre of curvature.

When the asymmetrically weighted ball (10) is then rolled along a flat surface, then (unless the ball rolls so that its displaced centre of gravity (26) is caused to rotate in a plane extending through the centre of curvature (16) as the ball rotates) the resultant moment created by the offset centre of gravity (26) will exert a sideways force on the rotary motion of the ball causing it to roll along a curved path as the rolling sphere seeks its equilibrium position. Due to the compensatory effect of centrifugal forces exerted by a rolling ball at high rotational speeds, the effect of the offset centre of gravity (26) will more noticeable when the ball is rolling at a slower pace, so that greater curvature in its path becomes noticeable as the ball slows.

In a further enhancement of the invention, the ball (10) is provided with a clear visible indicia on its outer surface to indicate where the different density plug material is provided within the sphere so as to understand how the ball will be effected when rolled in different orientations. If the ball can be rolled so that the plug portion rotates bodily in a vertical plane extending through the centre of curvature and about a horizontal axis, the effect of this offset centre of gravity (26) of the asymmetrically weighted ball is negligible since the centre of gravity will always act in this plane extending through the centre of curvature. However, if the ball is rolled with the plug (24) in a position shown in Figure 1 then a sideways moment will be imparted to the ball allowing the ball to be rolled in a curved path. By varying the relative position of the plug to a plane extending vertically down through the centre of curvature (16), then the effect of this

asymmetrically weighted ball on its rolling performance can be selectively varied and necessitates considerable skill in rolling the ball to a desired final position.

Alternatively, the ball (10) could comprise a series of layers, whereby the plug may be permanently disposed in an inner layer (as schematically illustrated by the hashed lines (42) in Figure 1), with a subsequent uniform outer layer (44) then formed around such inner layer or inner sphere. Again the formation of the plug (42) on an inner layer will result in a variance of the uniform density of the inner layer or inner sphere, subsequently effecting the position of the centre of gravity (26) of the ball (10). In its simplest form the insert (42) may simply be left as an open space or gas filled space thus having a much lower density, so that the centre of gravity (g) is displaced away from such insert, again as shown in Figure 1.

Alternatively, the formation of the outer sphere of a molten plastic material by a moulding technique could invoke a portion of the outer material to flow into such a recess on the inner sphere to vary its density, provided the outer layer material is of a different density to the inner sphere. Furthermore, the core of a spherical ball need not be spherical but could be of any uniform geometric shape, prior to insertion of a plug, provided the weight of this inner geometric shape is uniformly distributed about the centre point of the sphere (16). An appropriate plug of different density can then be inserted into this geometric shape so as to vary its density distribution before an outer spherical layer is formed about such a core.

Furthermore, whilst the embodiment shown in Figure 1 simply replaces a portion of the sphere with a plug (24) or (42) by frictional engagement therewith, there are numerous ways of achieving the same result. For example, the plug (24) may be bonded directly into the sphere (10) such as by an injection moulding technique or simply the pouring of an appropriate resin into a hole formed in the sphere (10), the key element being that the outer surface of the plug (24) is convex so as to maintain the uniform spherical outer surface of the ball (10). Furthermore, the depth of the plug, its particular shape and in fact the number of plugs inserted in the ball (10) is not essential to the inventive concept, provided that the insertion of such plug or plugs maintain the outer surface of the spherical ball, and provides an offset of the centre of gravity (26) away from the centre of curvature (16) so as to provide an asymmetrically weighted sphere.

Referring now to Figure 2 an enhanced form of the current invention is shown, wherein a ball (10') comprises a solid sphere of plastic material as conventionally used in the manufacture of snooker balls. This ball (10') has a pocket (50) machined in its outer surface so as to extend inwardly from its outer spherical surface. This pocket (50) is substantially cylindrical with an outer portion (51) having a first outer diameter (D1) adjacent outer surface of the sphere which rapidly narrows towards an inner portion (52) of the pocket having a second smaller diameter (D2) (50), remote from the outer surface of the sphere, so as to form a circular shoulder (54) between the inner (52) and outer portion of the pocket (50). A plug (60) can then be releasably inserted into the pocket (50).

The plug (60) (shown in cross section in Figure 2) is formed of a resiliently deformable plastic material and comprises a circular head portion (61) having mounted thereon a cylindrical tubular portion (62). The outer diameter of the tubular portion (62) is less than the outer diameter of the circular head portion (61) such that the head (61) forms a circular shoulder (64) extending radially outwards from the tubular portion (62). The outer surface of the tubular portion (62) is further bulged, as shown in Figure 2, having a varying outer diameter, so as to provide a tapered cam lead-in surface (42) to effect resilient deformation of this tubular portion (62) when inserted into the pocket (50) (as described below). The outer most face (66) of the head (61) is substantially convex having a radius of curvature equivalent to the radius of curvature (r) of the sphere (10') of Figure 2.

In this embodiment the interior of the tubular portion (62) is hollow.

In use, the plug (60) can be inserted into the pocket (50) whereby the greatest outer diameter of the tubular portion (62) of the plug is greater than the diameter of the inner portion (52) of the pocket (50), so as to frictionally engage the walls of the inner portion (52) of such tubular pocket (50). During insertion of the plug (60), the cam lead-in face (42) engages with the shoulder (54) of pocket (50) causing cam engagement between the outer surface of the plug (60) and such shoulder to resiliently deform the tubular portion (62) of the plug inwardly as the plug is inserted in the pocket (50). This results in a resilient biasing force being exerted by the deformed plug so as to enhance the frictional engagement between

the plug and the pocket (50). Continued insertion of the plug (60) will result in the shoulder (64) on the plug head (61) engaging with the shoulder (54) of the pocket (50) so as to restrain the plug in a pre-determined position within the ball (10'), at which position the convex outer face (66) of the plug forms a continuous spherical surface with the ball (10') to maintain its uniform spherical shape.

In this embodiment, the plug (60), being substantially hollow, is of lower density than the solid material of the ball (10') such that the centre of gravity (26') is offset from the centre of curvature (16) in a direction away from the plug (60). As shown in Figure 2, the ball (10') is in an equilibrium position, whereby the resultant moment of the centre of gravity (26') about the centre of curvature (16) will result in the ball rolling about its centre of curvature (16') until such time that the centre of gravity (26') is disposed in a plane extending vertically through the centre of curvature (16').

One of the major benefits of the use of a plug (60) is that it is replaceable with plugs of different mass and density. For example, the plug (60) may not be hollow and could contain a high density material, such as lead, whereby different volumes of lead could be inserted in this hollow cavity so as to provide a range of plugs of different mass which will each vary the relative position of the centre of gravity (26') of such sphere relative to the centre of curvature (16'). Alternatively a flexible material such as putty or plasticine could be used, which volume of material is thus readily varied. In this manner, a single ball could be selectively

adjusted by the use of different mass plugs (60) so as to enhance the effect of such an asymmetrically weighted ball. Where a greater degree of curvature in the roll of a ball is required, a much greater mass could be employed whereby the effect could be decreased by utilising a plug having a density more closely associated with that of the main material of the sphere. The benefits of allowing a single ball to have its asymmetrical weight varied in this way will be described below.

Whilst the particular embodiment of the plug (60) described above relies on frictional engagement with the pocket (50) it can of course be releasably engaged by a variety of alternative methods, in particular the inner surface of the pocket (50) could be provided with an appropriate screw-thread for complimentary screw-threaded engagement with a screw-thread formed on the outer surface of the tubular portion (62) of the plug (60).

In a yet further alternative embodiment of this invention, the plug (60) could be varied so as to have a displaceable weight disposed within the hollow tubular portion (62) so as to be secured therein by frictional engagement (or such weight may simply be frictionally engaged directly with the pocket itself), whereby such weight is able to be moved in a direction towards or away from the centre of curvature of the ball (10'). Whilst in use, the frictional engagement between the <BR> weight within the hollow tubular portion (62) (or pocket (50) ) will be sufficient to prevent its movement within the ball and sufficient to overcome any centrifugal forces that may be exerted thereon by rotation or rolling of the ball. Such a

displaceable weight will be provided with an appropriate attachment member for co-operating with an appropriate tool for the user to selectively displace this weight towards or away from the centre of curvature of the ball as so desired, whereby the relative position of this weight within the tubular portion will effect the moment created about the centre of curvature. This provides an easy way of adjusting the asymmetric balance of the ball by simply effecting the relative position of the weight relative to the centre of curvature. Whilst this is described herein as being effected by use of a tool it could also be effected by appropriate plug designs whereby the plug designs have different weights at different longitudinal positions so that insertion of different plugs within the pocket (50) will effectively place the weight at one of a pre-determined number of positions relative to the centre of curvature.

Whilst the majority of ball games, and notably those played on a snooker or pool table, require the use of perfectly spherical balls which will run truly, the provision of the balls (10,10') as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 will allow development of a completely new range of games which can be used on a flat playing surface such as a conventional snooker or pool table, thereby enhancing the particular gaming applications of such tables.

The first application will be a form of indoor bowling which can be effected on a snooker table. However, by the design of spherical balls being asymmetrically weighted (as previously described), provides an enhanced use of such ball

whereby the user may attempt to roll the ball along a straight line by rolling the ball such that the centre of gravity (26,26'), is maintained in a vertical plane extending through the centre of curvature of the ball. This will require a high degree of skill to maintain the ball on such a straight path. Alternatively, the user may attempt to roll the ball and take advantage of the offset centre of gravity (26, 26') and try to move the ball along a curved path similar to that enjoyed by conventional crown green bowls. A significant difference of providing perfectly spherical balls enhances the variety of shots that can be played by the user as compared to existing ball designs. The balls can either be rolled by hand or could be struck with a conventional snooker cue dependent on the rules of the game that is actually developed. Furthermore, to avoid the necessity of a large number of different sets of balls for playing different games (ie. one set of conventional snooker balls for use on the table as a snooker table, and a second set of asymmetrically weighted balls according to the present invention for utilisation in alternative games), the invention further provides for a means of providing a single set of balls which are adaptable from conventional, symmetrically weighted balls, to the new asymmetrically weighted balls. With reference to the embodiment shown in Figure 2 such ball can be provided with a variety of plugs (60) of different mass and density as previously described, one of which plugs can be designed so that its density is equivalent to the density of the material removed to form the pocket (50) such that insertion of this particular plug would provide a ball having a uniform spherical surface and a uniform density such that the centre of gravity (26') is co-incident with the centre of curvature (16). Subsequently this

uniform density plug can then be replaced with a plug of alternative density so as to convert the symmetrically weighted ball to an asymmetrically weighted ball.

This would allow the provision of a single set of balls which can be adapted from one use to another.

Furthermore, these asymmetrically weighted balls (10,10') will be able to be utilised on a conventional snooker table. However, their particular application and mode of rolling along a curved path provides opportunity for a variety of different games to be played using such balls so as to take advantage of their inherent curved motion. Such games will require appropriate markings on the surface of the snooker table to provide effective targets onto which the balls are to be rolled so as to effectively score. However, since it would not be desirable to effect permanent markings on a conventional snooker table, which would subsequently inhibit its use for snooker or pool, the current invention further provides for a means of providing a temporary indicia on a playing surface.

Referring now to Figure 3, snooker tables are usually provided with an appropriate light source disposed above the playing surface so as to illuminate the playing surface for the benefit of the users. Such a light source, shown schematically as (100) in Figure 3, is disposed above a conventional snooker table (shown in cross section as (120) in Figure 3). The snooker table (120) comprises a solid flat base (122) having a rectangular frame (124) mounted thereon, presenting upstanding sidewalls of the snooker table. Mounted on the inwardly directed faces of such

sidewalls of the snooker table are conventional rubber cushions (126). The playing surface of the snooker table (120) is then covered by a green baize cloth (128) to provide a very smooth surface on which the snooker balls can be rolled.

Snooker tables usually have permanent markings in the form of lines and spots to indicate where snooker balls may be placed.

In order to provide additional indicia on the surface of the green baize (128), the light source (100) is provided with a rectangular support frame (130) with a hollow interior (131) and which frame (130) is adjustably mounted on a series of screw-threaded pins (132), one each associated with each corner of the rectangular frame (130). The pins (132) are securely mounted on a shell (134) of the light source (130). This shell (134) is usually suspended by chains (111) or other means from a ceiling above the snooker table but may, if required, be supported by appropriate stilts.

At each of the four corners of the frame (130) adjustable engagement means (136) are provided. These adjustment means (136) comprise hollow tubular members (138) supporting a rotatable nut (140) which is restrained from longitudinal displacement relative to the tubular member (138) but is rotatable thereabouts.

Each tubular member (138) is of greater internal diameter than the outer diameter of the screw-threaded pins (132) which can be received therein. Each nut (140) is provided with an internal screw-thread for complimentary screw-threaded engagement with each pin (132) such that rotation of the nut (140) about the

screw-threaded pin (132) effects displacement of the tubular member (136) towards or away from the shell (134) of the light source (100). Since each corner of the frame is adjustable in this manner the position of the frame can be adjusted relative to the light source, and particularly the bulb (101) mounted therein.

The frame (130) is capable of receiving and supporting a substantially flat perspex gaming template (150). The frame will be provided with appropriate reference projections (not shown) for ensuring correct alignment of the template thereon.

Each of the templates (150) will comprise a clear perspex sheet having a number of opaque indicia (152) marked thereon. By placing such templates between the light source and the snooker table, the light source is effectively transformed into a projector whereby the indicia (152) are subsequently projected onto the surface of the snooker table (128) to provide temporary markings or indicia for playing particular games. By allowing adjustment of the frame (130) towards or away from the light source (100) as indicated by arrow (160) (as shown in Figure 3) the projection of the indicia (152) in the form of shadows onto the playing surface can subsequently be focused to provide crisp, sharp images. As an alternative to simply using opaque indicia on the template to project appropriate shadows onto the playing surface, the indicia can be coloured and translucent so as to project different coloured indicia onto the playing surface if so required. Since the templates are easily lifted off and removed from the frame (130) and can be easily replaced, this system provides for a means of reversibly varying the indicia of the

playing surface without effecting permanent damage or marking thereon, serving to significantly enhance the variety of games that may be played on such surfaces.

A significant advantage of this particular design is that the playing surface of a snooker table is uniformly flat and, by projecting of the indicia onto this surface, no damage or disruption to this flat surface is effected, whilst avoiding the need to place additional indicia such as additional cloth markers onto such surface which could effect the rolling of the balls thereon. The use of such a template system as shown in Figure 3 is not limited to use with the particular asymmetrically weighted balls described with reference to Figure 1 and 2 but is also applicable to use with conventional symmetrically weighted balls such as conventional snooker or pool balls which can be used for alternative games involving a degree of skill in hitting such balls towards the marked indicia on the playing surface.

It will be appreciated it than as an alternative form of template, instead of using clear perspex having opaque or translucent indicia marked thereon for projection onto the playing surface, the template itself may be opaque with indicia marked so as to be transparent or translucent so that light passes through such translucent or transparent indicia to be projected onto the playing surface.

In either form, the ease of projecting such indicia onto the playing surface of a snooker table significantly enhances and increases its potential application. This

is particularly true when used in combination with the asymmetrically weighted balls as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

Referring now to Figures 4a through 4d, four specific game indicia patterns are schematically illustrated projected onto the surface of a conventional snooker table for specific use with asymmetrically weighted balls. These indicia are provided by way of example only and each will be described in more detail below.

Figure 4a comprises an effective"bulls-eye"target (310) projected onto the surface. This can comprise simply as a plurality of circular rings (310) (or could in fact comprise a plurality of coloured rings) projected onto the surface. Whilst not shown, each of the rings can also have an associated number projected onto the surface illustrative of the scoring value of each ring. In use each player would then attempt to roll one or more of the asymmetrically weighted balls into the target area where each ball will score a certain value dependent on its final position and the value allocated to the ring in which it comes to rest. To further enhance this particular game and to take advantage of the curved path effected by the asymmetrically weighted balls, the gaming system can be further provided with a simple plastic disk (300), usually domed, (as illustrated in a cross section in Figures 3). This simple plastic disk is laid between the target (310) and the user end of the table (320) so that the user has to roll the ball around the domed disk (300) in order to reach the centre (315) of the target (310) which will have the highest scoring value. This provides for a degree of skill for the user to effect

sufficient curve displacement of the ball when rolling to avoid the disk and return to the centre of the table. The position of the disk is easily varied so as to increase the difficulty presented by such a feature. Similarly, Figure 4b shows the projected indicia (330) as a series of squares which may or may not be coloured.

Each square would also have projected thereon a numerical value indicative of the score achieved should a ball come to rest in that square. Again, those squares directly behind the plastic disk (300) would incur higher values due to the difficultly incurred in attempting to curve the ball around the disk so as to come to rest in the central squares.

The indicia projected and illustratively shown in Figure 4c, provide for a game similar to bar billiards, whereby a series of circular disks (340) are projected onto the playing surface and again may be of different colours and different scoring values. The gaming system of this embodiment further comprises a series of pegs (350) shown illustratively in Figure 3) one each placed directly in front of each disk (340). Here the user will attempt to roll the asymmetrically weighted ball so as to curve around the peg without knocking it over and come to rest in a scoring zone (340). Here the scoring disks or zones (340) furthest from the user end (320) of the playing table will have a higher scoring value reflective of the increased difficulty in having the asymmetrically weighted balls come to rest in such areas.

A further variant of a game taking advantage of the asymmetrically weighted ball (10,10') and the indicia projection system of Figure 3 is illustrated in Figure 4d.

Here a template (150) is used to provide a projection of indicia representative of a simple golf game. Nine circular rings (400) are projected onto the playing surface representative of"holes"whereby a series of bunker indicia (410) are projected onto the surface around and encompassing such holes (400). Furthermore, a series of pegs (340) can then be placed randomly on the playing surface or placed on spot indicia projected onto the playing surface so as to represent additional hazards. Furthermore, the template will also project a series of numbers 1-9 to be associated with each hole projection (400). Here, each player will then attempt to roll the asymmetrically weighted ball (10,10') into the holes and avoiding the hazards representative by the bunkers (410) or the pegs (340) in numerical order 1-9 in the minimum number of goes whereby the lowest score is considered to win the game.

As previously described, the asymmetrically weighted balls (10,10') can be caused to roll along a straight line if sufficient skill is achieved so as to cause the centre of gravity (26,26') of the rolling ball to be maintained in a vertical plane passing through the centre of curvature of such balls or, alternatively, the balls can be skilfully rolled so as to follow a curved path so as to avoid hazards placed on the playing surface. However, the asymmetrically weighted balls can also employ a handicap system whereby the greater the variance of the density of the plug compared to the removed material will significantly increase the relative distance between the centre of curvature (16) of each ball and its effective centre of gravity (26), thereby creating a larger moment so as to significantly enhance the effect of

the asymmetric weighting of the ball, making it more difficult to control. Here, different asymmetrically weighted balls can be employed for use by persons of different skill levels whereby the further the centre of gravity (26) is moved from the centre of curvature, the greater the skill required in rolling the balls to a desired position. As the skill of the user increases, more difficult balls (10,10') can be used to reflect their increased prowess and allow persons of different skill levels to compete on an equal basis.

Thus the present invention of both the asymmetrically weighted balls and the indicia projection system, significantly increases the use of conventional snooker and pool tables for playing a number of different games.