UNI-LOC joint - the real story

[pfd studios]

While I could not agree more about the quality and the soundness of the UNI-LOC joint let me take this opportunity to set the record straight about the creation of the UNI-LOC joint . . . IF "you" know anything at all about United States Patents then you know that for the submission to ultimately be successfully upheld that ANYONE who had any direct involvement with the creation of the "product" MUST be named in the "INVENTORS" section. Bill Strouds name is NOT there on the May 21, 1996 Patent Number 5,518,455 document . . . NOR is it on ANY subsequent Patent that has anything to do with "QUICK COUPLING CUE STICK". Bill Stroud, did NOT invent the UNI-LOC - PERIOD. The two (2) names that are on the Patent are Paul Costain, then owner of PDC Machine and Gary Fumarola, General manager of PDC Machine, so despite rumor and popular opinion, they and only they invented the UNI-LOC.

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[Cornerman]

While I could not agree more about the quality and the soundness of the UNI-LOC joint let me take this opportunity to set the record straight about the creation of the UNI-LOC joint . . . IF "you" know anything at all about United States Patents then you know that for the submission to ultimately be successfully upheld that ANYONE who had any direct involvement with the creation of the "product" MUST be named in the "INVENTORS" section. Bill Strouds name is NOT there on the May 21, 1996 Patent Number 5,518,455 document . . . NOR is it on ANY subsequent Patent that has anything to do with "QUICK COUPLING CUE STICK". Bill Stroud, did NOT invent the UNI-LOC - PERIOD. The two (2) names that are on the Patent are Paul Costain, then owner of PDC Machine and Gary Fumarola, General manager of PDC Machine, so despite rumor and popular opinion, they and only they invented the UNI-LOC.

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Correct. And Paul Costain is the creator of the Revo and officially the Chief Marketing Officer of Predator Group (edit: Chief Manufacturing Officer). But he’s so much more. Every precision offering from uniloc including the Radial pin was from Paul, a master precision machinist from the aerospace and semiconductor industries. Uniloc was his company. He still is making the Revo out of Boston.

This is Paul’s side of the story with respect to Bill. So I wouldn’t leave Bill out of the story. Paul may have already patented it before he approached Bill:

Uni-Loc Engineering Precision Parts - Revolutionizing the Game of Pool

Revolutionizing the Game of Pool. Paul Costain had been manufacturing precision parts in the aeronautic industry for more than 20 years.

uni-loc.com

 

[DeeDeeCues]

So I've been wrongly accusing Stroud for that?

Predator are the Barnum and Bailey of the pool world. Unscrupulously get rich off of suckers.

 

[rjb1168]

Predators prices are high due to sponsoring 75% of the pro players and many events.
I did not know that about the uni-lock, thought it was Predator's design. I am not bashing
Predator, we need sponsorship in pool or we have no big tournaments and lose many good
pro's. They are a big part of pro pool, but I just see it as the reason they are pricey.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

Predators prices are high due to sponsoring 75% of the pro players and many events.

That is absolutely not the way the world works.

Predator prices are high because they market questionable (or worse) science/technology to the masses.

 

[pfd studios]

That is absolutely not the way the world works.

Predator prices are high because they market questionable (or worse) science/technology to the masses.

I think that you need to get a life and do a bit more research before you author statements about "questionable"science/technology" - I don't see you up here presenting anything of significance - just more bashing others.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

I think that you need to get a life and do a bit more research before you author statements about "questionable"science/technology" - I don't see you up here presenting anything of significance - just more bashing others.

Anybody who sells a thread like the uni-loc or radial by claiming it is superior needs to go read Shigley.

Personally I'll take 160yrs of sound mechanical engineering over some dude who thinks his ballscrew looks neat and decides to adapt it's profile to a cue.

 

[pfd studios]

Correct. And Paul Costain is the creator of the Revo and officially the Chief Marketing Officer of Predator Group. But he’s so much more. Every precision offering from uniloc including the Radial pin was from Paul, a master precision machinist from the aerospace and semiconductor industries. Uniloc was his company. He still is making the Revo out of Boston.

This is Paul’s side of the story with respect to Bill. So I wouldn’t leave Bill out of the story. Paul may have already patented it before he approached Bill:

Uni-Loc Engineering Precision Parts - Revolutionizing the Game of Pool

Revolutionizing the Game of Pool. Paul Costain had been manufacturing precision parts in the aeronautic industry for more than 20 years.

uni-loc.com

Fred, just to keep the record straight - Paul is "Chief MANUFACTURING Officer" - NOT 'marketing' - easy to mistake what CMO might stand for . . . no biggie . . . but perhaps this will give the DeeDee character a bit more to ponder.

 

[Poolhall60561]

What does Shigley say ?
.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

Fred, just to keep the record straight - Paul is "Chief MANUFACTURING Officer" - NOT 'marketing' - easy to mistake what CMO might stand for . . . no biggie . . . but perhaps this will give the DeeDee character a bit more to ponder.

Nope. Title implies no knowledge of how screws should be used.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

What does Shigley say ?
.

Enough to fill multiple University courses.

 

[Cornerman]

Fred, just to keep the record straight - Paul is "Chief MANUFACTURING Officer" - NOT 'marketing' - easy to mistake what CMO might stand for . . . no biggie . . . but perhaps this will give the DeeDee character a bit more to ponder.

That makes more sense! Thanks!

 

[pfd studios]

Nope. Title implies no knowledge of how screws should be used.

Interesting - it appears that you have obtained all your "expertise" from . . .Shigley's / / / Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design is intended for students beginning the study of mechanical engineering design. Students will find that the text inherently directs them into familiarity with both the basics of design decisions and the standards of industrial components. Good start DeeDee - but perhaps 54 years of actual hands-on working experience and over 30 United States Patents to Paul's name and over 25 years of sales of Uni-Loc and Radial pins world wide should answer any questions on HIS expertise . . . . so exactly how many Patents have been issues in this field to you ??

 

[DeeDeeCues]

Interesting - it appears that you have obtained all your "expertise" from . . .Shigley's / / / Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design is intended for students beginning the study of mechanical engineering design. Students will find that the text inherently directs them into familiarity with both the basics of design decisions and the standards of industrial components. Good start DeeDee - but perhaps 54 years of actual hands-on working experience and over 30 United States Patents to Paul's name and over 25 years of sales of Uni-Loc and Radial pins world wide should answer any questions on HIS expertise . . . . so exactly how many Patents have been issues in this field to you ??

Parents aren't awarded on scientific merit.

Why don't you and he actually show why his threads are better?

Shigley is on almost every working mechanical engineers shelf, regardless of what you read on Wikipedia.

 

[iusedtoberich]

I read Stroud came up with the Radial, not the quick release Uni-Loc. I didn't know anyone was saying he came up with the first one.

 

[pfd studios]

Parents aren't awarded on scientific merit.

Why don't you and he actually show why his threads are better?

Shigley is on almost every working mechanical engineers shelf, regardless of what you read on Wikipedia.

DeeDee you really are hopeless - this is not a contest about why the Uni-Loc or Radial pin are better - and the mere fact that YOU have offered nothing of any substance here speaks for itself - you have been tried, measured and found wanting. DONE !!

 

[iusedtoberich]

The link to the Uni-Loc site doesn't really clear up much information.

Quote from Uni-Loc site:
"Unsatisfied with traditional joint systems, Paul sought the help of one of the world’s most renowned cue makers, Bill Stroud of Joss West cues. Paul provided Bill with a design for a new kind of joint system and asked him to install it on his personal cue. Soon after, Bill asked Paul to build a modified version of that original joint design.

These two new joint systems would quickly evolve into Original quick-release joint systems and the Radial joint systems made by Uni-Loc today."

That text is pretty vague who did what. It also implies to me Bill and Paul worked together to improve the design of both Uni-Loc QR and Radial.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

DeeDee you really are hopeless - this is not a contest about why the Uni-Loc or Radial pin are better - and the mere fact that YOU have offered nothing of any substance here speaks for itself - you have been tried, measured and found wanting. DONE !!

How's this one for you: in industry, the ballscrew that was the inspiration for radial pins was used only for power transmission because of its inherent zero backlash design. The radial screw doesn't benefit from a zero backlash design and in fact suffers because of it. There is less clearance in the threads and more friction. The specific intention of a screw is to provide axial force. Excess friction in the threads diminishes axial force, and reduces the screw effectiveness.

 

[measureman]

How's this one for you: in industry, the ballscrew that was the inspiration for radial pins was used only for power transmission because of its inherent zero backlash design. The radial screw doesn't benefit from a zero backlash design and in fact suffers because of it. There is less clearance in the threads and more friction. The specific intention of a screw is to provide axial force. Excess friction in the threads diminishes axial force, and reduces the screw effectiveness.

I have no idea what the above means.
I have a 10 year old cue with an original Uni-Loc pin and it's worked out just fine.
My personal totally uninformed opinion is any screw that secures the shaft to the butt tightly doesn't matter on the size or design.

 

[book collector]

I will thank my lucky stars for eternity, that this was all made clear to me, while I was still above ground. To have gone to the great beyond, ignorant of the finer points of joint pin development, would have been ...... unbearable.