Welcome

Joe's journey into inventing began in high school, sparked by a practical need. He had recently acquired a new stereo system but was at a loss for space in his bedroom to accommodate it. At that time, stereo amplifiers, turntables, tuners, and speakers were all bulky, prompting him to devise a solution that would integrate these components into a table.

The following day, he sought the assistance of a cabinetmaker to bring his vision to life. He presented a sketch of the table and detailed his requirements. With limited funds available, they agreed to work together, with payments made as the project unfolded.

Once the table was constructed, the focus shifted to developing a mechanism that would allow the center portion to be raised or lowered, mimicking a James Bond-style operation with a simple button press. He consulted a welding engineer to create this custom system. After explaining his concept, the necessary components were procured, and the project commenced. This image illustrates a modern adaptation of this concept, featuring a similar setup in a cabinet that houses a pop-up flat-screen television.

Joe enjoyed the thrill of hunting pheasants, quails, and rabbits with his friends during the Michigan fall. Soon, he found himself with two adorable dogs that he could train for the hunting season. As the dogs grew, so did their need for water. Initially, they used bowls, which were soon replaced with pots and then a large pail. However, this solution proved insufficient. Joe worried that if the pail were accidentally knocked over and no one was home, the dogs would be left without water.

To address this issue, he purchased a galvanized mop bucket and a toilet float/valve assembly from a local store. He secured the pail to the side of the house and modified the toilet float to fit the bucket. He also reworked the water supply line to accommodate a standard garden hose fitting. Now, as long as the water spigot was open, the dogs had access to as much water as they needed. This setup is still in use today, demonstrating this solution.

Joe leased a vacant Big Boy restaurant and transformed it into a swimming pool store. In the competitive landscape of retail pools, chemicals, and spas, Aqua World distinguished itself with its elaborate displays on a bustling street corner.

At that time, hot tubs and spas were primarily sold as do-it-yourself kits, which presented a challenge. Determined to overcome this, he embarked on a project to create an easy-to-install design.

He sourced the smallest fiberglass spa shell available from his manufacturer, along with plastic mini jets. The pump and filter components were no issue, as he always had an ample supply in stock. His vision was to construct a freestanding, self-contained 110-volt tub with an enclosure designed to conceal the plumbing pipes and operating system.

Installing the jets with standard PVC pipe proved to be a challenge, but with the use of an array of plumbing elbows, he successfully completed the task. He also installed a pool pump and cartridge filter to maintain clean water.

The next hurdle was, "How do you heat the water?" A standard gas swimming pool heater was deemed impractical for indoor use. To find a solution, he visited the local Detroit Edison office to explore electric water heater elements. He purchased several 110-volt elements that were compact enough to fit inside a one and a half-inch pipe.

On his initial attempt, he placed the heating element directly inside the PVC pipe, hoping it would function well as long as the water was flowing when the heater was activated. Unfortunately, the pipe quickly melted, rendering the element useless. He tried again, this time installing the element inside a section of galvanized steel pipe, which proved successful but required several days to heat the 180 gallons of water.

In another attempt, he utilized a small secondary pump to circulate the water through the heater, which heated the water within a day.

One evening, as he decided to enjoy a relaxing soak in the warm water, he encountered another issue. The electrical extension cords were hanging near the tub's enclosure, posing a risk of water and electricity mixing. The following day, he ingeniously designed an air-activated switch to address this concern.

A few weeks later, the owner of his swimming pool and hot tub manufacturer paid a visit to check on the progress of the project. Mark was impressed and inquired if he could share this innovation with other companies. Over the summer, Joe assisted three other hot tub manufacturers in developing portable spas.

One afternoon, Joe noticed a common issue that he believed could be easily solved with a bit of creativity. For those who enjoy a casual game of pool at a coin-operated bar table, the frustration of not having all fifteen balls available to rack and play is well-known. This problem arises when a piece of cue chalk accidentally falls into the ball return track, obstructing some balls from returning to their proper positions inside the table.

Pool Chalk Saver is a cue chalk dispenser specifically designed for use with vending pool tables. It features a unique design that allows for the storage of five standard pieces of cue chalk. The unit is securely mounted to each side of the pool table by the middle pockets.

Players can easily dispense cue chalk by inserting the pool cue tip into either end of the dispenser and rotating it, much like sharpening a pencil. As the chalk is used, the cue tip drills a hole through the next block of chalk, ensuring a continuous supply.

This innovation addressed three key challenges for amusement operators.

• It significantly reduced pool table downtime.
• Eliminated the need for late-night service calls.
• Minimized waste and the expense of replacing cue chalk.

Players also appreciated the convenience of having chalk readily available and the assurance that they could play a game as intended.

At the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) trade show in Las Vegas, Joe's marketing team introduced the Pool Chalk Saver to the billiard industry. The product was an instant success, attracting the attention of other vendors who were eager to learn more. The enthusiasm for our concept was so great that attendees bypassed all other booths to visit us at the show. Within just three days, we had secured distribution across the United States and Canada.

One memorable evening, we were honored to be invited to the Mike Segal Hall of Fame banquet. Joe had the pleasure of meeting many of the top players, and it was a pleasant surprise when Willie Mosconi chose to sit next to him for dinner instead of at the head table with Fats. Willie shared his inspiring life story, recounting how he played pool while standing on a milk crate as a child, with his father placing bets on the game.

A few months later, Joe secured a licensing agreement with Miller Brewing to feature their logo on the Pool Chalk Saver.