CA1177612A - Curling brush - Google Patents
Curling brushInfo
- Publication number
- CA1177612A CA1177612A CA000423410A CA423410A CA1177612A CA 1177612 A CA1177612 A CA 1177612A CA 000423410 A CA000423410 A CA 000423410A CA 423410 A CA423410 A CA 423410A CA 1177612 A CA1177612 A CA 1177612A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- brush
- ice
- traditional
- curling
- head
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B9/00—Arrangements of the bristles in the brush body
- A46B9/02—Position or arrangement of bristles in relation to surface of the brush body, e.g. inclined, in rows, in groups
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46D—MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES
- A46D1/00—Bristles; Selection of materials for bristles
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B67/00—Sporting games or accessories therefor, not provided for in groups A63B1/00 - A63B65/00
- A63B67/14—Curling stone; Shuffleboard; Similar sliding games
- A63B67/148—Curling brooms or brushes
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B2200/00—Brushes characterized by their functions, uses or applications
- A46B2200/30—Brushes for cleaning or polishing
- A46B2200/308—Curling brooms
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
- Cleaning Implements For Floors, Carpets, Furniture, Walls, And The Like (AREA)
Abstract
CURLING BRUSH
Abstract of the Disclosure A curling brush has been designed to provide two main ice scrubbing surfaces instead of just one as found in a curling brush of traditional design, thereby making the useful life of the new brush at least twice that of a traditional brush. The new brush also provides smaller ice scrubbing surfaces making it possible to achieve a greater brushing effect when desired without pushing the brush on the ice with a greater force which is the only way a greater brushing effect may be achieved with a traditional brush. The symmetrical design of the new brush eliminates the problem of possible ice damage resulting from inadvertent use of the wrong side of the brush head as sometimes happens during use of a traditional brush, it provides a uniform target for a player throwing a curling stone unlike the asymmetrical traditional brush, and it makes the use of a brush for the purpose of cleaning the running surface of a stone before throwing the stone much easier. The design of the new brush also permits the effective use of an ice cleaning material on the head which will not readily break down thus eliminating the problem of bristle debris common to traditional brushes.
Abstract of the Disclosure A curling brush has been designed to provide two main ice scrubbing surfaces instead of just one as found in a curling brush of traditional design, thereby making the useful life of the new brush at least twice that of a traditional brush. The new brush also provides smaller ice scrubbing surfaces making it possible to achieve a greater brushing effect when desired without pushing the brush on the ice with a greater force which is the only way a greater brushing effect may be achieved with a traditional brush. The symmetrical design of the new brush eliminates the problem of possible ice damage resulting from inadvertent use of the wrong side of the brush head as sometimes happens during use of a traditional brush, it provides a uniform target for a player throwing a curling stone unlike the asymmetrical traditional brush, and it makes the use of a brush for the purpose of cleaning the running surface of a stone before throwing the stone much easier. The design of the new brush also permits the effective use of an ice cleaning material on the head which will not readily break down thus eliminating the problem of bristle debris common to traditional brushes.
Description
This invention relates to a new brush particularly designed for use in playing the game of curlIng.
The game of curling is played on a relatively long and narrow rectangular sheet of ice having one set of concentric circles at each end called "the house". In play, a curling stone is thrown from one end of the sheet towards the house at the other end of the sheet by sliding the stone along the ice. The stone is also given a turn so that it rotates about a vertical axis causing it to travel in a curved path.
Brooms or brushes are used for sweeping the ice ahead of the stone along its path to clean and polish the ice thereby reducing the amount of friction between the running surface of the stone and the ice. In this way the amount of curl and the speed of the stone, and therefore its ultimate destination, can be controlled. This is a very important aspect of the game of curling.
For many years the type of curling broom most commonly used in Canada was a sweeping broom made with corn bristles. Later, curling brooms made with synthetic materials and designed to be used in the same manner as a corn bristle broom became widely used. Recently the push broom, also commonly called a brush, has become extremely popular. It is generally accepted that a greater degree of sweeping control can be achieved with a brush than with a corn broom or other brooms designed to be used in the same manner as a corn broom.
The traditional curling brush resembles the common push broom well known from the art of cleaning. Typically it consists of a generally rectangular head have a top and bottom surface. Bristles for cleaning the ice, usually made of horse hair, hog hair, or nylon, are attached to the bottom sur`face and a handle, usually a long cylindrical staff, is attached to the top surface at an angle.
7~
.
One disadvantage of the traditional brush is that the wrong side of the brush head is sometimes inadvertently used, which can result in damage to the ice surface.
Another disadvantage of the traditional brush arises from its asymmetrical shape when it is viewed in cross-section along the longer axis of the head. This is the view of the brush usually presented as a target for a player throwing a stone. Because of the asymmetry of the brush, the target location is somewhat imprecise and can be distracting for the player.
Another disadvantage of the traditional brush is the problem met by a player using it to clean the running surface of a stone in preparation for throwing the stone. When the brush is used for this purpose the handle must be held near the head. The long brush handle then necessarily projects away from the stone and from the player's body making the brush very unmanageable.
Another disadvantage of the traditional brush is the undesirable effect of bristle debris which can completely change the path of a sliding stone or even stop the stone completely within a short distance.
Accordingly it is an object of this invention to overcome these disadvantages by providing a symmetrical curling brush which has more than one effective ice scrubbing surface and the design of which permits the use of an ice cleaning material other than the conventional bristles.
Another object of this invention is to provide a curling brush with a longer operation life than traditional brushes.
To this end in one of its aspects the invention provides a curling brush comprising a headwhich, in cross-section across its longer axis, is in the appro~imate shape of an isosceles triangle, a handle fixedly secured to the centre of the head at right angles to the base side of the isosceles head, and ice cleaning material adhesively secured to the head surface so that the other two sides of the isosceles triangular head provide two effective main ice scrubbing surfaces.
In another of its aspects, the invention further provides a curling brush comprising a head which, in cross-section across its longer axis, has one surface which is the arc of a circle and another surface which is the chord subtending that arc, a handle fixedly secured to the centre of the head at right angles to the chord surface, and ice cleaning material adhesively secured to the head surface to provide an arc-shaped ice scrubbing surface which may be effectively used at any angle at which the brush is held while in use.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a curling brush according to a first and preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIGURE l; and FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention.
Features common to both embodiments of the invention are described and illustrated using the same reference numerals. In all three Figures only the lower end of the brush handle with the brush head secured to it is shown.
Reference is first made to FIGURES 1 and 2 which show a curling brush having a head 10 which, in cross-section across its longer axis, is in the approximate shape of an isosceles triangle. The head 10 has a top surface 1~ and two main ice scrubbing surfaces 14 and 16. The main ice scrubbing surfaces 14 and 16 intersect at an obtuse ang1e and, when the top surface 12 is horizontal as shown in FIGURE 2, each of the ice scrubbing surfaces 14 and 16 is at an acute angle to the horizontal. A cylindrical handle 18 is fixedly secured to the centre of the head 10 at right angles to the top surface 12 and is additionally secured to the head 10 by a countersunk screw 20. Ice scrubbing material 22 is wrapped around the head 10 with its edges extending beneath the edges of a rectangular cap 24 having a cylindric opening 26 at its centre through which the handle 18 passes. The rectangular cap 24 is attached to the head 10 with countersunk screws 28 and presses on the edges of the ice cleaning material 22 helping to hold it in place.
In use the handle 18 is held at an angle to the ice surface so that the main ice scrubbing surface being used is essentially flat on the ice. Either of the main ice scrubbing surfaces 14 and 16 may be used at any one time. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the head 10, handle 18 and cap 24 are made of a hard wood and the ice cleaning material 22 is made of a high quality artifical turf, although other materials may well be suitable for these purposes. The artifical turf used for ice cleaning material in the preferred embodiment of the invention has a pile of about one-half inch so that the brush may be used effectively even when the handle is held at an angle several degrees greater or less than the angle which would be required to have the entire ice scrubbing surface flat on the ice. The same leeway in the angle at which the handle 18 may be held in use can be achieved even if an ice cleaning material with little or no pile is used by inserting some resilient material such as poly-foam between the head 10 and the ice cleaning material 22.
The design of the brush completely eliminates the problem encountered with a traditional brush of damaging the ice by inadvertently -t 177612 putting the wrong side of the brush head on the ice. Furthermore, the ice can not be damaged by the edges of the brush head either since the ice c1eaning material 22 extends to the edges of the head as shown in FIGURES
1 and 2. Because the brush design permits use of an ice cleaning material other than bristles usually made of horse hair, hog hair or nylon, the significant problems caused by bristle debris are eliminated. Because the brush presents a symmetrical target for a player throwing a stone, the distraction caused by the asymmetrical appearance of the traditional brush is eliminated. Because the ice cleaning material 22 extends completely around the head in the preferred embodiment of the invention the material at the edges of the head may be used to clean the running surface of a stone in preparation for throwing it thereby enabling the player to hold the brush in a very comfortable position and eliminating the difficulty usually encountered when using a traditional brush for this purpose.
Since two effective ice scrubbing surfaces are provided in the preferred embodiment of the invention instead of just one as in the traditional brush, the utility of the brush is greatly increased and the operation life of the brush is at least twice that of a traditional brush.
The design of the brush also provides a simple means of obtaining a greater brushing effect whenever it is desired which often occurs when brushing a rock in the house or other confined area. It is generally recognized that the greater the pressure exerted on the ice the greater the sweeping or brushing effect. The only way a greater pressure can be obtained with a traditional brush is by pushing down on the brush with a greater force.
However, with the preferred embodiment of the invention, a greater brushing pressure may be obtained even while using the usual amount of force simply by using either edge of the brush. When used in this way the handle would 1 177~1 2 be at a smaller angle to the ice surface than it would be when one of the main ice scrubbing surfaces is being used. Because the area of the ice scrubbing surface when these parts of the head are used is smaller, the brushing pressure for a given amount of force will be greater than it would be if one of the main ice scrubbing surfaces were being used. The brushing pressure could be increased even more by combining use of the edges of the brush head with the application of a greater than normal force. Therefore the preferred embodiment of the invention provides two effective main ice scrubbing surfaces for normal brushing and smaller ice scrubbing surfaces at the edges of the brush which may be used to obtain a greater brushing effect when desired.
FIGURE 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention which, as a result of the single arc-shaped ice scrubbing surface 15 which it provides, is completely independent of the angle to the ice surface at which the handle 18 is held while the brush is being used. This embodiment of the invention further provides all the advantages of the first embodiment.
Although the disclosure describes and illustrates two preferred embodiments of the brush, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to these particular embodiments. In particular, it is apparent that the ice scrubbing surface of the head could be multi-faceted instead of having only two main ice scrubbing surfaces as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 or one arc-shaped ice scrubbing surface as illustrated in FIGURE 3.
The preferred embodiment is therefore to be regarded as an example of the present invention, there being a great number of readily conceivable departures from the preferred embodiment which would be apparent to a person skilled in the art but which would not depart from the scope of the invention as recited in the accompanying claims.
The game of curling is played on a relatively long and narrow rectangular sheet of ice having one set of concentric circles at each end called "the house". In play, a curling stone is thrown from one end of the sheet towards the house at the other end of the sheet by sliding the stone along the ice. The stone is also given a turn so that it rotates about a vertical axis causing it to travel in a curved path.
Brooms or brushes are used for sweeping the ice ahead of the stone along its path to clean and polish the ice thereby reducing the amount of friction between the running surface of the stone and the ice. In this way the amount of curl and the speed of the stone, and therefore its ultimate destination, can be controlled. This is a very important aspect of the game of curling.
For many years the type of curling broom most commonly used in Canada was a sweeping broom made with corn bristles. Later, curling brooms made with synthetic materials and designed to be used in the same manner as a corn bristle broom became widely used. Recently the push broom, also commonly called a brush, has become extremely popular. It is generally accepted that a greater degree of sweeping control can be achieved with a brush than with a corn broom or other brooms designed to be used in the same manner as a corn broom.
The traditional curling brush resembles the common push broom well known from the art of cleaning. Typically it consists of a generally rectangular head have a top and bottom surface. Bristles for cleaning the ice, usually made of horse hair, hog hair, or nylon, are attached to the bottom sur`face and a handle, usually a long cylindrical staff, is attached to the top surface at an angle.
7~
.
One disadvantage of the traditional brush is that the wrong side of the brush head is sometimes inadvertently used, which can result in damage to the ice surface.
Another disadvantage of the traditional brush arises from its asymmetrical shape when it is viewed in cross-section along the longer axis of the head. This is the view of the brush usually presented as a target for a player throwing a stone. Because of the asymmetry of the brush, the target location is somewhat imprecise and can be distracting for the player.
Another disadvantage of the traditional brush is the problem met by a player using it to clean the running surface of a stone in preparation for throwing the stone. When the brush is used for this purpose the handle must be held near the head. The long brush handle then necessarily projects away from the stone and from the player's body making the brush very unmanageable.
Another disadvantage of the traditional brush is the undesirable effect of bristle debris which can completely change the path of a sliding stone or even stop the stone completely within a short distance.
Accordingly it is an object of this invention to overcome these disadvantages by providing a symmetrical curling brush which has more than one effective ice scrubbing surface and the design of which permits the use of an ice cleaning material other than the conventional bristles.
Another object of this invention is to provide a curling brush with a longer operation life than traditional brushes.
To this end in one of its aspects the invention provides a curling brush comprising a headwhich, in cross-section across its longer axis, is in the appro~imate shape of an isosceles triangle, a handle fixedly secured to the centre of the head at right angles to the base side of the isosceles head, and ice cleaning material adhesively secured to the head surface so that the other two sides of the isosceles triangular head provide two effective main ice scrubbing surfaces.
In another of its aspects, the invention further provides a curling brush comprising a head which, in cross-section across its longer axis, has one surface which is the arc of a circle and another surface which is the chord subtending that arc, a handle fixedly secured to the centre of the head at right angles to the chord surface, and ice cleaning material adhesively secured to the head surface to provide an arc-shaped ice scrubbing surface which may be effectively used at any angle at which the brush is held while in use.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a curling brush according to a first and preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIGURE l; and FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention.
Features common to both embodiments of the invention are described and illustrated using the same reference numerals. In all three Figures only the lower end of the brush handle with the brush head secured to it is shown.
Reference is first made to FIGURES 1 and 2 which show a curling brush having a head 10 which, in cross-section across its longer axis, is in the approximate shape of an isosceles triangle. The head 10 has a top surface 1~ and two main ice scrubbing surfaces 14 and 16. The main ice scrubbing surfaces 14 and 16 intersect at an obtuse ang1e and, when the top surface 12 is horizontal as shown in FIGURE 2, each of the ice scrubbing surfaces 14 and 16 is at an acute angle to the horizontal. A cylindrical handle 18 is fixedly secured to the centre of the head 10 at right angles to the top surface 12 and is additionally secured to the head 10 by a countersunk screw 20. Ice scrubbing material 22 is wrapped around the head 10 with its edges extending beneath the edges of a rectangular cap 24 having a cylindric opening 26 at its centre through which the handle 18 passes. The rectangular cap 24 is attached to the head 10 with countersunk screws 28 and presses on the edges of the ice cleaning material 22 helping to hold it in place.
In use the handle 18 is held at an angle to the ice surface so that the main ice scrubbing surface being used is essentially flat on the ice. Either of the main ice scrubbing surfaces 14 and 16 may be used at any one time. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the head 10, handle 18 and cap 24 are made of a hard wood and the ice cleaning material 22 is made of a high quality artifical turf, although other materials may well be suitable for these purposes. The artifical turf used for ice cleaning material in the preferred embodiment of the invention has a pile of about one-half inch so that the brush may be used effectively even when the handle is held at an angle several degrees greater or less than the angle which would be required to have the entire ice scrubbing surface flat on the ice. The same leeway in the angle at which the handle 18 may be held in use can be achieved even if an ice cleaning material with little or no pile is used by inserting some resilient material such as poly-foam between the head 10 and the ice cleaning material 22.
The design of the brush completely eliminates the problem encountered with a traditional brush of damaging the ice by inadvertently -t 177612 putting the wrong side of the brush head on the ice. Furthermore, the ice can not be damaged by the edges of the brush head either since the ice c1eaning material 22 extends to the edges of the head as shown in FIGURES
1 and 2. Because the brush design permits use of an ice cleaning material other than bristles usually made of horse hair, hog hair or nylon, the significant problems caused by bristle debris are eliminated. Because the brush presents a symmetrical target for a player throwing a stone, the distraction caused by the asymmetrical appearance of the traditional brush is eliminated. Because the ice cleaning material 22 extends completely around the head in the preferred embodiment of the invention the material at the edges of the head may be used to clean the running surface of a stone in preparation for throwing it thereby enabling the player to hold the brush in a very comfortable position and eliminating the difficulty usually encountered when using a traditional brush for this purpose.
Since two effective ice scrubbing surfaces are provided in the preferred embodiment of the invention instead of just one as in the traditional brush, the utility of the brush is greatly increased and the operation life of the brush is at least twice that of a traditional brush.
The design of the brush also provides a simple means of obtaining a greater brushing effect whenever it is desired which often occurs when brushing a rock in the house or other confined area. It is generally recognized that the greater the pressure exerted on the ice the greater the sweeping or brushing effect. The only way a greater pressure can be obtained with a traditional brush is by pushing down on the brush with a greater force.
However, with the preferred embodiment of the invention, a greater brushing pressure may be obtained even while using the usual amount of force simply by using either edge of the brush. When used in this way the handle would 1 177~1 2 be at a smaller angle to the ice surface than it would be when one of the main ice scrubbing surfaces is being used. Because the area of the ice scrubbing surface when these parts of the head are used is smaller, the brushing pressure for a given amount of force will be greater than it would be if one of the main ice scrubbing surfaces were being used. The brushing pressure could be increased even more by combining use of the edges of the brush head with the application of a greater than normal force. Therefore the preferred embodiment of the invention provides two effective main ice scrubbing surfaces for normal brushing and smaller ice scrubbing surfaces at the edges of the brush which may be used to obtain a greater brushing effect when desired.
FIGURE 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention which, as a result of the single arc-shaped ice scrubbing surface 15 which it provides, is completely independent of the angle to the ice surface at which the handle 18 is held while the brush is being used. This embodiment of the invention further provides all the advantages of the first embodiment.
Although the disclosure describes and illustrates two preferred embodiments of the brush, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to these particular embodiments. In particular, it is apparent that the ice scrubbing surface of the head could be multi-faceted instead of having only two main ice scrubbing surfaces as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 or one arc-shaped ice scrubbing surface as illustrated in FIGURE 3.
The preferred embodiment is therefore to be regarded as an example of the present invention, there being a great number of readily conceivable departures from the preferred embodiment which would be apparent to a person skilled in the art but which would not depart from the scope of the invention as recited in the accompanying claims.
Claims (5)
1. A curling brush comprising an elongated handle and an ice contacting head, the handle having a central axis and a lower end, the ice contacting head being fixedly secured to the handle at said lower end to extend laterally thereto, the ice contacting head having a solid portion with a substantially uniform cross section with at least one ice scrubbing surface covered with an ice cleaning material adapted to clean the ice when the handle is in a first position or rotated about the central axis of the handle to a second alternate position substantially 180° from the first position.
2. A curling brush as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ice scrubbing surface is curved in cross section.
3. A curling brush as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ice contacting head has two substantially flat ice scrubbing surfaces which intersect at an obtuse angle, one of said covered ice scrubbing surfaces contacting the ice in each of said alternate positions.
4. A curling brush as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said ice cleaning material is a resilient synthetic material.
5. A curling brush as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said ice cleaning material is artificial turf.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000423410A CA1177612A (en) | 1983-03-11 | 1983-03-11 | Curling brush |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000423410A CA1177612A (en) | 1983-03-11 | 1983-03-11 | Curling brush |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1177612A true CA1177612A (en) | 1984-11-13 |
Family
ID=4124763
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000423410A Expired CA1177612A (en) | 1983-03-11 | 1983-03-11 | Curling brush |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1177612A (en) |
-
1983
- 1983-03-11 CA CA000423410A patent/CA1177612A/en not_active Expired
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US4475262A (en) | Push type curling broom | |
| US4373541A (en) | Bristle structure for brushes and brush assembly | |
| US3939520A (en) | Tooth brush | |
| US4471506A (en) | Toothbrush with multi-positionable head | |
| KR101548838B1 (en) | Oral care implement | |
| KR19990071809A (en) | Toothbrush with flexible mounted bristles | |
| CA2800956A1 (en) | Toothbrush head | |
| BRPI0617944A2 (en) | oral care implement | |
| CA2673118A1 (en) | Oral care implement with a soft tissue cleanser | |
| US3458194A (en) | Hockey stick | |
| US4349933A (en) | Curling push-broom | |
| US3047896A (en) | Golfer's tool | |
| US6183383B1 (en) | Pad for a hockey stick blade | |
| CA1177612A (en) | Curling brush | |
| EP0706336A1 (en) | Toothbrush | |
| US5664278A (en) | Vegetable and fruit brush | |
| JP5433369B2 (en) | Cleaning tool | |
| US2536942A (en) | Golf club cleaning and scraping device | |
| US2690579A (en) | Toothbrush | |
| DE69628347D1 (en) | TOOTHBRUSH | |
| JPH02180203A (en) | Toothbrush | |
| US5049413A (en) | Method for cleaning a ball-like object adapted for sport and recreational use | |
| PT85197B (en) | TOOTHBRUSH | |
| US4471505A (en) | Toothbrush and bristle | |
| DE69025613D1 (en) | CLEANING DEVICE FOR GOLF CLUBS / GOLF SHOES |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEC | Expiry (correction) | ||
| MKEX | Expiry |