CA1187525A - Hockey stick - Google Patents
Hockey stickInfo
- Publication number
- CA1187525A CA1187525A CA000438758A CA438758A CA1187525A CA 1187525 A CA1187525 A CA 1187525A CA 000438758 A CA000438758 A CA 000438758A CA 438758 A CA438758 A CA 438758A CA 1187525 A CA1187525 A CA 1187525A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- blade
- goal
- fabric
- hockey stick
- keeper
- 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
- 239000004744 fabric Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 21
- 229920003235 aromatic polyamide Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 12
- 229920005989 resin Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 239000011347 resin Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 238000003475 lamination Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 239000003365 glass fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 11
- 229920000271 Kevlar® Polymers 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000004761 kevlar Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000011121 hardwood Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000002759 woven fabric Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 229920001187 thermosetting polymer Polymers 0.000 claims description 3
- OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon Chemical compound [C] OKTJSMMVPCPJKN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 2
- 229910052799 carbon Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000004760 aramid Substances 0.000 abstract description 6
- 238000013016 damping Methods 0.000 abstract description 5
- 239000003822 epoxy resin Substances 0.000 abstract description 3
- 229920000647 polyepoxide Polymers 0.000 abstract description 3
- 230000035939 shock Effects 0.000 abstract 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 6
- 239000002023 wood Substances 0.000 description 6
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000004593 Epoxy Substances 0.000 description 3
- 229920003369 Kevlar® 49 Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000003313 weakening effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000005452 bending Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 235000015115 caffè latte Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000002131 composite material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007373 indentation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229920000728 polyester Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920002994 synthetic fiber Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 210000000707 wrist Anatomy 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B59/00—Bats, rackets, or the like, not covered by groups A63B49/00 - A63B57/00
- A63B59/70—Bats, rackets, or the like, not covered by groups A63B49/00 - A63B57/00 with bent or angled lower parts for hitting a ball on the ground, on an ice-covered surface, or in the air, e.g. for hockey or hurling
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B2102/00—Application of clubs, bats, rackets or the like to the sporting activity ; particular sports involving the use of balls and clubs, bats, rackets, or the like
- A63B2102/24—Ice hockey
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B2209/00—Characteristics of used materials
- A63B2209/02—Characteristics of used materials with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
- Reinforced Plastic Materials (AREA)
- Laminated Bodies (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A hockey stick for goalkeepers is covered with aramid fibre containing fabric impregnated by an epoxy resin, at its blade portion and a part of the widened shaft portion immediately, obliquely, upwardly of the blade portion. In an alternate embodiment, the blade is formed of two parallel extending laminations separated by a middle layer of aramid fibre containing fabric and resin, and their outer surfaces are entirely covered with similar exterior layers, thereby giving the hockey stick great strength, damping qualities and resistance to shock or cutting while still being lightweight and balanced.
A hockey stick for goalkeepers is covered with aramid fibre containing fabric impregnated by an epoxy resin, at its blade portion and a part of the widened shaft portion immediately, obliquely, upwardly of the blade portion. In an alternate embodiment, the blade is formed of two parallel extending laminations separated by a middle layer of aramid fibre containing fabric and resin, and their outer surfaces are entirely covered with similar exterior layers, thereby giving the hockey stick great strength, damping qualities and resistance to shock or cutting while still being lightweight and balanced.
Description
~'7~'~5 ~ IL
This invention relates to sports equipment, more specificslly to an improved hockey stick for~ goalkeepers and a method of producing the same.
BACKGROVND OF THE INVF.NTION
The modified hockey stick used by goalkeepers is a sports ltem that has one of the shortest lifespans among similar articles used in contact sports. As is known, a goalkeeper's stick has a wider, longer and thicker blade and a widaned shaft portion as compared to the sticka used by defencemen ~nd forwards. There are two reasons for this fact: 1 1) to better protect the goal; 2) to be strong enough to rcslst more than a few 8 lapshots.
- Despite the fact that the blade of a goalie stick is wLder and thicker than that of a forward stick, it still lasts much les8 than the regular sticks as it has to resi3t the impact of shots by play~.r8 of professional caliber who are able to unleash wrist shots a9 well a9 slap shots which have not uncommonly been clocked at velocities of 80 m.p.h. or more. When a puck travelling at such speeds hits the goal-keeper's stick it is readily understandable that the latte~ deteriorates rather quickly during a practice session or a game.
Most goalkeeper's sticks in use today are made of a resistant hardwood such as ash, the blade portion of which is coated by a thermo-setting resin reinforced by a fabric of glass fibres. Or, alternstively, a goalkeeper's stick can be made of synthetic material such~a3 a sultable hollow core of plastic again coated by glass fibre reinforced resin material at the blade portion. As noted above, one important disad-vantage of such state-of-the-art goalkeeper's sticks ia that they are sub~ect to splintering, fracture or weakening after a relatively short period of time or, in the case of hollow-core plastic s~icks, are very expensive. In fact, it has been found in on-ice trials that such a goalkeeper's stick c~nnot withstand more than approximately ten slap , . ~ _ shots without damage thereto.
Thus, one important characteristic of a goalkeeper's hockey stick - that of strength and durability - remains unsatisfied by present-ly available sticks.
The prior art has attempted to provide for a 3tronger ~tick, u3ually by varying the orientation and assembly of the blade portion laminations and/or coating the wood or plastic of the blade portion with glass fibre impregnated with re3in such as polyester or epoxy. For _ example, the Canadian Patent issued to ~arwell on January 4, 1983 and bearing nl~ber 1,13~,912 teaches a standard defenceman or forward stick having a blade portion which is fitted with a braided tubular sleeve.
The sleeve is stretched to closely adhere to the blade portion even if the latter i8 curved and i8 then impregnated with a curable resin material. HoweveL, this Patent is directed to hockey sticks in general rather than specifically to a goalkeeper 13 stick.
A9 shall presently be shown there are ~mportant differences between the two types of hockey sticks.
It is indeed striking that the prior art has failed, till now, to take into account the different characteristics needed for a goal-keeper's stick. One has been noted above: strength and durability, whichare essential not only for economic rea`sons. For instance, when the action around the goalie's net becomes furious and a hard shot happens ~!
to break or badly damage the goalle's stick, the goalie is not allowed to change btick until one of the umpires calls it off for a~other reasPn therefore, a goal, even a g~me-winning goal, can be scored again9t the handicapped goalie. Other situations will come readily to mind. Another important fact the prior art cons1stently fails to consider is that the rear surface of the blade portion of the goalkeeper's stick abuts against the forward edges of the goalkeeperls skates. Thu~, each time the blade of the stick stops a hard 3hot the stick is impacted a~ainst the ~kates, causing indentations in the blade which progresslvel~ cut '75Z5 deeper, weakening the entire blade, as every gonlkeeper, profe~sional or amateur knows.
The other important d~ifferences can be summarlzed as follows:
Balance. The goalie's stick, even whlle havlng a wider blade portion, must remain li~ht 90 that the center of gravity of the sLick remains located upwardly of the blade. This is important because, con-trary ~o a forward or defenceman, the goalkeeper holds hls stick, mos~
of the time, by only one hand to leave his glove hand free. Moreover, the goalie frequently hold3 his stick above the ice. Thu9, a balanced stick having a center of gravlty locsted approxlmately ten inches from ~5 the hand that holds the stlck 18 necessary to prevent wrlst fati~ue and also to make the stick easily movable. The heavier the blade portlon the more undesirable it 19. Therefore, when the blade i~ strengthened by known methods, materials balance is sacrlficed in favor of greater strength.
Damping quality. For a hockey stick, damping may be defined as the capacity o~ the stick, especially the blade portion, to ab00rb and dissipate the'energy produced by the impact a puck makes thereon.
Wood, protected or not by a coating of epoxy resln reinforced with ~ i gla~s fibres, is the most commonly used material for hockey ~tick~ ¦
because it absorbs impact fairly well,"is ~tiff, is of low density compared to pla3tics or composite materials, is inexpensive, i8 readily workable and is resilient. All of these properties màke it the ideal material for the stick of a forward or defenceman. For exq~ple, resillency i3 a trump characteristic because a resilient handle and lower shaft portion allow~ the player to "~weep" the ice with the blade portion before contacting the puck in a slap shot. It ha~ been estimated that approximately 50% of the energy imparted to a 81~p shot puck derives from the bending of the shaft of the stlck when the blade por~ion sweeps the ice.
However, a goalie never makes slap shots. Moreover, the good .. .. , . ~ ~ , - . - . , .
d~mping quality of wood is not great enough to entirely eliminate the vibration in the 8 tick caused by a hard shot. The vlbration travels up the shaft of the stick and through the arm of the goalkeeper. This can be very uncomfortable for the goalie especially during a practice session during which he has to receive dozens, even hundred~ of ahots.
Canadian Patent i~sued to Hilton S. Staats on July 20, 1982 and bearing number 1,128,088 has attempted to indirectly overcome this problem by providing a goalkeeper's stick characterized by a mesh formation made in a perime~er'~frame portion of'the blade and also in the widened portion of ~he shaft. Th~s mesh will certainly absorb mo~t of the energy of the puck without excessive vibration but the goalkeeper becomes unable to direct a rebound from a shot to one of his own player~ or to a clear area of the ice when the opposition players are in threatening positions.
To recap,itulate brlefly the foregoing discussion, it i8 clear that a goalkeeper's hockey stick must: 1) be stronger than the stick of a forward line player or a defenceman; 2) it must be balanced, therefore needing a blade portion as light a8 possible; and 3) it must have good damping quality to quickly absorb energy and to reduce as much as possible vibration which Ls both undeslrable in itself and also weAkens ~ I
the stick over a period of time.
O~JECTS OF TUE INVENTION :' ¦
` Accordingly, it is the prime object of the present lnvention to provide a hockey stick for goalkeepers having aLl of the above- -discussed positive characterictics It is also an object of the present invention to provide a hockey stick of the type described which is easy and lnexpensive to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other objects of the present invention are reali~ed according to a preferred e~bodiment comprising ~ standard goal-keeper's hockey stick composed of a widerled and elongated blade portion '7S~25 and a shaft having another wLdened portion immediately upwardly of the blade portion and obliquely inclined to the latter.
The stick may be made of a suitable hardwood.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, the blade portion and preferably al90 the widened portion of the shaft, are covered with a fabric containing at least 20% by weight of organic aramid fibres such as the fibre3 known under the trade mark of KEVLAR of DuPont of Canada Inc. The iabric i3 embedded in a thermo3etting resi~ which ia bonded to the material of the stick in the known manner of fabrication.
According to an alternative embodiment, a pair of parallel- i extending blade laminations are separated by a middle ;ayer of ~EVLAR-containing fabric and the same type of fabric covers the outside faces of the blade.
The novel and unique application of aramid fibre containing-fabric to the hockey stick of a goalkeeper gives entirely unforeseen and unexpected results as will be explained below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
l~le above will be fully understood by having reference to the preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated by the anne~ed drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lower portion of a goal-keeper's hockey stick coated with aramid fibre-containing fabrlc;
Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along llne 2-2 of Figure l;
and Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 showing the alternate embodiment of the invention.
Like numerals indicate like ele~ents throughout the dr~wings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREF~RRED EMBODIMENT
Figure l depicts the lower portion of a goalkeeper's hockey stick 10 includi~g a wide elongated blade 14, a shaft 16 and a wldened shaft portion 12~ The blade 14 has a forward edge 22S a lower edge 23 ~a~ 75~s fln upper eclge ~0, a lleel area 24 and a throa~ 25. Bladé 14 and portion 12 are preferably macle of a harcl wood, such as ash, although plastiC can also be used.
To comply with the official rules of the National Hockey l,eague, a goal~keeper hoc~ey stick must have specified maxinlum dimen-sions and, in practice, therefore, the goal-keeper hockey stfck 10 in accordance with the present invention has the folloving range of dimen-sions for its pertinent parts.
The widened shaft portion 12 has a length varying between 23 and 26 inches fr~m the heel 24 up along the shait 16; and a width varying between 3.2 and 3 5 inches. The blade 14 has a length from the hee~ to the blade tip varying between 13.9 and 15.5 inches. The blade 1~ has a width varying between 3.2 and 3.5 inches.
Blacle 14 and an area of shaft portion 12 up to about line 15 are covered w~th ~n aramid Eibre-containing layer 32, 33 on both sides thereof, resp~ctively. The upper edge 20 and the throat 25 may not be coated but heel area 24 and lower edge 23 are coated to prevent wear in contact with the ice. The entire area of widened shaft portion may be coated with layer 32, 33 and lowar edge 23 with layer 43.
Figure 3 shows the alternate embodiment, comprising two parallel blade laminations 34, ~6 separated by ~q middle layer 42 also containing aramid fibres. In this embodiment, both outer surfaces and both upper and lower edges are also coated with aramid fibre-containing layers 38 and 40 and 41 and 43, respectively.
Layer~ 3.`, 33, 38, 40~ 42, and 43 each consist of a woven fabric impregnated with a thermosetting resin, such as epoxy, whlch also bonds the layers to the wood.
me iabric is composed of woven warp and weft slivers, each containing several fibres. The weight per un~t surface of the fabric may vary betw~en 1.7 and 8 ounces per squar-~ yard and is preferably 5 ounces per square yard. The thickness of the fabric L8 about 0.0l".
~" -6-'75~5 ~, The fnbrlc contains aramid fibres, s~ch a~ the flbres marketed under the trade mark KEVLAR. Both KEVLAR type~3 ~9 and 49 are suitable, although type 49 is preferred. ~;
The fabric slivers preferably consist of 100% KEV7~!~X fibres for maximum.resistance o the blade to breakage.
However, for reasons of economy, the KEVLAR 81iv8r9 may be adjoined to slivers of glass fibres: resistance of the blade is de-creased but still ha~ an acceptable valueO Such a fabric, when of a density of 5 ounces per square yard, contains a minimum of 40% of KEVLAR i i bres by weiEht.
.
'' ' .
~.
..~
-6a~
~ 7tj~ ~
Slivers of KEVLAR may alternate with slivers of glass fibres in both the weft and the warp of the fabrlc.
Alternately, the sliv~ers of KEVL~R may form the entire weft or the entire warp and vice ver3a for the slivers of glass fibres. The fabric may also contain a maximum of 25% by weight of carbon fibres in order to increase the rigidity of the blade.
Several co~parative tests were made by hockey players using similar sets of goalkeeper sticks, one set consisting of conventional ash stick~ reinforced by a 5.5 ounces fabric solely of glass fibres and the other set consisting of ash sticks made in accordance with Figures 1 and !~
This invention relates to sports equipment, more specificslly to an improved hockey stick for~ goalkeepers and a method of producing the same.
BACKGROVND OF THE INVF.NTION
The modified hockey stick used by goalkeepers is a sports ltem that has one of the shortest lifespans among similar articles used in contact sports. As is known, a goalkeeper's stick has a wider, longer and thicker blade and a widaned shaft portion as compared to the sticka used by defencemen ~nd forwards. There are two reasons for this fact: 1 1) to better protect the goal; 2) to be strong enough to rcslst more than a few 8 lapshots.
- Despite the fact that the blade of a goalie stick is wLder and thicker than that of a forward stick, it still lasts much les8 than the regular sticks as it has to resi3t the impact of shots by play~.r8 of professional caliber who are able to unleash wrist shots a9 well a9 slap shots which have not uncommonly been clocked at velocities of 80 m.p.h. or more. When a puck travelling at such speeds hits the goal-keeper's stick it is readily understandable that the latte~ deteriorates rather quickly during a practice session or a game.
Most goalkeeper's sticks in use today are made of a resistant hardwood such as ash, the blade portion of which is coated by a thermo-setting resin reinforced by a fabric of glass fibres. Or, alternstively, a goalkeeper's stick can be made of synthetic material such~a3 a sultable hollow core of plastic again coated by glass fibre reinforced resin material at the blade portion. As noted above, one important disad-vantage of such state-of-the-art goalkeeper's sticks ia that they are sub~ect to splintering, fracture or weakening after a relatively short period of time or, in the case of hollow-core plastic s~icks, are very expensive. In fact, it has been found in on-ice trials that such a goalkeeper's stick c~nnot withstand more than approximately ten slap , . ~ _ shots without damage thereto.
Thus, one important characteristic of a goalkeeper's hockey stick - that of strength and durability - remains unsatisfied by present-ly available sticks.
The prior art has attempted to provide for a 3tronger ~tick, u3ually by varying the orientation and assembly of the blade portion laminations and/or coating the wood or plastic of the blade portion with glass fibre impregnated with re3in such as polyester or epoxy. For _ example, the Canadian Patent issued to ~arwell on January 4, 1983 and bearing nl~ber 1,13~,912 teaches a standard defenceman or forward stick having a blade portion which is fitted with a braided tubular sleeve.
The sleeve is stretched to closely adhere to the blade portion even if the latter i8 curved and i8 then impregnated with a curable resin material. HoweveL, this Patent is directed to hockey sticks in general rather than specifically to a goalkeeper 13 stick.
A9 shall presently be shown there are ~mportant differences between the two types of hockey sticks.
It is indeed striking that the prior art has failed, till now, to take into account the different characteristics needed for a goal-keeper's stick. One has been noted above: strength and durability, whichare essential not only for economic rea`sons. For instance, when the action around the goalie's net becomes furious and a hard shot happens ~!
to break or badly damage the goalle's stick, the goalie is not allowed to change btick until one of the umpires calls it off for a~other reasPn therefore, a goal, even a g~me-winning goal, can be scored again9t the handicapped goalie. Other situations will come readily to mind. Another important fact the prior art cons1stently fails to consider is that the rear surface of the blade portion of the goalkeeper's stick abuts against the forward edges of the goalkeeperls skates. Thu~, each time the blade of the stick stops a hard 3hot the stick is impacted a~ainst the ~kates, causing indentations in the blade which progresslvel~ cut '75Z5 deeper, weakening the entire blade, as every gonlkeeper, profe~sional or amateur knows.
The other important d~ifferences can be summarlzed as follows:
Balance. The goalie's stick, even whlle havlng a wider blade portion, must remain li~ht 90 that the center of gravity of the sLick remains located upwardly of the blade. This is important because, con-trary ~o a forward or defenceman, the goalkeeper holds hls stick, mos~
of the time, by only one hand to leave his glove hand free. Moreover, the goalie frequently hold3 his stick above the ice. Thu9, a balanced stick having a center of gravlty locsted approxlmately ten inches from ~5 the hand that holds the stlck 18 necessary to prevent wrlst fati~ue and also to make the stick easily movable. The heavier the blade portlon the more undesirable it 19. Therefore, when the blade i~ strengthened by known methods, materials balance is sacrlficed in favor of greater strength.
Damping quality. For a hockey stick, damping may be defined as the capacity o~ the stick, especially the blade portion, to ab00rb and dissipate the'energy produced by the impact a puck makes thereon.
Wood, protected or not by a coating of epoxy resln reinforced with ~ i gla~s fibres, is the most commonly used material for hockey ~tick~ ¦
because it absorbs impact fairly well,"is ~tiff, is of low density compared to pla3tics or composite materials, is inexpensive, i8 readily workable and is resilient. All of these properties màke it the ideal material for the stick of a forward or defenceman. For exq~ple, resillency i3 a trump characteristic because a resilient handle and lower shaft portion allow~ the player to "~weep" the ice with the blade portion before contacting the puck in a slap shot. It ha~ been estimated that approximately 50% of the energy imparted to a 81~p shot puck derives from the bending of the shaft of the stlck when the blade por~ion sweeps the ice.
However, a goalie never makes slap shots. Moreover, the good .. .. , . ~ ~ , - . - . , .
d~mping quality of wood is not great enough to entirely eliminate the vibration in the 8 tick caused by a hard shot. The vlbration travels up the shaft of the stick and through the arm of the goalkeeper. This can be very uncomfortable for the goalie especially during a practice session during which he has to receive dozens, even hundred~ of ahots.
Canadian Patent i~sued to Hilton S. Staats on July 20, 1982 and bearing number 1,128,088 has attempted to indirectly overcome this problem by providing a goalkeeper's stick characterized by a mesh formation made in a perime~er'~frame portion of'the blade and also in the widened portion of ~he shaft. Th~s mesh will certainly absorb mo~t of the energy of the puck without excessive vibration but the goalkeeper becomes unable to direct a rebound from a shot to one of his own player~ or to a clear area of the ice when the opposition players are in threatening positions.
To recap,itulate brlefly the foregoing discussion, it i8 clear that a goalkeeper's hockey stick must: 1) be stronger than the stick of a forward line player or a defenceman; 2) it must be balanced, therefore needing a blade portion as light a8 possible; and 3) it must have good damping quality to quickly absorb energy and to reduce as much as possible vibration which Ls both undeslrable in itself and also weAkens ~ I
the stick over a period of time.
O~JECTS OF TUE INVENTION :' ¦
` Accordingly, it is the prime object of the present lnvention to provide a hockey stick for goalkeepers having aLl of the above- -discussed positive characterictics It is also an object of the present invention to provide a hockey stick of the type described which is easy and lnexpensive to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other objects of the present invention are reali~ed according to a preferred e~bodiment comprising ~ standard goal-keeper's hockey stick composed of a widerled and elongated blade portion '7S~25 and a shaft having another wLdened portion immediately upwardly of the blade portion and obliquely inclined to the latter.
The stick may be made of a suitable hardwood.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, the blade portion and preferably al90 the widened portion of the shaft, are covered with a fabric containing at least 20% by weight of organic aramid fibres such as the fibre3 known under the trade mark of KEVLAR of DuPont of Canada Inc. The iabric i3 embedded in a thermo3etting resi~ which ia bonded to the material of the stick in the known manner of fabrication.
According to an alternative embodiment, a pair of parallel- i extending blade laminations are separated by a middle ;ayer of ~EVLAR-containing fabric and the same type of fabric covers the outside faces of the blade.
The novel and unique application of aramid fibre containing-fabric to the hockey stick of a goalkeeper gives entirely unforeseen and unexpected results as will be explained below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
l~le above will be fully understood by having reference to the preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated by the anne~ed drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lower portion of a goal-keeper's hockey stick coated with aramid fibre-containing fabrlc;
Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along llne 2-2 of Figure l;
and Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 showing the alternate embodiment of the invention.
Like numerals indicate like ele~ents throughout the dr~wings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREF~RRED EMBODIMENT
Figure l depicts the lower portion of a goalkeeper's hockey stick 10 includi~g a wide elongated blade 14, a shaft 16 and a wldened shaft portion 12~ The blade 14 has a forward edge 22S a lower edge 23 ~a~ 75~s fln upper eclge ~0, a lleel area 24 and a throa~ 25. Bladé 14 and portion 12 are preferably macle of a harcl wood, such as ash, although plastiC can also be used.
To comply with the official rules of the National Hockey l,eague, a goal~keeper hoc~ey stick must have specified maxinlum dimen-sions and, in practice, therefore, the goal-keeper hockey stfck 10 in accordance with the present invention has the folloving range of dimen-sions for its pertinent parts.
The widened shaft portion 12 has a length varying between 23 and 26 inches fr~m the heel 24 up along the shait 16; and a width varying between 3.2 and 3 5 inches. The blade 14 has a length from the hee~ to the blade tip varying between 13.9 and 15.5 inches. The blade 1~ has a width varying between 3.2 and 3.5 inches.
Blacle 14 and an area of shaft portion 12 up to about line 15 are covered w~th ~n aramid Eibre-containing layer 32, 33 on both sides thereof, resp~ctively. The upper edge 20 and the throat 25 may not be coated but heel area 24 and lower edge 23 are coated to prevent wear in contact with the ice. The entire area of widened shaft portion may be coated with layer 32, 33 and lowar edge 23 with layer 43.
Figure 3 shows the alternate embodiment, comprising two parallel blade laminations 34, ~6 separated by ~q middle layer 42 also containing aramid fibres. In this embodiment, both outer surfaces and both upper and lower edges are also coated with aramid fibre-containing layers 38 and 40 and 41 and 43, respectively.
Layer~ 3.`, 33, 38, 40~ 42, and 43 each consist of a woven fabric impregnated with a thermosetting resin, such as epoxy, whlch also bonds the layers to the wood.
me iabric is composed of woven warp and weft slivers, each containing several fibres. The weight per un~t surface of the fabric may vary betw~en 1.7 and 8 ounces per squar-~ yard and is preferably 5 ounces per square yard. The thickness of the fabric L8 about 0.0l".
~" -6-'75~5 ~, The fnbrlc contains aramid fibres, s~ch a~ the flbres marketed under the trade mark KEVLAR. Both KEVLAR type~3 ~9 and 49 are suitable, although type 49 is preferred. ~;
The fabric slivers preferably consist of 100% KEV7~!~X fibres for maximum.resistance o the blade to breakage.
However, for reasons of economy, the KEVLAR 81iv8r9 may be adjoined to slivers of glass fibres: resistance of the blade is de-creased but still ha~ an acceptable valueO Such a fabric, when of a density of 5 ounces per square yard, contains a minimum of 40% of KEVLAR i i bres by weiEht.
.
'' ' .
~.
..~
-6a~
~ 7tj~ ~
Slivers of KEVLAR may alternate with slivers of glass fibres in both the weft and the warp of the fabrlc.
Alternately, the sliv~ers of KEVL~R may form the entire weft or the entire warp and vice ver3a for the slivers of glass fibres. The fabric may also contain a maximum of 25% by weight of carbon fibres in order to increase the rigidity of the blade.
Several co~parative tests were made by hockey players using similar sets of goalkeeper sticks, one set consisting of conventional ash stick~ reinforced by a 5.5 ounces fabric solely of glass fibres and the other set consisting of ash sticks made in accordance with Figures 1 and !~
2 and reinforced with 5 ounces fabric solely of KEVLAR 49 fibres.
It was found that the sticks of the invention withstand between 30 and 50 ~lapshoLs bèore breaking as compared to 5 to 10 slapshots for the conventional sticks.
This great improvement could not be foreseen considerlng that the blade of such sticks contains about 90% wood by weight and that the conventional mechanical properties of KEVLAR 49 and glass fibre~ are quite similar (see in this connection the maga~ine "PlA~tlques modernes et élastomères" of December 1977, page 54, table 4).
The improvement can now be explained by the considerAbly greater damp`tng factor of KEYLAR 49 fi~res with epoxy resin compared to the damping factor of glass fibres with epoxy resin q9 shown ln Table 5 of the same reference.
The blade of Figure 3 should last still longer thnan that of Figure 2.
It was found that the sticks of the invention withstand between 30 and 50 ~lapshoLs bèore breaking as compared to 5 to 10 slapshots for the conventional sticks.
This great improvement could not be foreseen considerlng that the blade of such sticks contains about 90% wood by weight and that the conventional mechanical properties of KEVLAR 49 and glass fibre~ are quite similar (see in this connection the maga~ine "PlA~tlques modernes et élastomères" of December 1977, page 54, table 4).
The improvement can now be explained by the considerAbly greater damp`tng factor of KEYLAR 49 fi~res with epoxy resin compared to the damping factor of glass fibres with epoxy resin q9 shown ln Table 5 of the same reference.
The blade of Figure 3 should last still longer thnan that of Figure 2.
Claims (9)
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED, ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A goal-keeper hockey stick comprising an elongated blade having a heel and a tip; a shaft rigidly connected to said blade in the area of said heel and having a widened shaft portion adjacent said blade located immediately obliquely upwardly therefrom; said widened shaft portion having a length from said heel up along said shaft, between 23 and 26 inches and a width varying between 3.2 and 3.5 inches, the length of said blade from said heel to said tip varying between 13.9 and 15.5 inches and the width of said blade varying between 3.2 and 3.5 inches; a layer of thermosetting resin covering said blade; a woven fabric embedded in said layer, said fabric having a weight per unit surface varying between 1.7 and 8 ounces per square yard; and aramid fibres embedded in said layer and forming at least 40% by weight of said woven fabric.
2. A goal-keeper hockey stick as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fabric has a weight-per unit surface of 5 ounces per square yard.
3. A goal-keeper hockey stick as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the remainder of said fabric is glass fibres.
4. A goal-keeper hockey stick as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the remainder of said fabric comprises glass fibres and carbon fibres, the latter forming a maximum of 25% by weight of the fabric.
5. A goal-keeper hockey stick as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said fabric is entirely made of aramid fibres marketed under the trade mark KEVLAR.
6. A goal-keeper hockey stick as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said fabric is entirely made of aramid fibres marketed under the trade mark KEVLAR, type 49
7. A goal-keeper hockey stick as claimed in claim1 or 2, wherein said layer covers also said widened shaft portion over at least its part adjacent said blade.
8. A goal-keeper hockey stick as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said blade is made of hardwood.
9. A goal-keeperhockey stick as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said blade consists of at least two parallel longi-ludinally-extending laminations made of hardwood and an additional layer of thermosetting resin extending between each two laminations adhering the same to each other and said woven fabric also embedded in said additional layer.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000438758A CA1187525A (en) | 1983-10-11 | 1983-10-11 | Hockey stick |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000438758A CA1187525A (en) | 1983-10-11 | 1983-10-11 | Hockey stick |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1187525A true CA1187525A (en) | 1985-05-21 |
Family
ID=4126256
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000438758A Expired CA1187525A (en) | 1983-10-11 | 1983-10-11 | Hockey stick |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1187525A (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1996015834A1 (en) * | 1994-11-17 | 1996-05-30 | Oy Montreal-Urheilu | Ice hockey goal keeper stick |
| US11534669B2 (en) | 2017-05-17 | 2022-12-27 | Bauer Hockey, Llc | Hockey stick with spine-reinforced paddle |
| USD980361S1 (en) | 2017-05-17 | 2023-03-07 | Bauer Hockey, Llc | Sporting implement |
-
1983
- 1983-10-11 CA CA000438758A patent/CA1187525A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1996015834A1 (en) * | 1994-11-17 | 1996-05-30 | Oy Montreal-Urheilu | Ice hockey goal keeper stick |
| US11534669B2 (en) | 2017-05-17 | 2022-12-27 | Bauer Hockey, Llc | Hockey stick with spine-reinforced paddle |
| USD980361S1 (en) | 2017-05-17 | 2023-03-07 | Bauer Hockey, Llc | Sporting implement |
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| MKEC | Expiry (correction) | ||
| MKEX | Expiry |