GB1579190A - Darts - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO DARTS (71) We, CLARKE & MERRIFIELD LIMITED, a British Company of Lanherne House, Grove Hill, Stanstead, Essex do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The point of a dart used in playing the game of darts is made from hard metal so, it .is easily chipped if the dart hits a hard surface, for example a concrete floor. This can happen if the dart is dropped accidentally or if it drops out of a dart board. A dart can also be blunted or chipped by striking the body of a dart already in a dart board.

When this happens in the middle of a game of darts it is disconcerting tor a player to have to change the set of darts that is being used and change to a different set, assuming that a different set is available. This invention provides a solution to this problem.

According to this invention a dart body includes a barrel which, in use. is gripped by the user of the dart and two substantially identical points one protruding from each end of the body, the body of the dart being substantially symmetrical about a plane normal to its longitudinal axis.

Of course, before this dart body can be used as a dart, it must have a flight assembly attached to it. Preferably the flight assembly includes a shaft which is arranged to carry the flight blades and which is arranged to be a tight push fit on either of the two dart points. Thus, when the dart body in accordance with this invention is used as a dart. the shaft of a flight assembly fits tightly over one of the points to provide a dart having a single exposed point at one of its ends and a flight assembly at its other end. However, should the exposed point become blunted during a game the player merely removes the shaft and flight blades, reverses the body of the dart and then replaces the shaft and flight blades on the blunted point. This allows the player to continue the game with the same dart body but with a different sharp point exposed.

As the dart points are made from metal the one which extends up the inside of the shaft of the flight assembly reinforces the shaft and this makes the assembled dart very strong. The socket extending into the shaft may be provided with three or more longitudinally extending ribs to improve the grip between the shaft and the point of the dart.

Alternatively, the socket may be arranged to have a polygonal cross-section, for example a triangular cross section, and this has a similar effect. When the shaft is made from a glass filled nylon material it has been found that a good frictional grip can be obtained between the shaft and the point when the socket is formed as a plain bore which is arranged to be a tight interference fit on the point. To enable the socket to be moulded in the shaft more easily the socket may taper from its open end.

This invention may be combined with the features that are claimed in our British Patent No. 1486921. That invention relates to a dart in which the flight assembly includes a socket and is arranged to snap-fit onto a spigot extending rearwards from a dart body. When the dart in accordance with the present invention is so combined the body includes means at both of its ends which are arranged to co-operate with means on the shaft of the flight, so that the shaft snap-fits onto either end of the body.

A separate sheath may be provided which covers the normally exposed point of the dart when the dart is not in use but it has been found convenient to use another shaft to act as a sheath for the normally exposed point of the dart. This second shaft may be a damaged shaft that can no longer be used to hold flight blades or alternatively it may be a perfect shaft so that the player not only has a spare point for each of his darts, in case of damage, but also has a spare shaft.

Preferably the body of the dart and the shaft are arranged so that a smooth transition takes place in the outer profile of the dart between one and the other. The points of the dart may be fixed to the body by a screwthreaded connection so that, a damaged point may be subsequently unscrewed from the body and replaced by a fresh, sharp point.' The screwthread may be formed on the blunt end of each point but preferably each point is set into a screwthreaded collar so that the whole collar and point assembly are replaced.

An example of a dart and a dart body, in accordance with this invention and two modifications will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a partly sectioned side elevation; Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-section taken along line A-A in Figure 1; Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 2 but shows a first modification; and Figure 4 corresponds to Figure 2 but shows a second modification; The dart comprises a body I and a shaft 2.

The body 1 is formed by a cylindrical sleeve or barrel 3, made of a tungsten alloy or brass and the outside surface of the sleeve may be plain, or may include grooves or be knurled to enable it to be gripped more easily. A pair of points 4 and 5 are held in collars 6 and 7 which include screwthreaded spigots 8 and 9. The dart body 1 is completely symmetrical about a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the body and each of the points, together with its collar, is replaceable by unscrewing the point and collar assembly from the sleeve 3 to enable the point to be replaced by a fresh point and collar assembly.

The shaft 2 includes an axial socket 10 which tapers from its open end. The shaft 2 also includes slots 11 to receive a dart flight assembly. shown in chain dotted lines. The shaft 2 also includes a counter-sunk portion 12 surrounding the open end of the socket 2 and this counter-sunk portion 12 mates with a frusto-conical portion on the collars 6 and 7. The outer profile of the collars 6 and 7 are arranged to that a smooth transition takes place between them. The end of the shaft may be plain and abut a plain end on the collar as long as a smooth transition takes place in the outer profile between the two.

In the example shown in Figure 1 and shown more clearly in Figure 2. the socket 10 includes three longitudinal ribs 13 to ensure that a good tight fit is obtained between the point 5 and the shaft 2. The socket 1() may have a polygonal crosssection and Figure 3 shows a socket 14 having a triangular cross-section whilst Figure 4 shows a socket 15 having a square cross-section. Both of these modifications provide for a tight interference fit to be obtained between the sides of the socket and the point of the dart body. The shaft 2 in this example and in both modifications is made from a glass-filled nylon.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A dart body including a barrel which, in use, is gripped by the user of the dart, and two substantially identical points, one protruding from each end of the body, the body of the dart being substantially symmetrical about a plane normal to its longitudinal axis. F 2. A dart comprising a body, including a barrel which, in use, is gripped by the user of the dart, and two substantially identical points one protruding from each end of the body, the body of the dart being substantially symmetrical about a plane normal to its longitudinal axis, the dart also comprising a shaft which is arranged tb carry flight blades and which is arranged to be a tight push fit on either of the two points.

3. A dart according to claim 2, in which a socket extending into the shaft is provided with three or more longitudinally extending ribs to improve the grip between the shaft and the points.

4. A dart according to claim 2, in which a socket extending into the shaft has a polygonal cross-section.

5. A dart according to claim 4, in which the socket has a triangular cross-section.

6. A dart according to any one of claims 2 to 5, in which the shaft is made from a glass filled nylon.

7. A dart according to any one of claims 2 to 6. in which the body of the dart and the shaft are arranged so that a smooth transition takes place in the outer profile of the dart between one and the other.

8. A dart body according to claim 1 or a dart according to any one of claims 2 to 7, in which the points of the dart are fixed to the remainder of the body by a screwthreaded connection so that a damaged point may be replaced.

9. A dart body or a dart according to claim 8, in which each point is set into a screwthreaded collar, so that the whole collar and point assembly are replaced.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (10)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. a spare point for each of his darts, in case of damage, but also has a spare shaft. Preferably the body of the dart and the shaft are arranged so that a smooth transition takes place in the outer profile of the dart between one and the other. The points of the dart may be fixed to the body by a screwthreaded connection so that, a damaged point may be subsequently unscrewed from the body and replaced by a fresh, sharp point.' The screwthread may be formed on the blunt end of each point but preferably each point is set into a screwthreaded collar so that the whole collar and point assembly are replaced. An example of a dart and a dart body, in accordance with this invention and two modifications will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a partly sectioned side elevation; Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-section taken along line A-A in Figure 1; Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 2 but shows a first modification; and Figure 4 corresponds to Figure 2 but shows a second modification; The dart comprises a body I and a shaft 2. The body 1 is formed by a cylindrical sleeve or barrel 3, made of a tungsten alloy or brass and the outside surface of the sleeve may be plain, or may include grooves or be knurled to enable it to be gripped more easily. A pair of points 4 and 5 are held in collars 6 and 7 which include screwthreaded spigots 8 and 9. The dart body 1 is completely symmetrical about a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the body and each of the points, together with its collar, is replaceable by unscrewing the point and collar assembly from the sleeve 3 to enable the point to be replaced by a fresh point and collar assembly. The shaft 2 includes an axial socket 10 which tapers from its open end. The shaft 2 also includes slots 11 to receive a dart flight assembly. shown in chain dotted lines. The shaft 2 also includes a counter-sunk portion 12 surrounding the open end of the socket 2 and this counter-sunk portion 12 mates with a frusto-conical portion on the collars 6 and 7. The outer profile of the collars 6 and 7 are arranged to that a smooth transition takes place between them. The end of the shaft may be plain and abut a plain end on the collar as long as a smooth transition takes place in the outer profile between the two. In the example shown in Figure 1 and shown more clearly in Figure 2. the socket 10 includes three longitudinal ribs 13 to ensure that a good tight fit is obtained between the point 5 and the shaft 2. The socket 1() may have a polygonal crosssection and Figure 3 shows a socket 14 having a triangular cross-section whilst Figure 4 shows a socket 15 having a square cross-section. Both of these modifications provide for a tight interference fit to be obtained between the sides of the socket and the point of the dart body. The shaft 2 in this example and in both modifications is made from a glass-filled nylon. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A dart body including a barrel which, in use, is gripped by the user of the dart, and two substantially identical points, one protruding from each end of the body, the body of the dart being substantially symmetrical about a plane normal to its longitudinal axis. F

2. A dart comprising a body, including a barrel which, in use, is gripped by the user of the dart, and two substantially identical points one protruding from each end of the body, the body of the dart being substantially symmetrical about a plane normal to its longitudinal axis, the dart also comprising a shaft which is arranged tb carry flight blades and which is arranged to be a tight push fit on either of the two points.

3. A dart according to claim 2, in which a socket extending into the shaft is provided with three or more longitudinally extending ribs to improve the grip between the shaft and the points.

4. A dart according to claim 2, in which a socket extending into the shaft has a polygonal cross-section.

5. A dart according to claim 4, in which the socket has a triangular cross-section.

6. A dart according to any one of claims 2 to 5, in which the shaft is made from a glass filled nylon.

7. A dart according to any one of claims 2 to 6. in which the body of the dart and the shaft are arranged so that a smooth transition takes place in the outer profile of the dart between one and the other.

8. A dart body according to claim 1 or a dart according to any one of claims 2 to 7, in which the points of the dart are fixed to the remainder of the body by a screwthreaded connection so that a damaged point may be replaced.

9. A dart body or a dart according to claim 8, in which each point is set into a screwthreaded collar, so that the whole collar and point assembly are replaced.

10. A dart body according to claim 1 or

a dart according to claim 2, constructed substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.