GB2100994A

GB2100994A - Dart shaft

Info

Publication number: GB2100994A
Application number: GB08121403A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Raymond Taylor
Original assignee: CRUSPANE Ltd
Current assignee: CRUSPANE Ltd
Priority date: 1981-07-10
Filing date: 1981-07-10
Publication date: 1983-01-12

Abstract

A modular dart shaft for attachment to the body of a throwing dart comprises a dart flight (8 or 9), a dart shaft (1 or 2) and a connector portion (7) which preferably consists of a length of flexible plastics tubing. The dart flight (8) may have an integrally-moulded spigot (10) for insertion into the connector (7). The invention may alternatively be used with conventional dart flights (9) by means of an end adaptor (12) with a similar spigot (13). The dart shafts (1, 2) have corresponding spigots (5, 6) and their front ends are preferably threaded so that they may be screwed into a dart barrel. The modular nature of the dart shaft reduces the number of different parts required to make the same variety of dart shafts and flights. The flexibility of the dart flight (8) and connector (7) causes the dart to suffer less damage when hit by a second dart. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Dart shaft This invention relates to throwing darts, and in particulartothe dart flights and the shaft for joining the flights to the barrel of the dart.

Conventional throwing darts consist of a barrel to which is attached an elongate shaft, the dart flights being integral with the rear end ofthe shaft. The dart flight mayalternatively be separable from the dart shaft, the rear end of the shaft having slots to accommodate the flights. Dart shafts are often sold separatelyfrom the dart barrels, and there is a demand for many different types of shaft. The dart shafts may differ for example in the diameter of the end which is attached to the barrel, in the overall length of the shaft, and in the type of flight. Because shafts are sold in single pieces, stockists have had to stock a wide variety of dart shafts.

A further disadvantage of the conventional dart shaft of the type where the flights are slotted into the rear end of the shaft, is that the rear end of the dart is not sufficiently flexible to bend out of the way when a second dart is thrown close to the first dart. This often leads to the first dart being damaged.

It is an object of the present invention to reduce the number of different parts required to make the same variety of dart shafts and flights, and to provide a dart shaft and flight which bends more easily under strain.

A modular dart shaft according to the present invention comprises a dart flight with a front end connector, a dart shaft with a rear end connector and a front end for connection to a dart barrel, and an elongate flight connector which, when assembled, connects the dart flight to the dart shaft by means of their front end and rear end connectors respectively.

In one embodiment of the invention, the front end connector of the dart flights is a spigot integrally moulded with the flight. In another embodiment of the invention, utilising conventional dart flights, the front end connector of the dart flight is a slotted end adaptor consisting of a single unit with a spigot at the front end and slots at the rear end for accommodating the flight Where the front end connector of the dart flight is a spigot, it is preferable that the rear end connector of the shaft isa spigot of substantially the same width as the dart flight spigot. The flight connector is a tube into whose ends are to be inserted the dart flightfrontend connector spigot and the dart shaft rear end.connector spigot.

In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the dart flight and flight connector are made of a plastics rínateal, and the dart shaft is metallic and has a threaded front end for screwing into a dart barrel.

A dart incorporating a dart shaft according to the present invention is less likely to suffer damage in the event af a second dart being thrown at it or near it, because the flight and the flight connector can be made flexible and can bend away from the axis of the dart barrel. Furthermore, many different types of dart flight can be assembled using a smaller number of parts, because of the modular nature of the dart of the invention. In particular, the elongate flight connector can be cut from a length of plastics tubing, and can be used to connect any dart flight with any dart shaft, and can be cut to any desired length.

In order that the invention may be better understood, embodiments ofthe invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates two different forms of dart flight, two different forms of dart shaft, and an elongate flight connector compatible with the end connectors of all four.

In the drawing, two different dart shafts 1 and 2 are shown, with respective front ends 3 and 4 which are threaded so that they may be screwed into a dart barrel. Typical threads sizes are 2BA or 4BSF. The dart shafts 1 and 2 have identical rear end connectors in the form of spigots 5 and 6 respectively.

Dart flights 8 or 9 have identical front end connectors 10 and 13 respectively in the form of spigots, whose diameters are preferably the same as the dart shaft spigots 5 and 6. The dart flights can be connected to the dart shafts in any desired permutation by means of an elongate flight connector 7 which is preferably a flexible plastics tube. The flexible tube 7 can be cut to any desired length from a supply of plastics tubing.

Conventional dart flights 11 can be used in this invention by means of a slotted end adaptor 12, which consists of a single unit with a spigot 13 at the front end and slots at the rear end for accommodating the flight 11. A more flexible form of dart flight 8 is integrally moulded from plastics material, and includes a spigot 10.

1. A modular dart shaft comprising: a dart flight with a front end connector, a dart shaft with a rear end connector and a front end for connection to a dart barrel, and an elongate flight connector which, when assembled, connects the dart flight to the dart shaft by means of their front end and rear end connectors respectively.

2. A modular dart shaft in accordance with claim 1, wherein the front end connector of the dart flight is a spigot integrally moulded with the flight.

3. A modular dart shaft in accordance with claim 1, wherein the front end connector of the dart flight is a slotted end adaptor consisting of a single unit with a spigot at the front end and slots at the rear end for accommodating the flight.

4. A modular dart shaft in accordance with claim 2, wherein the rear end connector of the shaft is a spigot of substantially the same width as the dart flight spigot.

5. A modular dart shaft in accordance with claim 2 or4, wherein the flight connector is a tube into whose ends are to be inserted the dart flight front end connector spigot and the dart shaft end connec tor spigot.

6. A modular dart shaft in accordance with claim

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Dart shaft This invention relates to throwing darts, and in particulartothe dart flights and the shaft for joining the flights to the barrel of the dart. Conventional throwing darts consist of a barrel to which is attached an elongate shaft, the dart flights being integral with the rear end ofthe shaft. The dart flight mayalternatively be separable from the dart shaft, the rear end of the shaft having slots to accommodate the flights. Dart shafts are often sold separatelyfrom the dart barrels, and there is a demand for many different types of shaft. The dart shafts may differ for example in the diameter of the end which is attached to the barrel, in the overall length of the shaft, and in the type of flight. Because shafts are sold in single pieces, stockists have had to stock a wide variety of dart shafts. A further disadvantage of the conventional dart shaft of the type where the flights are slotted into the rear end of the shaft, is that the rear end of the dart is not sufficiently flexible to bend out of the way when a second dart is thrown close to the first dart. This often leads to the first dart being damaged. It is an object of the present invention to reduce the number of different parts required to make the same variety of dart shafts and flights, and to provide a dart shaft and flight which bends more easily under strain. A modular dart shaft according to the present invention comprises a dart flight with a front end connector, a dart shaft with a rear end connector and a front end for connection to a dart barrel, and an elongate flight connector which, when assembled, connects the dart flight to the dart shaft by means of their front end and rear end connectors respectively. In one embodiment of the invention, the front end connector of the dart flights is a spigot integrally moulded with the flight. In another embodiment of the invention, utilising conventional dart flights, the front end connector of the dart flight is a slotted end adaptor consisting of a single unit with a spigot at the front end and slots at the rear end for accommodating the flight Where the front end connector of the dart flight is a spigot, it is preferable that the rear end connector of the shaft isa spigot of substantially the same width as the dart flight spigot. The flight connector is a tube into whose ends are to be inserted the dart flightfrontend connector spigot and the dart shaft rear end.connector spigot. In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the dart flight and flight connector are made of a plastics rínateal, and the dart shaft is metallic and has a threaded front end for screwing into a dart barrel. A dart incorporating a dart shaft according to the present invention is less likely to suffer damage in the event af a second dart being thrown at it or near it, because the flight and the flight connector can be made flexible and can bend away from the axis of the dart barrel. Furthermore, many different types of dart flight can be assembled using a smaller number of parts, because of the modular nature of the dart of the invention. In particular, the elongate flight connector can be cut from a length of plastics tubing, and can be used to connect any dart flight with any dart shaft, and can be cut to any desired length. In order that the invention may be better understood, embodiments ofthe invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates two different forms of dart flight, two different forms of dart shaft, and an elongate flight connector compatible with the end connectors of all four. In the drawing, two different dart shafts 1 and 2 are shown, with respective front ends 3 and 4 which are threaded so that they may be screwed into a dart barrel. Typical threads sizes are 2BA or 4BSF. The dart shafts 1 and 2 have identical rear end connectors in the form of spigots 5 and 6 respectively. Dart flights 8 or 9 have identical front end connectors 10 and 13 respectively in the form of spigots, whose diameters are preferably the same as the dart shaft spigots 5 and 6. The dart flights can be connected to the dart shafts in any desired permutation by means of an elongate flight connector 7 which is preferably a flexible plastics tube. The flexible tube 7 can be cut to any desired length from a supply of plastics tubing. Conventional dart flights 11 can be used in this invention by means of a slotted end adaptor 12, which consists of a single unit with a spigot 13 at the front end and slots at the rear end for accommodating the flight 11. A more flexible form of dart flight 8 is integrally moulded from plastics material, and includes a spigot 10. CLAIMS

6. A modular dart shaft in accordance with claim 3, wherein the slotted end adaptor is metallic.

7. A modular dart shaft in accordance with claim 6, wherein the slotted end adaptor is made of steel.

8. A modular dart shaft in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the dart flight and the flight connector are made of a plastics material, and the dart shaft is metallic.

9. A modular dart shaft in accordance with claim 8, wherein the dart shaft is of steel and has a threaded front end for attachment to a dart barrel.

10. A modular dart shaft in accordance with any preceding claim, in which the flight connector is cut from a length of flexible plastics tubing.

11. A kit for constructing a variety of dart shafts, comprising one or more dart flights each with a front end connector, one or more dart shafts each with a rear end connector and a front end for connection to a dart barrel, and a length of plastics material from which one or more elongate flight connectors are to be cut to a desired length, the or each elongate flight connector, when assembled, connecting one dart flight to one dart shaft by means of their front end and rear end connectors respectively.

12. A kit in accordance with claim 11, in which the front end connector of at least one dart flight consists of a spigot integrally moulded with the flight.

13. A kit in accordance with claim 11, in which the front end connector of at least one dart flight is a slotted end adaptor consisting of a single unit with a spigot at the front end and slots at the rear end for accomodating the flight.

14. A modular dart shaft substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.