GB2101032A - Playing dart repairing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for extracting and replacing a dull or broken point from a playing dart. The dart point is secured by clamping means (14) and an extractor member (19) threadedly engages with the threaded part of a dart barrel intended to receive the flight (23). The extractor member is movable away from the clamping means to draw the barrel from the point. For replacement, insert (25) holds the new point, the member (19) being advanced to force fit the point into the barrel of the dart. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Playing dart repairing machine This invention relates to the repair of the points of playing darts.

The invention provides a machine for extracting and replacing a dull or broken point from a playing dart, which apparatus can be conveniently located near a dart board or which can even be carried as a portable tool.

The invention comprises a machine for extracting and replacing a dull or broken point from a playing dart comprising clamp means for a playing dart point and a threaded extractor member that is adapted to threadedly engage the threaded part of the dart intended to receive the flight, and to be movable to draw the barrel from a point held by the clamp means.

The threaded extractor member may also serve to force-fit a new point.

In a preferred embodiment, the clamp means comprise a block with a throughway adequate to accept a dart point and a locking screw which is threaded into the block so as to clamp down on a point inserted in the throughway.

The threaded extractor member is simply a rod that passes through a throughway in another block carried on a baseplate together with, but spaced from the first mentioned block so that its throughway is aligned with the throughway that accepts the dart point.

The rod has a threaded part at one end that engages in the dart barrel and a threaded main section intermediate its ends carrying a wing nut or the like which can be screwed up against the said other block in a direction which pulls out the barrel from the clamped point.

For inserting a new point, a special point inserting arrangement can be provided, in which an insert is provided in the first mentioned block with a blind bore for receiving the fresh point, and another throughway is provided aligned with the blind bore and which itself is threaded to receive the threaded main section of the rod. The rod can then be threaded into the threaded throughway so as to urge the barrel towards the point and engage the two with a force fit as required. The insert is preferably of brass so as not to damage the point while the fitting is being carried out.

The invention will be further apparent from the following description with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, two forms of machine for extracting and replacing a dull or broken point from a playing dart and ebmodying the invention.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first form of machine; Figure 2 is a plan view of a second form of machine and; Figure 3 is a section on the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2, but on a larger scale.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the first form of machine comprises a base plate 11 with upstanding blocks 12, 1 3 one at each end. The dimensions are such as to accommodate a conventionally sized dart barrel confortably between the blocks 12, 1 3.

The block 1 2 has clamp means 14 comprising a narrow throughway 1 5 and a threaded bore 1 6 communicating therewith which has a threaded clamp member 1 7 that can be screwed down on to a dart point pushed into the throughway 1 5 so as to clamp the point therein.In the other block 1 3 is a throughway 1 8 aligned with the throughway 1 5. A rod 1 9 which has threaded sections 21, 22 at its ends passes through the throughway 1 5 so that one or other of its ends, whichever fits, is threaded into the threaded end of a dart barrel 23 from which the point is to be extracted, the point having been clamped in the throughway 1 5 already.

The main section of the rod 1 9 is itself threaded and has a wing nut 24, which can be screwed up against the block 1 3 so as to extract the point from the barrel by pulling the rod 1 9 axially away from the clamped point.

The block 1 2 also has a brass insert 25 with a blind bore 26 adapted to receive a fresh dart point for insertion into the now vacant barrel. A threaded throughway 34 is provided in the block 1 3 in alignment with the bore 26. The main section intermediate threaded- end sections 21, 22 of the rod 19 can be threadedly engaged with the througway 14. The rod 19 has a locknut 27 which can lock up against the wing nut 24 so as to turn the rod 1 9 in threaded throughway 34 in the block 1 3 and advance it therethrough so as to force fit the new dart point into the barrel of a dart.

Referring no to Figs. 2 and 3 (in which like reference numerals, where appropriate, are used as in Fig. 1) it will be seen that the second form of machine is generally similar to that of Fig. 1, but has some enhanced features.

Thus, the block 1 2 has clamp means 1 4 comprising a narrow throughway 1 5 and a threaded bore 1 6 communicating therewith that has a threaded clamp screw 1 7. Beneath the screw 17 is a ball bearing 1 7a, the end 1 7b of the screw being rounded to form a seating for the screw on the ball bearing.

The threaded bore 1 6 is larger than the narrow throughway 1 5 and the ball bearing is a loose fit inside the bore 1 6, but is larger than the throughway 1 5 so that it cannot fall out (unless, of course, the screw 1 7 is removed altogether).

Beneath the threaded bore 1 6 is a larger threaded bore 31 that has a hard metal insert 32 that is set so as to form a level, hard anvil against which the screw and ball can clamp a dart point, without the same bending under the clamping force, which would tend to reduce the grip.

It is found that the interposition of the ball bearing between the clamp screw and the darz point obviates wear on the end of the clamp screw and gives a very firm clamping action due to the ball bearinq making an indentation into the metal of the dart point. There is no substantial wear on the ball bearing, which of course presents a different contact point to each dart point newly presented to it. In any event, the ball bearing can very easily be replaced.

The threaded rod 1 9 that holds the dart barrel is modified and has a reduced end with the two different sizes of thread, 21 and 22, which fit different standard barrel threads thereon. Nuts or washers may be fitted to either of the threads 21 or 22 to prevent any tendency for a barrel to attempt to climb onto the next section of thread of greater diameter.

To accommodate non-standard sizes, an adapter can be used that fits onto either of the threads 21, 22 and has a desired thread size suited to any particular non-standard barrel.

By situating both barrel threads at one end, the locknut arrangement of the machine of Fig. 1 can be replaced by a fixed head 33 (Fig. 2). As before, however, a wing nut 24 is used to draw the rod 1 9 back to pull out the dart point, acting against the block 1 3 as an abutment.

The main part of the threaded rod 1 9 is, in another modification, made larger than the largest expected dart barrel so that it can be withdrawn through the throughway 1 8 in the block 1 3 and threaded through the adjacent threaded throughway 34 for inserting a new point, all without removing the dart barrel from it.

The threaded throughway 34 in the block 1 3 is, of course, adapted to receive the rod 1 9 which can be screwed in by the fixed head 33 to push-fit the dart barrel onto a fresh point which has been inserted in the brass insert 25 with its blind bore 26. The insert, incidentally, is held in place in the block 1 2 by a set screw 35.

Claims (10)

1. A machine for extracting and replacing a dull or broken point from a playing dart comprising clamp means for a playing dart point and a threaded extractor member that is adapted to threadedly engage the threaded part of the dart barrel intended to receive the flight, and to be movable to draw the barrel from a point held by the clamp means.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said threaded extractor member comprises a rod having a threaded part on at least one of its ends for threadedly engaging a dart barrel, and a threaded main body part carrying a wing nut which can be rotated on the main body part to engage an abutment means to move the rod axially away from said clamp means.

3. A machine according to claim 2 comprising a baseplate having an upstanding block at each of its opposite ends, a throughway in the block at one end which receives the main body part of said rod slidably therein and aligned with a throughway in the opposite block which receives the dart point and forms part of said clamp means, said first mentioned block forming said abutment means.

4. A machine according to claim 3 wherein one of said blocks has a threaded throughway which can threadedly receive the main body part of said rod and which is aligned with a blind bore in an insert in the opposite block whereby the rod can be rotated to force a dart barrel onto a new point located in said blind bore.

5. A machine according to either claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the throughway of said clamp means receives a dart point with clearance but not much piay, there being a threaded bore in the block extending transversely of the throughway and containing a clamp screw and a ball bearing which the clamp screw tightens down onto a dart point in the throughway.

6. A machine according to claim 5 in which opposite the threaded part in the throughway is an anvil against which a dart point is clamped by the clamp screw and ball bearing.

7. A machine according to any one of claims 2 to 6 in which the threaded rod has a reduced diameter end part with a first part adapated to thread into a first standard size of dart barrel and a second part between said first part and the main body part of the threaded rod adapted to fit into a second larger standard size of dart barrel.

8. A machine according to claim 7 when dependent on claim 4 in which the main body part of the threaded rod has a diameter exceeding that of all or a substantial number of playing darts in use so that such darts can be transferred from the operation of extracting the old point to the operation of inserting the new point wthout having to remove the dart barrel from the threaded rod.

9. A machine according to claim 7 or claim 8 including an adaptor for the threaded rod to suit it to a non-standard dart barrel.

10. A machine for extracting and replacing a dull or broken point from a playing dart substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by either Fig. 1 or Figs. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.