GB2294645A - Dart - Google Patents

Abstract

A dart has two or more parts which are held together in normal use by magnetic means. This enables the parts to be separated easily for storage or replacement whilst maintaining a stable connection in use. In one embodiment a dart has a shaft (1) with threaded spigot (2) to engage a dart barrel (not shown) and a plain bore (3) with a magnet (4) in the base. A flight holder (5) has a spigot (9) with at least the end (10) being magnetically attractive to magnet (4). The arrangement avoids the need for precision matching or machinery of the spigot (9) and bore (3) to provide a stable fit. Removal is made easier due to lack of frictional binding. The two parts may be relatively rotatable. In an alternative arrangement, the parts are held in engagement through abutment surfaces using mutual repulsion of opposite magnetic poles. In a modification, the magnet may be in the nose for playing a magnetic darts game, and a nose part carrying a point may be attached to the magnet to play a conventional darts game. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE Tmprovements in or relating to Darts for Throwing This invention relates to improvements in or relating to darts, primarily darts used in playing a game. Such darts comprise a barrel of metal with a point at one end and a shaft at the other end to which a stabilising flight is attached.

It has been proposed to make the flight, or a holder into which the flight is located, rotatable relative to the shaft for the purpose of reducing deflection where a following dart strikes a dart already impaled in the board. Constructions wherein the flight may spin or rotate relative to the shaft are known and in many constructions the portion holding the flight is engaged in the end of a shaft using some form of undercut connection whereby the parts may be snap fitted together.

Such a construction has proved to be not very successful as either the parts are too tight and do not rotate easily or alternatively the parts are loose and move as the dart is thrown. This may create inaccuracies and is a feature which does not find favour with players.

The flight itself is usually pushed into a cruciform slot at the end of the shaft, or at the end of a flight holder attached to the shaft. Replacing the flight may cause damage and use of a flight holding end part has the problem of providing a stable connection through a screwed connection or by push-fitting.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a dart wherein a dart flight may be attached thereto in a manner which preferably allows rotation of the flight when impacted by another dart but which nevertheless provides a stable interconnection between the flight and body of the dart.

According to this invention there is provided a dart comprising two or more parts at least two of the said parts being held in engagement by magnetic means.

In accordance with a second aspect of this invention there is provided a dart including an end part into which a flight may be received characterised by the provision of means providing magnetic attraction between the dart and the end part.

In accordance with a third aspect of this invention there is provided a dart shaft including an end part into which a flight may be received with the end part and the shaft being preferably relatively rotatable, the construction being characterised by the provision of means providing magnetic attraction between the shaft and the end part.

In a particular and preferred construction the end of the shaft or dart body may include a boring into which a spigot, connected with the end part or the shaft into which the dart flight is fitted, may locate. A magnet or magnetic material may be located in the base of the boring and with the spigot or an end part thereof being of a material which is magnetically attractive.

Thus the main principle upon which this invention is based is the provision of magnetic attraction between the end part and the body or shaft of the dart with the magnetic attraction providing a good firm connection with stability but nevertheless preferably enabling the parts to rotate or even be detached. Thus the stability of the shaft and the end part which is rotatably located therein need not be provided by a good mechanical fit, and precision machining of the spigot and the bore are not essentially required due to the stable holding force provided by the magnetic means.

A further advantage of this construction is that the dart flight together with the end part may easily be attached to and detached from the body or shaft of the dart, thus enabling flights to be replaced in a simple manner. In an extension of the invention, the flights can be more securely retained in the end part and, if replacement is required, the whole flight and end part as a unit can be pulled away from the shaft and replaced by another unit.

This invention is further described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings which show two embodiments by way of examples only and not intended to be limitative.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a side view of a dart shaft, end part and flight of a first embodiment, Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the shaft and the end part of Figure 1 in a detached position, and Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section through another embodiment showing a shaft and dart body in a detached position.

Referring to the drawings, a shaft for a dart comprises a shaft body 1 which may be of plastic or metal with a screw threaded spigot 2 which, in use, engages a complementary threaded recess on the end of a body or barrel (not shown). The other end of the barrel will carry the point as is conventional. The shaft part 1 includes a longitudinal boring 3 extending in from the end opposite to the threaded spigot 2 and the boring 3 may include a magnet 4 in the blind end. The magnet may be of a metal, ceramic or rubber material or preferably a rare-earth magnet as is conventionally available.

The flight itself is secured in an end part 5 which has a cruciform slotted structure 6 into which the end 7 of a flight 8 may be positioned. The end part includes a spigot 9 which is adapted to fit snugly but not tightly into the bore 3. The spigot 9 at least is of a magnetically attractive material but it will be appreciated that the whole end part may be of a magnetically attractive material or in an alternative construction, a small magnet or magnetically attractive material may be located in the end 10 of the spigot.

With such an arrangement the spigot 9 may rotate freely within the bore 3 but the parts are retained together in the required manner by virtue of the magnetic attraction.

Alternative methods of achieving the object of this invention may be exemplified by use of a shaft 1 which is itself magnetic and which attracts at least the spigot 9 of the end part or in an alternative the end part itself may be of a magnetic material and attracted to the material of the shaft or to an insert or other portion of the shaft material.

In another construction the magnet itself has a central bore which receives the spigot with the base of the spigot carrying a second magnet or a magnetically attractive material.

In an alternative arrangement according to this invention the magnetic attraction between the parts of a dart, particularly the shaft and an end part carrying the flight, may be applied even when the two parts are made non-rotatable. The advantage accruing from this construction is ease of detachment of the end part and the flight without requiring engaging formations in the two parts which can cause damage and difficulty in breaking the connection as in the prior art. Thus it is not an essential feature of this invention to provide for rotation between the two parts which are connected by magnetic attraction.

The embodiment shown in Figure 3 is similar in principle but here the shaft 1 carries the flight directly in an integral end part 5 and has a spigot 9 which engages boring 3 provided in the dart body or barrel 11. The boring has a magnet 4 in this case to retain the spigot 9 on the shaft 1. The barrel has the usual dart point 12.

This construction obviates the need for a screw connection between the dart barrel and the shaft. Such connections often become loose during use.

In a further arrangement, not illustrated, the dart barrel itself or the shaft or the end part may comprise a magnet with the adjacent connected part a magnet of opposed polarity or a magnetically attractive material.

In yet a further arrangement mutually opposed forces due to magnetic repulsion may be utilised in order to retain in engagement one part of the dart relative to the other. Thus two magnets with adjacent similar poles are positioned to repel one part into abutment with a stop means to form the engagement.

Where the engaged parts are to be rotatable a bearing may be provided to reduce friction at the engagement surfaces such as an area of point contact, a rolling bearing such as a ball bearing, or low friction coating.

Where the engaged parts are not to be relatively rotatable, keyways or splines may be provided to allow longitudinal displacement without rotation.

A further advantageous arrangement uses a magnet in the nose of the dart barrel which may be used with a magnetic dart board and which may also retain, if required, a nose of magnetic or magnetically attractive material which carries a conventional dart point. Such a dart can then be used to play both conventional darts and magnetic darts games.

Claims (15)

1. A dart comprising two or more parts characterised in that at least two of the said parts are held in engagement by magnetic means.

2. A dart in accordance with Claim 1, wherein one part is an end part which retains a flight, the magnetic means providing magnetic attraction between a second part of the dart and the said end part.

3. A dart shaft including an end part into which a flight may be received with the end part and the shaft being preferably relatively rotatable, the construction being characterised by the provision of means providing magnetic attraction between the shaft and the end part.

4. A dart including a shaft into which a flight may be inserted and a body, the shaft being retained in engagement with the body by magnetic means.

5. A dart in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the parts held in engagement by said magnetic means are relatively rotatable.

6. A dart according to any preceding claim wherein an end of the shaft or the dart body includes a longitudinal boring into which a spigot, connected with the end part or the shaft into which the dart flight is fitted, may locate.

7. A dart according to Claim 6, wherein a magnet or magnetic material is located in the base of the boring and with the spigot or the end thereof being of a material which is magnetically attractive.

8. A dart according to Claim 6, wherein a magnet or magnetic material is provided in the spigot with the boring including a material which is magnetically attractive.

9. A dart according to any preceding claim wherein the magnet means comprises a magnet operatively associated with a magnetically attractive material or two magnets operatively associated.

10. A dart according to any preceding claim, wherein the engagement between the parts and produced by the magnetic means is effected through surfaces having low friction to rotational moments.

11. A dart according to any preceding claim, wherein one of the parts at least comprises a permanent magnet.

12. A dart according to any preceding claim, wherein the parts are held in engagement through abutment surfaces using mutual repulsion of opposite poles of the magnetic means.

13. A dart in accordance with any preceding claim, wherein the barrel has a forward nose incorporating a magnet for playing a magnetic darts game where the magnet is capable of attaching the dart to a dart board, when thrown, by magnetic attraction, and wherein a nose part carrying a point may be selectively attached to the said magnet for playing a conventional darts game.

14. A dart in accordance with Claim 13 wherein said magnet also secures another part of the dart such as a shaft or flight carrying end part.

15. A dart constructed and arranged to function as described herein and exemplified with reference to the drawings.