GB2344767A

GB2344767A - Hockey stick with counterbalance weight

Info

Publication number: GB2344767A
Application number: GB9827575A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher James Brett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-12-15
Filing date: 1998-12-15
Publication date: 2000-06-21
Also published as: GB9827575D0

Abstract

A field-hockey goalie's stick 20 comprises a counterbalance weight 30 attached at the tip of the handle 29, for allowing the stick to be gripped nearer the end, without compromising the manoeuverability of the stick. When the stick is solid wood, the weight is attached to the outside of the shaft (Figures 3 & 7). When the handle is a hollow tube, the weight is attached inside (Figures 6 & 8). The weight may be tapered (Figure 6) to fit into a complementary cone shaped cavity in the hollow shaft and held in place by a rod (52) extending inside the length of the shaft, from the blade at one end of the shaft to the weight at the other end.

Description

Titie : HOCKEY STICK This invention relates to the sport of field hockey, and to the sticks as used by goalies in that sport.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION One of the requirements in the design of the goalie's stick, in field hockey, is that the stick should be easily maneuverable. In general, the lighter the weight of the stick, the more easily the goalie can move the stick to intercept shots by opposing players. On the other hand, of course the goalie's stick must be robust enough to stand up to the heavy abuse inevitably imposed on the stick during the game of hockey.

GENERAL FEATURES OF THE INVENTION The invention lies in providing a counter-balance weight at the tip of the handle.

The requirement for the stick to be robust has meant that a characteristic of the goalie stick is that the stick is rather heavy and cumbersome; in the context, that is to say, of a goalie who is trying to move-and especially to swing-te stick rapidly and controllably, by hand and wrist action, in order to intercept shots on goal.

The stick itself has a long enough handle that, if the stick were gripped with the goalie's hand more or less at the very end of the handle, the reach of the stick would then be adequate to cover much of the goal face. However, if the stick were to be held at the very end of the handle, the stick would then be so unwieldy that even a goalie with very strong wrists could not manouevre the stick with the required degree of control.

It has been the general rule, therefore, for the goalie to grip the stick at a point that lies more towards the middle of the blade, i. e towards the centre of gravity of the stick, than at the tip of the handle. As a result, the goalie can perform swinging movements of the stick with a good degree of control, but that control has been achieved at the expense of shortening the reach of the stick, at full stretch.

By the provision of the counter-balance weight, according to t invention, the centre of gravity of the stick is moved, and the effective moment arm of he stick is reduced, with the result that the strength of the hands required to perform the s inging movements is considerably lessened. Therefore, the stick can be gripped at point nearer to the very end of the handle. Thus, the compromise between on the one hand a long reach, and on the other hand of being able to control the swinging or rotary movements of the stick, have been eased for the hockey goalie.

The strength required to swing (i. e rotate) the stick is at a mini num when the stick is gripped at its centre of gravity. The addition of the counterbal nce weight serves to move the centre of gravity further out, towards the tip of the handle.

The counterbalance weight, to be significantly effective, shouic be between about one quarter and one half the weight of the stick.

As explained below, the counter-balance weight may be of st el. The weight must be fixed securely into the stick, as will be explained.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS By way of further explanation of the invention, exemplary em diments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawi gs, in which: Fig 1 is a front elevation of a goalie's stick, which embodies t ie invention; Fig 2 is a side elevation of the stick of Fig 1; Fig 3 is a cross-section of a portion of the handle of the stick, of Fig 1; Fig 4 is a front elevation of a second goalie's stick, which als embodies the invention; Fig 5 is a side elevation of the stick of Fig 4; Fig 6 is a cross-section of a portion of the handle of the stic of Fig 4.

The apparatuses shown in the accompanying drawings and escribed below are examples which embody the invention. It should be noted that the sco e of the invention is defined by the accompanying claims, and not necessarily by specifi features of exemplary embodiments.

The stick 20 shown in Figs 1-3 comprises a shaft 23, a curved blade 25, and a handle 27.

As usual, the shaft 23 and blade 25 are generally flat as to their forward-facing surfaces, but are rounded at the back. The handle 27 is generally round in section. The stick includes a transition zone 29 between the flat-front blade and shaft and the round handle.

The stick 20 is of solid wood. As usual, the shaft 23 and the handle 27 are formed in one piece, that piece being separate from the piece forming the blade 25. The separate pieces are spliced or otherwise joined together to form an integral unit.

At the tip of the handle 27, the handle is provided with a knob, comprising a counter-balance weight 30. The weight 30 is made of metal, for example steel. In the case of a stick having an overall weight of 500 grams, the designer should select the weight of the knob at between about 125 and 250 grams. Steel has a density of approximately 7 grams per cubic cm, whereby the designer may typically select the dimensions of the knob at about 3 cm in width and 4 cm in length, in order to provide the required weight of knob. If the weight is less than about one quarter the weight of the stick, the effect of the weight becomes less significant, but in some cases a lighter weight may be adequate.

In many jurisdictions, the goalie's stick must weigh between twelve and twenty-eight ounces (340-795 grams). Also, the stick must pass through a 5 cm diameter ring. Of course, the design of the weight must accommodate the rules.

The designer should ensure that the weight is secured in place firmly enough that the stick as a whole can withstand abuse, The attachment means is shown in more detail in Fig 3. A conical hole is formed in the steel weight, and the end 32 of the wooden handle 27 is tapered complementarily. A through-boit and nut assembly 34 secures the weight to the handle, and the components are also secured together by adhesive.

The stick includes a friction-grip 36, which comprises a rubber sleeve, or a spirally-wound rubber tape. The designer may provide for the sleeve or tape to extend over the knob, or the knob may be left exposed as shown.

The stick 38 as shown in Figs 4-6 is generally similar, except that now the shaft 40 is made from a metal tube, for example an aluminum tube. The blade is of wood.

The counter-balance weight 45 is of steel, and is fitted internall inside a conical extension 47 of the hollow tubular handle 49. A sleeve 50 of plastic may e provided, if needed in order to keep the steel of the weight from touching the alumin m of the handle.

A screw-threaded steel rod 52 is screwed into the wood of the blade 43. In fact, the designer will probably prefer to set a metal thread-insert 54 in he wood. The rod 52 also serves to secure the steel weight 45 into the stick. The rod may be screwed directly into a tapped hole in the steel weight, or, as shown in Fig 3, the hol in the weight may be plain, and the rod secured thereto by means of a nut 56. The nut is ecessed into the weight, and the nut is turned by means of suitably engageable recess ss 58.

Again, the designer should specify that the steel weight has a diameter and length of 3 or 4 cm, in order to provide the required counter-balance effect.

The recessed nut 56 is covered by a plastic cap 60. Of cours, the manufacturer must see to it that the finished stick has no sharp edges, which might c use injury to players.

It may be noted that the handle grip area, in both the sticks depicted herein, is considerably further out, i. e nearer the tip of the handle, than has been customary in conventional goalie's sticks. It has been found that the counterbalance weight enables the goalie to perform swinging movements of the stick, even thon oh the goalie is holding the stick close to the end. Because he is holding the stick nearer the end of the handle, the goalie can reach further with the stick.

Of course, the goalie is constrained by his innate level of skil, but a stick having the counter-balance weight in the tip of the handle, as described enables a goalie with average strength of the wrist and hands, on the one hand to manouevre the stick controllably while performing swinging movements, and yet n the other hand to extend the stick for a long reach.

The invention has been described above as it relates to a goalie's stick in the game of field hockey. And, while the invention may be applied to out-players'sticks, the advantage is not so great as with goalies'sticks. In fact, the principle of the invention (i. e the principe of placing a weight close to the handle end of the stick) can also be applied to the type of sticks used in ice hockey, including both the goalies'sticl < s and the out-players'sticks.

In ice-hockey, the out-players'stick, near the handle, is generally rectangular, of about 18 by 30 mm. The ice-goalie's stick is somewhat larger. The stick may be solid, e. g of solid wood, or the stick may be hollow, and be made from aluminum or fibre-glass.

Fig 7 shows how a weight can be attached to the handle end of a solid wooden icehockey stick. Four blocks 70 of lead or other metal are placed against the four faces of the rectangular shaft 72. Alternatively, a single piece of lead can be enwrapped around the rectangular shaft. The shaft is notched at 73, and the blocks are staked so as to engage the notches, which helps to locate the blocks properly against the faces of the shaft. The blocks are glued to the faces of the shaft.

Another measure for holding the blocks in the proper position is that tape 74 or other binding material is wrapped tightly around the blocks 70 and shaft 72, and again the tape is glued. Yet another measure for holding the blocks in the proper position is that the taped blocks are surrounded by a plastic sleeve 75. The sleeve may be of heatshrinkable material, or the sleeve may be formed by dip-coating the end of the shaft with the taped blocks attached.

Fig 8 shows a manner of attaching a weight to a hockey stick, which may be utilised with either a solid wooden stick or a hollow aluminum or fibre-glass stick. Conventionally, a hollow stick is closed by a wooden plug, which is held in place e. g by glue, or by intemal camping.

In the case where the stick 80 is hollow, a wooden plug 82 is provided. The plug 82 is generally round, being formed with a right cone 83 at its upper end. The lower end 84 of the plug 82 is cut to a rectangular form, to suit the inside dimensions of the hollow shaft 85. The rectangular lower end 84 of the plug 82 is secured into the hollow shaft by one of the conventional methods for achieving such securement, including gluing, intemal clamping, etc.

The metal weight 86 is machined with an internal cone, which s complementary to the cone 83 on the plug. A boit 87 is used to clamp the weight 8 and the plug 82 together.

The boit head 89 is fixed to the weight 86 e. g by welding, whe eby the act of turning the weight 86 relative to the plug 82 is effective also to turn the bo 87 relative to a nut 90.

The nut 90 is inserted into an aperture in the plug 82. Thus, tming the weight 86, by hand, enables the weight to be screwed tightly to the plug, an, when tight, the weight is held in a very secure and reliable manner. Again, the weight an be encased in plastic ; ir this case, the plastic may be applied to the weight before the eight is screwed to the plug.

In Figs 7 and 8, the dimemsions of the weights as illustrated s louid be understood as being merely exemplary. The actual weights can be individua ly determined, preferably after some testing has been carried out by the user of the stic as to the value of the weight which will give him the optimum performance enhance Dent.

Claims

Claims CLAIM 1. Goalie's hockey stick, comprising a blade, a shaft, and a handle, wherein the stick includes a counter-balance weight, and a means for locating the counterbalance weight close to the tip of the handle remote from the blade.
CLAIM 2. Hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the counter-balance weight comprises a block of metal, having a weight of between one quarter and one half the weight of the stick. claim
3. Hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the stick includes a means for fixing the block of metal around the outside of the shaft.
CLAIM 4. Hockey stick of claim 3, wherein the fixing means comprises a generally-cone-shaped cavity in the block, and a complementary tapered-form on the shaft, and a means for holding the tapered-form in the cavity securely and robustly.
CLAIM 5. Hockey stick of claim 3, wherein the shaft is of solid wood.
CLAIM 6. Hockey stick of claim 1, wherein the stick includes a means for fixing the block of metal inside the shaft, the shaft being hollow.
CLAIM 7. Hockey stick of claim 6, wherein the fixing means comprises a generally cone-shaped cavity in the hollow shaft, and a complementary tapered-form on the weight, and a means for holding the tapered-form in the cavity securely and robustly CLAIM
8. Hockey stick of claim 7, wherein the holding means comprises a rod extending inside the length of the hollow shaft, from the blade at one end of the shaft to the weight at the other end.