US3100116A - Shuttlecocks - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 6, 1963 B. E. FAGAN ETAL SHUTTLECOCKS Filed Nov. 7, 1960 United States Patent 3,100,116 SHUTTLECOCKS Brian Edward Fagan, Sandwich, and Cecil Cuthbert, Ramsgate, England, assignors to Nash Plastics Limited, Sandwich, Kent, England, a company of England Filed Nov. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 67,745 Claims priority, application Great Britain Nov. 13, 1959 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-106) This invention relates to shuttlecocks made of plastic material.

Although the advent of the plastic shuttlecock, by reason of its comparatively low cost, has led to a spread in the popularity of the game, even the best designed shuttlecock Where the skirt is made of stems radiating from a starting collar at the narrow end of the skirt and joined to one another by ribs, has failed to replace the feathered shuttlecock and manufacturers are still seeking to improve the flight characteristics.

The usual so called plastic shuttlecock is made up from a Skirt and a cap. the skirt consisting of a one-piece moulding of plastic material and being joined to the cap, which, as in the case of a feathered shuttlecock, may consist of a skin covered cork shell.

We have now found that by incorporating a rotor member at the narrow end of the skirt, an improved shuttlecock results.

According to this invention a shuttlecock comprises a skirt, a cap and, between the cap and skirt, rotation producing means including blades which are arranged internally of the skirt and, when the shuttlecock is in flight, assist in imparting spin, due to the action of air flow in passage across their surfaces and into the interior space of the skirt.

According to a further feature of this invention a shuttlecock skirt for use in the construction of a shuttlecock comprises a truncated lattice structure formed of plastic material and having at its narrow end a number of blades giving a rotor effect, the blades preferably being at an angle to the true radius. In operation, air flows between the blades and into the centre of the skirt causing the shuttlecock to rotate in flight at a speed controlled by the angular set of the blades to the axis of the shuttlecock.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a shuttlecock device constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section on the line III-III of FIGURE 1.

Referring first to FIG. 1 of the drawings the shuttlecock of this invention comprises a skirt S, a cap A and between the cap A and the skirt S is a truncated conical section or part R. C indicates an outer sleeve or collar by which the skirt is united to the cap A.

The part R consists of a number of blades 1, each springing from a central sleeve or spigot 2, the spigot 2 (being grown from a starting flange or base 3. Integral with the flange 3 is a collar 4, by which the skirt as a Whole is attached to the cap proper A (FIG. 1) in accordance with standard practice.

It will be seen that the blades extend outwards in the direction towards the skirt so as to conform to the 3,1 00,1 16 Patented Aug. 6', 1963 The skirt formation in the embodiment illustrated is in accordance with United States Patent No. 2,815,956 and comprises main stems helically disposed in one direction and secondary stems or ribs inter-connecting the main stems 7. The main stems 7 are formed in relief on the outer surface of the skirt with the object of imparting spin to the shuttlecock in flight similar to the flight feathers of a feathered shuttlecock. In addition the blades 1 operate to produce rotation of the shuttlecock and are disposed at an angle which is offset to the true radius to impart spin about the axis, since when the shuttlecock is in flight air has a free passage or flow through the openings between adjacent blades 1 into the interior of the skirt. The relative movement between each air stream and the blades 1 exerts a thrust on the several blades, which due to their angularity has a rotational component.

The shuttlecock may be made by known injection methods using a suitable mould and it will be seen that the plastic flows from the central sprue of the starting flange 3 along the spigot 2 and thence into the branch limbs of the mould to produce the rotor blades 7 and ring 6. The stems 7 are grown from the ring 6 and although in the embodiment illustrated the stems coincide with the blades 1 this is not essential. It follows that the number of blades may be reduced and may consist of any number from three upwards.

The skirt of this invention can be made up into a shuttlecock using a cap A (FIG. 1) of plastic material wherein the striking surface consists of a number of concentric cylinders of different length or using a standard skin covered cork cap A (FIG. 3).

What is claimed is:

l. A shuttlecock comprising a skirt which is formed of plastic material, a cap, and rotation producing means between the cap and the skirt, including blades arranged only internally of the outer surface of the rotation pro ducing means, said blades extending axially of the shuttlelcodk and being offset to the true radius thereof and exposed to air passing thereover when the shuttlecock is in flight to impart rotation to the shuttlecock.

2. A shuttlecock comprising a skirt which is normed of plastic material, a cap, and rotation producing means between the cap and the skirt, said means comprising a flange adapted to be connected to the cap and a central sleeve member projecting therefrom and a plurality of blades offset from the true radius of the sleeve and having their inner ends connected to the sleeve, the forward portion connected to the flange and the rear outer portions of the blades connected by a band to which said skirt is connected, said blades being arranged wholly internally of the outer surface of the rotation producing means and skirt and, when the shuttlecock is in flight, imparting spin thereto.

3. A shuttlecock skirt comprising a truncated conical lattice structure formed of plastic material and having at its narrow end conical rotation producing means consisting of a number of blades disposed only internally of the outer conical surface of the rotation producing means and at an angle to the radius of the skirt to imgpart rotation thereto when the shuttlecock is in flight.

4. A shuttlecock skirt as claimed in claim 3 in which there is a leap portion at the narrow end comprising a collar formed on one end with a flange, the flange having a central spigot from which the blades extend outwardly, the blades being joined to one another by an annular band, said skirt having a plurality of main stems and ribs therein extending from said band.

5. The invention as defiined in claim 4 in which the main stems spiral in one direction.

6. A shuttleooek comprising a skirt which is termed or plastic material, a cap, and rotation producing means 15 1,076,538

4 between the cap and skirt, said means including a truncated conical section integral with the skirt and having non-radial blades extending only inwardly from the outer surface of the conical section, the blades defining slits for the passage of air when the shuttleeoek is in flight to impart spin thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,163,236 Collier June 20, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 550,822 Belgium Sept. 29, 1956 216,536 Australia July 17, 1958 Germany Feb. 25, 1960

Claims (1)

1. A SHUTTLECOCK COMPRISING A SKIRT WHICH IS FORMED OF PLASTIC MATERIAL, A CAP, AND ROTATION PRODUCING MEANS BETWEEN THE CAP AND THE SKIRT, INCLUDING BLADES ARRANGED ONLY INTERNALLY OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE ROTATION PRODUCING MEANS, SAID BLADES EXTENDING AXIALLY OF THE SHUTTLECOCK AND BEING OFFSET TO THE TRUE RADIUS THEREOF AND EXPOSED TO AIR PASSING THEREOVER WHEN THE SHUTTLECOCK IS IN FLIGHT TO IMPART ROTATION TO THE SHUTTLECOCK.

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