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| United States Patent
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5,495,630 |
| Estein , et al. |
March 5, 1996 |
Dart tool
Abstract
A dart tool useful in tournament darts and other games using
thrown darts. This unitary dart tool efficiently combines many
useful elements and functions, including: extracting a broken dart
tip from a dart target by providing, on a thin nub, a tapered slot
for grabbing such broken dart; adjusting a dart assembly having a
flight shaft, a barrel, and a dart tip; tightening or loosening a
threaded connection between a dart tip and a dart barrel by
providing a slot for holding the opposed flat portions of a dart
tip; tightening or loosening a threaded connection between a flight
shaft and a dart barrel by providing a protuberance, which comprises
part of the described slot, for holding the hole in the flight
shaft; loosening a flight lock of the dart by providing a safe
recessed wedge therefor; tightening a flight lock by providing a
cylindrical hole therefor; and also permitting keychain attachment
and bottle-opening, and providing advertising areas.
| Inventors: |
Estein; Kevin M.
(Phoenix, AZ), Nauroth; Michael F. (Glendale, AZ)
|
| Appl. No.:
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08/178,059 |
| Filed: |
January 5, 1994 |
| Current U.S.
Class: |
7/138 ;
7/169 |
| Current
International Class: |
F42B
6/00 (20060101); B25B 013/00 () |
| Field of
Search: |
7/138,169,170
81/176.1,176.15 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent
Documents
Primary Examiner: Smith; James G.
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Stoneman; Martin L.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A dart tool suitable for adjusting a dart assembly having a
flight shaft, a barrel and a dart tip, comprising, in combination,
a. elongated, planar handle means comprising two planar sides, two
longitudinal edges, two ends, and at least one end edge; and
b. recessed inwardly from a said at least one of three edges of said
handle means and adjacent a first said end of said handle means said
terminus comprising thin nub means, wedge means for opening a flight
lock in a dart.
2. A dart tool in accordance with claim 1 including
a. situate in said handle means adjacent said first end, slot means
comprising opposed parallel sides; and
b. in line with a said longitudinal edge of said handle means, a
planar protuberance comprising a first said parallel side of said
slot means.
3. A dart tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein said wedge means
comprises a single plane inclined with respect to said planar sides
of said handle means.
4. A dart tool in accordance with claim 3 wherein said wedge means
is located along a said longitudinal edge of said handle means.
5. A dart tool in accordance with claim 1, further suitable for
extracting a broken dart tip from a dart target, including
a. a terminus at a second said end of said handle means;
b. an outward portion of said hub means being situate at about 90
degrees from said planar sides of said handle means said outward
portion of said nub means comprising an outward side and an inward
side (closer to said handle means than said outward side); and
c. in said outward portion, tapered slot means, comprising a slot
having an open end and an opposed closed end, for grabbing a said
broken dart tip.
6. A dart tool in accordance with claim 5 wherein said wedge means
comprises a single plane inclined with respect to said planar sides
of said handle means.
7. A dart tool in accordance with claim 6 wherein said wedge means
is located along a said longitudinal edge of said handle means.
8. A dart tool in accordance with claim 5 wherein said tapered slot
means widens toward the said inward side of said outward portion of
said nub means.
9. A dart tool in accordance with claim 5 wherein said slot of said
tapered slot means is wider than a said broken dart tip at said open
end of said slot and narrower than a said broken dart tip at said
closed end of said slot.
10. A dart tool in accordance with claim 5 including
a. situate in said handle means adjacent said first end, slot means
comprising opposed parallel sides; and
b. in line with a said longitudinal edge of said handle means, a
planar protuberance comprising a first said parallel side of said
slot means.
11. A dart tool in accordance with claim 10 wherein said tapered
slot means widens toward said inward side of said outward portion of
said nub means.
12. A dart tool in accordance with claim 11 wherein said slot of
said tapered slot means is wider than a said broken dart tip at said
open end of said slot and narrower than a said broken dart tip at
said closed end of said slot.
13. A dart tool in accordance with claim 10 wherein said wedge means
is located along a said longitudinal edge of said handle means
opposed to said longitudinal edge with which said planar
protuberance is in line.
14. A dart tool in accordance with claim 13 including
a. in said handle means along said longitudinal edge of said handle
means with which said planar protuberance is in line, bottle opener
means.
15. A dart tool in accordance with claim 12 including
a. in said handle means along said longitudinal edge of said handle
means with which said planar protuberance is in line, bottle opener
means;
b. wherein said wedge means is located along a said longitudinal
edge of said handle means opposed to said longitudinal edge with
which said planar protuberance is in line;
c. wherein said wedge means comprises a single plane inclined with
respect to said planar sides of said handle means;
d. wherein said planar protuberance is constructed and arranged for
holding said flight shaft for rotatively disconnecting from said
barrel; and
e. wherein said handle means is constructed and arranged for holding
advertising indicia.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a novel tool useful in
tournament darts and other games using thrown darts. More
specifically, this invention provides, in one tool, efficiently
combined, a dart tool assisting many useful elements and functions,
e.g., extracting a broken dart tip from a dart target; adjusting a
dart assembly having a flight shaft, a barrel, and a dart tip;
tightening or loosening a threaded connection between a dart tip and
a dart barrel, tightening or loosening a threaded connection between
a flight shaft and a dart barrel, loosening a flight lock of the
dart, tightening the flight lock, even efficiently also combining
useful elements, functions and abilities like keychain attachment,
bottle-opening, and providing advertising areas.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tournament darts and other games using thrown darts provide
competition, recreation, and enjoyment for countless players. A
typical dart used in such games has four main parts aligned along a
longitudinal axis of the dart. A pointed dart tip, often made of a
hard but bendable plastic, is affixed to a barrel, usually by
threaded connection, so that the dart tip extends forwardly from the
front end of the barrel. A flight shaft extends rearwardly from the
rear end of the barrel and the flight shaft is connected to the
barrel at a threaded connection. There is a flight lock at the rear
end of the flight shaft. A cross-shaped flight is mounted in the
flight lock. Typically, the flight lock has a conical portion with a
smaller end rearward and a larger end forward and with four bendable
prongs defining a cross-shaped slot opening at the smaller end. The
cross-shaped flight is pressed into the cross-shaped slot, in which
the flight is retained by the prongs. Typically, the flight is made
of lightweight, reinforced fabric, foil or polymeric film. Thus, the
flight is a wearable part, which needs to be occasionally replaced.
Also typically, the flight shaft has within it a transverse hole,
into which, for example, a pin is insertable. This pin and flight
shaft may then be held against rotation while the barrel is rotated
about the axis of the dart, or vice versa, to tighten or loosen the
threaded connection between the flight shaft and the barrel. It is a
known practice to use the tip of a second dart as the pin. Such a
practice is not recommended, however, since it creates a risk of
bending the tip of the second dart. Also typically, a knife blade or
similar tool is used to open the flight lock. Such tool is used to
spread the bendable prongs sufficiently for the cross-shaped flight
to be easily pressed into the cross-shaped slot yet retained
securely therein by the bendable prongs. If the flight lock has been
opened too far, the cross-shaped flight is not retained securely in
the cross-shaped slot. It then is necessary to press the bendable
prongs so as to close the flight lock. However, it is difficult to
do so without twisting the bendable prongs, as may occur if a pair
of pliers or similar tool is used.
Also typically, The shaft of the dart tip contains, exposed near its
threaded connection to the barrel, opposed flat portions to assist
in holding the dart tip while rotating the barrel along its axis, or
vice versa, to tighten or loosen the threaded connection between the
barrel and the dart tip. Although these opposed flat portions may
commonly assist gripping with hand or pliers, it is difficult to
grasp and hold the small dimensions of a commonly smooth and
slippery dart tip without injury to the dart tip.
Also typically, a dart tip frequently breaks when thrown into a dart
target, and the broken dart tip portion embedded in the target is
difficult to remove in that it is difficult to grasp the broken dart
tip to pull it out and the attempt to do so using, for example, a
pocket knife, may easily result in injury to the dart target and/or
to the knife wielder.
Prior attempts to design a dart tool to assist the user in
overcoming the above-mentioned problems have resulted in operational
insufficiencies, and new problems, and multiplicities of tools and
parts, and inefficiencies of cost and quality. For example, recent
attempts at replacing the pocket knife function of loosening the
flight locks of a dart have not eliminated the dangers inherent in
the exposed edges of such knives, and there has been no attention at
all paid by dart tool designers to most of the other problems above
mentioned.
Thus, for a considerable time period there has existed a need, to
which the present invention is addressed, for a unitary,
pocket-sized dart tool having multiple elements and functions for
addressing the above-mentioned and other problems in an efficient,
safe, cost-effective, combinatorial, creative, and operational
manner.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an
improved dart tool means for use by players in the game of darts.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an efficient
unitary dart tool which overcomes the problems presented by the
prior art.
It is a further object of this invention to provide, in a unitary
dart tool, in creative combination, multiple elements and functions
which together overcome the problems presented by the prior art.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a dart tool for
extracting a broken dart tip from a dart target.
Another object of this invention is to provide a dart tool for
adjusting a dart assembly of the type including a flight shaft, a
barrel, and a dart tip. Yet another object of this invention is to
provide a dart tool for tightening or loosening a threaded
connection between a dart tip and a dart barrel. Still another
object is to provide a dart tool for tightening or loosening a
threaded connection between a flight shaft and a dart barrel. An
additional object is to provide a dart tool for loosening a flight
lock of the dart. Yet an additional object is to provide a dart tool
for tightening the flight lock. Other objects are to provide in a
dart tool abilities to attach a keychain, open a bottle, and/or
provide advertising areas.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the foregoing objectives, this invention describes an
improved dart tool which is unitary in construction and yet
provides, in combination, elements and functions fulfilling all of
said objectives.
Further, this invention provides a dart tool suitable for adjusting
a dart assembly having a flight shaft, a barrel and a dart tip,
comprising, in combination, elongated, planar handle means and,
recessed in such handle means and adjacent a first end of such
handle means, wedge means for opening a flight lock in a dart. The
instant dart tool may further include, situate in such handle means
adjacent such first end, slot means, and, in line with an edge of
such handle means, a planar protuberance comprising a first side of
such slot means. And such dart tool is further provided wherein such
wedge means comprises a single plane inclined with respect to such
handle means. And such dart tool is further provided wherein such
wedge means is located along a side of such handle means.
The instant dart tool, suitable for extracting a broken dart tip
from a dart target, may further include thin nub means comprising
the terminus at the other (second) end of such handle means, an
outward portion of such nub means being situate at about 90 degrees
from the plane of such handle means, and, in such outward portion,
tapered slot means for grabbing a such broken dart tip. And such
dart tool is further provided wherein such tapered slot means widens
toward the handle-means side of such outward portion of such nub
means. And such dart tool is further provided wherein such tapered
slot means is wider than a such broken dart tip at the open end of
such tapered slot means and narrower than a such broken dart tip at
the closed end of such tapered slot means.
And such dart tool may further include, in such handle means along
the edge of such handle means with which said planar protuberance is
in line, bottle opener means. And such dart tool is further provided
wherein such wedge means is located along an edge of such handle
means opposed to such edge with which such planar protuberance is in
line, and wherein such wedge means comprises a single plane inclined
with respect to such handle means, and wherein such planar
protuberance is constructed and arranged for holding such flight
shaft for rotatively disconnecting from such barrel, and wherein
such handle means is constructed and arranged for holding
advertising indicia.
Further, this invention provides a dart tool suitable for extracting
a broken dart tip from a dart target, comprising, in combination,
elongated, planar handle means, thin nub means comprising the
terminus at a first end of such handle means, an outward portion of
such nub means being situate at about 90 degrees from the plane of
such handle, and, in said outward portion, tapered slot means for
grabbing a such broken dart tip. Such dart tool may further include,
situate in such handle means adjacent the second end of such handle
means, slot means, and, in line with an edge of such handle means, a
planar protuberance comprising a first side of such slot means. And
such dart tool is further provided wherein such tapered slot means
widens toward the handle-means side of such outward portion of said
nub means. And such dart tool is further provided wherein such
tapered slot means is wider than a such broken dart tip at the open
end of such tapered slot means and narrower than a such broken dart
tip at the closed end of such tapered slot means.
Further, this invention provides a dart tool suitable for adjusting
a dart assembly having a flight shaft, a barrel and a dart tip,
comprising, in combination, elongated, planar handle means, situate
in such handle means adjacent a first end of such handle means, slot
means, and, in line with an edge of such handle means, a planar
protuberance comprising a first side of such slot means, wherein
such slot means is constructed and arranged for holding such dart
tip for rotatively disconnecting from such barrel. And such dart
tool is further provided wherein such planar protuberance is
constructed and arranged for holding such flight shaft for
rotatively disconnecting from said barrel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of a preferred embodiment of the
dart tool of the present invention and a typical dart assembly, and
further illustrating the use of the dart tool wedge means to loosen
the flight lock of the dart assembly.
FIG. 2 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the dart tool of
the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the dart tool
of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of a flight shaft and flight of a typical
dart, illustrating the use of the preferred embodiment of the dart
tool of the present invention to rotatively restrict the flight
shaft.
FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view through the axis of the flight
shaft of FIG. 4 and in the plane of the illustrated dart tool of
FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the dart tip and front portion of
the barrel of a typical dart, illustrating the use of the preferred
embodiment of the dart tool of the present invention to rotatively
restrict the dart tip.
FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view through the axis of the dart tip
of FIG. 4 and in the plane of the illustrated dart tool of FIG. 4.
FIG. 8 is a partial side sectional view through the wedge means and
the flight-lock-tightening hole of the preferred embodiment of the
dart tool of the present invention, illustrating the loosening of a
typical flight lock by the wedge means.
FIG. 9 is a partial front sectional view through the flight lock of
FIG. 8 at the front edge of the wedge.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rear portion of the flight shaft
of a typical dart, illustrating the use of the preferred embodiment
of the dart tool of the present invention to tighten the flight
lock.
FIG. 11 is a partial sectional view along the axis of the
flight-lock-tightening hole of FIG. 10 and in the plane of the
illustrated dart tool of FIG. 10, illustrating the tightening of a
typical flight shaft by such hole.
FIG. 12 is a partial perspective view of a portion of a typical dart
target and illustrating the use of the dart tool of the present
invention to grab and remove a broken dart tip from the dart target.
FIG. 13 is a partial sectional view along the axis of the broken
dart tip of FIG. 12 from the top of the dart tool of the present
invention at the tapered slot portion of the dart tool.
FIG. 14 is a partial sectional view of the broken dart tip and
tapered slot of FIG. 12 perpendicular to the axis of the broken dart
tip and looking toward the dart target of FIG. 12 along the section
14--14 of FIG. 12.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the dart tool 21 of the
present invention and a typical dart assembly 22. Dart tool 21
includes many elements in combination. Wedge means 23 is preferably
located along a first side 21a (being a longitudinal edge, as shown)
of elongated planar handle means 24 (comprising an upper and a lower
planar side, as shown in FIGS. 1-3) and adjacent a first end 21b
(including an associated end edge, as shown) thereof, as shown. Slot
means 25 is also located adjacent first end 21b. Planar protuberance
26 is in line with the second side 21c (being a second longitudinal
edge, as shown) of handle means 24 and comprises a structural
side-part of slot means 25, as shown. At the second end 21d of
handle means 24, a thin nub means 27 includes an outward portion 28
situate at about 90 degrees from the plane of handle means 24.
Outward portion 28 of thin nub means 27 includes tapered slot means
29 (whose taper is shown more clearly in FIG. 14). Also shown are
bottle opener means 30, flight-lock-tightening hole 31, advertising
indicia 32, and keychain hole 33. FIG. 1 also illustrates a typical
keychain 34 for keychain hole 33.
The typical dart assembly 22 shown in FIG. 1 includes dart tip 35,
dart barrel 36, and flight shaft 37. Dart tip 35 includes opposed
-flat portion 38. Dart barrel 36 includes knurled portions 39 for
assisting with gripping dart barrel 36. Flight shaft 37 includes
flight lock 40, transverse hole 41, and knurled portion 42. As
described in the above review of the prior art, in the illustrated
typical dart assembly 22, both ends of dart barrel 36 contain
internal threads for receiving the externally threaded ends of dart
tip 35 and flight shaft 37, respectively.
As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, tapered slot means 29 also includes
a transverse taper 43, narrowest on the outward side 44 of outward
portion 28 and tapering to widest on the inward side 45 of outward
portion 28. Also shown more clearly in FIG. 2 is the wedge recess 46
for safety protection from sharp edge 47 of wedge means 23.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show most clearly the manner in which planar
protuberance 26 of dart tool 21 may serve to assist flight shaft 37
for rotative resistance by the insertion of planar protuberance 26
into transverse hole 41 of flight shaft 37. FIG. 4 illustrates
typical flight 48 and its manner of attachment within flight lock
40, and also illustrates the threaded portion 49 of flight shaft 37,
which threaded portion 49 is suitable for threaded connection with
dart barrel 36.
FIGS. 6 and 7 show most clearly the manner in which slot means 25 of
dart tool 21 may serve to assist dart tip 35 for rotative resistance
by the holding of opposed-flat portion 38 of dart tip 35 by opposed
portions of slot means 25, as shown. FIG. 6 illustrates the threaded
portion 50 of dart tip 35, which threaded portion 50 is suitable for
threaded connection with dart barrel 36 at its forward end 51.
FIGS. 8 and 9 show most clearly the manner in which wedge means 23
of dart tool 21 may loosen flight lock 40 by wedging open and
slightly bending (by user-applied pressure to the wedge means)
opposed quadrants 52 of flight lock 40. By turning the flight lock
90 degrees, the user may then use wedge means 23 to loosen the
remaining opposed quadrants 52 of flight lock 40 so that the
cross-shaped flight 48 may be more easily inserted in flight lock
40. The preferred placement of wedge means 23 near the end of handle
means 24 which is away from tapered slot means 29 permits use of
wedge means 23 without interference from the outward portion 28 (of
thin nub means 27) which is turned outward from the plane of handle
means 24 at an angle of about 90 degrees. Further, the illustrated
preferred placement of wedge means 23 (along a specific side of
handle means 24) helps prevent accidental contact with sharp edges
during other uses of the dart tool 21, e.g., during extraction of
broken dart tips.
FIGS. 10 and 11 show most clearly the manner in which
flight-lock-tightening hole 31 may tighten flight lock 40 by the
user pushing the conically-tapered flight lock 40 into hole 31 to
force the quadrants 52 of flight lock 40 closer together by slightly
bending quadrants 52 inward so that the cross-shaped flight 40 may
be more tightly held by flight lock 40.
FIGS. 12, 13, and 14 show most clearly the manner in which the
tapered slot means 29 of dart tool 21 may be used to grab and
extract a broken dart tip 53 from a dart target 54. Tapered slot
means 29 of dart tool 21 may be placed or pushed as close to dart
target 54 as is necessary to push any extending portion of broken
dart tip 53 into tapered slot means 29. As shown clearly in FIG. 14,
tapered slot means 29 is wider than any portion of broken dart tip
53 at the open end 55 of tapered slot means 29 and narrower than any
portion of broken dart tip 53 at the closed end 56 of tapered slot
means 29; and so tapered slot means 29 may capture broken dart tip
53 as shown in FIG. 14. In addition, as shown clearly in FIG. 13,
tapered slot means 29 also includes a transverse taper 43, narrowest
on the outward side 44 of outward portion 28 and tapering to widest
on the inward side 45 of outward portion 28, that is, tapered slot
means 29 widens toward the handle-means side of outward portion 28
of nub means 27. This transverse taper 43 assists in grabbing of
broken dart tip 53 while extracting it from dart target 54 in that
broken dart tip 53 becomes slightly wider in diameter toward its
outer (rearward) broken edge 57 and in that transverse taper 43
provides a thin "grabbing" edge to tapered slot means 29, as shown.
The thinness of thin nub means 27 permits the extension including
tapered slot means 29 to be of a size to best push closest to dart
target 54 (which typically has some "give" to it) to grab broken
dart tip 53.
FIG. 1 best illustrates how the preferred placements of the various
elements of dart tool 21 combine to provide a unitary solution to
the problems of the prior art. In addition, these preferred
constructions and placements permit not only an efficient keychain
placement but also maintain considerable flat and open areas for the
location of adverising indicia 32 on either side of dart tool 21.
It is especially pointed out that the recessed nature of the wedge
means 23 of the present invention prevents accidental injury to the
user, and its illustrated highly-preferred location even provides
for safe use of the bottle-opener means 30 as well as being able to
safely grasp handle means 24 when using tapered slot means 29 to
grab and extract broken dart tip 53. It is further especially
pointed out that the preferred material for the dart tool 21 of the
present invention is a hard metal; and that the illustrated
preferred wedge construction of wedge means 23, in its having only
one plane inclined to the plane of handle means 24, permits
especially easy and efficient manufacturing of the preferred dart
tool 21 in the area of wedge means 23 in that only one piece must be
removed from flat planar material to make the wedge.
Further advantages of applicant's invention will be apparent to
those skilled in the art from the above descriptions and the below
claims.
* * * * *
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