Darts: kit dart modifications

Abstract

A dart is disclosed, by internal axii and radial modification, that has variously segmented positions that involve the forward or scoring embodiments for either soft tip darts or steel tip darts, their axial movement being through reciprocally staged bores for a depending shaft and enlarged collar; the central segment having both or singularly employed, a ribbed gripping segment and the possible addition of multiple weight referents at one or both sides of this stated locus that can be duplexly insertable at the receiving bore; an aftward flights carrying shaft, employing an internal collar against sympathetic staged bores receiving that actional shaft; a rubber spring stabilizing internal placement of the various components while controlling both axial and non-axial movement of either the forward or aftward end of this throwing projectile through lateral compression / displacement, thereby creating the severe reduction of deflection and rejection known in the art of this game device; and, separate thread bearers, against staged bores, to connect the used components into a completed barrel for the three dart set commonly used.

Description

[0001] Cross Referenced to Related application Ser. No. 09 / 781,494, which became 6,524,201. [0002] This application changes the provisional status of 60 / 450,263, given Aug. 18, 2003, by filing via USPS Priority Mail # 0130 2990 0005 8669 1168 on the date of Aug. 18, 2004, and does seek patent pending status relative to the continuity here noted and requested by this small entity applicant for LETTERS PATENT.DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ART [0003] There have been an extremely large variety of advances made in and for the various games of darts. A dart is a hand held tubular projectile having a point, that is generally designed to be thrown at a target for the purposes of scoring within circularly and radially defined impact areas on the target. A typical dart also includes an attachable shaft carrier aft of and axially oriented to the main body which generally carries guidance vanes, called flights, to help stabilize the trajectory of the thrown dart. [0004] In most cases, the advances have b...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0026] As established from my patent works of 6,277,041 and the conjoining 6,524,201, and relative to the encompassing papers foundation created in 1994 that have both associational and developmental characteristics by a single hand author, this is a kit dart having “mix-and-match” capabilities across both soft tip and steel tip venues; but, within the aspect of said kit against the commonality of diameters and materials, in general, an appropriate facet hereof is the capability of being cross-applicational to known prior art because of the known aspect of utilizing the proven polybag approach for display of the various components at the retail level, called grid development hereby through the usage of “X & Y” axes against said retail board value, thereby allowing market driven values to produce a program necessary for the evolution of this encompassing kit darts approach to utility. Thus, it is known within the envelope hereof that certain portions for this approach to uncommon utility, through the factual difference of a rubber spring eliminating fatigue found in the “metal” spring utilization, that my scoring member and matching endcap can be employed in darts barrels already on the marketplace because of that impact controlling cylinder, the latter expanding oblately by lateral expression to disperse negative forces that can cause rejection and / or deflection known in prior art, thereby furthering the marketing grid employed herewith.

[0028] What this invention does is modify the available shafts forwardly or aftwardly against the placement into an appropriate barrel for the completed dart; with any prior art shaft without a collar requiring a female receiver for click snap location of the enlarged collar, and inwardly of that is the noted flat being received in said collared end to prevent rotation, with that inwardly collar reciprocally having a flat slidably matching a positional reference within the endcap and axially referenced to further eliminate rotation against hand manipulation and / or impact considerations. But, in the matching of said collar to the endcap's internal structure, it is entirely possible to shorten the axial dimension from the forward end of the shaft's opening that interacts with the shaft's chord oriented collar portion, thereby allowing firstly the non-rotational aspect to be coupled to the rotational aspect through axially oriented travel of said collar past a determined point within that endcap, with a taper at that transition allowing an at rest return when resetting of the actional parts prior to the next competitive use by the player.

[0031] And, in the use of a grip managing portion or separated body as shown in my grant of 6,524,201, it is possible to employ the obverse variant shown here, it being a radial series of ribs extending past the primary barrel diameter along it's axis, they being separated incrementally so as to improve finger / grip capture. While it is possible that their outward projection may become damaged through repeated trajectory impacts, even though their radial measurement increase against the chosen diameter is just thousandths of an inch, it's the ability to replace just one portion of the completed darts body that allows this simple convergence towards utility.

[0032] Within the replaceable aspects of this work, it is possible to use a variation of the loc-tite thread bearer that joins segments together for a completed darts body. Whether forward or aftward, against possible wear experienced by the abrasion caused from axial movement of the working portions, a tight fitting sleeve is loc-tite positioned between complex endward embodiments requiring extremely high tolerance machining and pre-formed tubes of sintered tungsten that only require the finish machining at both the external values and the staged bores to complete the assembly. The internal cuts of the end pieces conform to the insertable component values expressed hereby, while the proposed tube that may complete a portion whether used fore or aft of the grip provisioner continues the use of the noted thread bearer to connect same. Thus, it is possible to replace any one of the shown segments by the simple prior art act of heating at the joinery to break the loc-tite bond prior to parts replacement for the completed portional assembly.

[0033] A further development is the modified usage of the works found in 1994, which eliminates the need to utilize loc-tite in stress related areas that might be conducive to failure, by the change of the annotated circlip of Nov. 21, 1994 to a loc-tite sleeve with two portional slots located 180 degrees apart and circumferentially oriented; they relating to male prongs depending radially outwardly from a slide-in collar of close fitting means to said fixed position, this thread carrying body having two spring slots 180 degrees apart and placed 90 degrees out of phase from the noted partial slot receiver and partial prongs relating thereto. The simple values of and for engagement of the male and female portions, against the displacement of the noted slots that allow radial displacement during insertion into the receiver sleeve therefor, is created by insertion of the enlarged shaft depending axially inwardly that is found on either the flights shaft or scoring shaft that slidably relates to the threaded barrel endcap of this invention, with rotational closure of that endcap establishing stability in this close fitting approach. Removal of same, if desired, is through the use of a reverse jaw pliers mechanism and requiring nothing more than a simple axial pull due to the taper found on the male prongs, as this would reacquaint the found spring slot into the noted insertion value for displacement of the diameter. With this addition, caused by the sometimes found need to wait for a period longer than is equitable in the game venue due to the need for the general use of loc-tite to substantially cure, the requirement of any kind of heat value is also negated through this simple approach, thereby establishing the necessary cross-relational aspect for both steel tip and soft tip darts that this invention addresses.

[0034] Against the duplex annotation noted for weight inserts, found in 6,277,041 and 6,524,201, further possibilities involve a cylindrical tungsten billet having a fixed shaft extending from one or both ends; with the length and amalgam properties from 50 / 50 / to 95 / 5 creating the weighting feature that allows personalization from that KIT DART aspect. The outward end / s of that locating shaft comprising either a concave face or partial bore, with either approach being utilized to provide a locus for at least one end of the rubber spring member of this invention, said resilient body expanding laterally during moments of impact to provide axial stability for those impinging darts members during that positioned stress.

Problems solved by technology

Again, these various structures are employed in a hammer system; but, there is a failure to recognize that this approach, during initial impact with a target or divider, does not allow the linear alignment between the dart's point and body to be altered.

But, in these darts, it is common to find that substantial wear occurs, as the rotation of the variously placed O-rings are working against a stationary shoulder, thereby limiting the value of the point movement.

However, springs are known to lose temper due to the short compression cycle experienced by the impact of those darts.

But, it is known that the use of springs, with their subsequent loss of temper caused by the pico-second impact can and do lose this non-axial utility: both coil springs and metal strips which are constrained against lateral movement outside the axis of the load causes direct loss of that ability.

Also, due to the various construction methods, none of these approaches have the ability to ignore the effects of gravity, which may eliminate their effectiveness, because, when the point is retained in the target board, the body of the dart may be angled downwardly relative to the point, and this body may block subsequent darts thrown toward small areas of high score value.

There are no provisions against the elastomeric cylinder's propensity to return to an unloaded state, distortion created by non-axial movement upon impact with a target would cause the cylinder to actually creep out of this position; and, this distortion would tear the bore therein.

Then, there is the combination of a scoring shaft with a peened or formed head that rests on a ball bearing, with the latter impinging on a cylindrical rubberoid member, this arrangement supposedly allowing incremental movement of the scoring member during impact; but, due to the inability of the rubberoid member to expand laterally during impact transition, this cylindrical member can explode, thereby limiting its impact control.

In all of the above approaches, while showing some utility, none consider the effect of having a forwardly formed cavity which affects the desired forwardly induced weight differentials.

Additionally, because of the possibility of loosening, which can cause rattling and distraction, or the fact that the loss of any one piece can eliminate that dart from play, the utility of this prior art are considered marginal at best.

In addition, spinning about the axis can be a detriment; none take into account that the darts thrown have multiple speeds and trajectories.

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