GB2115296A - Hockey stick - Google Patents

Abstract

A hockey stick (10) has a short head (13), the free end portion (21) of which is bent in relation to the shank portion (20) of the head merging into the shaft (12) of the stick through about 180 DEG in such a manner that the inner edge (22) of the free end portion of the head faces the shank portion of the head. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hockey stick This invention relates to a hockey stick.

In recent times hockey sticks with short heads have been used which areeasierto handle than conventional hockeystickswith heads extending a larger distance from the shaft but which only offer the ball a comparativelysmall attacking surface. During play, therefore, the ball often rolls away over the head or is not hit correctly during the stroke. Particularly during backhand play, the area of the front face of the head facing the ball, when on or close to the ground, is particularly small because the extreme front edge of the end ofthe head is the closest part ofthe head to the ground.

It is an object ofthe present invention to avoid these disadvantages and to provide a hockey stick with a short head,the useful ball-striking surface and ball-stopping surface of which is larger than with conventional hockey sticks and is almost equally largeforforehand play and backhand play, and which renders possible rapid play requiring less force.

The present invention provides a hockey stickwith a short head, the free end portion of the head being bent in relation to the shank portion of the head merging into the shaft of the stick, wherein the free end portion ofthe head is bent backthrough about 1 80" in such a mannerthatthe inner edge of the free end portion ofthe head faces the shank portion ofthe head and is at a short distance from the shank portion ofthe head.

In construction according to the present invention, the head is in the shape of a substantially U-shaped hook, the two limbs of which are spaced apart so that the stick passes the ring test and so that, in use, a ball cannot slip through between them. Accordingly, for stopping and striking the ball, the head provides two ball-engaging surfaces, one on the shank of the head and the other on the end portion of the head, those surfaces being disposed side by side with an airspace between them.

The construction ofthe hockey stick according to the present invention also has the advantage that the stick can be turned very quickly and with very little effort, because the outer surface of the base portion of the U-shaped head provides an ideal bearing surface on the ground.

Asa resultoftheenlargementofthe playing area of the head achieved by the stick according to the invention,faultystrokesareavoided during the game and manyfewertechnical faults are made. As a result, play is not interrupted so often during matches and playing time is gained.

A particular advantage of the hockey stick accord- ing to the invention lies in the fact that balls can be played and hit much more easily backhand over the ground. During the execution of the backhand stroke, the centre of gravity of the head of the stick is close to the centre of gravity ofthe ball. As a result, only a small torque develops in the stick during striking of the ball whereby more force is transmitted to, and, hence, a higher velocity is imparted to the ball.

With the stick according to the invention, the game of hockey becomes safer. The ball is very unlikely to be struck with the extreme upperedgeofthe head and no longerjumps up in the event of a somewhat inaccurate stroke. Also during stopping, the ball no longertendsto jump up and, as a result, many injuries are avoided.

Another advantage is that the so-called "high ball" playing technique can be accomplished very easily with the hockey stick according to the invention. This is a technique which only a few hockey players master and involves the ball being "scooped up" and hit over a long distance.

In addition, the hockey stick according to the invention has the advantage of being capable of stopping the ball dead without the ball rolling over the head.

Also when a ball is stopped with the stick in its backhand mode- in which case the stick is laid on the ground (parallel or at a small angletothe ground) it is more difficult for the ball to slide under the stick. The stick according to the invention is actually closertotheground because the head does not protrudeoutwardlyasfarfromtheshaftas in conventional sticks. This is an advantage, particularly when playing hockey on artificial grass or indoors.

In orderto facilitate handling still further, the head has, at its rounded back, a thickened portion which is provided between the extremity ofthe free end portion of the head and the apex region ofthe bend.

As a result, the centre of gravity ofthe hockey stick is displaced (as compared with a conventional stick) so that the stick can be turned with very little effort when changing overfrom forehand play to backhand play or vice versa. In this case, it is particularly advantageous if the outer marginal boundaryofthe head is substantially semicircular in form and, preferably, if it extends up to the upper edge extremity ofthe end portion of the head. As a result, and regardless of how the stick is held during play, the head always rests on the ground through an arcuate marginal portion having a constant radius of curvature. The ballstriking conditionsaretherefore always the same during forehand play and backhand play.

In orderthatthe head of the stick according to the invention may have adequate strength, despite its markedly bent shape, the head comprises, advantageously, a plurality of curved layers of wood which are glued together and the boundary surfaces of which, which are glued together, extend substantially perpendicularly to theflatfront (playing side) of the stick.

A hockey stick constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described, byway of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of the hockey stick showing the flat (playing) side of the hockey stick, Figure 2 is an enlarged front view ofthe head ofthe hockey stick of Figure 1, Figure 3 is an end view of the head illustrated in Figure 2, Figure 4 is a rear view of the head showing its rounded back, Figure 5 is a view ofthe head as seen in the directionofthearrowVin Figure4,and Figure 6 is a front view ofthe head of the hockey stick substantially to scale.

Referring to the accompanying drawings and first of all to Figure 1, the hockey stick indicated generally by 10 comprises a handle 11, a shaft 12 and a head 13.

The head 13 merges into the shaft 12 ofthe stick at the socalled "joint" or "lower splicing" 14. The side of the hockey stick 10 facing the reader in Figure 1, is flat and represents the front (playing) face 15 of the hockey stick which, in use, should be used to control the ball, while the opposite side or back 16 of the hockey stick is rounded and should not be used to control the ball during play. The illustrated stick is designed for a right-handed player.

The head 13 consists of a plurality of layers of wood (preferably mulberry) which are glued together, the glued-together boundary surfaces 18 ofwhich extend substantially perpendicularly to the flat front 15 of the hockey stick 10. The layers of wood 17 can be taken further into the shaft 12 of the stick, in which case resilient inserts of glass fibre or other resilient material can be disposed between them. The handle 11 may appropriately carry a wrapping 19 oftextile or leather material.

The head 13 consists of a shank portion 20, which merges into the shaft ofthe stick 12 in the region of the joint 14, and afree end portion 21 which is a continuation of the shank portion 20 and is bent back by about 1800 in relation to that portion so that the inner edge 22 of the free end portion 21 faces the shank portion 20 and is at a short distance afrom that portion.The distance a is large enough to pass the so-called "ring pass"test,that isto say, a circular ring,which has an internal diameter of 5.08cm can be placed on one end of the stick, passed over the whole length of the hockey stick 10 including its head 13 and then removed from the other end.The distance a is, however, made as small as possible and on average is equal to about halfthe largest diameter D ofthe head 13 It can be seen from the drawing that the outer marginal boundary 24 of the head 13 is substantially semicircular in form and extends asfar as the upper edge 25 of the end portion 21 of the head.

At its rounded back 16, the head has a thickened portion 26 which is substantially in the region between the upper edge 25 ofthe end portion 21 of the head and the apex region 27 of the bend 28. As a result ofthisthickened portion, the centre of gravity ofthe hockey stick loins displaced more towards the end ofthe head so that in the playing positions illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, forehand play (Figure 1) and backhand play (Figure 4) it is substantially on a line 29 which passes from the upper end of the handle 11 through the middle ofthe gap 30 between the shank portion 20 and the end portion 21 ofthe head.

The hockey stick 10 can then be turned particularly easily in the normal playing position so that its handling during playisfacilitated.

The hockey stick described and illustrated can be modified in various ways. For example, it is possible to make the distance a between the shank portion 20 and the end portion 21 ofthe head larger or smaller.

The distance should not be so great, however, that a hockey ball (approximately 7.1 centimetres to 7.4 centimetres in diameter) can pass through, or become lodged in the gap between the shank portion and end portion of the head. On the other hand, the distance a should not be so small that the ring can no longer be pulled over the head during the ring-pass test. For special purposes,thethickened portion at the back of the hockey stick can also be provided at a somewhat different place to suit individual handling requirements, particularly if stick is made shorter.

It is also possibleforthe outer marginal boundary 27 of the head to be curved otherthan arcuately.

Figure 6 illustrates, substantiallyto scale, the front face of one example of a head of a hockey stick constructed in accordance with the present invention. As an example of suitable dimensions: The gap A between the two limbs of the U-shaped head, in the region where the inner surfaces of those limbs are approximately parallel is between 1.5 centimetres and 2.5 centimetres and is preferably 2.0 centimetres.

The width B of thefrontface of the head, (ignoring the curved region at the free end edge 25) varies between 4 centimetres and 5 centimetres and preferably varies between 4 centimetres and 4.5 centimetres.

The height C of the free end portion of the head is between 3 centimetres and 4centimetres and is preferably 3.7 centimetres.

Claims (8)

1. A hockey stick with a short head, the free end portion ofthe head being bent in relation to the shank portion of the head merging into the shaft of the stick, wherein the free end portion ofthe head is bent back through about 1800 in such a mannerthatthe inner edge of the free end portion ofthe head faces the shank portion ofthe head and is at a short distance from the shank portion ofthe head.

2. Ahockeystick asclaimed in Claim 1,wherein the average distance ofthe inner edge portion of the end ofthe head from the shank portion of the head is about equal to half the largest diameter ofthe head.

3. A hockey stick as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the head comprises, at its rounded back, a thickened portion which is provided between the extremityofthefreeend portion ofthe head and the apex region ofthe bend.

4. A hockey stick as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the outer marginal boundary ofthe head is substantially semicircular in form.

5. A hockey stick as claimed in one of the Claims 1 to 4, wherein the semicircular marginal boundary extends up to the upper edge extremity ofthe end portion ofthe head.

6. A hockey stick as claimed in one of the Claims 1 to 5, wherein at least the head consists of a plurality of curved layers of wood which are glued together and of which the boundary surfaces glued to one another extend substantially perpendicularto the flat front (playing side) ofthe stick.

7. A hockey stick having a head substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A hockey stick substantially as hereinbefore dscribedwith reference to, and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.