GB2149649A - Support and stabilising device for a dart-board or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

A support and stabilising device for supporting a dart-board having a central fixing screw (29, Fig. 3), projecting from its back, from a wall, comprises a substantially square plate 14 adapted to be screwed to the wall, the plate having the corners bent up to form ears 12 to engage the rear of the dart-board. The plate has a hollow central portion 20, projecting from the plane of the wall and having a slot 24 to receive the shank of the screw and hold the head of the screw captive. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION "Support and stabilising devicefora dart-board orthe like" This invention relates to a support and stabilising device for supporting a dart-board orthe like from a wall.

Dart-boards are commonly provided with a single supporting attachment, in the form of a screw screwed into the back of the dart-board in the middle thereof, with the head and adjoining shank portion of the screw projecting from the back ofthe dart-board. In order to support such a dart-board from the wall of a room or of a cabinet or the like, the wall which is to supportthe dart-board has fixed thereto, for example by screws, a support bracket affording a key-hole slot orthe like to receive the projecting screw on the back of the dart-board. This arrangement has, however, the disadvantage thatthere is very little to preventthe dart-board from rotating, in use, about its middle and it is therefore commonly necessaryto provide additional supporting devices to prevent such rotation.

It is an object ofthe present invention to provide a support and stabilising device for supporting a dart-board or the like from a wall and which is capable both of reliably supporting a dart-board of the kind having a central screw projecting from the back of the board and of preventing rotation of such a board.

According to the invention there is provided a support and stabilising deviceforsupporting a dart-board orthe like from a wall, comprising a plate adapted to be secured to a wall surface, said plate providing a generally planarwall-engaging portion, a supportformation for engagement with a complementaryformation on a dart-board orthe like, and a plurality of ears bent up from the plane ofthe wall engaging portion for engagementwith the rear surface of a dart-board orthe like.

An embodimentofthe invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is an elevation view of a support and stabilising device embodying the invention, and FIGURE 2 is a view in section along the line ll-ll of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, a support orstabilising device for supporting a dart-boardfrom a wall has the overall form of a rectangular plate of uniform thickness, apartfrom the departures specifically referred to below. The portions 12 ofthe plate adjacent the four corners thereof are bent upwardlyfrom the plane of the major planar portion 14 ofthe plate, about respective regions indicated in broken lines, so as to providefourpointedears projecting from the plane of the portion 14 on one side thereof.

The plate is provided with holes 16to receive screws for fixing the plate againstthe surface of a wall 18 (Figure 3) with the rear face of the plate, i.e. that opposite the face from which the ears 12 project, in engagement with the wall surface. The plate also has a central support formation comprising, in the embodiment shown, a central generally planar area 20 parallel with the portion 14 but displaced relative to the portion 14, away from the rearface of the plate so asto define, on the rear of the plate, a corresponding recess. A generally rectangular aperture 22 through the plate has mutually perpendicular upper edges thereof provided bythe planar portion 14 and mutually perpendicular lower edges provided bythe portion 20.In the region of the vertex between the mutually perpendicular edges of the aperture 22 which are provided by the portion 20, the portion 20 is provided with an elongate slot 24which, in the position in which the plate is mounted in use, extends downwardly from the lowermost part ofthe aperture 22 and terminates somewhat above the lower edge of the portion 20. The remaining edges of the portion 20 are connected with the planar portion 14 of the plate by respective wall portions.Referring to Figure 3, with the plate secured to a wall, as shown in Figure 1, a dart-board, indicated at 28, having a central screw 29 projecting from the back of the board in the middle thereof, is located on the plate by bringing the dart-board into engagement with the plate so that the head ofthe screw 29 enters the aperture 22 and extends closerto the wall 1 8than the portion 20, and then allowing the dart-board to slide downwardly so that, by engagement of the shank of the screw 29 with the lower relatively inclined edges ofthe aperature 22, the screw 29 is guided into the slot 24, which is of such a width as to receive the shank of the screw 29 freely but to prevent passage ofthe head ofthescrew, whereby the screw is held captive in the slot 24, with the head of the screw engaging the rear surface of the portion 20. In this position, the points of the ears 12 bear against the back of the dart-board 28 and, being spaced substantially from the middle of the dartboard, provide sufficient friction, relative to the board, to prevent rotation of the board about its middle in use.

The stabilising device is preferably somewhat resilient, and dimensioned sothatthe ears 12 must be resiliently deflected, by engagement with the back of the dartboard, (in the sense to move the points of the ears closerto the plane of portion 14), in orderto allow the head of the screw to be inserted through the aperture 22 and slid down behind the portion 20, so thatthereafterthe points ofthe ears 12 are kept resiliently in engagement with the back of the dartboard.

Alternatively, orin addition, in orderto ensure that the dart-board 28 is drawn against the points ofthe ears 12 by its own weight, the portion 20, instead of being parallel with the portion 14 of the plate may be inclined thereto so as to approach progressively closerto the plane of the portion 14from the upper to the lowered ofthe portion 20, so that as the screw 29 slides down the slot 24, the head of the screw, and thus the dart-board 28, is drawn progressivelycloserto the walt 18.

The plate is preferably formed as an integral member and may be moulded from synthetic plastics material or may be formed from sheet material, for example sheet metal, buy a punching and pressing operation.

Whilst, in the embodiment described with reference to the drawings, the plate is substantially square in overall form, the plate may be substantially triangular, rectangular or polygonal in form with the corner portions thereof, or at leastsome such corner portions thereof, bent up to form pointed ears for engagement with the back of a dart-board.

Claims (6)

1. Asupportandstablising deviceforsupporting a dart-board orthe like from a wall, comprising a plate adapted to be secured to a wall surface, said plate providing a generally planarwall-engaging portion, a supportformation for engagement with a complementaryformation on a dart-board orthe like, and a plurality of ears bent up from the plane ofthewall engaging portion for engagement with the rear surface of a dart-board or the like.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said ears terminate in respective points spaced from the plane of the wall-engaging portion.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said plate has the general form of square, a triangle, rectangle or polygon, having its corners bent up.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said supportformation comprises a central area set forwardlywith respecttotheplaneofthewall- engaging portion,to afford a recess behind said central area, and a slotformed in said central area to receive a shank of a screw provided centrally in a dart-board.

5. A support and stabilising deviceforsupporting a dart-board or the like, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

6. Any novel feature or combination offeatures disclosed herein.