Dart and dartboard therefor

• US 4,257,613 A
• Filed: 02/26/1979
• Issued: 03/24/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Peter Meyer Thor Straten
• Original Assignee: Peter Meyer Thor Straten
• Inventors: Meyer Thor Straten, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, PAUL
• Application Number:
  US06/015,211
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 273/106.5 A, 273/106.5 R, 273/102 B, 273/347, 273/419, 273/420
• US Class Current: 473/574
• CPC Class Codes: F41J 3/0047 having protrusions for receiving blunt tip darts in between
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 6/003 Darts

Abstract

A dart game is described which consists essentially of a dart comprising

(a) a cone-shaped nose part having a base and a rounded tip,

(b) a tail part bearing fins,

(c) a stem part connecting the tail part with the base of the nose part, and

(d) a ballast member intermediate the tail part and the nose part and being adaptable for being shifted during flight from a position adjacent the tail part toward said nose part,

and a dartboard. A preferred dartboard comprises

(α) a base part having a front face,

(β) a layer of dart-holding projections on the front face, each of the projections protruding substantially at right angle from the front face and being elastically flexible and deflectable by the nose part of the dart when the latter penetrates into the layer, and

(γ) engagement means on both the dart and the projections, the engagement means of the dart being adapted for engaging the engagement means of at least two of the projections when the dart has penetrated the layer and the blunt tip of the nose part is at or near the front face. RELATIONSHIP TO EARLIER APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of my patent application Ser. No. 812,701, filed July 5, 1977 now abandoned.

Claims

1. A dart game consisting essentially of a dart comprising

(a) a cone-shaped nose part having a base and a rounded tip,

(b) a tail part bearing fins,

(c) a stem part connecting said tail part with the base of said nose part, and

(d) a ballast member mounted on said stem part intermediate said tail part and said nose part and in contact with said tail part, the distance between said tail part and nose part and the length of said ballast member, along said stem part, being so adjustable relative to one another that said length of the ballast member is shorter than said distance, said ballast member thereby being shiftable during flight from its position adjacent said tail part toward said nose part, and thereby producing an annular groove about said stem part between said ballast member and said tail part;

and a dartboard comprising

(α

) a base part having a front face,

(β

) a layer of dart-holding projections on said front face, each of said projections protruding substantially at right angle from said front face and being elastically flexible and deflectable by the nose part of said dart when the latter penetrates into said layer, and

(γ

) engagement means on both said dart and said projections, said engagement means of said dart being adapted for engaging said engagement means of at least two of said projections when said dart has penetrated said layer and the blunt tip of said nose part is at or near said front face, said engagement means of said projections comprising annular beads at or near the free end of each of said projections at a height of the latter corresponding to the distance of said annular groove, formed at the rear of the ballast member of said dart, from the tip of the nose of said dart.

2. The dart game of claim 1, wherein said tail part of said dart has a base facing toward said nose part and a central axial recess in said base for receiving a portion of said stem part therein, said portion of said stem part being lodged frictionally and retractably in said central axis recess, whereby, upon retraction of said stem part from said recess by a short length, said annular groove is formed between said tail part base and a rear end of said ballast member when the latter has been shifted away from said tail part.