Metal goalkeeper's hockey stick

• US 5,863,268 A
• Filed: 01/05/1996
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas George Birch
• Original Assignee: Thomas George Birch
• Inventors: Birch, Thomas George
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark S.
• Application Number:
  US08/583,556
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 273/67 A
• US Class Current: 473/563
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/22 Field hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/24 Ice hockey
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 59/70 with bent or angled lower parts for hitting a ball on the ground, on an ice-covered surface, or in the air, e.g. for hockey or hurling
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/06 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/08 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/10 with means for indicating correct holding positions A63B60/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/50 with through-holes A63B60/18 takes precedence; for stringing purposes A63B49/00

Abstract

An ice hockey stick comprising a blade and an elongate, narrow handle connected to a top end of the blade. The handle and blade are formed from a strong, lightweight metal such as aluminum alloy. The blade has a number of relatively small holes extending through it for purposes of weight reduction. These holes are distributed over the surface of the blade. Preferably the handle is detachably connected to the blade. A preferred embodiment is for a goalkeeper and, in this version, the blade has an ice engaging portion and an upstanding portion which extends at an obtuse angle to the ice engaging portion. The holes are distributed over both portions of the blade.

Claims

1. A goaltender hockey stick comprising:

a blade having an ice engaging portion and an elongate upstanding portion, which extends at an obtuse angle to the ice engaging portion;

a protective sheath for fitting over a bottom edge of said blade in order to protect said blade from ground abrasions;

means for detachably connecting said sheath to said bottom edge of the blade;

an elongate, relatively narrow handle which is connected to a top end of the blade; and

a butt fastened to a an upper portion of the handle, said butt having a recess adapted to hold a tool for tightening a fastening member used to detachably connect said handle to said blade,

wherein the blade is constructed of strong, solid lightweight metal or metal alloy, the blade having a number of relatively small holes extending through the blade, said holes being distributed over the surface of the blade, and the handle is substantially formed from a strong, lightweight metal or metal alloy.

2. A hockey stick according to claim 1 including:

a connecting pin arranged substantially normal to the top end of said blade and inserted into a bottom end portion of said handle;

at least one hole in said bottom end portion of said handle; and

at least one threaded hole in a top end portion of said blade, this hole being aligned with the at least one hole in the handle so as to allow a threaded fastener in said at least one threaded hole to enter the hole in the handle.

3. A hockey stick according to claim 1 wherein said blade includes a plurality of screw holes and said connecting means comprises screws.

4. A goaltender hockey stick comprising:

a blade having an ice engaging portion and an upstanding portion, which extends at an obtuse angle to the ice engaging portion;

an elongate, relatively narrow handle which is connected to a top end of the blade, such handle being substantially formed from a strong, lightweight metal or metal alloy; and

a butt fastened to an upper portion of the handle, the butt having a recess adapted to hold a tool for tightening a fastening member used to detachably connect said handle to said blade,

wherein said blade is constructed of strong, solid lightweight metal or metal alloy and has a number of relatively small holes extending through the blade, said holes being distributed over the surface of the blade.

5. A hockey stick according to claim 4 wherein said handle and blade are formed of an aluminum alloy.

7. A goaltender hockey stick comprising:

a blade having an ice engaging portion and an upstanding portion, which extends at an obtuse angle to the ice engaging portion, said blade having a number of through holes distributed over its surface in order to reduce the weight of the blade, said holes being substantially smaller in width than the diameter of a standard hockey puck, said through holes in the blade including a series of relatively large holes and a series of smaller holes, said larger holes being positioned centrally of the blade in the transverse direction thereof and

an elongate handle connected to a top end of said upstanding portion of the blade,

wherein said blade is constructed of strong, solid lightweight metal or metal alloy and said handle is made substantially from a strong, lightweight metal or metal alloy.

6. A hockey stick according to claim 7 wherein said small holes are distributed over the length of the blade including the length of said upstanding portion.

8. A goaltender hockey stick according to claim 7 wherein said handle has a bottom end portion which telescopes over a pin mounted rigidly at said top end of the upstanding portion and is secured thereto by at least one threaded fastener.

9. A goaltender hockey stick according to claim 7 including several threaded openings formed in a bottom edge of said ice engaging portion for the purpose of detachably connecting a wear strip to said ice engaging portion.