US3458194A - Hockey stick - Google Patents

Description

J. B. COLES HOCKEY STI-CK July 29, 1969 Filed Nov. 1. 1966 IIIIII'IIII W 2 mm F INVENTOR JOHN B. COLES LL, I "4w ATTORNEYS United States Patent F 3,458,194 HOCKEY STICK John B. Coles, Cooksville, Ontario, Canada, assignor to American Velcro, Inc, a corporation of New Hampshire Filed Nov. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 591,145 Int. Cl. A63b 59/14 US. Cl. 273-67 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE A hockey stick which includes a covering on the blade with a dense rough surface of stiff monofilaments for improved maneuverability of a hockey puck.

This invention relates to an improved hockey stick and more particularly it relates to a hockey stick in which the blade is provided with a dense surface of closely spaced outwardly protruding uniform height stub elements for improving maneuverability of a hockey puck.

The well-known hockey stick construction consists of an elongated blade forming an obtuse angle with an extended handle portion, all made of wood, usually hickory. During each hockey game a professional hockey player will wear the blade portion of the hockey stick approximately A". For this reason, it is common to tape or to reinforce the blade with fiber glass. Each of these solutions, however, still leaves the blade with relatively smooth surfaces, requiring a high degree of skill to control and accurately deflect a rapidly moving puck. Moreover, when the puck strikes the blade at an acute angle while moving at a high velocity, the friction between the puck and blade necessary to give the player control is broken down, the puck is uncontrollably deflected.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide means in a hockey stick for strengthening the blade and improving its maneuverability by increasing the friction between the puck and the blade to give the player increased control over the puck. i

Broadly stated, this invention is an improvement in hockey sticks which have a handle portion and an integral blade portion forming an obtuse angle with the handle. The improvement comprises a means for improving maneuverability of a hockey puck by providing a covering on the blade which has a dense rough surface of closely spaced outwardly protruding stub elements. Preferably the stub elements are sheared stiif nylon monofilament of uniform height in tape form which are helically wound on the blade and adhesively secured thereto.

Referring to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of my invention is shown:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hockey stick having a blade surface in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the blade taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 3 showing a blade covered in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of a hockey stick with part of the handle broken away showing the blade wrapped with stubble tape.

FIG. 1 shows generally a hockey stick having a handle 11 and a blade 12. The blade 12 is integral with the handle 11 forming an obtuse angle conforming to the users preference, usually about 45 degrees.

As stated above, the shaft 11 and blade 12 are nor- 3,453,194 Patented July 29, 1.969

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mally made of hickory wood resulting in a somewhat frangible blade that frequently splits and is worn down when subjected to the rigors of a game of ice hockey. In addition, to attain a high degree of proficiency in the art of stick handling it is necessary to exercise a great deal of control over the movements of the hard rubber puck.

In accordance with this invention, a layer of tape 13 is helically Wound about the blade 12 of the hockey stick. The tape 13 is a pressure sensitive tape having one side defined by a plurality of closely spaced stub elements 14. Preferably the tape backing and projecting stub elements 14 are of a plastic composition to resist impregnation by water and any resulting imbalance in the weight of the blade 12.

It is preferred to use Velcro Stubble Hook #65 (product of Velcro Corporation, 681 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y.) which is the hook component of Velcro touch tape fasteners such as shown in US. Patent No. 2,717,437 and made by weaving 6.5 mil. monofilament nylon in the form of raised and staggered loops and shearing the loops down to create a rough surface of dense closely spaced stub elements of uniform height extending outwardly and covering the tape with over 800 stub elements per square inch.

The stubble tape 13 presents a rough surface which readily engages the puck to give the players substantially more control over the puck than the conventional tapes or fiber glass used to prevent year and splitting. Instead of a helically Wound tape, a sheet of adhesive backed stubble material could be used to encase the blade 12.

Furthermore, whereas stubble tape having a pressure sensitive adhesive backing might be applied to hockey sticks currently in use or on the market a precoated solvent-activated adhesive backed tape which could be wet out with, for example, methyl ethyl ketone could be applied directly to the blade at the time of manufacture.

In use, the hockey player will be able to more easily retain possession of the puck, employing a higher number of stick-handling tactics without losing control over the puck. The stubble 14 tends to grip the puck, thereby facilitating initially-gaining control over the puck, and furthermore, greatly helps retention of control and accuracy in shooting.

I claim:

1. In a hockey stick having a handle portion and a blade portion integral with and forming an obtuse angle with the handle portion, the improvement in combination therewith of means for improving maneuverability of a hockey puck comprising a covering on said blade having a dense rough surface of closely spaced outwardly protruding stiff monofilaments of uniform height.

2. A hockey stick according to claim 1 wherein said surface is defined by tape having one surface defined by said monofilaments and helically wound on the blade, said tape being adhesively secured thereto.

3. A hockey stick according to claim 2 wherein said monofilaments are sheared.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1939 Schmid 273-76 11/1959 Gardner et al.

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