GB2234186A - Dartboards - Google Patents

Abstract

A dartboard which is rotatable relative to a mounting wall to change the scoring area positions particularly that of the treble twenty zone, has bowed out leaf springs on its rear surface to engage the wall and hold the dartboard at any desired rotary position.

Description

FIXINGS FOR DARTBOARDS This invention relates to fixings for dartboards and particularly to methods of securing the board to the wall.

One of the problems with a standard dartboard is that wear takes place in specific areas, such as the treble twenty, over and above any other part of the board. Therefore, the numbers ring is often made so that it can be repositioned around the board and the board itself arranged to be rotated to present a different area for use.

To this end generally the securing means for securing the dartboard to the wall will enable the board to be rotated and then it is a simple matter of moving the ring of numbers round so that the twenty comes up to the top and a new treble twenty area is presented to the players.

The usual method of achieving this is to use a central rotary fixture on the back of the board for attachment to the wall, and dome headed pins around the periphery of the back of the board to hold the board in a stable position.

These pins are generally not very satisfactory in use and make it difficult to rotate the board easily.

Noreover the fixture is often not sufficiently firm in use, and beer mats may need to be used to wedge the board in place at a particular angular rotation of the board.

Accordingly the present invention provides a dartboard having a rotary central rear support means, and front play marking means including a numbers ring which is arranged to be movable to redefine a presented play area, said dartboard comprising a plurality, preferably three, of peripherally arranged bowed out leaf springs on the rear of the board for firmly holding the board at a given rotation for play.

Each leaf spring will normally be fixed in place with a small screw-threaded nail, and preferably includes at least one bent over corner portion which embeds into the dartboard surface to maintain the leaf spring in position.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which Figure 1 is a front view of a rotary fixing means for a dartboard; Figure 2 is a front view of a leaf spring in accordance with the invention; and Figure 3 is a side view of the leaf spring.

Referring to Figure 1, the dartboard is rotatably mounted to the wall by means of a shallow countersunk screw in the centre of the back of the dartboard.

This screw is carried within a slot 1 of a slotted fixture 2 which is attached to the wall by screws through screwholes 3. The slot 1 is located within a raised portion of the fixture so that the screw carrying the dartboard enables the dartboard to be rotated when desired.

Figure 2 shows a front view of a leaf spring in accordance with the invention. Normally three of these will be attached to the back of the dartboard at spaced intervals around its periphery.

The attachment is in each case by means of a threaded nail passing through a hole 5 in the leaf spring, and the leaf spring further comprises two bent over corner portions 6 which embed into the dartboard surface when the nail is hammered home.

The shape of the leaf spring includes three zones, the first 7, being substantially flat (apart from the corner portions) to enable the spring to be firmly nailed to the board, the second, 8, being bowed out so that its rounded outer surface will abut the wall under pressure, and the third, 9, having an upturned lip which slidingly abuts the dartboard rear surface.

In use, the leaf springs by pressure on the wall force the central screw into tight contact with the slot 1 of attachment 2, but, while maintaining this pressure, enable the board to be rotated around to its new position. The leaf springs have a relatively friction free surface, so, while abutting the wall, still enable the board to be moved round to a new position without undue resistance to that movement.

Claims (4)

1. A dartboard having a rotary central rear support means, and front play marking means including a numbers ring which is arranged to be movable to define a presented play area, said dartboard comprising a plurality of peripherally arranged bowed out leaf springs on the rear of the board for firmly holding the board at a given rotation for play.

2. A dartboard according to claim 1 in which there are three equi-spaced leaf springs.

3. A dartboard according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which each leaf spring is nailed in position and includes at least one bent over corner which embeds in the dartboard rear surface to maintain the leaf spring in position.

4. A dartboard substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.