Patent Publication Number: US-6699145-B2

Title: Apparatus and method for curling and tools

Description:
37 C.F.R. §1.71(E) AUTHORIZATION 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. The copyrighted images credited to other parties are used to illustrate the sport of curling in support of the disclosure is this patent application and are believed to be a Fair Use under 17 U.S.C. §107. 
     CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS, IF ANY 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX, IF ANY 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention. 
     The present invention relates, generally, to athletic equipment and methods, and particularly to equipment and methods used in the sport of curling. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for maintaining or improving balance during the delivery of a curling stone. The apparatus and methods are also useful with tools or other devices which have handles. 
     2. Background Information 
     The state of the art includes various devices and methods for maintaining balance during the delivery of a curling stone. These include conventional curling brooms and a separate and distinct stabilizer. 
     The known devices and methods are believed to have significant limitations and shortcomings. Specifically, it may be difficult for some people to maintain their balance with a conventional curling broom. Further, the separate and distinct stabilizers may be misplaced or may be left in inconvenient locations on the curling rink between deliveries. 
     The present invention provides an apparatus and method for delivering a curling stone which are believed to constitute an improvement over the known art. 
     The invention also provides an apparatus and method for use with tools such as shovels, rakes and the like, which are believed to constitute an improvement of the known art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an apparatus and method for delivering a curling stone. The apparatus of the present invention may be defined as either a curling broom or as a delivery accessory for a curling broom. The curling broom generally comprises a broom head, a broom handle attached to the broom head, and a delivery accessory adapted for being attached to either the broom handle or the broom head in both a first position and a second position. The delivery accessory provides a means for improving the balance of a person delivering a curling stone in the first position. The delivery accessory is stored in a nonobtrusive manner in the second position enabling the curling broom to be used for conventional sweeping in front of a delivered curling stone. The delivery accessory generally comprises a support stand and a mount adapted for attaching the support stand to the curling broom. In an alternative embodiment, the delivery accessory may include a friction cam adapted for locking into a usable orientation in the first position, releasing to slide along the broom handle, and locking into a stored orientation in the second position. The method for delivering a curling stone generally comprises the steps of attaching a delivery accessory to a curling broom, and delivering the curling stone with one hand and holding onto the curling broom with a second hand as the curling stone is being delivered. 
     The invention also provides a tool, comprising, generally, a head element; a handle attached to the head element; and a delivery accessory adapted for being attached to the handle in either a first or a second position. The delivery accessory improves the balance and work output of a person using the tool when the delivery accessory is in the first position. The delivery accessory is stored in a nonobtrusive manner in the second position. 
    
    
     The features, benefits and objects of this invention will become clear to those skilled in the art by reference to the following description, claims, and drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is an illustration of a curling rink. 
     FIG. 2 is an image illustrating the use of a conventional broom to maintain balance while delivering a curling stone. 
     FIG. 3 is an image illustrating the use of curling brooms to sweep in front of a curling stone. 
     FIG. 4 is an illustration of a known stabilizer used in place of a conventional broom to maintain balance while delivering a curling stone. 
     FIGS. 5 and 7 are views of a curling broom with a delivery accessory in a first, use position enabling the broom to be used to maintain balance while delivering a curling stone. 
     FIG. 8 illustrates a view of the delivery accessory in the released position allowing the accessory to slide along the broom handle. 
     FIGS. 6 and 9 are views of a curling broom with a delivery accessory in a second, non-use or stored position enabling the broom to be used to sweep in front of the curling stone. 
     FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the apparatus of the invention used in conjunction with a snow shovel. 
     FIG. 11 illustrates the apparatus of FIG. 10 where the user lifts the shovel utilizing the apparatus. 
     FIG. 12 illustrates the apparatus of FIGS. 10 and 11, where the apparatus is oriented in a storage position with the shovel. 
     FIG. 13 illustrates the apparatus of FIGS. 10-12 used in conjunction with a rake. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The sport of curling is played on an ice rink  12 , as generally illustrated in FIG.  1 . Each end of the rink  12  includes a hack  14 , which is an indentation in the ice, from which the players  16  can push off from the deliver the approximately forty-two pound stone  18 . In front of each hack  14  is a house  20  comprised of a set of concentric rings. At the center of the house  20  is the button  22  which serves as the target when delivering the stone  18  from the opposing hack  14 . A hog line  24  is positioned on the other side of the house. When delivering a stone  18 , the player  16  moves or slides forward from the hack  14  with the stone  18 . The player  16  must release the stone  18  before crossing the first hog line  24 , and the released stone  18  must cross the second hog line  24 . When the stone  18  is delivered or thrown, it is rotated slightly. The ice surface is pebbled with small bumps of ice all over the surface, which causes the stone to curl or veer off in the direction of the spin. 
     A team has four players, and each player delivers two stones  18  per end. The players on the teams throws alternately. The team with the stone(s)  18  in the house  20  closest to the center or button  22  scores for the end. The number of points scored is the total number of the one team&#39;s stones  18  that are closer to the button  22  than the closed of the opponents&#39; stones. 
     All four teammates participate in each stone thrown by the team. One calls the shot, one delivers it and two sweep in front of the stone with their curling brooms  30 . Sweeping the ice in front the moving stone temporarily melts the ice and thereby reduces friction for the stone, which causes the stone to travel farther and curl less than it would otherwise. FIG. 3 illustrates this sweeping motion by two of the team members. 
     Because of the weight of the stone  18  and the slippery surface of the rink  12 , it can be difficult to maintain the balance required to accurately deliver the stone  18 . FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional method of delivering a stone  18  in which a player  16  maintains his balance with a conventional broom  30 . Alternatively, some players use the stabilizer  32  shown in FIG.  4 . However, the use of this separate and distinct stabilizer is not always accepted approvingly by the more traditional curling players. Additionally, a separate and distinct stabilizer may be misplaced or left in an inconvenient location such as the other side of the rink  12 . 
     U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 60/210,151 filed Jun. 7, 2000 entitled Apparatus and Method for Delivering a Curling Stone is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     Referring to FIGS. 5-9, an example of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The invention provides an apparatus and method for delivering a curling stone  18 . The apparatus may be defined as either a curling broom  30 , or as a delivery accessory  50  for a curling broom  30 . The curling broom  30  generally comprises a broom head  34 , a broom handle  36  attached to the broom head  34 , a broom handle  36  attached to the broom head  34 , and a delivery accessory  50  adapted for being attached to either the broom handle  36  or the broom head  34  in both a first position  38  and a second position  40 . The delivery accessory  50  provides a means for improving the balance of a player  16  delivering a curling stone  18  in the use or first position  38 . The delivery accessory  50  is stored in a nonobtrusive manner in the non-use or second position  40  enabling the curling broom  30  to be used for conventional sweeping in front of a delivered curling stone  18 . The delivery accessory  50  generally comprises a support stand  52  and a mount  54  adapted for attaching the support stand  52  to the curling broom  30 . 
     In one embodiment, the delivery accessory  50  is adapted for being attached to the broom handle  36  in the first position  38  via a mount  54  and in the second position  40 , for storage. An alternative position would be to store the delivery accessory  50  by inserting it into an end opening in the broom handle  36 . The delivery accessory  50  may have an adjustable length, and further may be adapted for being adjustably attached along the length of the broom handle  36 . 
     As shown in FIG. 7, the delivery accessory  50  includes a friction cam  55  adapted for locking into a useable orientation in the first position  38 , releasing, FIG. 8,  56  to slide along the broom handle  36  between the two positions  38  and  40 , and locking into a stored orientation into the second position FIG. 9,  40 . In the locked first and second positions  38  and  40 , the cam  55  presses against the broom handle  36  with a force sufficient to prevent the delivery accessory  50  from sliding or otherwise moving on the broom handle  36 . 
     The delivery accessory  50  for a curling broom  30  generally comprises a support stand  52  and a mount  54  adapted for attaching the support stand  52  to the curling broom  30 . The mount  54  preferably is adjustably attached along a length of a curling broom handle  36  by means of four set screws  57 . The support stand  52  has an adjustable length to accommodate different delivery styles and different player sizes. 
     The method for delivering a curling stone generally comprises the steps of moving the delivery accessory into the delivery position  38 , and delivering the curling stone with one hand and holding onto the curling broom with a second hand as the curling stone is being delivered. The method may further comprise the step moving the delivery accessory from the delivery position  38 , after the curling stone is delivered, and repositioning the delivery accessory in a nonobtrusive position  40  enabling the curling broom the be used for conventional sweeping. 
     It is anticipated the other embodiments may be made within the teachings of this present invention. For example, the delivery accessory may be designed to be retrofitted onto an existing broom handle, or the broom handle may be specifically designed to include a delivery accessory or to be modifiable to form a delivery accessory. For example, it is anticipated that the broom handle could be hinged in such a manner as to form a delivery accessory from a portion of the broom handle. Additionally, the delivery accessory may comprise, as shown, a mount and a support stand or otherwise may include a number of different elements. Preferred materials include light metal or plastic, although other materials may be used. 
     Referring to FIGS. 10-13, an alternative embodiment of the accessory  60  is shown used in conjunction with a shovel  61  (a snow shovel in particular) and a rake  62  (a leaf rake in particular). The accessory  60  may also be used as a support device for metal detectors, and other tools or instruments. The apparatus  60  includes an adjustable, releasable mount  63 , a shaft  64  of a predetermined length connected to the mount  63 , and a handle  65  connected to the shaft  64  at the opposite end of the mount  63 . 
     The descriptions above and the accompanying drawings should be interpreted in the illustrative and not the limited sense. While the invention has been disclosed in connection with an embodiment or embodiments thereof, it should be understood that there may be other embodiments which fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Where a claim, if any, is expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function it is intended that such claim be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof, including both structural equivalents and equivalent structures, material-based equivalents and equivalent materials, and act-based equivalents and equivalent acts.