Curling Delivery Apparatus

This application claims foreign priority benefits from Canadian Patent Application 3,233,000, filed Mar. 22, 2024.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for assisting in the delivery of a curling rock along a sheet of ice in the sport of curling.

In the sport of curling, a curling rock is delivered by sliding the curling rock along a sheet of ice from a starting hack at one of the sheet to a target known as the house at the opposing end of the sheet. The player delivers the curling by pushing off of the starting hack to slide along the ice in a crouched position while pushing the curling rock and imparting a rotation to the curling rock before releasing the curling rock. Delivery of the curling rock is often very difficult for weaker participants, particularly children, because curling rocks are very heavy and pushing off of the hack requires considerable strength and balance.

One known type of delivery aid comprises a delivery stick in the form of an elongated shaft supporting a socket at one end of the shaft that can be releasably coupled to a handle of the curling rock. Delivery of the curling rock involves the participant walking along the sheet of ice in an upright posture holding the shaft in one hand while pushing the curling rock that is received within the socket at the end of the shaft. The participant must carefully time rotating the shaft in one hand immediately prior to releasing curling rock from the socket at the end of the shaft to impart rotation to the curling stone. This one-handed operation against requires some degree of strength and skill which remains difficult for beginners, and particular children.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a curling delivery apparatus for use in delivering a curling rock along a sheet of ice in the sport of curling, the apparatus comprising:

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of delivering a curling rock along a sheet of ice in the sport of curling, the method comprising:

The method preferably further includes pushing the curling delivery apparatus forwardly along the sheet of ice by gripping a handle portion of the curling delivery apparatus at a location spaced upwardly and rearwardly from the curling rock.

By providing a delivery frame arranged for movement along the sheet of ice in a walking motion, the delivery apparatus is supported relative to the ice surface in a stable manner while reducing the strength and balance requirements on the part of the user. Furthermore, by arranging the contact members of the delivery frame to enable relative rotation between the curling rock and the delivery frame, the user can initiate rotation of the curling rock as an independent action from the translation of the curling rock along the sheet of ice to simplify the delivery of the curling rock for users that are new to the sport of curling.

The two or more contact members are preferably spaced apart from one another in the lateral direction by a distance which is less than a diameter of the curling rock and greater than a radius of the curling rock.

The two or more contact members are spaced above a bottom side of the delivery frame in alignment with a striking band of the curling rock.

Preferably the two or more contact members comprise only two contact members supported at laterally opposing sides of the delivery frame.

In the illustrated embodiment, each contact member comprises a roller supported on the delivery frame for rotation about a respective upright roller axis.

The delivery frame preferably comprises a bottom sliding surface at a bottom side of the delivery frame arranged for sliding engagement along the sheet of ice in which the bottom sliding surface has a low coefficient of friction. Preferably the bottom sliding surface is formed of low friction non-marring material and comprises a plurality of sliding members that are releasably mounted on the delivery frame. Preferably the bottom sliding surface is arranged to be wider in the lateral direction than the curling rock.

Preferably the handle member extends in the lateral direction of the delivery frame. Preferably the handle frame is angularly adjustable relative to the delivery frame about a handle axis oriented in the lateral direction. When the delivery frame comprises a bottom sliding surface at a bottom side of the delivery frame arranged for sliding engagement along the sheet of ice, preferably at least a portion of the bottom sliding surface is located forwardly of the handle axis and at least a portion of the bottom sliding surface is located rearwardly of the handle axis. The handle axis may be situated at or below an elevation of the contact members to maximize stability, but could also be located above the contact members in further embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, the handle frame comprises two arms pivotally coupled to the delivery frame at laterally spaced apart positions, in which the handle member extends between the two arms in the lateral direction.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Referring to the accompanying figures there is illustrated a curling delivery apparatus generally indicated by reference numeral. The apparatusis suited for use in the sport of curling in which curling rocksare delivered in a forward direction F longitudinally along a sheet of icewhile the rock rotates about a vertical rock axisso that the rock follows a curved path in the usual manner.

The apparatusgenerally includes (i) a delivery frameadapted for sliding along the sheet of ice while pushing the curling rock in the forward direction, (ii) contact memberssupported on the delivery frame to enable free, uninhibited rotation of the curling rockrelative to the delivery frame, and (iii) a handle frameextending from the delivery frameto a handle memberat the distal end of the handle frame for being gripped in the hands of a user. The handle member is supported at a location spaced upwardly and rearwardly from the curling rockbeing pushed by the delivery framein the forward direction F while being suitable for gripped in two laterally spaced apart hands of the user in a walking motion behind the curling rock.

The delivery framein the illustrated embodiment includes a top plateand a bottom platewhich span respective top and bottom sides of the delivery frame. Each of the plates are horizontal rigid sheet members which are joined together by a pair of side wallsspanning vertically between the top plateabove and the bottom platebelow. The front edgesof the plates are generally concave and recessed rearwardly at a laterally central portion of the delivery frame relative to two side portionsat laterally opposing sides of the delivery frame. The rear edges of the top and bottom plates are tapered rearwardly and inwardly towards one another such that the overall delivery frame is crescent shaped when viewed from above.

The side wallsare situated at laterally opposing sides of the delivery frame to extend between the top plateand the bottom platealong the rear edges that taper rearwardly and inwardly. The side walls thus follow the rearward and inward tapering shape of the rear side of the delivery frame. The height of the side walls is less than half the height of the stone body of the curling rocksuch that the top side of the delivery frame is situated near or below a centre of the stone body in the vertical direction.

A bottom sliding surface of the delivery frame is arranged for sliding engagement along the sheet of ice. The bottom sliding surface in the illustrated embodiment is formed by three sliding memberswhich are releasably fastened beneath the bottom platesof the delivery frame. Each sliding member is a round flat disc of plastic material having a low coefficient of friction in which the flat bottom sides of the three sliding memberslie in a common horizontal plane at a bottom side of the delivery frame in a mounted position. Each sliding memberincludes a central opening aligned coaxially with a counterbore to enable a headed fastener to fasten the sliding member to the delivery frame while the head of the fastener is received in the counterbore so as to be recessed upwardly in a non-protruding manner into the body of the sliding member in the mounted configuration. In further embodiments, any means of mounting the sliding members so that they can be easily replaced would be desirable, for example including the use of hook and loop fasteners, snap-fit, or friction fit connections, and the like.

The sliding membersare mounted on the delivery frame such that two of the sliding members are located at laterally opposing sides of the delivery frame at the forwardmost portion of the delivery frame so that the front edgesof the plates forming the delivery frame are recessed rearwardly between the two sliding membersat the front side of the delivery frame. The overall lateral dimension occupied by the two sliding membersat the front side of the delivery frame is arranged to be greater than a diameter of the curling rock. The lateral dimension of the space between the two front sliding members is less than the diameter of the curling rock but greater than the radius of the curling rock.

The third sliding memberis supported at a laterally centred location at the rear of the delivery frame in a triangular pattern with the two sliding membersat the front side. When the handle frameis pivotal on the delivery frameabout a laterally oriented handle axis, the two forwardmost sliding membersare spaced forwardly of the handle axis while the rear most sliding memberis spaced rearwardly of the handle axis.

The contact membersin the illustrated embodiment comprise individual rollerssupported rotatably relative to the delivery frame for rotation about respective vertical axes. Only two rollersare mounted on the delivery frame in the illustrated embodiment in which the roller axes are coaxial with the central fasteners of the two forwardmost sliding membersthat are mounted below the delivery frame while the rollersare mounted above the delivery frame. In this manner the rollersare laterally spaced apart in a symmetrical arrangement about a forward longitudinal axis of the apparatus. Each rolleris rotatably supported on an internal bearing member secured with a threaded fastener fastened to the top plate of the delivery frame. In further embodiments, the threaded fastener may be a common fastener that is also used for securing a respective one of the forwardmost sliding memberson the delivery frame.

The two rollersare thus mounted on respective side portionsof the delivery frame to be positioned at laterally opposing sides of the curling rockduring use at the front side of the delivery frame. The lateral dimension in the lateral direction between the rollersis arranged to be greater than the radius of the curling rockbut less than the diameter of the curling rock. In this manner, the rollersfunction as a cradle receiving a rearward portion of the curling rock recessed rearwardly between the rollers while the rollersengage the curling rockat circumferentially spaced positions so that the rollersform a rolling contact with the curling rockas the curling rock is rotated relative to the delivery frame. The lateral spacing of the rollersfunctions to contain the rockcentred in the lateral direction relative to the delivery frame as the curling rock is rotated and the delivery apparatus pushes the curling rock forwardly during delivery of the curling rock in the sport of curling.

The rollersare supported above the top plateof the delivery frame while protruding forwardly from the delivery frame such that the delivery frame does not contact the curling rock when the curling rock is engaged for rotation upon the rollers. The rollers have a thickness in the vertical direction which is similar to or less than the vertical height of a striking bandof the stone body of the curling rock. The rollersare mounted on the delivery frame so as to be substantially aligned in height with the striking band at a location spaced above the bottom of the curling rock.

The handle framein the illustrated embodiment is formed by two armswhich are pivotally coupled on the respective side wallsat the laterally opposing sides of the delivery frame. The inner ends of the two armsare pivoted onto the delivery frame to define the common handle axis about which the handle frame is pivoted relative to the delivery frame, in which the handle axis extends horizontally in the lateral direction. During normal use of the apparatus, the armsgenerally extend upwardly and rearwardly to respective distal ends of the armswhich mount the handle memberextending in the lateral direction between the two arms. The handle member is horizontal and extends in the lateral direction parallel to the handle axis. The handle frame freely pivots relative to the delivery frame for adjusting the angular orientation of the handle frame relative to the delivery frame which in turn varies an overall height of the handle memberrelative to the sheet of ice for accommodating different user heights and user preferences.

As described herein, the apparatusis arranged for delivering the curling rock in a forward direction along a sheet of ice in the sport of curling. The forward direction of the apparatusis aligned with the longitudinal direction of sheet of ice. Initially the user places the curling rock in engagement with both rollersimmediately forwardly of the delivery frame. The user then initiates a rotation of the curling rock relative to the sheet of ice and relative to the delivery frame so that a rolling contact between the rollersand the curling rock results. While the curling rock continues to spin or rotate, the user grips the handle memberand begins walking forwardly in an upright walking posture so as to push the curling rock and the delivery frame together for sliding movement longitudinally along the sheet of ice. The user stops walking and halts the forward movement of the delivery frame before the curling rock reaches the hog line on the curling sheet. The curling rock continues to slide along the sheet of ice in the forward working direction while continuing to rotate about the vertical axis of the curling rock so that the curling rock is released from the apparatusto complete the delivery of the curling rock.

In further embodiments, the rollersmay be replaced with various forms of contacting structures which may be fixed but which are formed of material having a small surface area and a low coefficient of friction to minimize frictional contact between the rotating curling rock and the delivery frame. Also in further embodiments, the sliding membersthat engage the sheet of ice while pushing the curling rock along the sheet of ice in the forward direction may be replaced with wheels or rollers arranged for rolling contact with the ice. In yet further embodiments, the handle frame may be replaced with various structures extending from the delivery frame which may be fixed relative to the delivery frame and may comprise a single shaft structure forming a handle member aligned in the forward working direction while still providing a suitable structure for gripping in the hands of the user. The frame may also take various forms including assembled structures or a unitary body of various shapes and sizes, while still providing the function of supporting the contact membersand a handle thereon, accordingly, the contact membersmay be supported at various heights relative to the frame depending upon the shape and size of the frame while still supporting the contact membersfor alignment with the striking band of the curling rock. The bottom side of the frame itself may also integrally define the sliding members thereon when the bottom of the frame is formed to be smooth and non-marring with a low coefficient of friction.

Since various modifications can be made in the invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.