1987-01-09
1989-04-04
Millin, V.
Undertaking
273 1F, A63B 6902
Patent
active
048179426
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a national phase application corresponding to PCT/FR86/00160 filed May, 7, 1986 and based, in turn, on French national application No. 85.07459 filed May, 10, 1985 under the International Conventional.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
My present invention relates to a safety fencing sword, and more particularly, to a fencing sword capable of signalling to the fencer of metal fatigue condition resulting from use of the sword which can be associated with a transverse rupture of the blade.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Traditionally fencing swords, namely foils, epees and sabers are made of treated, alloyed or carbon steel.
Under repeated impact, through mutual contact between the two blades, but also due to the intense strains to which the blades may be subjected, the metal the blades are made from becomes hard and brittle and eventually breaks. When a transverse rupture occurs during an attack, the blade portion still in the hand of the fencer, with its end sectioned off and generally bevel-edged, becomes a dreadful weapon, capable of penetrating the protective garment and the body of the component, with the risk of killing him. To remedy this, it has been considered to make the blade of an age-hardening steel, incorporating nickel and titanium, with or without the addition of molybdenum and cobalt. Experience shows these blades to be more durable, but under certain conditions of severe use, the blade may still break transversely just like blades of the common alloyed steels. It seems therefore that the age-hardening steels delay the problem, but do not completely solve it.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to remedy this inconvenience, by creating a safety sword able signal the moment when the blade may be affected by a risk of breakage and has to be discarded.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
For this purpose, the blade according to the invention comprises at least on a portion of its length extending from its free end, a longitudinal area of reduced cross section, concentrating therein the strains to which of the blade subjected and which, when the material the blade is starts to manifest a fatigue which is liable to result in its transverse rupture, is capable of longitudinally dividing into longitudinal fragments, thus indicating the state of fatigue of the metal.
Thus, when the metal constituting the blade reaches a state of fatigue capable of inducing transverse breakage, the strains to which the blade is subjected during a match bring about the break of the strain concentration zone, at least on one portion of the length of the blade. The longitudinal crack created thereby changes the physical characteristics of the blade, which results in a different sound at impact. These modifications in the physical and acoustic characteristics alert the two fighters that they a rupture interrupt their match in order to replace the defective sword, thus preventing any body injury.
The particular construction of the blade of the invention allows for the substitution of a longitudinal split in the blade for the extremely dangerous transverse rupture, without danger to the fencers.
In the case of a foil, the longitudinal breaking zone comprises an axial web which is defined by two deep, longitudinal grooves, opening from the small faces of the blade, conferring to this zone an "H"-shaped section, and the thickness of the web, in cross section, increases proportionally with the increase in the blade cross section, from the extremity of the blade to the end of the breaking zone.
With this design, the sword is lighter and all the strains thereon during a match, are distributed over the web and over its length. In addition, the cracks occurring in the wings of the H-cross section of the blade, as a consequence of metallographic structural transformations in the metal during attacks and impact-related, are confined to the strain concentration zone and cause a transverse rupture of the blade only over half of its thickness.
For an epee h
REFERENCES:
patent: 2338007 (1943-12-01), Morris
Begon S.A. Societe Anonyme
Crow S. R.
Dubno Herbert
Millin V.
LandOfFree
Safety fencing sword does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Safety fencing sword, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Safety fencing sword will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-174719