End cap and weight for sports equipment having a hollow shaft

Abstract

An end cap and weight system to increase the weight of a hollow shaft of a sports stick and to provide a hand removable end cap for a sports stick. The end cap has a knob, a bolt, a nut and a compression plug. The end cap is removably mounted to the hollow shaft so that the shaft may be cut to a desired length and/or weight can be added to or removed from the hollow shaft without the need for tooling.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An end cap that is removably mounted on a sports stick having a hollow shaft, the end cap comprising: 
 a knob having an opening and a cavity;    a bolt having a head coupled to and mounted in the cavity of the knob, and a threaded shaft portion extending through the opening in the knob;    a nut, for threading on the threaded shaft of the bolt; and    a compression plug operatively mounted between the knob and the nut and disposed about the threaded shaft portion of the bolt, wherein when the knob of the end cap is rotated, the compression plug is compressed between the knob and the nut and expands to contact one or more inside surface of the hollow shaft of the sports stick at a sufficient pressure to thereby generally firmly hold the compression plug of the end cap to the inside surface of the hollow shaft of the sports stick.    
     
     
         2 . The end cap for the sports stick according to  claim 1 , wherein the head of the bolt has a horizontal surface with teeth extending vertically therefrom and penetrating the knob, thereby securing the head of the bolt to the knob.  
     
     
         3 . The end cap for the sports stick according to  claim 2 , further including at least one washer having an opening for receiving the threaded shaft portion of the bolt, and wherein the at least one washer is operatively mounted between the compression plug and the knob.  
     
     
         4 . The end cap for the sports stick according to  claim 1 , wherein the cavity in the knob includes a notch for receiving a lens.  
     
     
         5 . The end cap for the sports stick according to  claim 1 , wherein the lens has a pocket for housing an insert having either a design, name, trademark, logo, or combination thereon.  
     
     
         6 . The end cap for the sports stick according to  claim 1 , wherein an end of the threaded shaft portion includes one of a weld thereon, flattened threads, distorted threads and damaged threads, thereby precluding the nut from traveling off of the threaded shaft portion.  
     
     
         7 . The end cap for the sports stick according to  claim 1 , wherein the compression plug is made from a resilient material.  
     
     
         8 . The end cap for the sports stick according to  claim 7 , wherein the resilient material is rubber.  
     
     
         9 . The end cap for the sports stick according to  claim 1 , wherein the compression plug is either round or octagonal.  
     
     
         10 . The end cap for the sports stick according to  claim 1 , wherein the lens is flexible.  
     
     
         11 . The end cap for the sports stick according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one washer is made from metal.  
     
     
         12 . The end cap for the sports stick according to  claim 1 , wherein the nut is a propeller nut.  
     
     
         13 . An end cap and weight system for a hollow shaft of a sports stick, the end cap and the weight system comprising: 
 a knob having an opening;    a bolt having a threaded shaft portion, for extending through the opening of the knob, and the bolt having a head;    a nut, for threading on the threaded shaft of the bolt;    a compression plug operatively mounted between the knob and the nut and disposed about the threaded shaft portion of the bolt, wherein when the knob is rotated, the compression plug is compressed between the knob and the nut and expands to contact one or more inside surfaces of the hollow shaft of the sports; and    at least one weighted member, said at least one weighted member for insertion into the hollow shaft of the sports stick, thereby increasing a weight of the sports stick.    
     
     
         14 . The end cap and the weight system according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one weighted member is contained in a tube and wherein the at least one tube containing the at least one weighted member has an outside dimension that is smaller than an inside dimension of the hollow shaft.  
     
     
         15 . The end cap and weight system according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one weight is metal, and the at least one tube is ABS plastic.  
     
     
         16 . The end cap and weight system according to  claim 14 , further including a plurality of set screws through the at least one tube at ends of the at least one weight.  
     
     
         17 . The end cap and weight system according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one weight is bonded to an inside surface of the at least one tube.  
     
     
         18 . The end cap and weight systems according to  claim 17 , wherein the head of the bolt has teeth extending from the head and penetrating the knob, thereby securing the head of the bolt to the knob.  
     
     
         19 . The end cap and weight system according to  claim 13 , further including at least one washer between the compression plug and the knob.  
     
     
         20 . The end cap and weight according to  claim 14 , wherein the tube has crimped members, for crimping and substantially precluding the at least one weight from moving freely in the at least one tube.