Thumb Stop Cam Height Adjusting System and Method

Abstract

An adjusting system is provided. The adjusting system includes: a slug defining an eccentric hole; and a locking structure defined by an outer circumference of the slug, the locking structure dimensioned and configured to lock the slug in a rotational orientation when the slug is placed in a hole having a corresponding locking feature, the locking structure configured to permit the slug to be placed in the corresponding hole in at least two different angular orientations and lock with the locking feature in the corresponding hole at each of the at least two different angular orientations. A method for adjusting stop shoes is also provided. The method includes: rotating a slug to a desired angular orientation; inserting the slug into a hole; locking the slug to a particular angular orientation with locking structure attached to both of the slug and the hole; and securing a stop shoe to the slug.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An adjusting system comprising:
 a slug defining an eccentric hole; and   a locking structure defined by an outer circumference of the slug, the locking structure dimensioned and configured to lock the slug in a rotational orientation when the slug is placed in a hole having a corresponding locking feature, the locking structure configured to permit the slug to be placed in the corresponding hole in at least two different angular orientations and lock with the locking feature in the corresponding hole at each of the at least two different angular orientations.   
     
     
         2 . The adjustment system of  claim 1 , further comprising a fastener dimensioned to fit in the eccentric hole in the slug. 
     
     
         3 . The adjustment system of  claim 2 , further comprising a stop shoe defining a hole for the fastener to extend through the hole in the stop shoe and the eccentric hole in the slug thereby attaching the stop shoe to the slug. 
     
     
         4 . The adjustment system of  claim 3 , wherein when the fastener is in the eccentric hole and the slug is in one of the at least two different angular orientations, the stop shoe is at a first height with respect to a center of the slug, and when the slug is in the other of the at least 2 different angular orientations, the stop shoe is at a second height with respect to the center of the slug. 
     
     
         5 . The adjustment system of  claim 1 , further comprising a rib located on a thumb and the corresponding hole is located in the rib. 
     
     
         6 . The adjustment system of  claim 1 , wherein the locking structure includes flat portions on the outer circumference of the slug. 
     
     
         7 . That adjustment system of  claim 6 , wherein the flat portions are configured to form the shape of least one of: a square, pentagon, hexagon, and an octagon. 
     
     
         8 . The adjustment system of  claim 7 , wherein the corresponding hole defines more corners than the number of corners defined by the flat portions intersecting at the outer circumference of the slug. 
     
     
         9 . The adjustment system of  claim 8 , wherein the corresponding hole defines at least twice as many corners than the number of corners defined by the flat portions intersecting at the outer circumference of the slug. 
     
     
         10 . The adjustment system of  claim 1 , wherein the locking structure includes voids in at least one of the outer circumference of the slug and a wall that defines the corresponding hole, the voids each form a geometric shape when viewed in cross-section and a discontinuity in the other of the wall forming the hole and the outer circumference of the slug, the discontinuity having the corresponding locking feature, the discontinuity forming a void forming a geometric shape when viewed in cross-section and a locking rod that fits one of the voids in the slug and hole having a corresponding locking feature to thereby rotationally lock the slug. 
     
     
         11 . The adjustment system of  claim 10 , wherein the geometric shape of the voids is a half circle, and the geometric shape of corresponding locking feature void is also a half circle and the cross-sectional shape of the rod is a circle. 
     
     
         12 . The adjustment system of  claim 10 , wherein the geometric shape of the voids is one of: a rectangle, a square, a parallelogram, and a triangle, and the geometric shape of the void in the hole having the corresponding locking feature is one of: a rectangle, a square, a parallelogram, and a triangle and the cross-sectional shape of the rod is one of a rectangle, a square, a parallelogram, and a triangle. 
     
     
         13 . The adjustment system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a second slug defining a second eccentric hole; and   a second locking structure defined by the outer circumference of the second slug, the second locking structure dimensioned and configured to lock the second slug in a rotational orientation when the second slug is placed in a second hole having a corresponding locking feature, the second locking structure configured to permit the second slug to be placed in the second corresponding hole in at least two different angular orientations and lock with the second locking feature in the corresponding second hole at each of the at least two different angular orientations;   first fastener and second fastener dimensioned to fit in the eccentric hole in the slug and second slug and respectively;   first and second stop shoes defining a first and second holes for the first and second fasteners respectively to extend through the first and second holes in the first and second stop shoes and the eccentric hole in the slug and second slug thereby attaching the first stop shoe to the slug and the second stop shoe to the second slug and an angular orientation of the slug and second slug is selected to cause the first and second stop shoes to evenly contact a contact surface on a stick.   
     
     
         14 . A method for adjusting stop shoes comprising:
 rotating a slug to a desired angular orientation;   inserting the slug into a hole;   locking the slug to a particular angular orientation with locking structure attached to both of the slug and the hole; and   securing a stop shoe to the slug.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising adjusting a pair of stop shoes to have substantially coplanar tread surfaces by rotating a slug associated with each stop shoe. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising inserting a fastener into the stop shoe and an eccentric hole in the slug. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising pivoting the stop shoe about the fastener. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  comprising selecting a desired height of an eccentric hole in the slug and achieving desired height by rotating the slug. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising inserting a locking rod into a void in the slug. 
     
     
         20 . An adjusting system comprising:
 a means for defining an eccentric hole;   a means for preventing the rotation of the means for defining an eccentric hole when the means for defining an eccentric hole is inserted into the means for preventing the rotation of the means for defining an eccentric hole;   means for abutting pivotally attached to the means for defining an eccentric hole; and   a fastener pivotally connecting the means for abutting to the means for defining an eccentric hole, the fastener extending through both the means for abutting and the eccentric hole.