US1552990A - Ski - Google Patents

Description

E. M. HUNT Sept. 8, 1925.

SKI

Filed May 19. 1924 Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES EVERETT M. HUNT, or ivnwroar, VERMONT.

SKI.

Application filed May 19, 1924. Serial No. 714,384.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Evnanrr'r M. H NT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, in the county of Orleans and State of Vermont, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Skis, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide for the manufacture'of skis from metal,

preferably sheet steel.

The invention consists in skis made of sheet metal, preferably steel, in channeled parts the upper part suitably shaped to form a crowned foot-rest or step and tapering thence toward the toe and heel, the channeled parts when united forming a hollow or tubular structure, of great strength, free from liability to fracture or splinter as compared with wood and of relatively increased urabi-lity, of light weight, and of greatly increased speediness in use; one or both of the channeled parts being braced longitudinally, and the channeled parts also being rigidly and permanently united, as by soldering their overlapping sides, as I will proceed now to explain and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating th invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a perspective view looking at the top. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the ski inverted. Fig. 3 is a cross section in perspective showing the middle part of the ski, on .a larger scale. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are cross sections showing various ways of bracing the parts by means of longitudinal grooves therein, Fig. 7 being a similar view in which braces extending from the upper member contact with the grooved lower member, and Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the use of the groove or grooves in the lower member only.

So far as the profile of the ski is con cerned, it may follow the conventional lines as embodied in the ordinary wooden skis, and as here shown the metal ski of this invention comprises two longitudinally arranged channeled parts 1 and 2, which form respectively the top and bottom members of the ski. The top part 1 is arched longitudinally so as to present the crown of the arch substantially midway between the ends of the ski and alford a rest or step for the foot. Th arched part declines toward the front and rear. The bottom part 2 may be substantially flat throughout'its length excepting, of course, for the toe portion 3 of the united parts and any midway arching that may be needed for jumping purposes. These parts 1 and 2 have side flanges 4 and 5 respectively, which in the assembling of the parts overlap or int'erengage, as shown in detail in Fig. and these overlapped portions are rigidly united throughout their contacting surfaces, as by application of solder between them, as indicated at 6. The joints between the flanges should be weather-tight and water-proof and sufliciently rigid to prevent relative movement of the parts.

The part 1 may be reinforced or braced by forming it with one or more longitudinally extending grooves 7, which, as shown in Fig. 1, may run from near th toe or front to near the heel or back of the ski, but the invention is not limited to the length of these grooves, and the part 2 may be similarly reinforced or braced by one or more grooves 8 extending from near the front to the back. In some cases the walls of these two grooves may meet, as indicated in Fig. 3, so as to be mutually supporting. The grooving of the parts obviously reinforces or stifi'ens the, parts both transversely and longitudinally, and this grooving, together with the overlapping flanges, admits of the use ofrelatively thin metal in the construc tion of the ski and a consequent lightening of the weight of the skis Without in the least impairing their strength and durability and capability of standing the roughest kind of usage.

The longitudinal sides of the skis may be and preferably are slightly curved in cross section, as shown in Fig. 3 to increase the strength but without impairing the resilience of the skis.

I do not intend to exhaust the variations of the grooving or bracing feature of the invention, but have added Figs. 4 to 8 as illustrative of some of these variations. In Fig. 4 are shown two grooves in the top member and three in the bottom member in alternation, the grooves 7 contacting with the bottom member. In Fig. 5 there is one groove 7 extending from the top member to the bottom member between two grooves in the bottom member. In Fig. 6 there are two grooves 7 extending from the top member into'contact with the bottom member and one groove 8 in the bottom member between grooves 7. In Fig. 7 the grooves in the top member are replaced by attached angle or 2 bars 10. In Fig. 8 the bottom member alone is grooved, one groove being shown but any other number of grooves may be used as in Figs. 4 and 5.

Inall cases the grooves 7 and bars 10 serve as braces and are herein so claimed.

Skis made of metal will slide over snow very much more easily than Wood; will not break as easily as wood; will prevent the snow from sticking to the surface; do not require waxing as do wooden skis in order to improve their sliding quality; are more durable than wooden skis, and will not chip or crack as do Wooden skis; are'not liable to splinter in jumping; will not get out of shape when not in use, and are more speedyf While I prefer to use steel in the manufacture of the skis, it is understood, of course, that any metal of a springy nature might be used that is capable of being fabricated in thin pieces'in order to have lightness and yet retain springiness, strength and keep its shape.

It is of prime importance that the metal structure should be hollow and wholly enclosed in order toensure lightness and strength.

My construction in which the top and bottom parts are united throughout their entire lengths with the top arched for some distance over the bottom, affords, practically, a hollow or tubular body, which ensures the lightness and strength so desirable.

I have indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 loops 9 attached to the parts for receiving a strap or other medium for fastening the ski to the foot, but obviously any usual or approved fastening may be employed.

Variations .in details of construction are esteemed as within the principle and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What I claim is 1. A sheet metal ski, of hollow construction and having component matched elements united one with the other.

2. A metal ski, having a channeled part and a channel closing part, rigidly united.

3. A metal ski, composed of channeled parts rigidly united throughout their lengths.

4. A metal ski, composed of channeled parts rigidly united, one of the parts being arched and forming the top of the ski and the other part being substantially flat and forming the bottom of the ski.

5. A metal ski, composed of interengaging channeled parts and an interposed brace.

6. A metal ski, composed of interengaging channeled parts provided with longitudinal grooves.

7. A metal ski, composed of interengaging channeled parts one of said parts grooved longitudinally and the wall of the groove extending toward the opposite part.

8. A metal ski, composed of interengaging channeled parts grooved longitudinally, the walls of the grooves being in contact lengthwise.

9. A hollow ski, composed of two complemental channeled parts of light weight springy metal, having interengaging longitudinal side flanges.

10. A metal ski, composed of two complemental channeled parts of light weight spring metal, having interengaging longitudinal side flanges of curved cross section.

11. A metal ski, having connected top and bottom members, the top member constructed to impart the requisite strength to the ski.

12. A metal ski, having connected top and bottom members, the bottom member being longitudinally grooved.

13. A metal ski, having connected top and bottom members, both of which members are longitudinally grooved.

14. A metal ski, composed of upper and lower members rigidly united, the upper member being arched longitudinally and the lower member being grooved longitu dinally, and longitudinal braces interposed between the upper and lower members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of May A. D.

EVERETT M. HUNT.

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