US1569520A - Snow skate - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 12 1926. 1,569,520 J. c. MILLER ET AL v snow SKATEl Filed May' 1e. 1924 /2 f/fh; /0 /5- ZO/f 22 20 /5 L? /7 24 ZX /0 /7 25* Z9 ,L Wala.

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` To all whom it may concern.'

Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

Y UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

JOHN C. MILLER ANDFOBFRT H. FAYFIELD;` OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS ro f FAYFIELD KNOLL COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

sNow SKATE.

Application mea May 16, 1924. seriall No. 713,715.

Be it known that we, Jol-1N C. MILLER and ROBERT H. FAYFIELD, citizens of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Snow Skates, of which the following is a specification. y

This invention relates to snow skates or devices by means of which the users may skate or propel themselves on snow or sleet covered surfaces. These devices are particularly adapted for use by young children and may be used on drives or roadways where snow is packed down or on sidewalks or pavements where the snow has been partially cleaned away.

The objects of the invention are to provide a snow skate consisting of few parts which may be easily manufactured at small expense; also to provide snow skates which will not skid or slip sideways under propelling movements of the feet of the user; also to provide snow skates constructed to be firmly secured to the shoes of the user and not to become dislodged therefrom during use; and also to provide improvements in snow skates in the other respects hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a snow skate embodying the invention, attached to a shoe.

Fig. 2 is'a side elevation thereof removed from the shoe.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4L is a section on line %4, Fig. 5, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation thereof with the tie or fastening device removed.

According to the invention, the snow skate embodies a body portion comprising the runner supporting portion 10 and the foot rest portion ll. These portions may be constructed of any suitable material. In order to manufacture the skate cheaply, both the runner supporting portion and the foot rest portion may be made of wood and joined together in any suitable or desired manner, or if desired, made in one piece. The foot rest portion 11 may, if desired, be provided with a resilient mat or tread portion 12, such as a rubber mat or the like and adapted to prevent the shoe from slipping on the foot rest portion.

The body portion is preferably provided with a part adapted to engage the toe 13 of the shoe 14, whereby the distance that the shoe may move forwardly on the snow skate is limited, and the runner supporting portion 10 is preferably formed with a prow. This prow l5 is preferably rounded so as to offer no impediment to movement of the skate on or through snow or the like, and preferably extends a distance above the foot rest portion of the skate. As illustrated, it is preferred that the rear side of the prow extend adjacent the foot rest portion, as indicatedat 16thereby providing a shoulder or stop for engaging the toe 13 of the s oe.

The runner supporting portion l0 carries the runner adapted to contact with the snow or icy surfaces on which the skate is used. As indicated at 17, this runner may be in the form of a separate metal runner or strip secured to the runner supporting portion l0. In order to secure the most effective surface on which to operate the snow skate and to prevent side slipping of the skates when in use, the ground engaging part of the runner 17 is preferably arcuately-concavedv in cross section', as shown in Fig. 5 and is preferably of suiiicient width to effect a firm contact with relatively soft snowy surfaces. This insures, as the skate is propelled forward on a snow-covered surface, that sufficient amount of snow will be packed, on the ground beneath the runner to permit easy sliding movements of the skate upon the surface, and at the same time the side edges 18 and 19 of the runner prevent side slipping of the skate on the surface. This insures, in the act of skating, as the advance foot of the operator enters upon the sliding movement, that the skate upon which the pressure is applied in order to initiate such movement will not give or slide back upon the surface. Further, in use upon sleet-covered or icy surfaces, where there is very little depth to the congealed surface, the side edge portions 18 and 19 of the runner prevent side slipping or skidding. In the form illustrated, in which the separate metal runner is used, the runner supporting portion 10 is preferably shaped on its lower side to conform to the curvature of the runner, thereby affording a rm support for all portions of the concave runner. The runner may be secured to the runner supporting portion by suitable means, in the embodiment shown the' runner being bent back over the heel portion of the runner supporting part, as at 20, and being secured thereto by suitable means, such, for example, as the nail 2l. The runner preferably extends a distance upon the front side of the prow, as indicated at 22, and may be secured thereto by any suitable means, such, for example, as the nail 23.

The snow skate may be secured to the shoe of the wearer by any suitable `tie means, but thetiemeans shown in the drawingsvis preferred.` As the tie means shown forms the subject matter of another application for Letters Patent, said means will only be briefly described herein.

As shown, the body of the skate is provided, adjacent the front thereof, with a hole 24, and at the rear end thereof with a pluralityof holes 25. A tie 26 of suitable material, preferably in a single piece, passes through the hole 24 and any one of the holes 25, depending upon the size of shoe worn with the skate, and extends upwardly in front and rear in the form of running or adjustable loops 30 and 27 respectively, connected at opposite sides of the body by portions 28. The loop 30 is formed by making a knot 29 in the .ends 31 of the strip, which ends are adapted, when the tie of the shoe is inserted in the loop 30, to extend rearwardly, one on each side of the shoe, thence throughrthe heel loop 27 and forwardly to i the instep, where the two ends are knotted and tied as at 38.

2. In a snow skate, a bodycportion com" prising a runner holding portion and a zfoot support, a prow extending upwardly at the front end of said body ,portion to a point above said foot support, said prow having a part adjacent said foot support providing a stop to engage the toe of the shoe of the user Ato limit the extent to which `the shoe may be moved forwardly on said footsupport, and a concave runner secured to said runner holding portion.

3. In a snow skate, abody comprising a runner holdin-g portion and a footsupporting portion, means for engaging the toe of a,

shoe on said foot support tolimitthe extent to which the shoe may be moved forwardly on said foot support, a concave runner se cured to said runner holding portion, `and means to releasably secure the body portion to the shoe of a user.

JOHN o. MILLER. ROBERT FAYFIELD.

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