US2486850A

US2486850A - Skate sharpener

Info

Publication number: US2486850A
Application number: US762421A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ives Edwin Francis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-07-21
Filing date: 1947-07-21
Publication date: 1949-11-01
Anticipated expiration: 1966-11-01

Description

Nov. 1, 1949 Filed July 21, 1947 E. F. IVES 2,486,850

SKATE SHARPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M u b 25 1b 1 b Nov. 1, 1949 E. F. IVES 2,486,350

SKATE SHARPENER.

Filed July 21, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A? for/regs Patented Nov. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SKATE SHARI'ENER Edwin Francis Ives, Wallingford, Conn. Application July 21, 1947, Serial No. 7623421 10 Claims. 1

The present invention relates in general to skate-sharpening devices and more especially to a mobile-unit adapted to sharpen ice skates without removing them from the skaters feet.

An object of the invention is to provide a superior ice-skate sharpening-device which may be readily transported to the edge of an ice-skating rink or frozen pond and used by the skaters to sharpen their own skates while the latter are still on their feet.

A further object of the invention is to provide a superior mobile skate-sharpening device which is durable, inexpensive to manufacture, simple to operate and which is designed to sharpen skates accurately to individual requirements.

With the above and other objects in view as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the mobile skatesharpening unit of this invention shown in conjunction with transporting-means;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the mobile skate-sharpening unit shown in Fig. 1 with the platform of the unit removed.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the unit shown in Fig. 2 on section line 3-3 thereof;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the unit of Fig. 2 on section line l4 thereof showing by means of broken lines a skate-blade mounted in the blade-supporting means of the device;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged broken plan view of the platform of the unit showing details of the skateblade guide-means, part of which is broken away to show the guard-plates and the latch-means therefor;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation in section of the skate blade guide-means including the guard-plates therefor on section line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an end elevation in section on line 1-4 of Fig. 5 showing details of the latch-means of the guard-plates; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the bladegripping fingers, detached.

In carrying out the present invention, a mobile skate-sharpening unit is provided which is indicated generally at Iii in Fig; I and comprises, inbrief, a box-like base-member ll provided with a platform l2 and a pair of insulation-covered handrails or hand-holds 1'3, the unit being grounded as at 480 a steel-edged runner of the transporting-means, hereinafter described.

When the mobile skate-sharpening unit It is in use, it is preferable to mount the latter on a support which, in the present embodiment, comprises transporting-means M. The latter is made in the form of a sled consisting of spaced parallel steel-edged runners l5 and a platform secured tothe top edges of the runners. As shown in the drawings, the platform consists of a plurality of spaced parallel boards l6 extending transversely of the runners, the boards being widely spaced apart adjacent the rear end of the platform to provide two relatively-widely-spaced parallel recesses FT. Securedto the underside of the basemember H, as indicated in Fig. 3, and extending transversely from opposite sides thereof, is a pair of spaced parallel feet i9 which are adapted to engage in the corresponding recesses ll of the platform thereby to firmly but demountably secure the mobileunit on the platform of the transporting-means. Although the sled l4 shown herein is highly satisfactory, it will be understood that the mobile-unit l0 may be mounted on any other suitable type of transporting-means, either as an integral or separate unit thereof. Moreover, it should be pointed out that the transporting-means H of this invention is designed to function as a crate for shipping the mobileunit Hi the lateral spacing of the runners l5 of the sled being suchv that the mobile-unit may be nested therebetween. To this end, the handrails or hand-holds I?- are adapted to be demountably secured to the mobile-unit so as to be readily removed therefrom and packed with the sled and mobile-unit for shipping.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the mobile-unit H! of the skate-sharpening device comprises the box-like base-member l l consisting of a bottom 2-0, to the underside of which the feet 19 are secured; spaced parallel substantially-vertical side panels 2%, each provided with a screened aperture 22- for' the purpose hereinafter described: and substantially-vertical front and rear panels 23, the latter being fastened by hinges 24 tcron'e of the side panels 2| so as to swing outwardly with respect to the bottom 28 and side panels 2! of the base-member H. The latter is preferably wood, whereas the side panels and end panels are preferably sheet metal, al though any other materials or combinations oi materials may be used. To assist in opening the end panels, 23, the latter are provided with handles 25.

The top of the base-member H comprises the aforesaid platform I2 which is preferably wood and substantially equal in width to the width of the box-like base-member I I, the length of the platform I2 being, however, greater than the length of the base-member II so as to provide overhanging end-portions 27 each having apertures 28 adjacent the front and back edges thereof respectively, to accommodate the upper ends of a pair of stanchions 29. The latter constitute supporting-means for the detachable hand-holds I3 and to this end, comprise tubular-members secured at their lower ends to the outer ends of the feet I9 of the base-member, the respective upper ends of the stanchions 29 being arranged to project up through the aforesaid apertures 28 of the platform. Secured on the upper ends of the stanchions above the platform I 2, are suitable coupling-sleeves 30 by which the lower ends of the respective hand-holds I3 are adapted-to be detachably secured thereto.

Assembled within the box-like base-member I I is the skate-blade sharpening-means comprising an abrasive wheel 3! secured to the outer free end of a spindle 32 which is rotatably mounted in a sleeve 33 secured to or formed as an integral part of an oscillatable arm 34. The latter extends from front to back of the box-like base-member II parallel to and substantially intermediate the vertical side panels 2| thereof, the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 33 extending substantially at right angles to the arm. The rear end of the arm 34 is pivotally mounted by a pivot pin 35 in a bearing-block 36 secured to the bottom 20 of the base-member, as indicated clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The forward or outer free end 3'! of the oscillatable arm 34 extends forwardly of the transverse sleeve 33 and is bifurcated to provide a vertical slot 38, the spaced parallel sides of which are adapted to engage closely on opposite sides respectively of a vertical guide-rod 39, the upper and lower ends of which are fixedly secured to the platform I2 and bottom 20 respectively of the base-member.

The outer free end 31 of the oscillatable arm 34 is adapted to be supported by yieldablemeans, and to this end -a collet 40 is fixedly secured on the lower end of the guide-rod 39 and provided with an annular shoulder constituting a seat for the lower end of a coil-spring 4I, the upper end of which is arranged to thrust against the underside of a washer 42 mounted on the guide-rod and held by the force of the spring against the underside of the outer forked end 31 of the oscillatable arm. Bearing against the top of the forked end 37 of the arm and threadedly mounted on the guide-rod between the former and the underside of the platform I2, is an adjustable tension-regulating nut 43. The latter constitutes an adjustable stop for resisting upward movement of the outer free'end 37 of the arm due to the upwardly-directed thrust of the coil-spring II. In the same respect, by turning down the adjusting-nut 43 on the threaded end of the guide-rod, the nut. 43 also constitutes means for positively lowering the outer free end 37 of the oscillatable arm so as to effect a proper adjustment of the abrasive wheel 3i with respect to the platform I2, as hereinafter described.

Mounted on the opposite end of the spindle 32 is an exhaust fan 44 which'is adapted to lie immediately opposite the screened aperture 22 of the adjacent side panel 2I. When this exhaust fan 44 is rotated, it is adapted to remove dust and other light particles from the interiorof the boxlike base-member II. I

The abrasive wheel 3| and exhaust fan 44 are adapted to be driven by means of a pulley 45 which is secured to the spindle between the abrasive wheel and the corresponding end of the sleeve 33 and connected by a V-belt 46 to the drive-pulley 47 Of a power source. In the present embodiment, the latter comprises an electric motor 48, but it will be appreciated that other forms of power-supply means may be utilized. The direction of rotation of the pulley-belt drivemeans of the abrasive Wheel is away from the operator as the latter faces the front of the mobile-unit, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, as a consequence of which the oscillatable arm 34 has a tendency to lift up and hence to be resiliently held by the force of the coil-spring against the underside of the adjusting-nut 43.

It is also within the purview of the invention to include a dressing-tool for truing up the periphery of the abrasive wheel. To this end, an inverted substantially-U-shaped bracket 49 is secured to the bottom 20 of the base-member II in the vertical plane of the periphery of the abrasive wheel. The bracket 49 is provided on its underside with an adjusting-screw 50 which extends longitudinally thereof and has a knurled head 5! at its forward end for turning the screw in the bracket.

Mounted on the screw 50 is a nut 52 having an upwardly-projecting post 53 adapted to engage in a longitudinal slot in the top of the bracket. The post 53 constitutes pivotal supporting-means for the disk-shaped base 54 of a bifurcated bracket 55 which is formed integrally with the disk-shaped base 54 and substantially perpendicular thereto. Pivotally supported in the substantially-vertical slot of the forked bracket 55 by a pin 56 is a pivot-block 51. The latter is provided with a transverse aperture 58 in its upper end substantially at right angles to the pivot pin 55 to receive a connecting-pin 59 for mounting a yoke-member 60 to the pivot-block for pivotal movement in a vertical plane at substantially right angles to the vertical plane of the pivot-block, the yoke-member 60 having a dressing wheel BI mounted on the upper end thereof. The dressing wheel 6| is adapted thus to be moved longitudinally to and from the periphery of the abrasive wheel, and to be swung around to the right or left-hand sides respectively of the abrasive wheel by pivoting the base-member 54 about the post 53. Moreover, the dressing wheel 6| may be swung to and fro about the pivot pin 56 in the vertical plane of the periphery of the abrasive wheel, or in a vertical plane at right angles thereto, as explained above, suitable indices and clamping-nuts being provided, as shown in Fig. 4, for securing the dressing wheel in any of its adjusted positions. During the grinding operation some relatively heavy particles of metal may be formed and to remove these from the basemember, it is proposed to mount a channel-shaped shield 62 therein immediately to the rear of the periphery of the grinding Wheel. The shield is suitably supported substantially vertically between the bottom 20 of the base-member and the platform I2 thereof, the lower end of the shield being opposite a vertical aperture 63 in the bottom 20 of the base-member. Thus, heavy particles may be deflected by the shield through the aperture 63 onto the ground or floor beneath the base-member.

Referring more especially to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the platform I2 of the box-like base-member II is provided with an aperture or slot 64 to receive an upper peripheral portion of the abrasive wheel, the extent to which the periphery of the abrasive wheel projects up into the slot 64. being controlled by the aforesaid adjusting-nut 43. The slot at is coextensive with the longitudinal center-line of a recess 65 of substantially-rectangular cross section formed in the top of the plat.- form [2 and extending from front to rear thereof. The recess 65 is adapted to accommodate the skate-blade guide-means and the guard-plates thereof.

The skate-blade guide-means are indicated generally at 66 and, comprise two flat strips of relatively-stiff steel or other suitable material substantially rectangular in cross section and equal in length to the length of the recess 65. These flat metal strips, hereinafter referred to as rails, are adapted to extend longitudinally of the recess 65 and to be supported on edge therein, the pair of rails being held in spaced parallel relationship by a plurality of rollers 61 pivotally mounted therebetween. One roller (ii is mounted at each end respectively of the pair of rails 66 and two other rollers 81 are mounted substantially equidistantly between the rearmost roller and the rear end of the slot 64, as indicated clearly in Fig. 4.

The pair of rails 66 and the four rollers Bl constitute a unit assembly adapted to be supported in the recess 65 in longitudinal alignment with and directly over the slot 64 thereof. To this end, a pair of upstanding spaced parallel brackets 68 are mounted on the bottom 69 of the recess 65 at opposite ends thereof respectively for supporting the corresponding ends of the rail assembly. The fastening-means for securing the opposite ends of the rail assembly to the brackets E68 may be rivets or a similar type of securingmeans, although it is preferable that one end of the rail assembly be detachably secured to its respective brackets by removable fastening-means so as to enable the rail assembly to be swung up about its opposite end out of the recess 65 of the platform and hence facilitate adjustment and cleaning of the skate-blade sharpening-unit. cooperatively associated with the rail assembly is a pair of skate-blade gripping-means Ill which constitute resilient relatively-stiff sheet-metal fingers, each finger being secured at one end to one of the rails flat against the vertical outside wall thereof and at a point thereon immediately to the rear of the rear end of the slot 64. Moreover, each finger 19 is adapted to extend forwardly longitudinally of the rails and is provided on its upper edge with a right-angle flange 1| adapted to. extend inwardly over the upper edge of the corresponding rail, each flange having a beveled leading edge 12 and a straight edge l3 forwardly thereof. When the fingers are mounted on the respective rails, the beveled leading edges l2 cooperate to form a converging slot to guide the skate-blade into the slot formed by the cooperation of the spaced parallel straight edges E3 of the fingers. The distance between the latter is normally slightly less than the average width of a skate-blade so that when a skateblade is drawn between the spaced parallel straight edges 13, the latter will be spread apart. slightly, the inherent resistance of the relativelystiff fingers acting to grip the skate-blade firmly therebetween. As shown clearly in Figs. 5 and 6, the spaced parallel straight edges I3 of the fingers in are disposed substantially intermediate the opposite ends of the slot 64 in the top of the platform and immediately above the highest portion of the abrasive wheel and hence grip the skate-blade at that portion thereof which is in engagement with the abrasive wheel during the grinding operation.

The skate-blade guide-means including the skate-blade gripping-means are adapted to be shielded by a pair of guard-plates. The latter are indicated at 14 each comprising an elongated flat sheet-steel member, the width of which is slightly less than one-half the width of the recess 65. The outer longitudinal edge of each plate is hinged at its opposite ends respectively, as at l5, to adjacent edges of the recess so that the plate may swing upwardly and outwardly therefrom, while the inner edge of each guardplate is adapted to be supported in substantially the horizontal plane of the top of the platform 12 by means of a longitudinal vertically-depending flange 16 provided on the underside of the guard-plate adjacent to but set back from its inner edge, the lower edge of each flange iii being adapted to engage on the bottom 69 of the recess 65. As shown clearly in Fig. 6, the spaced-parallel longitudinal inner edges of the guardplates, in the normal position thereof, overlie the corresponding upper edges of the rail assembly and cooperate to form a longitudinal slot the width of which is only slightly greater than the width of a skate blade. Thus, the guard-plates prevent inadvertent damage to the skate-blade guide-rails and gripping-fingers.

Since it is desirable to lock the guard-plates M- in operative position, each respective flange 16 thereof is provided with a pair of transverse slots ll formed at longitudinally-spaced points thereon as indicated in Fig. 5, each slot being adapted to receive the outer free end of a latch-member 13. Each latch-member comprises a relativelyshort stiff piece of sheet metal pivoted at its rear end to one end of a draw-plate 19, two of which are provided in the present embodiment, each being mounted on the bottom 69 of the recess 65 on opposite sides respectively of the guide-rails 8G, and more particularly in the respective longitudinal channels formed between the vertical flanges 76 of the corresponding guard-plates M and the opposite substantiallyvertical walls of the recess 65. Each draw-plate comprises an elongated substantially-fiat stiff piece of sheet metal provided adjacent its opposite ends respectively with longitudinally-extending arcuate cam-slots 80 through each of which projects a substantially-vertical guide-pin 8|. The lower end of each guide-pin is fixedly secured in the bottom 69 of the recess 65, while the upper end of each guide-pin is provided with a flanged head 82 (see Fig. 7) adapted to engage in an aperture 83 formed in the latch-member l8 of the corresponding end of the draw-plate. Referring to Fig. 5, the aperture 83 of each respective latch-member i8 is intermediate its pivotpin and its outer free end and hence it will be clear that as each draw-plate is moved longitudinally in its respective channel, the displacement of each cam-slot relative to the fixed guidepins of the latches oscillates the latter so as to advance or retract the free ends thereof into and from the respective slots H of the guardplate flanges l6, depending upon the direction of movement of the draw-plates. The simultaneous longitudinal movement of the latter is effected by means of a resilient bail or handle 84 secured to the rear ends of the draw-plates, the

longitudinal movement thereof being accom- 7. panied by the simultaneous inward and outward movements of the respective draw-plates due to the coaction of their arcuate cam-slots 80 with the fixed guide-pins 8|. Moreover, since the resilient force of each arm of the Ibail 84 is directed outwardly, the draw-plates are normally resiliently held thereby in their outwardly-spreadapart position and resist being drawn inwardly to move the high point of their cam-slots past the fixed guide-pins. Hence, the draw-plates are resiliently held at either extreme of their longitudinal transverse movement and resist inadvertent displacement therefrom.

In operating the mobile skate-sharpening unit, the motor 48 is connected to a suitable power supply, whereupon the abrasive wheel and exhaust fan are rotated. The skater then mounts the lower platform and inserts the blade of his skate, the latter being still on his foot, between the spaced-parallel edges of the guard-plates 14 of the upper platform [2 with the skate-blade resting on the rollers 61 at the far end of the platform. The skater then draws his skate forwardly through the slot presented by the spacedparallel edges of the guard-plates and into the leading edges of the skate-blade gripping-fingers '10. As the skate-blade enters the spaced-parallel straight edges '13 of the gripping-fingers, the blade is gripped and supported firmly thereby, while its lower edge is engaged by the upper periphery of the abrasive Wheel, which makes a longitudinal grinding cut on the bottom edge of the blade, the grinding cut beginning at the rear end of the blade and moving to the front end thereof as the skater draws his skate from the far end of the platform to the front end thereof. During the grinding operation, the heavier particles of metal are conveyed out of the basemember by the channel-shaped shield 62, which directs the heavier particles out through the aperture 63 in the bottom thereof. Any dust or other light particles which are formed by the grinding operation are drawn out of the box by means of the exhaust fan described above.

Since the oscillatable arm 34 is adapted to yield to pressure applied on the periphery of the abrasive wheel, there is no possibility of the latter gouging or forming an unusually deep cut in the skate-blade. It should be pointed out, moreover, that by adjusting the elevation of the abrasive wheel by means of the adjusting-nut 43, a heavy or light out may be formed in the skateblade and that under all circumstances the cut will be uniform, due to the constant force applied by the coil-spring 4! to the outer free end of the oscillating arm 34.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from th spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A mobile skate-sharpening device comprising: a base-member provided with a platform having a longitudinal aperture therein; skateblade guide-means comprising a pair of spacedparallel guide-rails secured to the top of said platform parallel to and along opposite edges respectively of said longitudinal aperture, and members permanently mounted between said guide-rails and spaced longitudinally thereof to support a skate-blade symmetrically of the longitudinal axis of said aperture; hand-holds fixed to said platform; an abrasive wheel mounted on said base-member beneath said platform with a peripheral portion of said abrasive wheel arranged normally to pro ect up into said aperture between said skate-blade guide-means and symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of said aperture; and power-means mounted on said base-member constructed and arranged to drive said abrasive wheel.

2. In a mobile skate-sharpening device, the combination including: a base-member provided with a platform having a longitudinal slot therein; skate-blade guide-means comprising a pair of spaced-parallel guide-rails secured to the top of said platform parallel to and along opposite edges respectively of said longitudinal slot; handrails fixed to said platform; an abrasive wheel; means to mount said abrasive wheel on said basemember comprising an oscillatable arm and a yieldable member cooperatively associated with said oscillatable arm normally to hold a peripheral portion of said abrasive Wheel up in the said longitudinal slot between said skate-blade guidemeans; and power-means mounted on said base member constructed and arranged to drive said abrasive wheel.

3. In a mobile skate-sharpening device, the combination including: a base-member provided with a platform having a longitudinal slot therein; skate-blade guide-means comprising a pair of spaced-parallel guide-rails secured to the top of said platform parallel to and along opposite edges respectively of said longitudinal slot; handrails fixed to said platform; an abrasive wheel; means to mount said abrasive wheel on said base-member comprising an oscillatable arm and a yieldable member cooperatively associated with said oscillatable arm normally to hold a peripheral portion of said abrasive wheel up in the said longitudinal slot between said skateblade guide-means; power-means mounted on said base-member constructed and arranged to drive said abrasive wheel; and adjusting-means cooperatively associated with said oscillatable arm and said yieldable member to limit the movement of said abrasive Wheel up into the said longitudinal slot.

4. A mobile skate-sharpening device comprising: a base-member provided with a platform having a longitudinal slot therein; skate-blade guide-means comprising spaced-parallel rails secured to the top of said platform along opposite edges respectively of said slot, skate-blade supporting-rollers mounted between said rails at longitudinally-spaced points therealong to support a skate-blade symmetrically of the longitudinal axis of said slot, and resilient skateblade gripping-fingers secured to said guide-rails intermediate said rollers; handrails fixed to said platform; an abrasive wheel mounted on said base-member beneath said platform with a peripheral portion of said abrasive wheel arranged normally to project up into said slot between the spaced-parallel rails of said guide-means and symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of said slot; and power-means mounted on said base-member constructed and arranged to drive said abrasive wheel.

5. A mobile skate-sharpening device comprising: a base-member provided with a platform having a longitudinal slot therein; skate-blade guide-means comprising spaced-parallel rails secured to the top of said platform along opposite edges respectively of said slot, skate-blade supporting-rollers mounted between said rails at longitudinally-spaced points silient skate-blade gripping-fingers secured to said guide-rails intermediate said rollers; handrails fixed to said platform; an abrasive wheel mounted on said base-member beneath said platform with a peripheral portion of said abrasive wheel arranged normally to project up into said slot between the spaced-parallel rails of said guide-means; power-means mounted on said base-member constructed and arranged to drive said abrasive wheel; and longitudinal guardplates hinged to the top of said platform in spaced-parallel relationship and on opposite sides respectively of said longitudinal slot, said guardplates being arranged normally to overlie the upper edges of said guide-rails and said resilient skate-blade gripping-fingers.

6. A mobile skate-sharpening device comprising: a base-member provided with a platform having a longitudinal slot therein; skate-blade guide-means comprising spaced-parallel rails secured to the top of said platform along opposite edges respectively of said slot, skate-blade supporting-rollers mounted between said rails at longitudinally-s aced points therealong, and resilient skate-blade gripping-fingers secured to said guide-rails intermediate said rollers; handrails fixed to said platform: an abrasive wheel mounted on said base-member beneath said platform with a peripheral portion of said abrasive wheel arranged normally to project up into said slot between the spaced-parallel rails of said guidemeans; power-means mounted on said basemember constructed and arranged to drive said abrasive wheel; longitudinal guard-plates hinged to the top of said platform in spaced-parallel relationship and on opposite sides respectively of said longitudinal slot, said guard-plates being arranged normally to overlie the upper edges of said guide-rails and said resilient skate-blade gripping-fingers; and latch-means constructed and arranged to lock and unlock said guardplates to and from the top of said platform.

7. In a mobile skate-sharpening device, the combination including: a base-member provided with a p atform having a longitudinal slot therein; skate-blade guide-means comprising spaced parallel rails secured to the top of said platform along opposite edges respectively of said slot, skate-b ade supporting-rollers mounted between sa d rails at longitudinally-spaced points therei along to support a skate-blade symmetrical y of the longitudinal axis of said slot and resilient skate-blade gripping-fingers secured to said guide-rails intermediate said rollers; handrails fixed. to said platform; an abrasive wheel; means to mount said abrasive wheel on said base-memb-er comprising an oscillatable arm and a yieldable member cooperatively associated with said arm normally to hold a peripheral portion of said abrasive wheel up in said longitudinal slot between the spaced parallel rails of said guidemeans and symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of said slot; and power-means mounted on said base-member constructed and arranged to drive said abrasive wheel.

8. In a mobile skate-sharpening device, the combination including: a base-member provided with a platform having a longitudinal slot therein; skate-blade guide-means comprising spaced parallel rails secured to the top of said platform therealong, and realong opposite edges respectively of said slot, skate-blade supporting-rollers mounted between said rails at longitudinally-spaced points therealong to support a skate-blade symmetrically of the longitudinal axis of said slot and resilient skate-blade gripping-fingers secured to said guide-rails intermediate said rollers; handrails fixed to said platform; an abrasive wheel; means to mount said abrasive wheel on said base-member comprising an oscillatable arm and a resilient member cooperatively associated with said arm normally to hold a peripheral portion of said abrasive wheel up in said longitudinal slot between the spaced parallel rails of said guide-means and symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of said slot; power-means mounted on said basemember constructed and arranged to drive said abrasive wheel; and adjusting-means cooperatively associated with said oscillatable arm and said resilient member to limit the upward movement of said abrasive wheel between the spaced parallel rails of said guide-means.

9. A mobile skate-sharpening device comprising; a base-member provided with a platform having a longitudinal slot therein; skate-blade guide-means comprising spaced parallel rails secured to the top of said platform along opposite edges respectively of said slot, skate-blade supporting-rollers mounted between said rails at longitudinally-spaced points therealong and resilient skate-blade gripping-fingers secured to said guide-rails intermediate said rollers; an abrasive Wheel; means to mount said abrasive Wheel on said base-member comprising an oscillatable arm having a transverse rotatable spindle at the outer free end thereof, said abrasive wheel being mounted on one end of said spindle and a coil-spring arranged to support the free end of said oscillatable arm normally to resiliently hold a peripheral portion of said abrasive wheel up in the said longitudinal slot between the spaced parallel rails of said guide-means; an exhaust fan mounted on the opposite end of said transverse spindle; powermeans mounted on said base-member constructed and arranged to drive said spindle, thereby to simultaneously rotate said abrasive wheel and said exhaust fan; adjusting-means cooperatively associated with said oscillatable arm and said coil-spring to limit the upward movement of said abrasive wheel between said spaced parallel guide-rails; and longitudinal guard-plates hinged to the top of said platform in spaced parallel relationship on opposite sides respectively of said longitudinal slot and arranged normally to overlie the upper edges of said guide-rails and said resilient skate-blade gripping-fingers.

10. A mobile skate-sharpening device comprising: a base member provided with a platform having a longitudinal slot therein; skate-blade guide-means comprising spaced parallel rails secured to the top of said platform along opposite edges respectively of said slots, skate-blade supporting-rollers mounted between said rails at longitudinally-spaced points therealong and resilient skate-blade gripping-fingers secured to said guide-rails intermediate said rollers; an abrasive wheel; means to mount said abrasive wheel on said base-member comprising an oscillatable arm having a transverse rotatable spindle at the outer free end thereof, said abrasive wheel being mounted on one end of said spindle, and a coil-spring arranged to support the free end of said oscillatable arm normally to resiliently hold a peripheral portion of said abrasive wheel up in. the said longitudinal slot between the spaced parallel rails of said guide-means; an exhaust fan mounted on the opposite end of said transverse spindle; power-means mounted on said basemember constructed and arranged to drive said spindle, thereby to simultaneously rotate said abrasive wheel and said exhaust fan; adjustingmeans cooperatively associated with said oscillatable arm and said coil-spring to limit the upward movement of said abrasive wheel between said spaced parallel guiderails; longitudinal guard-plates hinged to the top of said platform in spaced parallel relationship on opposite sides respectively of said longitudinal slot and arranged normally to overlie the upper edges of said guide-rails and said resilient skate-blade gripping-fingers; and latch-means constructed and arran 2 ged to lock and unlock said guard-plate to and from the top of said platform.

EDWIN FRANCIS IVES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number