US3179436A

US3179436A - Ski pole seat

Info

Publication number: US3179436A
Application number: US219556A
Authority: US
Inventors: Daniel S J Choy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-08-27
Filing date: 1962-08-27
Publication date: 1965-04-20
Anticipated expiration: 1982-04-20

Description

April 20, 1965 D. s. J. CHOY 3,179,436

SKI POLE SEAT Filed Aug. 27 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY D. S. J. CHOY SKI POLE SEAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 27. 1962 6 7 0% 09 3 DJ 2 a m 4 4 9 4 1 f m 4 l 1 W a M g INVENTOR. JAN/5L 5: (favor M A/laez/ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,179,436 SKI POLE SEAT Daniel S. J. Choy, 170 E. 77th St, New York, N.Y. Filed Aug. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 219,556 7 Claims. (Cl. 280-1137) The present invention relates generally to improvements in seat devices and it relates more particularly to an improved ski pole seat.

The sport of skiing as it is presently practicedis generally characterized by periods of skiing separated by frequent periods of inactivity in and about the skiing area whether at the ski slopes or in their vicinity. These periods of inactivity are usually best devoted to rest but by reason of the attached ski equipment, that is the skis clamped to the ski boots, the assumption by the skier of any comfortable rest position, even Where the conventional seating facilities are available, is at its best adifficult if not impossible problem. While removal of the skis, in some cases, would reduce the problem, such procedure presents other drawbacks. Many types of seating arrangements have been proposed in which the ski pole serves as a seat support but these have done little toward,

the alleviation of the difiiculty. The ski seats heretofore suggested are generally awkward arrangements which are difiicult to adjust and switch between a seat retracted and advanced position, frequently interfere with the use of the ski pole as such and otherwise leave much to be desired.

It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved rest device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved skiers seat.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved skiers seat employing a ski pole as the support leg therefor. t

A further object of the presentinvention is to provide a ski pole seat, the height of which is easily adjustable and which may be readily switched between an advanced sitting position and a retracted position which does not interfere with the full use of the ski pole as such.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved ski pole seat of the above nature characterized by its simplicity, ruggedness, versatility, reliability and low cost.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein: p

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a ski pole seat embodying the presentinvention, the seat element being illustrated by full line in its advanced sitting position and in broken line in its retracted position;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the adjustable seat assembly;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional w'ew taken along line 3--3 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 i a front perspective view of another seat assembly illustrated in closed position and mounted on a ski pole and constituting another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 55 in FIGURES 4 and 6, a seat flap being illustrated in its extended position; 7

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view thereof, the seat flaps being in retracted position, one of the flaps being illustrated by broken line in an extended position;

FIGURE 7 is a front perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of the seat assembly thereof, the seat flaps being shown by broken line in extended positions;

3,179,436 Patented Apr. 20, 1965 "ice FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary front elevational view 0 the seat assembly in extended position; and

FIGURE 10 is a front perspective view of the seat mounting sleeve.

- In a sense the present invention contemplates the provision of a ski pole seat comprising a ski pole including an elongated shaft carrying a snow pad adjacent its lower end, a coupling member mounted on said shaft and longitudinally adjustable thereon relative to said snow pad, and a seat member pivoted to said coupling member and swingable between a retracted position substantially parallel to said shaft and an extended position substantially perpendicular to said shaft.

According to a preferred form of the present ski pole seat, the coupling member is a sleeve slidable along the ski pole and carrying a radially extending screw for releasably locking the sleeve in any selected position along the shaft. The seat is in the form of a ring which is hinged to the sleeve or in the alternative comprises a plurality of circumferentially arranged arms hinged to the sleeve and swingable between upwardly directed positions parallel to the ski pole and radially directed positions. According to another form of the present ski pole seat, the

. ski pole may be formed of upper and lower telescoping shaft sections provided with means for releasably locking these sections in any preselected longitudinal relationship. The seat member is hinged to the top of the shaft upper section and advantageously comprises a plurality of arms swingable between seat defining radially projecting positions and retracted upwardly directed mating handle definingpositions.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to .3 thereof which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the improved ski pole seat which comprises a ski pole 11 and a collapsible seat assembly 12 adjustably mounted along the length of the ski pole 11. Theski pole 11 is of conventional construction and includes an elongated shaft 13 formed of a metal or other suitable material and is capped by handle defining sheath 14 formed of leather or the like in the usual man-' ner. The bottom of the shaft 13 is tapered substantially 'to'a point and carries a short distance above the top thereof, a snow pad 16 of well'known construction including a ring 17 connected to an axial collar 18 by thongs or bands 19, the collar 18 being suitably attached to the shaft 13.

The seat assembly 12 includes a collar or sleeve member 20 slidably registering with the ski pole shaft 13 and having an enlarged head 21 defining a hinge bracket. The head 21 includes an outwardly directed section 22 provided with laterally spaced end recesses. 23 formed therein separated by a hinge knuckle defining apertured partition 24. Each of the recesses 23 includes stop defining horizontal and

vertical faces

26 and 27 respectively which are joined by an arcuate corner 28. A radially extending tapped bore extends through the Wall of the sleeve 20 and is engaged by a set screw 29 provided with .finger wing pieces 30.

The seat member 32 is ring shaped and of any desirable configuration and may be formed of metal or other suitable material. A pairof laterally spaced hinge knuckle defining apertured ears 33 projects from and is integrally formed with the seat member 32. The ears 33 embrace the partition 24 and are locked in assembly therewith by a hinge pin 34 engaging the aligned openings in the

knuckles

24 and 33. The outer end surfaces of the ears 33 are curved to mate with the arcuate corner 28 and the upper and lower faces thereof match the recess faces 27 and 26, respectively. Thus the seat member is swingable between a retracted upright position parallel to the assembly 12 along the shaft 13 to the desired position and then tightening the screw 29. When used as a seat, the

ski pole is thrust rearwardly downwardly inclined between the users legs and into the snow to the level of the snow pad 16. n The user while straddling the upper section of the shaft 13 swings the seat member 32 to its extended position and axially rotates theshaft to bring the seat member 32 under the users seat so that he may sit and rest on the seat member 32, assuming a comfortable position with his legs forward. Of course other procedures may be employed in setting up the ski pole seat in the rest position. The ski pole 11 may be used as such merely by swinging the seat member 32 to its retracted position.

In FIGURES 4 to 6 of the drawings there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention differing from that first described in the structure of the seat assembly 36 which may be employed with the conventional ski pole 11. Specifically, the seat assembly 36 includes an elongated sleeve member 37 slidably engaging the ski pole shaft and releasably locked thereto at a selected position by means of a set screw 38' engaging a tapped bore in the sleeve 37. A rectangular horizontal shelf 39 is integrally formed on the sleeve 37 andis transversely olfset relative thereto. The upper section 38 of the sleeve 37 has fiat outer faces 40 arrangedin quadrature and parallel to the corresponding edgesof the shelf 3h. Positioned on the top face of the shelf 39 are upstanding hinge knuckle defining apertured posts 41 whichare medially located relative to the axes of the respective sleeve flat faces 40. It should be noted that the top face of the shelf 39 is flat and joins the sleeve faces 4% by arcuate corners 42.

The seat, per se, is defined by a plurality of arms 43 each of which is provided with a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally projecting medially located knuckles embracing between them corresponding knuckles 4i and hinged thereto by pivot pins 44 registering with aligned openings therein. Depending from the trailing end of each of the arms 43 adjacent the knuckle 45 is an abutment or stop member 46 having an inwardly diverted face which engages the peripheral face of the shelf 39 when the arm is perpendicular to the sleeve 37 to thereby limit the movement of the arms 43 between retracted upwardly directed positions in parallel abutment with the sleeve faces 40 and extended positions perpendicular to the axis of the sleeve 27. The top faces 4-7 of the arms 43 are-preferably flat to mate with the sleeve faces 4%) and the bottom faces thereof arecylindrical.

The operation and use of the ski pole seat last described is similar to that first described.

releasable locking of the

shaft sections

50 and 51 in any selected longitudinal relationship so as to afford the adjustment of the length of the ski pole. The ski pole is pointed and provided with a snow pad as is conventional.

A seat assembly 53 is mounted on the top of the shaft section 51 and is extendable to form a seat and collapsible to form a handle. The seat assembly 53 comprises a cap member 54 engaging the top of the shaft section 51 and suitably affixed thereto, the top face of the cap 54 having a pair of parallel adjacent concave cylindrical grooves 56 formed therein. Extending across the. grooves 56 intermediate the ends thereof and formed integrally with the cap 54 is an upstanding wall 57 having parallel bores 53 formed therein coaxial with the surfaces of the grooves 56. A pair of fiat topped semi-cylindrical arms 59 are provided each having a pair of laterally spacedinwardly directed circularly shaped apertured ears 61 embracing a corresponding section of the wall 57 and hinged thereto by a pivot pin as engaging a respective bore 58 and corresponding aligned openings formed in the ears 61. The arms 59 are restricted from swinging to positions below those perpendicular to the axis of the cap 54 by the engagement of the recesses 63 formed between the ears 61 and the confronting end face of the arm 59 with the upper outer edge 64 of a corresponding groove as illustrated in FiGURE 9. When the arms 59 are in their upright retracted or collapsed position they form a handle 65 as seen in FIGURE 7 of the drawing.

in using the ski pole device last described as a seat, the ski pole is'adjusted to the desired height in the manner earlier set forth. The pole is then thrust into the snow to the level of the snow pad and the arms extended to 'member and substantially freely swingable between a retracted position substantially parallel to said shaft and an extended position substantially perpendicular to said shaft, said seat member including a ring provided with an outwardly directed first hinge knuckle and said sleeve being provided with a second hinge knuckle registering with the first hinge knuckle and a hinge pin engaging said first and second hinge knuckles;

2. The ski pole seat of claim 1 including a first substantially vertical stop member mounted on said sleeve and limiting the swinging of said seat member to an upwardly directed position parallel to said shaft and a second substantially horizontal stop member limiting the swinging .of said seat member to a position perpendicular to said shaft.

3. The ski pole seat of claim 1 wherein. said locking means comprises a locking screw engaging a tapped radial bore formed in said sleeve and provided at its outer end with a finger piece.

4. A ski pole seat comprising a ski'pole including an elongated shaft carrying a snow pad adjacent its lower end, a sleeve member slidably engaging said shaft, means releasably locking said sleeve along selected positions on said shaft, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced seat defining substantially linear arms hinged to said sleeve and swingable between retracted positions substantially parallel to said shaft and radially projecting extended positions.

5. The ski pole seat of claim 4 wherein said arms are upwardly directed in their retracted positions and including stop means limiting the swinging of said arms from said retracted positions to said extended positions.

6. A ski pole seat comprising a ski pole including relatively longitudinally adjustable upper and lower telescoping shaft sections and means releasably locking said shaft sections in a preselected position and a snow pad mounted adjacent the bottom of said lower shaft section, a plurality of circumferentially spaced seat defining substantially linear arms hinged to the top of said upper shaft section and swingable between contracted upwardly directed positions to define a substantially linear handle and extended radially directed positions to define a seat.

7. The ski pole seat of claim 6 wherein said arms have 5 cylindrical outer faces and mating inner faces, whereby 2,275,330 when in their contracted positions said outer faces define 2,834,604 a handle extension of said shaft upper section.

References Cited by the Examiner 5 1,150,548 UNITED STATES PATENTS 731,291 6/03 Dulin 248-4552 997,407 7/11 Myers 280--11.39

3/42 Tveten 280-1137 5/58 Osmun 280-1137 FOREIGN PATENTS 8/57 France. 3 48 Great Britain. 12/54 Switzerland.

A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A SKI POLE SEAT COMPRISING A SKI POLE INCLUDING AN ELONGATED SHAFT CARRYING A SNOW PAD ADJACENT ITS LOWER END, A SLEEVE MEMBER SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID SHAFT, MEANS RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID SLEEVE ALONG SELECTED POSITIONS ON SAID SHAFT, AND A SEAT MEMBER PIVOTED TO SAID SLEEVE MEMBER AN SUBSTANTIALLY FREELY SWINGABLE BETWEEN A RETRACTED POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SHAFT AND AN EXTENDED POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID SHAFT, SAID SEAT MEMBER INCLUDING A RING PROVIDED WITH AN OUTWARDLY DIRECTED FIRST HINGE KNUCKLE AND SAID SLEEVE BEING PROVIDED WITH A SECOND HINGE KNUCKLE REGISTERING WITH THE FIRST HINGE KNUCKLE AND A HINGE PIN ENGAGING SAID FIRST AND SECOND HINGE KNUCKLES.