US3181879A

US3181879A - Stabilizing device for ice skates

Info

Publication number: US3181879A
Application number: US311047A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert T Hodges
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-09-24
Filing date: 1963-09-24
Publication date: 1965-05-04
Anticipated expiration: 1982-05-04

Description

May 4, 1965 R. T. HODGES STABILIZING DEVICE FOR ICE SKATES Filed Sept. 24, 1965 United States Patent 3,181,879 STABELIZING DEVECE FUR ECE SKATEd Robert T, Hodges, 556 Logan Ave, llronx, Ni Filed gept. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 311,947 1 Claim. (Cl. 280-1112) This invention relates to winter sports and, more particularly, to a device for the stabilizing of ice skates when one is learning to ice-skate.

While devices for assistance in training people in various sports are quite common in many fields of activity, the use of any devices other than perhaps that of a ski pole in training one to i e-skate has not been attempted for the simple reason that no particular device has been made and produced for the ordinary lover of ice-skating.

As nearly anyone who has ever tried to ice-skate or who has ever mastered the art knows, the essence of the art is one-s ability to stand upright on the skates; therefore any successful training device will naturally be one that provides stabilization to the novice in ice-skating.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a stabilizing device for ice skates that can be quickly removed from the skates after one has reached that point in the art of ice-skating whereby he does not need any assistance in standing up on the skates.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stabilizing device for ice skates that will not in any way interfere with ones normal skating.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stabilizing device for ice skates that will take up a minimum of space on the skates.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stabilizing device for ice skates that can be adapted to any make or size of skates Without the use of an adapter.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stabilizing device for ice skates that consists of only three parts, including its holding screw.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a stabilizing device for ice skates that can be made from many different kinds of material depending upon how rough the treatment the device will be expected to take as well as the amount of use to which the device will be put. The invention can be manufactured from cast bronze, aluminum or steel for school use or from very hard wood such as lignum vitae or even plastic if it is to be used only by an individual when learning to ice skate.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claim appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective View of this invention.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View of this invention secured in place on an ice skate which, along with the lower portion of a skaters foot, is shown in phantom lines.

Referring to the drawing it will be seen that this invention of a stabilizing device for ice skates consists of two blocks, namely, a right block 7 and a left block 8 as viewed in FIG. 1 that have identical configurations other than the fact that one is made for the right side of the ice skate and one is made for the left side of the same skate. Each aforesaid block embodies a vertically disposed portion 9 having a fiat side 10 that faces the structure of the ice skate and an outside 11 that has its lower end terminating in a concave portion 12 which, in turn, blends into a convex extension portion 13 which terminates in an angularly disposed edge 14. The bottom of each one of the aforesaid blocks is concave at 15, while dd lfl'i l atenteei May t, 1965 ice the lower portion of the inside face of each block is vertical and flat at 16 and then is blended into a semi-circular recess 17 that has its upper edge terminating with the intersection of the lower end of the aforesaid flat side 10.

The aforesaid left block 8 is provided with a horizontally disposed internally threaded opening 18 in the vertically disposed portion 9, that is in perfect alignment with the horizontally disposed opening 19 that is provided with a recess 20 for the slidable reception of the cap screw 21 that is placed therein and which engages with the internal threads of the opening 18 in the aforesaid left block 8 as one can see on looking at FIGURES 1 and 4 of the drawing where the latter view shows that the reason for the semi-circular recess 17 in each block is to permit the same to fit around the convex portion of the structure of the ice skate to which this invention is secured by the aforesaid cap screw 21. The stabilizer device is thus adjustable along the structure of the skate.

As anyone who has even an elementary knowledge of ice-skating can see, when this invention is properly secured to the longitudinal center of an ice skate, the invention will not touch the ice so long as the skate is in an upright position, however, should the skaters ankle turn or he or she otherwise let the skate get out of control and the skate turn sideways, then the angularly disposed edge 14 of one of the two blocks will come into contact with the ice and thereby prevent the skater from falling.

it is to be understood that changes in configuration and means of securernent may be made in this invention and that it will still fall within the scope and intent of the appended claims and that the invention is not necessarily to be limited to the material suggested in the obiects of this invention but that it may in fact be manufactured from any desired materials and/ or combination of materials. The invention can, of course, be manufactored in any desired size.

What I now desire to secure by Letters Patent and what I new claim as new is:

A stabilizing device for ice skates comprising a pair of transverse opposed similar shaped blocks, each block having an upright portion square in cross-section with four flat sides, said upright portions having aligned openings extending therethrough, opposed flat sides having opposed semi-circular recesses therein adjacent one end of said opposed flat sides, the other opposed sides having laterally extending curved extensions, said extensions having concave bottom surfaces, said lateral extensions terminating in inwardly slanting edges, the opposed semicircular recesses adapted to receive the convex structure of an ice skate, the flat sides of said adjacent one end thereof adapted to engage the flat structure of the ice skate, and a screw extending through the aligned openings in said upright portions for clamping the walls of the recesses around the convex structure of an ice skate and for clamping the flat one end against the fiat structure of the ice skate, whereby the device may be adjustably slid along the ice skate structure.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,212,855 1/17 Wachs 2801 1.12 2,920,897 1/60 Jensen 280l1.12 3,120,397 2/64 Lepkofker 28011.12

FOREIGN PATENTS 14,125 1909 Great Britain.

A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner.