US3552746A - Skate and skating surface - Google Patents

Abstract

A SKATE ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR USE ON A RESIN SURFACE HAVING A LOW COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION TO SIMULATE ICE SKATING AND AN IMPROVED SKATING SURFACE FOR USE IN COMBINATION THEREWITH. TO PREVENT SIDE SLIP AND DEVELOP FORWARD THRUST AND PROVIDE FOR BRAKING, A FRICTION ELEMENT IS PROVIDED ON THE SKATE RUNNER WHICH MAY BE SELECTIVELY EFFECTIVE FOR THIS PURPOSE, BUT DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH FORWARD GLIDE. IT PREFERABLY COMPRISES A ROLLER ELEMENT WITH A

FRICTION RIM THAT IS EFFECTIVE ONLY WHEN THE SKATE IS MANEUVERED IS SUCH MANNER THAT THE ROLL PERIPHERY IS AT A PROPER ANGLE TO PREVENT FREE TURNING OF THE ROLL. THE SKATING SURFACE IS FORMED OF PANELS OF SHEETED REINFORCED POLYESTER CONTAINING ANTI-FRICTION, AND DESIRABLY ANTI-STATIC, ADDITIVES AND CURED UNDER HEAT AND PRESSURE.

Description

Jan.- 5, 1971 H. s. NAGIN Y SKATE AND SKATING SURFACE 3. Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7. 1969 Inventor Harry S. Nagin.

Attorneys.

Jan. 3, I971 H: s. N AGIN 3,552,746

Q 7 SKATE AND SKATING SURFACE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1969 Inventor Harry $.Nagin. 9 W r %&/

Attorneys.

Jan. 5, 19'71 H. s. NAGIN 4 SKATE AND SKATING SURFACE Filed Feb. '1. 1969 s Sheets-Sheet 5 1 I VENTORQ Harry inh BY WM/ Z Attorng United States Patent US. Cl. 272-3 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A skate especially designed for use on a resin surface having a low coefficient of friction to simulate ice skating and an improved skating surface for use in combination therewith. To prevent side slip and develop forward thrust and provide for braking, a friction element is provided on the skate runner which may be selectively effective for this purpose, but does not interfere with forward glide. It preferably comprises a roller element with a friction rim that is effective only when the skate is maneuvered is such manner that the roll periphery is at a proper angle to prevent free turning of the roll. The skating surface is formed of panels of sheeted reinforced polyester containing anti-friction, and desirably anti-static, additives and cured under heat and pressure.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 681,414, filed Nov. 8, 1967, and now Pat. No. 3,497,211 issued Feb. 24, 1970 and the disclosure thereof is included herein by reference.

In my application above referred to, I have disclosed a skating surface comprised of cast synthetic resin compounded to have a low coefiicient of friction, comparable in fact to that of smooth ice. I have also disclosed for use therewith a skate to simulate ice skating, the skate also having a runner with a low coefficient of friction. Since such a skating surface and skate cannot function to provide thrust that is required for the skater to skate in the normal way or provide a braking action, such as one may develop with a metal skate cutting into the ice, it was proposed in said application to provide a friction element or elements on the skate that could be selectively used by'tipping the skate sideways or front end up to develop friction for forward travel or stopping, but which otherwise offered no resistance to the forward glide of the skate. I have since discovered that a more desirable skating surface can be provided by using panels of a synthetic resin compounded with anti-friction additives and cured under heat and pressure with the panels laid edge-to-edge to form a skating area. I'have also discovered that such a skating surface may be impaired by its attraction for airborne dust particles, and that by the incorporation of an anti-static ingredient, trouble from this source may be reduced. Also, I have found that, while a braking or friction element as disclosed in said application can be effective, a greatly improved control can be secured by the improved means for securing that result hereinafter disclosed.

In .the presently preferred embodiment of my invention, the action of the skate is improved by the provision on the runner of one or more rollers that rotate on axes transverse to the length of the skate, and which have rims of a rubber-like material, such as certain rubber-like polyurethane elastomers. These rollers are so positioned that normally they barely touch the skating surface and offer no impedance to the forward glide of the runner on the skating surface. However, when the foot of the skater is angled in the normal manner of a skater in striking out 3,552,746 Patented Jan. 5, 1971 ICC to gain speed or to stop, these rollers are brought to bear more completely on the skating surface while they are crosswise or diagonal to the direction in which the skater is traveling, and therefore the thrust or braking effect is at least partially sideways to the axis about which the rollers turn.

The skating surface is preferably comprised of panels of a thermosetting resin cured under heat and pressure, and having incorporated therein thermoplastic resins which reduce its coefficient of friction. Also an anti-static ingredient is included in the com-position. I have found that sheeted polyester with a curing agent as the base is desirable. It comprises about 33% polyester and a curing agent of any well-known curing agent for polyester, 30% =fiber glass or glass floc, 2% to 4% polyethylene, about -1% Teflon, and about 1% nylon or Delrin, or both, and the balance is filler. It may also contain or have applied thereto an anti-static compound. Many anti-static materials are known. Typically 2% to 3% epoxalated fatty alcohol or quartenary ammonium compounds of a fatty acid may be used to reduce the attraction of the skating surface for air-borne dust and particles that may otherwise tend to cling to the skating surface, especially out-of-doors skating rinks. The compounded sheeted polyester is cured between about 250 and 500 pounds per square inch at a temperature of the order of 300 F. The resulting panels are adhered to a level supporting surface in edge-to-edge contact, preferably by a non-hardening elastic adhesive generally known as a visco-elastic cement that holds the panels in place, but allows thermal expansion and contraction to occur. Instead of incorporating an anti-static compound in the resin, it may be applied as a spray to the finished surface and renewed from time to time.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a skate and skating surface on which skating simulating ice skating, but using synthetic resin is employed in place of ice.

My invention may be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a simple embodiment of one form of the skate of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the skate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical section in the plane of line IIIIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation showing a modified construction;

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical section in the plane of line V\( of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows in side elevation a modification of FIGS. 1 to 3 in which rollers are at spaced intervals along the skate runner;

FIG. 7 is a transverse section in the palne of line VIIVII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a transverse section in the plane of line VIIIV of PG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows another form of skate;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary horizontal section in the plane of line XX of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view in the plane of line XI-XI of FIG. 9 but on a larger scale;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the skating surface; and

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal section in the plane of line XIIIXIII of FIG. 12.

Referring first to FIGS. 12 and 13, there is shown a skating surface or rink embodying my invention. It is comprised of a base 2 which is formed of concrete having a smooth surface. It may desirably be gently sloped from its sides and ends from the outer edge toward the center. On the surface of the base 2 are a sufficient number of individual panels 3- to cover the skating area of. the base. The panels are in edge-to-edge contact and are held in place on the base by a visco-elastic cement spreadover the base before the panels are laid in position. The panels are generally fiat, but where necessary to conform to the curvature at the corners of the sloping end and side walls, they can be suitably curved. However the skating surface may be formed of individual panels of convenient size placed over any floor or adequate supporting surface. The sheeted plastic material hereinafter described may be adhesively bonded to precast concrete panels of the same size and the composite panels assembled in edge-to-edge contact over a floor or other supporting surface.

Each of the panels is molded from sheeted preformed resinous material as above described in mating dies to give them true edges and a smooth finish. Each panel is about one-eighth of an inch in thickness, as in this thickness the thermoplastic additives and anti-static material Will not appreciably settle out, and the sheet will be thick enough for handling. Instead of polyester the base plastic may be epoxy resin with a curing agent, any of several well known commercial grades of epoxy resin being suitable, commercial grades of epoxy resin of the type derived from the reaction of bisphenol and epichlorohydrin being the most common and preferable. Polyester is preferred because it is cheaper and adequate.

Desirably there are one or more ducts 4 surrounding the skating area through which air, water, or water and detergent, or both water and air can be circulated, the duct having spaced orifices to blow air, where air alone is used, across the skating surface to blow dust or foreign particles toward a central outlet 5, or if water, with or without detergent is used, to spray water onto the surface. In case both air and water are used, separate ducts are desirable.

Skates as herein referred to are used in pairs, one on each foot, and where a single skate is referred to herein, it will be understood that it is one of a pair.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive, there is disclosed a skate having the runner and its attachment to the shoe formed as an integral unit, but as will hereinafter appear, and as shown in the copending application hereinbefore mentioned, it may be a composite structure. The runner is designated 10, and as here shown it is a solid blade having an integral platform 11 at the top by which it is attached to the bottom of a skating shoe by screws in the usual manner. It is preferably comprised of a strong reinforced resin having a low coefiicient of friction, such as TEF (polytetrafluoroethylene) better known as Teflon, acetal homopolymer, such as Delrin or nylon. The runner, however, may be formed of metal having a loW coefiicient of friction, such as a chromium plate steel runner, or high chrome stainless steel. The runner is about as thick as an ordinary steel skate blade, but its runner is not hollow ground, and the corners are slightly rounded. Its shape is much the same as the shape of an ordinary steel skate. This may be with a rocker contour common in figure skates, or a straighter runner, as with speed or hockey skates, the former being here shown. The coefiicient of friction of the runner is desirably lower than that of the skating surface. Its coefiicient of friction on steel is no greater than 0.1.

To prevent side slip of the skate to produce thrust or a braking action, one or more free-running rollers are carried by the runner. As shown in FIG. 1 there are two of these rollers, one at each side, and on longer or straighter skates there may desirably be two on each side located to the front of and also near the transverse center of the blade. Actually rollers on the inside of the blade are needed, but by using them in pairs, separate right and left molds are not required.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, there are two such rollers. The rollers are carried on a center pin 12 that passes through the runner, and which has a head 13 at one end and a screw-threaded bore in the other end. A headed bolt 14 is screwed into this bore. There is a roller or wheel assembly designated generally as 15 on this pin,

one confined between the head 13, and the side of the skate runner, and the other is confined between the head of the bolt 14 and the other side of the skate runner. Preferably there is a slight boss on the runner at each side thereof to hold the face of the roller clear of the blade. Also, for the sake of appearance and to provide a guard for each wheel, there is a skirt 1-6 molded on the runner at each side that is curved and streamlined, and which provides a covering open only at the bottomto expose just a little of the peripheries of the respective wheels, the lower edges of these skirts terminating above the bottom edge of the runner. The pin 3 passes-these skirts as well as through the runner, and the skirts each have a boss to hold the outer face of the wheel out of contact with the runner. The design of the .pin with the screw 14 is such that pressure cannot be put on these skirts by the pin to bind the wheels, the pin being of a length to pass through both skirts, and the head of the bolt abuts the end of the pin when it is screwed in as far as it will go.

Each roller or wheel comprises a roller bearing unit having an inner race 17 with a center in which the pin has a sliding fit, an outer race 18 of metal or plastic such as Nylon, and balls 19 between the two races. A tire 20 is vulcanized or otherwise fixed on the periphery of the outer race. This tire is formed of a moderately resilient rubber-like substance having a high coefiicient of friction and little resilience. Several materials are available, including rubber, but I have found certain polyurethane elastomers to be preferable, such for example as Flexin manufactured by Mobay Chemical Company, and a composition having a higher coefficient of friction, even on wet plastic surfaces, is a compound manufactured by Shell Chemical Company which is a styrene-butadiene copolymer sold under the trademark Thermolastic, but is is desirably reinforced with glass, nylon or other fibers to improve its strength. The tire tread 20 is preferably beveled outwardly at a slight angle so that the diameter is greatest at the side nearest the blade, that is, the inner edge of the roller.

The pin 11, which with a single pair of rollers is in a position forward of the middle of the runner, being located about under the ball of the wear-ers foot, is so located, and the wheels are of such diameter that the roller just touches the skating surface at its inner edge, but without keeping the runner out of weight-supporting contact with said surface. As long as the skate is moving forward in the direction of its length, the roller may spin freely and offer no resistance to the glide of the skate. If, however, the wearer turns the skate in a diagonal direction to the forward travel, and in so doing, tilts the skate on its longitudinal and transverse axes, as he naturally tends to do in ice skating to brake or get forward thrust, the friction surface is more or less crosswise of the direction of free rotation and will provide the drag or friction to brake the forward travel or give the required thrust, depending on the leg action of the wearer.

While a single pair of rollers is shown forward of the middle of the skate, two pairs may be provided, one at about the center of the rocker, and one forward of the center, as hereinafter more fully described.

Rollers may be readily replaced by removing the bolt 5 and withdrawing the pin. There may be times, especially for beginners, when slightly oversize rollers could be used so that with a beginner, for example, the rollers alone would contact the gliding surface, muchthe same as a roller skate, but with a narrow width, somewhat simulating an ice skate. After getting used to the skate, smaller wheels would be substituted so that the skate would then glide on the runner and the wheels provideno support. Since a skater normally bends his ankle inward, the rollers on the inner side of the runner are the ones that come most into use. One or more might be used only on the inner side of the runner, but this would require right and left skates for each size of skate, and add much to the cost of molds.

To enable the wearer to upend the skate and secure friction, there may be a tip of the anti-friction material cemented or vulcanized onto the front end of the runner, as indicated at 21 in FIG. 1. i

In FIGS. 4 and 5 there is shown a skate wherein the usual steel blade is provided with a plastic runner formed of a" resinous low friction material similar to that above described. While this arrangement could use the rollers as herein described as friction elements, a different form of friction element is also shown.

In these figures, designates the ordinary steel blade having a metal runner 31. Fitted around the metal runner is an anti-friction plastic channel 32, the bottom of which forms the skate runner, and the sides of which are attached to the steel runner either by vulcanizing or by other fastening meanssuch as rivets 33. The plastic anti-friction resinous material may be of a composition similar to that described above in connection with the runner in FIGS. 1 to 3. Secured to the toe of the runner is a friction element 34 of similar section to the channel 32, and which is secured to the toe of the steel skate in the same manner as the anti-friction runner. In this case the friction material 34 is shown as extending further around the toe of the metal runner so that it may be brought into contact with the skating surface by simply rocking the skate slightly. It may be desirable also to provide ribs 35 along the sides of the channel 32 further toward the rear of the skate which have beveled undersurfaces that normally are clear of the skating surface, but which may be brought into contact with the skating surface by inclining the skating blade to one side or the other in the same manner that the rollers in 'FIGS. 1 to 3 are brought into contact with the skating surface. Unlike the rollers, however, these friction elements 34 make no contact with the skating surface when the skate blade is substantially vertical.

I have heretofore mentioned that rollers might be provided forwardly of the center of the skate and also at about the center of the rocker. Such an arrangement is illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. While rollers as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 could be used, in these views I have shown an alternative arrangement where the rollers are placed in recesses in the skate runner.

Referring to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, 40'designates generally the runner of the skate with the platform 41 for attaching it to the shoe. As shown in FIG. 8, the blade throughout most of its section is about the thickness of an ordinary skate runner as indicated at 42, but the bottom edges 43 are rounded as previously described. The skate is of a rocker form, and at about the center of the rocker blade is arched or recessed upwardly as indicated at 44, so as to divide the runner into forward and rear sections. Also at this point the blade widens out and is bifurcated as shown in FIG. 7 to provide a recess 45 in the center of the runner. There is a roller -46 similar to the rollers previously described carried on a pin assembly 47 which is also similar to that shown in FIG. 3. The roller 46 is of such diameter and so positioned that its periphery just lightly touches the smooth skating surface as indicated by the line S in FIG. 6, and only the lower portion of the periphery of the roller is seen between the spaced sides of the runner. A second roller 48 is similarly arranged forwardly of the center of the skate at a level which is normally clear of the skating surface, but which is close enough to the skating surface so that when the toe of the skate is rocked forwardly very lightly, will also contact the skating surface, and if the skate is tilted and turned sideways, as when a skater is striking out to gain forward motion, or is turning his foot to stop, the roller 48, as well as the roller 46, will both act to brake the forward glide of the skate.

Since the skate is quite sensitive to the presence of foreign matter on the skating surface, a small brush 49 may be provided at the toe of the runner where it will always engage the skating surface S to remove small particles that may be in the line of travel, but the brush does not interfere in any way with the skating.

By arching the runner upwardly near the center, the bearing surface of the runner on the skating area is reduced. Since friction is a function of the area, the reduction of the area of contact is desirable without, however, impairing the simulation of ice skating.

In FIGS. 9, 10, and 11, I have shown a modification wherein the skate is more of a speed skate than a figure skate. It has a metal runner of steel, designated generally as 50, with a platform 51 for attaching it to the skating shoe. The bottom or skating edge has two similar arches 52 and 53 therein so that the runner normally contacts the skating surface at three separate places, 54, 55, and 56, these being rounded in a fore-and-aft direction, so that the length of each contact surface is quite short, being almost tangent to the skating surface, indicated by line AA. A coating of Teflon or Teflon reinforced with glass floc is applied to the runner and baked on at each of these contact areas, the stippled areas 57 in the drawing indicating such anti-friction coating on the runners. The ratio of glass fiber or floc to Teflon in the coating may vary, about 12% being the optimum, but it may be as high as 20% and still provide a good gliding contact.

In place of Teflon or other low friction plastic, the surface coating on the runner may be of a glass-like nature. One such material that can be applied as a coating and has low friction on plastic is available under the name Tufran.

The arched portions 52 and 53 are split and the sides spread to provide outwardly-flared sides 58 with a central cavity between them in which is provided a roller 59 having a friction rim 60, the roller and its mounting being the same as described in FIGS. 6 and 7, but of course rollers as described in FIG. 3 might also be used.

At the nose of the runner there is shown a bifurcated bracket 65 riveted to the nose of the skate runner. It carries a transverse pin 66 with a small roller 67 at each end thereof. These rollers have a facing and rim 68 of a high friction material as previously described. These rollers, like roller 48 in FIG. 1, are so located that they are entirely clear of the skating surface except that when the skater uses the toe of his skate with his foot turned somewhat sideways and the skate inclined with respect to the skating surface in getting speed or stopping. The rollers or wheels 59 bear only slightly on the skating surface, as previously described, so that the weight of the skater is where the runners contact the skating surface (except perhaps for slight compression of the rubber-like rim) and the wheels are used only to provide thrust or braking action when the skater turns his foot somewhat sideways.

The use of wheels or rollers as herein described are preferable as friction elements. They of course may be used in conjunction with friction elements as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and this is so whether the rollers are in the center of the blade as in FIGS. 6 to 8 inclusive, or whether they are at the side of the blade as described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 3. Even though the rollers may contact the skating surface, the fact that the tire on the rim is slightly resilient allows the runner to glide on the skating surface so that the sensation is one of gliding and the skate is not a roller skate in the sense that wheels carry the load of the skater.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the skate may be formed entirely of a resin, or it may be metal such as stainless steel or chrome-plated steel, or may be metal with an attached plastic skating edge, or it may be metal with an applied thin coating of an anti-friction material such as Teflon. To the extent that the modifications herein described are applicable, they may be interchanged, as for example in FIG. 4 the coating could be used in place of the formed plastic channel, or the nose piece 21 of FIG. 1

could be used in place of the bracket and roller arrangement of FIG. 9, etc.

I claim:

1. A skate for use on a low friction plastic skating surface comprising:

(a) a runner having a skating edge with a low coefiicient of friction on the skating surface,

(b) a friction element on the runner normally ineffective to impede forward glide of the skate but arranged to frictionally engage the skating surface by controlled movement of the skate from a normal gliding position and comprising a free-turning wheel rotatable on an axis transverse to the length of the runner, the wheel having a rim of a material having a high coefficient of friction on plastic as compared to that of the runner.

2. A skate as defined in claim 1 in which the wheel has its periphery at the bottom substantially flush with the skating edge.

3. A skate as defined in claim 1 in which the rim of the wheel is comprised of an elastomer.

4. A skate as defined in claim 1 wherein said freerunning wheel is located intermediate the front of the runner and the middle thereof.

5. A skate as defined in claim 4 in which there is a second similar wheel located near the middle of the runner.

6. A skate as defined in claim 4 wherein the edge of the runner curves upwardly from a plane and the first wheel is located in the upwardly curved portion and its periphery is clear of a horizontal plane surface when the mid portion of the runner rests on such a surface and contacts such surface only by tilting the runner to incline the rear portion upwardly with respect to a horizontal plane, said second wheel being positioned to contact a plane horizontal surface when the mid portion of the runner in front of and to the rear of said second wheel is in contact with a horizontal plane surface.

7. A skate as defined in claim 1 in which the skate has a skating edge separated into sections with a friction element between sections, each section having a coating of anti-friction material adhered thereto over the gliding surface thereof, said friction elements being inoperable when the skate is in normal gliding position on the surface over which it moves, but which are arranged to frictionally engage said surface by controlled movement of the skate from a normal gliding position.

8. The combination with a skating surface comprised of a thermosetting resin having thermoplastic self-lubricating resin combined therewith, of a skate having a runner. with an edge that slides easily on said surface, and a friction element on the runner for controllably resisting sliding movement of therunner on said surface.

9. The combination defined in'claim 8 wherein the skating surfaces comprise panels arranged in edget -edge relation and a supporting base on which the panels are secured, the panels comprising polyester resin cured under heat and pressure and having incorporated therein glass" fiber reinforcing and having thermoplastic resin incorporated therein selected from the group comprising nylon, Teflon and Delrin. I v I 10. For use as a gliding surface, a panel cured under heat and pressure comprised of polyester about 33%, glass fibers 30%, 2% to 4% polyethylene, about 1% Teflon, and about 1% of a resin selected from the group consistf ing of nylon and Delrin, with the balance being an inert filler.

11. For use as a gliding surface, a panel as defined in claim 8 comprising also about 2% to' 3% of an anti-static compound. '7

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 40,807 12/186'3 Bailey 280-11.12 40,921 12/1863 Feurstein '280-l 1.12 150,896 5/1874 See 280-l1.12 2,150,964 3/1939 Dornseif 28011.18 2,555,078 5/1951 Gaylor 280- 11.l2X 3,224,763 12/1965 Hall 272-565 3,291,486 12/1966 'Applegath et al. 272-565 3,395,928 8/1968 Eglit 28011.13

FOREIGN PATENTS 659,340 5/ 1938 Germany.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner M. L. SMITH, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 943; 28011.12

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