US3579682A - Ski-board - Google Patents

Abstract

AN ELONGATED HULL INCLUES SHAPED SPACERS TO RECEIVE A SKIER''S FEET. A RUDDER IN THE AFTER END OF THE HULL AFFORDS STEERING CAPABILITIES, THE RUDDER BEING CONTROLLED BY A BRIDGE HEAD BY ONE HAND OF THE SKIER, THE OTHER HAND HOLDING A LEAD LINE EXTENDING TO THE FORWARD END OF THE HULL AND HELPING THE SKIER TO MAINTAIN BALANCE.

Description

C. A. WOOD May 25, 1971 SKI-BOARD 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 12, 1969 aw a mu 4 M 4 a C. AVWOOD May 25, 1971 SKI-BOARD 5 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 12, 1969 Awnvra: (mo/a ,4 4/000 May 25, 1971 c. A. wooo 3,579,532

SKI-BOARD Filed May 12, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 3y fWIJ Arman 5K! C. A. WOOD SKI-BOARD May 25, 1971 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 12, 1969 e m w w CPI/d 4. (1/000 JZWZWM I lrrailvi i y 25, 1971 c. A. wooo 3,579,682

SKI-BOARD Filed May 12, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IIIII III IIJH I' II II III!!! [I14 hvwwrai 624/5 4. (deep WE Wu? Inez/vi):

United States Patent 3,579,682 SKI-BOARD Craig A. Wood, 707 Sycamore Lane N o. 1, Davis, Calif. 95616 Filed May 12, 1969, Ser. No. 823,637 Int. Cl. A63c 15/00 U.S. Cl. 9310B 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An elongated hull includes shaped spaces to receive a skiers feet. A rudder on the after end of the hull affords steering capabilities, the rudder being controlled by a bridle held by one hand of the skier, the other hand holding a lead line extending to the forward end of the hull and helping the skier to maintain balance.

The invention relates to improvements in ski equipment.

It is an object of the invention to provide a ski-board which is versatile in that it can be used either on snow or on sand or on water.

It is another object of the invention to provide a skiboard which is not only more stable than a conventional single, or slalom, type of ski, but which also can be steered.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a skiboard which is rugged and durable yet is compact in size and relatively light in Weight.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a ski-board on which at least two people can ski at the same time.

It is another object of the invention to provide a generally improved ski-board.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a ski-board having fail-safe braking capabilities.

Other objects, together with the foregoing, are attained in the embodiment described in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view:

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the customary attitude of the forward lead line and the after steering bridle when the ski-board is in use;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, transverse sectional view to an enlarged scale, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a median, longitudinal, sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of the forward portion of the ski-board, the view being taken on the line 44 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view comparable to FIG. 4, but showing the after portion of the ski-board, the view being taken on the line 55 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view, to an enlarged scale, of the after end of the ski-board, with portions of the decking being broken away to disclose details of the rudder mechanism;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of the control bridle attachment to the rudder mechanisms, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 77 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of the forward lead line attachment to the hull, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 8-8 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of the lifting handle, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 99 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view, to an enlarged scale, of the line retainer and hand grip;

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view, to an enlarged scale, of the line retainer and hand grip;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of the line retainer and hand grip, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 1212 in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary top plan view, to an enlarged scale, of the bow portion of the ski-board in FIG. 1, portions being broken away to reveal interior details, of a modified form of bow structure affording a brake;

FIG. 14 is a view comparable to FIG. 13 but showing the parts in the positions assumed when the rider has fallen off the ski-board; and

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary, median, vertical, longitudinal, sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of the FIG. 13 form of brake mechanism.

The ski-board of the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 12, includes an elongated hull member 13 extending longitudinally from a forward end 14 to an after end 16, and transversely between a pair of forwardly converging vertical side walls 17. Adjacent their forward ends 18 the side walls converge sharply and terminate in a forwardly pointing nose 19 (see FIG. 1).

Closing the bottom of the hull 13 is a bottom plate 21 extending rearwardly from an upturned bow portion 22 (see FIGS. 2 and 4), through a central, substantially horizontal portion 23, and terminating in a stern portion 24 slightly elevated relative to the horizontal portion 23 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 5).

The arcuate bow portion 22 affords a smooth engagement with the supporting media, i.e. snow or sand or water as the ski-board moves forwardly on its course.

Any tendency of the ski-board to yaw is effectively minimized by a fore and aft keel 31 mounted longitudinally and vertically centrally on the bottom of the hull plate 21 adjacent the forward end of the hull by suitable fasteners 32.

The skier, or operator of the board, is provided with a pair of shaped foot spaces 36 each including a toe portion 37 and a heel portion 38.

In some instances, it is also desired to make room for a passenger, in which case a forward pair of foot spaces 39 is provided, each foot space including at least a toe portion 41.

The foot spaces are delineated by a plurality of spaced cross-members 42, 43 and 44 extending between the side walls 17 of the hull 13.

The forward cross-member 42 includes a deck 46 and an inclined after bulkhead 47 both suitably affixed around their margins to the hull structure so as to afford a buoyant, water-tight compartment 48 filled with a foamed plastic material 49 for additional protection against loss of buoyancy. This feature is, of course, of especial importance where the ski-board is to be used in an aquatic environment. In the toe portions 41, the bulkhead is vertical, as at 51 (see FIG. 4).

The intermediate cross member includes a forward bulkhead 52 curved forwardly adjacent its lateral ends 53 to afford a pair of partial heel-receiving portions 54. The bulkhead 52 merges with a horizontal decking 56 which, in turn, joins a sloping after bulkhead 57 with vertical portions 58 defining the toe spaces 37. The intermediate cross member 43 can, as before, be made watertight, if desired, with the compartment 61 filled with a foamed plastic material.

The central cross-member 43 is rigidly secured to the hull 13 by fasteners 63 (see FIG. 3) passing downwardly through the decking 56 into bosses 64 formed on the bottom plate 21 of the hull 13.

The very considerable strength and substantially central location of the intermediate cross-member 43 is also utilized in mounting on the side walls 17 of the hull 13 a pair of board-lifting and carrying members 66 (see FIGS. 3 and 9). Each of the members 66 preferably includes a slightly tensioned length of elastic, fabric covered fall off the board or otherwise become separated therefrom.

The braking mechanism 151 is located inside the forward cross member 42 and includes a horizontal lever 153 pivotally mounted on top of the aftermost one of the keel fasteners 32. The lever 153 is biased in a counterclockwise direction by a tension spring 154 appropriately secured at one end to a cross-bar 156 mounted on the distal end of the lever 153 and at the other end to the forward one of the keel fasteners 32 of the keel 31.

Movement of the lever 153 between the right-hand position shown in FIG. 13 and the left-hand position illustrated in FIG. 14 is attended by a corresponding movement of a brake plate 158 between the horizontal attitude shown in full line in FIG. and the upwardly and rearwardly inclined attitude shown in broken line in FIG. 15.

When proceeding normally, the brake plate 158 is horizontal. When braking is to be effected, the plate is urged into the upwardly and rearwardly inclined attitude, in which position, snow or water or other supporting media are trapped in the angular zone between the hull 13 and the plate 158, the zone being designated by the reference numeral 160 (see FIG. 15), resulting in a very effective increase in resistance to forward motion and consequent braking.

Control of the brake mechanism can be voluntary, by appropriately manipulating the handle 122 (see FIG. 15). The handle 122 has attached thereto a pair of lead lines 132 extending downwardly toward a pair of blocks 142 on the opposite lateral sides of the forward cross-member 42. Preferably, both lead lines emerge from the bottom end portion 162 (see FIG. 15) of the handle 122.

One of the lead lines 132 is anchored in its corresponding block 142, in the manner shown, for example, in FIG. 8.

The other lead line 132, however, extends beyond the opening where it emerges from the internal passageway 141 in the block into the chamber 166 (inside the forward cross member 42) and is appropriately secured, as at 167, to the cross-bar 156 on the end of the swingable lever 153.

Thus, by maitaining the second or extended one of the lead lines 132 in a taut condition, as indicated in FIG. 13, the bias of the spring 154 is overcome and the lever 153 assumes the orientation shown in FIG. 13.

With the lever in the position shown in FIG. 13, the brake-plate 158 is in the horizontal, non-braking attitude shown in full line in FIG. 15. Connected to the plate 158 is a strong, yet flexible wire 171 extending from the crossbar 156, into an arcuate passageway 172 formed in a block 173 secured'to the after portion of the sloping wall 47 by a fastener 174. The wire 171 extends from the passageway 172 downwardly through a registering opening 176 in the bottom of the hull 13 and upon emerging therefrom is suitably attached to the central after portion 177 of the brake-plate 158.

By urging the wire upwardly, in the direction of the arrow 178 (see FIG. 15), the brake-plate 158 is biased upwardly into braking position.

Upward movement of the wire 171 can voluntarily be effected by pulling on a brake line 181 leading forwardly and downwardly from the top portion 182 of the handle 122.

The brake line 181 extends into a fair-lead 183 mounted centrally in the forward portion of the bow by a fastener 184 (see FIG. 15), the brake line 181 recurving rearwardly and extending linearly, when taut, to a loop anchor 186 formed in the brake wire 171.

In order voluntarily to actuate the brake 158, it is only necessary for the rider to tilt the upper end 182 of the handle 122 rearwardly, thereby pulling on the brake line 181. This increased tension on the brake line 181 is felt by the loop anchor 186 and the loop anchor 186 is pulled from the full line position in FIG. 13 to the broken line position in FIG. 13. As a result, the brake wire 171 is pulled into the broken line position in FIG. 13, thereby pulling upwardly on the after end of the plate 158 and effecting voluntary braking.

FIG. 14 illustrates the position of the parts when tension on the lead lines 132 and the brake line 181 is released, such as might occur when the rider and/or passenger falls off the ski-board. This automatic mechanism is of the fail-safe type in that it becomes operative to effect braking upon the failure of the operator to act positively in controlling the mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 14, the lead line 132 and the brake line 181 are both shown in slack condition, as would ordinarily occur when a rider becomes separated from the board.

In this situation, the spring 154 assumes control and swings the lever to the left-hand position shown in FIG. 14, in which case the brake line 171 is pulled toward the left and the plate 158 is lifted into braking position as indicated by the arrow 178.

It can therefore be seen that I have provided a highly versatile, yet safe, rugged and reliable ski-board device. While the ski-board of the invention is susceptible of numerous physical embodiments, depending upon the environment and requirements of use, substantial numbers of the herein shown and described embodiment have been made, used and tested both in snow and in water environments, and all have performed in an eminently satisfactory manner.

Skiing down a slope on a sand dune is similar in many respects to snow skiing in that no force other than gravity is required. For water skiing, the device requires an exterior power source, such as a small propulsion unit mounted on the transom, or a motor-boat attached to the board by a line leading from the motor boat to an attaching member on the forward end of the ski-board.

What is claimed is:

1. A ski-board comprising:

a hull member extending longitudinally from a forward end to an after end symmetrically about a center line and including a bottom plate and a pair of opposite sidewalls extending longitudinally and upstanding from the edges of said bottom plate and enclosing said hull member; at least one pair of crossmembers extending across said hull member against said bottom plate and against said opposite sides, said cross-members in facing portions thereof having configurations defining left and right toe and heel spaces on opposite sides of said center line to accommodate the feet of a user standing on said bottom plate;

a keel mounted on and depending from the bottom of said hull adjacent said forward end and forwardly of said cross-members;

a rudder mounted on and movable with respect to said bottom plate adjacent said after end and rearwardly of said cross-members;

a lead line secured to said hull member forwardly of said cross-members and accessible to a user standing therebetween; and,

means for controlling said rudder secured to said rudder rearwardly of said cross-members and accessible to a user standing therebetween.

2. A ski-board as in claim 1 wherein said rudder controlling means includes a rudder post rotatably mounted adjacent said after end of said hull, a yoke carried by said post, and a bridle secured to the ends of said yoke, said bridle being of a length sufiicient to be grasped by the skier with the skier standing in one pair of said footspaces.

3. A ski-board as in claim 2, further including a pair of rudder-centering tension springs carried on opposite ends of said yoke and extending to anchor points on said hull.

4. A ski-board as in claim 1 wherein said cross mem bers are formed to provide positive buoyance to said hull.

Images