U.S. patent application number 14/736947 was filed with the patent office on 2015-12-24 for skate sharpening fixture.
The applicant listed for this patent is Magna Closures Inc.. Invention is credited to Kurt M. Schatz.
Application Number | 20150367224 14/736947 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54868766 |
Filed Date | 2015-12-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150367224 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schatz; Kurt M. |
December 24, 2015 |
SKATE SHARPENING FIXTURE
Abstract
A skate sharpening fixture. The skate sharpening figure
including an anvil base plate that is suspended on a lower plate.
An upper anvil plate is connected to the anvil base plate and
presents an upper anvil surface for resting a skate blade
therealong. A clamp assembly is mounted relative to the upper anvil
plate and includes a clamp for biasing the skate blade against the
upper anvil surface to establish a closed and clamped position of
the skate sharpening fixture. At least one of the anvil base plate,
the lower plate, or the clamp are comprised of a lightweight
material for reducing an overall weight of the skate sharpening
fixture and placing a center of gravity of the skate sharpening
fixture in close proximity to an operator's position.
Inventors: |
Schatz; Kurt M.; (Uxbridge,
CA) |
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Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Magna Closures Inc. |
Newmarket |
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CA |
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|
Family ID: |
54868766 |
Appl. No.: |
14/736947 |
Filed: |
June 11, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62015158 |
Jun 20, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
451/371 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C 3/10 20130101; B24B
3/003 20130101; B24D 15/066 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63C 3/10 20060101
A63C003/10; B24D 15/06 20060101 B24D015/06; B24B 3/00 20060101
B24B003/00 |
Claims
1. A skate sharpening fixture comprising: an anvil base plate
suspended on a lower plate; an upper anvil plate connected to the
anvil base plate and presenting an upper anvil surface for resting
a skate blade therealong; a clamp assembly mounted relative to the
upper anvil plate and including a clamp for biasing the skate blade
against the upper anvil surface to establish a closed and clamped
position of the skate sharpening fixture; and wherein at least one
of the anvil base plate, the lower plate or the clamp are
comprising of a lightweight material for reducing an overall weight
of the skate sharpening fixture and placing a center of gravity of
the skate sharpening fixture in close proximity to an operator's
position.
2. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 1 wherein at
least one of the anvil base plate, the lower plate, or the clamp
are constructed from case aluminum or bronze.
3. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 1 wherein each
of the clamp and the upper anvil plate present an exposed vertical
surface which is disposed adjacent to a grinding wheel during a
sharpening operation of the skate blade; and a wear resistant plate
disposed on at least one of the exposed vertical surfaces of the
clamp or the upper anvil plate to minimize or prevent wear of the
skate sharpening fixture during the blade sharpening operation.
4. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 4 wherein the
wear resistant plate is comprising of an ultra-high molecular
weight polyethylene.
5. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 1 further
comprising bottom wear pads attached to a bottom portion of the
lower plate to prevent damage to both the skate sharpening fixture
as well as a table on which the skate sharpening fixture rests.
6. A skate sharpening fixture comprising: a lower plate extending
between an operator side and an anvil side for engaging a table; an
anvil base plate moveably supported by said lower plate; an upper
anvil plate extending from said anvil base plate in generally
perpendicular relationship to said lower plate and proximate to
said anvil side of said lower plate and presenting an upper anvil
surface extending in spaced and parallel relationship with said
lower plate for supporting a side of an ice skate; a clamp
presenting a clamp surface disposed in spaced and parallel
relationship with said upper anvil surface and linearly moveable
toward and away from said upper anvil surface for clamping the
skate blade between said clamp surface and said upper anvil surface
to secure the skate blade in position for being sharpened; at least
one operator control connected to said lower plate adjacent to said
operator side for being gripped by an operator to allow said skate
sharpening fixture to be moved by the operator; and at least one of
said lower plate, said anvil base plate, or said clamp being
comprised of a lightweight material for reducing an overall weight
of said skate sharpening fixture and placing a center of gravity of
said skate sharpening fixture toward said operator side of said
lower plate when a skate is secured by said skate sharpening
fixture.
7. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 6 wherein at
least one of said anvil base plate, said lower plate, or said clamp
are constructed from case aluminum.
8. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 6 wherein at
least one of said anvil base plate, said lower plate, or said clamp
are constructed from bronze.
9. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 6 wherein each
of said clamp and said upper anvil plate present an exposed
vertical surface extending generally perpendicularly to said upper
anvil surface for being disposed adjacent to a grinding wheel
during a sharpening operation of the skate blade, and a wear
resistant plate disposed on at least one of said exposed vertical
surfaces of said clamp or said upper anvil plate to minimize or
prevent wear of said skate sharpening fixture during the blade
sharpening operation.
10. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 9 wherein each
of said wear resistant plates have a length extending parallel to
said upper anvil surface and a width extending parallel to said
exposed vertical surface with said length being greater than said
width.
11. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 9 wherein said
wear resistant plate includes a pair of wear resistant plates each
disposed on one of said vertical surfaces of said clamp and said
upper anvil plate.
12. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 9 wherein said
wear resistant plate is comprised of an ultra-high molecular weight
polyethylene.
13. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 9 further
including an adhesive disposed between said wear resistant plate
and said vertical surface for securing said wear resistant plate to
said vertical surface.
14. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 6 wherein said
lower plate includes a bottom portion, and at least one bottom wear
pad is attached to said bottom portion to prevent damage to both
said skate sharpening fixture as well as the table on which said
skate sharpening fixture rests during tilting movement of said
skate sharpening fixture.
15. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 14 wherein
said at least one bottom wear pad is attached to said bottom
portion of said lower plate in alignment with said at least one
operator control.
16. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 15 further
comprising a fastener extending through and attaching said at least
one bottom wear pad to said bottom portion to allow said bottom
wear pad to be removed and replaced.
17. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 14 further
including a felt pad disposed against said bottom portion of said
lower plate and spaced from said wear pad for engaging the table to
prevent damage to both said skate sharpening fixture as well as the
table when said skate sharpening fixture is not tilted relative to
the table, and said felt pad having a larger surface area than said
wear pad.
18. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 17 wherein
said felt pad extends further from said bottom portion of said
lower plate than said bottom wear pad to allow said felt pad to
engage the table when said skate sharpening fixture is not tilted
relative to the table.
19. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 6 wherein said
at least one operator control includes a pair of operator controls
spaced from one another and each disposed adjacent to said operator
side of said lower plate.
20. A skate sharpening fixture as set forth in claim 6 further
including a plurality of adjustment devices interconnecting said
lower plate and said anvil base plate to provide movement of said
anvil base plate relative to said lower plate, each of said
adjustment devices including an adjustment knob for being rotated
by an operator, and each of said adjustment devices being of a
manganese bronze material for reducing the weight of said skate
sharpening fixture to place the center of gravity of said skate
sharpening fixture further toward said operator side and for
minimizing wear to said adjustment knobs.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/015,158 filed Jun. 20, 2014. The entire
disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by
reference.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to a skate
sharpening fixture or holder, and a method of using same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This section provides a general summary of background
information and the comments and examples provided in this section
are not necessarily prior art to the present disclosure.
[0004] A number of skate sharpening fixtures have been developed
for use with skate sharpening machines. These fixtures hold a skate
blade in place while the skate blade is passed along a grinding
wheel to sharpen the skate blade. The orientation of the skate
blade with respect to the grinding wheel is crucial, and if the
skate blade and grinding wheel are not properly aligned, the skate
blade will be sharpened in an unsatisfactory fashion. Examples of
conventional skate sharpening fixtures are disclosed in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 8,827,768 and 8,888,567.
[0005] Although conventional skate sharpening fixtures offer
control of the skate blade orientation during sharpening, they are
very heavy and difficult for an operator to manipulate during the
sharpening process. As a result, operator fatigue occurs during
extended use of these existing skate sharpening fixtures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] This section provides a general summary of the present
disclosure and is not intended to be a comprehensive and exhaustive
listing of all of its features, objectives and aspects or of its
full scope.
[0007] It is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a skate
sharpening fixture that addresses and overcomes the shortcoming
associated with conventional skate sharpening fixtures.
[0008] It is another aspect of the present disclosure to provide a
skate sharpening fixture configured to optimize positioning of the
center of gravity of the fixture and of the fixture installed with
a skate to provide enhanced operator control and sharpening
precision.
[0009] In accordance with these and other aspects of the present
disclosure, a skate sharpening fixture is provided comprising: an
anvil base plate suspended on a lower plate; an anvil upper plate
connected to the anvil base plate and presenting an upper anvil
support surface for resting a skate blade thereon; and a clamp
assembly having a clamp member mounted on the upper anvil plate for
movement of a clamp support surface relative to the anvil support
surface to establish a closed and clamped position and secure the
skate blade between the support surfaces; wherein at least one of
the anvil base plate, the lower plate and the clamp member are
fabricated from a lightweight material to reduce overall weight and
locate the center of gravity of the fixture in close proximity to
the operator.
[0010] In accordance with these and other aspects of the
disclosure, a skate sharpening fixture is further provided
comprising: a lower plate extending between an operator side and an
anvil side for engaging a table; an anvil base plate moveably
supported by the lower plate; an upper anvil plate extending from
the anvil base plate in generally perpendicular relationship to the
lower plate and proximate to the anvil side of the lower plate and
presenting an upper anvil surface extending in spaced and parallel
relationship with the lower plate for supporting a side of an ice
skate; a clamp presenting a clamp surface disposed in spaced and
parallel relationship with the upper anvil surface and linearly
moveable relative to the upper anvil surface for clamping the skate
blade between the clamp surface and the upper anvil surface to
secure the skate blade in position for being sharpened; at least
one operator control connected to the lower plate adjacent to the
operator side for being gripped by an operator to allow the skate
sharpening fixture to be moved by the operator; and at least one of
the lower plate, the anvil base plate, or the clamp being comprised
of a lightweight material for reducing an overall weight of the
skate sharpening fixture and placing a center of gravity of the
skate sharpening fixture toward the operator side of the lower
plate when a skate is secured by the skate sharpening fixture.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes
only of selected embodiments and not all implementations, and are
not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a skate sharpening fixture
constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present
disclosure;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a top view of the skate sharpening fixture shown
in FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a side view of the skate sharpening fixture
illustrating a preferred center of gravity;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a side view of the skate sharpening fixture
illustrating a blade of a hockey or figure skate disposed therein
and adjacent to a grinding wheel;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a side view of the skate sharpening fixture
illustrating the center of gravity relative to the hockey or figure
skate;
[0017] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the skate sharpening fixture
illustrating the skate blade disposed therein;
[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates an enlarged portion of FIG. 1 for showing
bottom wear pads disposed along a bottom surface of the skate
sharpening fixture; and
[0019] FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the skate sharpening fixture
shown in FIG. 7 and illustrating a felt pad disposed adjacent the
bottom wear pads and along the bottom surface.
[0020] Corresponding reference numerals are used to indicate
corresponding parts throughout the several views provided by the
drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ENABLING EMBODIMENTS
[0021] Example embodiments of a skate sharpening fixture
constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present
disclosure will now be more fully described. Each of these
non-limiting example embodiments is provided so that this
disclosure is thorough and fully conveys the scope of the inventive
concepts, features and advantages to those skilled in the art. To
this end, numerous specific details are set forth such as examples
of specific components, devices and mechanisms associated with the
skate sharpening fixture to provide a thorough understanding of
each of the embodiments associated with the present disclosure.
However, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, not all
specific details described herein need to be employed, the example
embodiments may be embodied in many different forms, and thus
should not be construed or interpreted to limit the scope of the
disclosure.
[0022] With reference now to the drawings, a skate sharpening
fixture 10 for use in sharpening a blade 12 of a hockey or figure
skate 14 is shown. Skate sharpening fixture 10 includes an anvil
unit 16 having an anvil base plate 18 which floats or is suspended
on a bottom or lower plate 20. The lower plate extends between an
operator side 21 and an anvil side 23. The operator side 21 is
disposed adjacent to an operator position 25 where an operator
stands during use of the skate sharpening fixture 10 (as best
illustrated in FIG. 3). Anvil unit 16 also includes an upper anvil
plate 22 that is integrally connected with anvil base plate 18 and
which provides an upper anvil surface 24 for one side of skate
blade 12 to rest along when skate blade 12 is disposed in skate
sharpening fixture 10 and is being sharpened by a grinding wheel 26
(Best shown in FIG. 4). The upper anvil plate 22 extends from the
anvil base plate 18 in generally perpendicular relationship to the
lower plate 20 from a location that is proximate the anvil side 23
of the lower plate 20. A clamp assembly 28 is mounted to a clamp
stanchion segment 30 of upper anvil plate 20 and includes a clamp
32 which, as best illustrated in FIG. 4, includes a lower clamp
surface 34 designed to be biased against the other side of skate
blade 12 during the clamping and sharpening operation. As best
shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in operation clamp assembly 28 effectuates
a clamping of skate blade 12 between upper anvil surface 22 and
clamp surface 34.
[0023] Skate sharpening fixture 10 also includes a plurality of
adjustment devices 36 each provided for adjusting an orientation of
anvil base plate 16 with respect to lower plate 20 during or prior
to sharpening of skate blade 12. Put another way, the plurality of
adjustment devices 36 are provided to allow a position of anvil
unit 16 to be altered so that skate blade 12 is properly aligned
with grinding wheel 26 of a skate sharpening machine, shown
diagrammatically as block 38 in FIG. 4. This allows for skate
sharpening fixture 10 to be used with or calibrated to any skate
sharpening machine. Moreover, the adjustment feature of skate
sharpening fixture 10, provided by way of adjustment devices 36,
allows the floating or suspended anvil base plate 18 to be tweaked
in any direction relative to lower plate 20, thereby allowing skate
blades 12 to be sharpened in a variety of ways.
[0024] As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plurality of adjustment
devices 36 are each located at a desired point of adjustment and
can be used to raise or lower a respective portion of anvil base
plate 16. Each adjustment device 36 includes an adjustment knob 40
secured to a bolt 42 which extends through leg segments 44 of anvil
base plate 18 and into threaded engagement with lower plate 20. In
a preferred arrangement, a spring 46 surrounds each bolt 42 and is
positioned between an upper planar surface 48 of lower plate 20 and
an underside surface 50 of anvil base plate 18. Spring 46 acts to
bias anvil base plate 18 against adjustment knobs 40 that are
attached to the other end of bolt 42.
[0025] Clamp assembly 28 additionally includes a cam member 52 that
is rotatable about a pivot axis that extends through the cam member
52. A cam handle 54 extends outwardly from the cam member 52 for
allowing a user to provide the rotational movement of the cam
member 52. A flange segment 62 extends horizontally from the clamp
stanchion segment 30 over the cam member 52. An adjustment
mechanism 60 extends downwardly through the flange segment 62.
Rotation of the cam handle 54 causes the cam member 54 to engage a
cam surface 39 of the adjustment mechanism 60. Since the adjustment
mechanism 55 is stationary, the cam member 54 forces the clamp 32
downward, thus clamping the skate blade 12 between the upper anvil
surface 24 and the clamp surface 34 in a closed position.
[0026] In operation, skate blade 12 is first placed between upper
anvil surface 24 and clamp surface 34 in an open position, after
which a user manually rotates cam 52 by way of cam handle 54.
Therefore, this camming action, established between cam 36 and the
cam surface 39, forces clamp 32 to move downward, thereby resulting
in a clamping of skate blade 12 between upper anvil surface 24 and
clamp surface 34 to establish the closed position of clamp
effectuate a clamping of skate blade 12 in skate sharpening fixture
10. Once clamped, skate blade 12 is secured for subsequent
sharpening by grinding wheel 26. In a non-limiting example,
adjustment mechanism 60 includes a threaded fastener 60 having a
head segment 66 and a bolt segment 68. Rotation of the threaded
fastener causes the fastener to vertically move relative to the
flange segment 62, thus modifying the resulting displacement of the
clamp 32 during rotation of the cam handle 54 to permit a desired
clamping force to be established against the blade 12. A spring 72
is disposed between head segment 64 and flange segment 62 of
stanchion 30 to bias the adjustment mechanism in an upward
position.
[0027] As best shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 6, clamp 32 and upper anvil
plate 22 present a pair of aligned and exposed vertical surfaces 74
and 76, respectively, which are disposed adjacent to grinding wheel
26 during a sharpening of skate blade 12. As is customary practice,
a stone is used to remove burrs from the sides of skate blade 12
during the sharpening process. However, the use of this stone leads
to excessive wear of skate sharpening fixture 10, namely wear of
both clamp 32 and upper anvil plate 22. As best shown in FIGS. 1
and 6, wear-resistant plates 80 and 82 having a low friction wear
surfaces are respectively disposed on exposed vertical surfaces 74
and 76 of clamp 32 and the upper anvil plate 22 to minimize or
prevent wear, and thus damage, to skate sharpening fixture 10
during the blade sharpening process. In a preferred arrangement,
wear-resistant plate 80 is adhered to clamp 32 and wear-resistant
plate 82 is adhered to upper anvil plate 22 using an adhesive
backing. However other means of affixing or adhering wear-resistant
plates 80, 82 could be used without departing from the scope of the
subject disclosure. In a preferred arrangement, wear-resistant
plates 80, 82 are comprised of an ultra-high molecular weight
(UHMW) polyethylene to provide the low friction, wear-resistant
properties. However, other wear resistant materials, such as
bronze, could alternatively be used without departing from the
scope of the subject disclosure. Further, in a preferred
arrangement, wear resistant plates 80, 82 each a length that
extends generally parallel to the upper anvil surface 24 and a
width that extends parallel to the exposed vertical surfaces 74,
76. The length is greater than the width such that the
wear-resistant plates 80, 82 substantially cover the entirety of
the vertical surfaces 74, 76.
[0028] As illustrated throughout the Figures, skate sharpening
fixture 10 includes operator control points 90 which are located
adjacent the operator side 21 of the lower plate 20 and the
operator's body to allow for precise control of the location of
skate sharpening fixture 10 during a sharpening operation. As is
known, a sharpening of skate blade 12 necessarily requires precise
operator control of the skate sharpening fixture, especially during
a sharpening of a toe or heel section of skate blade 12. However,
as previously mentioned, existing skate sharpening fixtures are
difficult to precisely manipulate and control during the sharpening
process, mainly due to the weight of the existing skate sharpening
fixtures. For example, existing fixtures on the market can weigh
approximately seven (7) pounds, which leads to a center of gravity
for existing fixtures which is located closer to the grinding wheel
26 than is optimal. Thus, when the center of gravity is located
this close to the grinding wheel 26, the precise control that is
necessarily required to operate the skate sharpening fixture is
compromised.
[0029] In a preferred management, at least one bottom plate 20,
upper anvil plate 22 clamp 32, operator control points 90, or other
components of clamping assembly 28 or skate sharpening fixture 10
are comprised of lightweight materials to significantly reduce the
overall weight of skate sharpening fixture 10. This reduction in
weight effectuates a center of gravity for skate sharpening fixture
10 which is disposed closer to the operator's position than those
achieved in existing skate sharpening fixtures. Put another way,
the use of lightweight materials in skate sharpening fixture 10,
especially for components disposed adjacent grinding wheel 26,
facilitates a movement of the center of gravity for skate
sharpening fixture 10 closer to the operator. As illustrated in
FIG. 3, when the skate 14 is not clamped in skate sharpening
fixture 10, a center of gravity, denoted by line 91 is spaced from
the clamp stanchion segment 30 toward the operator side 21 of the
bottom plate 20. As illustrated in FIG. 5, when skate 14 is clamped
in skate sharpening fixture 10, a center of gravity, denoted by
line 92, passes next adjacent a sole portion 94 of skate 14, spaced
further from the stanchion segment 30 than without the skate being
fitted on the skate sharpening fixture 10. The movement of the
center of gravity closer to an operating position of skate
sharpening fixture 10 facilitates more precise control by way of
operator control points 90 than is achievable in the existing skate
sharpening fixtures. Put another way, the movement of the center of
gravity by way of the lighter components provides better tactile
feedback/feel to an operator, allowing for more precise operation
of skate sharpening fixture 10.
[0030] In a preferred arrangement, one or more of lower plate 20,
upper anvil plate 22, clamp 32, or other components of clamping
assembly 28 or skate sharpening fixture 10 are constructed from
case aluminum or bronze. The casting process for these components
facilitates a unitary component as well as the incorporation of the
lightweight materials into skate sharpening fixture 10, which leads
to not only a weight but also a cost reduction for skate sharpening
fixture 10. However, other lightweight materials could be utilized
without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. In
addition, adjustment knobs 40 could be cast from manganese bronze
to not only reduce weight, but also minimize wear.
[0031] As best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, skate sharpening fixture 10
includes bottom wear pads 100 attached to a bottom portion 102 of
lower plate 20, with bottom wear pads 100 disposed underneath each
of operator control points 90. Since skate sharpening fixture 10 is
regularly tilted during the sharpening process to check the
condition of skate blade 12, bottom wear pads 100 prevent damage to
both skate sharpening fixture 10 as well as a table on which 104
skate sharpening fixture 10 rests. In a preferred arrangement, a
fastener such as a screw 104 or the like attaches both bottom wear
pads 100 and operator control points 90 to lower or bottom plate
20. Accordingly, bottom wear pads 100 can easily be removed and
replaced, as needed. As best shown in FIG. 8, a felt pad 106
extends along bottom portion 102 of base plate 20 and, in a
preferred arrangement, extends from bottom portion 102 a greater
distance than each of bottom wear pads 100. As a result, felt pad
106, as opposed to bottom wear pads 100, contacts a table when
skate sharpening fixture 10 is disposed thereon.
[0032] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been
provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not
intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual
elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not
limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are
interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if
not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in
many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure
from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be
included within the scope of the disclosure.
* * * * *