Carrying Device For Skis

Abstract

The invention contemplates a carrying device for a pair of skis which is adapted to secure the skis side by side in a common plane. The device is comprised of a pair of clamping assemblies which are mounted on either side of the center of balance of the skis. The upper half of each clamping assembly is formed in two parts having shoulders which prevent the skis from moving edgewise. A cord which serves as a handle is strung between the assemblies.

Description

This invention relates generally to a carrying device for skis and more particularly it concerns a device which is especially adapted to facilitate hand carriage of a pair of skis to and from a motor vehicle.

Increasingly, the sport of skiing is drawing people from long distances for just a day or weekend outing. This requires transporting a good deal of paraphenalia to and from the ski area often at frequent intervals. In addition to the bare necessities, such as skis, poles and boots it is commonplace to bring along other things such as extra clothing, and food. Consequently it becomes awkward at the least, especially for women and children, to carry all these things from a parking area, for example, to a location in the vicinity of the ski slopes where it is possible to ski the rest of the way.

Heretofore, special clamps or bags have been used extensively to carry boots. Then too, knapsacks of one kind or another have found wide use for carrying food and clothing. But the skis themselves are usually carried back-to-back over the shoulder without any special aids, which makes it difficult to use at least one hand for anything else. Also expensive clothing can be torn or soiled. Nevertheless the skis are generally carried this way because of the overriding convenience of auto ski racks which for the most part require that the skis be loaded separately. Hence it has generally been considered too much of a nuisance to bother with clamping devices to aid in carrying the skis.

The general object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a more handy type of carrying device for skis.

A more specific object is to provide a device of the above-mentioned character which can be secured to the skis even while they are being transported by auto or the like in a conventional ski rack.

The novel features of the invention together with further objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment and from the drawing to which the description refers.

IN THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the device according to the present invention after it has been attached to a pair of skis, and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device.

With reference now to the drawing it will be observed that the numeral 11 refers to a flexible cord which is adapted to form a loop towards one side of the skis. The ends of the cord are attached to identical clamping assemblies 12 and 13, and more particularly to a bar member 14 which comprises the lower half of each clamping assembly. Conversely the upper half of each assembly is seen to comprise two parts, a spacer member 16, and a retainer member 17. Spacer member 16 is provided with oppositely extending winglike projections which are adapted to overlap adjacent edges of the skis. These projections extend in the same direction as the bar member but, as is apparent, are much shorter in length. Retainer member 17 has a projection which extends in one direction only so that in cross section it appears like the right-hand half of member 16. It too extends in alignment with the bar 14.

To join the upper and lower halves of the clamping assemblies together, threaded bolts such as carriage bolts 21 and 22 are provided. Bolt 21 is passed through a slot 23 centrally located on the bar 14 and thence through the spacer member 16. Bolt 22 is passed through a clearance hole at the end of the bar opposite from that where the cord is attached and thence through the retainer member 17. Wing nuts 26 and 27 are threaded onto the bolts. Finally, compression springs 28 and 29 are provided on the bolts between the bar and the respective members 16, 17 so as to urge them apart.

In operation the wing nuts 26 and 27 are loosened so that the upper and lower halves of the clamping assemblies can move apart under the influence of the springs. Also, bolts 21 may be moved laterally in slots 23 to increase the spacing between the spacer members and the retainer members as required to accommodate skis of different widths. Now the clamping assemblies are ready to be attached to the skis one at a time. That is to say, one of the clamping assemblies is positioned slightly forwardly of the center of balance of one of the skis with bar 14 extending across its undersurface and members 16 and 17 astride its edges. To expedite this process, spacer member 16 can be rotated out of the way temporarily so as to permit the bar to be brought flush against the ski (or vice versa) and then returned to its original position so that the edge portions of the ski are caught beneath the wing portions of members 16 and 17. The wing nuts can then be partially tightened.

After repeating the process with the other clamping assembly just to the opposite side of the center of balance, the other ski is now clamped into position. That is to say, this ski is placed beside the previously secured ski with its near edge beneath the wing portion of member 16. At this point the wing nuts are tightened all the way, locking the skis in place so that they can be easily picked up and carried by the cord 11. As will by now be apparent, the skis are carried on edge one above the other, and while in this position they are positively prevented from moving edgewise within the clamping assemblies by the shoulders on the members 16 and 17.

Although the invention has been described in terms of a single preferred embodiment, it will be recognized that various modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention are possible. Therefore the invention should not be deemed to be limited to the details of what has been described but only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A carrying device for skis comprising means to clamp a pair of skis into fixed position with respect to one another so that the skis extend side by side and parallel to one another in a common plane, and means to form a loop to one side of the skis, the same being adapted to be grasped by hand for carriage of the skis with their axis extending horizontally one above the other and their surfaces disposed in the same substantially vertical plane, said clamping means comprising two separate clamping assemblies adapted to be secured to the skis in spaced parallel relation, each having substantially equal but opposite displacements from the center of balance of the skis, and, each of said clamping assemblies comprising a bar extending across both skis in contact with one of the surfaces thereof, a central spacer member disposed between adjacent edges of the skis and being provided with oppositely extending wing portions overlapping portions of the opposite surfaces of the skis in the vicinity of their adjacent edges, and a lower retainer member overlapping a portion of said opposite surface of only one of the skis in the vicinity of its remote edge, said retainer member having a shoulder to contact said edge and thereby prevent edgewise movement of said one of the skis.