GB2050845A

GB2050845A - Ice skate blade attachment

Info

Publication number: GB2050845A
Application number: GB7936180A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Tuuk Sports Ltd
Current assignee: Tuuk Sports Ltd
Priority date: 1979-05-31
Filing date: 1979-10-18
Publication date: 1981-01-14
Also published as: SE7910242L; JPS55163063A; DE2950238A1

Abstract

A fastener for attaching an ice skate blade to a skate superstructure comprises a bolt 17 and a retainer for the bolt adapted to be fixed to the upper edge 22 of the blade and to retain the bolt head with the shank extending in a predetermined direction from the upper edge, the retainer restraining longitudinal movement of the bolt when under tension while permitting restricted pivotal movement of the bolt about the bolt head. The bolt is inserted through a hole in the superstructure and fastened by means of a nut (Figure 4). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ice skate blade attachment This invention relates to the attachment of ice skate blades to the superstructure portions of skates, i.e.

the portions located between the blade and the skate boot. More particularly, the invention relates to the attachment of ice skate blades to superstructure portions made of plastic material.

Very recently, ice skates having plastic superstructures have become popular because of the attractive appearance that the molded superstructure provide and because of reduced weight etc. However, it has proved difficult to mould the metal blade in the plastic superstructure sufficiently securely for the skate to withstand the considerable forces and shocks that it is subjected to during normal use.

One solution to the problem of mounting the blade in the superstructure is disclosed in our co-pending Canadian Patent Serial No. 258,944 filed on August 12, 1976, and another solution to the problem is disclosed in our co-pending Canadian Patent Application Serial No. 307,856 filed on July 2, 1978.

These solutions to the problem have proven very advantageous. However, the present invention provides yet another solution to the problem which itself has a number of significant advantages.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a fastener for enabling an ice skate blade having an ice-engaging edge, opposed side faces and an upper edge opposite the ice-engaging edge, to be secured in a skate superstructure, said fastener comrpising: a bolt having a shank and a head; and a retainer adapted to be fixed at the upper edge of the skate blade for retaining the head of the bolt with the shank extending in a predetermined direction from said upper edge; said retainer acting to restrain longitudinal movement of the bolt when under tension while permitting restricted pivotal motion of the bolt about said head.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a retainer for the attachment of a bolt having a head and a shank to an ice skate blade having an ice-engaging edge, two opposed side faces, and an upper edge opposite the ice-engaging edge, said retainer comprising; a body adapted to seat upon the upper edge of the blade; at least two legs extending from the body to enable the retainer to be securely fixed to both of the opposed side faces of the blade near the upper edge when the body is seated thereon; a cavity defined within the body for receiving and retaining said head of the bolt and having inner surfaces adapted to allow pivotal movement of said bolt head in the cavity; and a hole in the body communicating with said cavity through which the shank of the bolt may extend.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a bolt for the attachment of an ice skate blade to a skate superstructure, said bolt being adapted for use with a bolt retainer for attaching the bolt to said blade, wherein the bolt retainer has restraining surfaces for restraining longitudinal movement of the bolt when under tension but for permitting limited pivotal movement of the bolt, said bolt comprising: an elongated shank; and a head having curved surfaces adapted to contact said restraining surfaces of the retainer and to co-operate therewith so that said limited pivotal movement can take place smoothly.

The term "bolt" as used throughout the disclosure and claims is intended to mean any elongated member capable of fixing a skate blade in a superstructure. The term is not intended to be limited to a threaded member which functions in co-operation with a nut, although this arrangement is preferred, since there are other ways the bolt may be fixed in the superstructure as will be readily apparent to persons skilled in this art.

The advantage of the invention, at least in the preferred forms, is that the limited pivotal motion between the bolt and the retainer reduces stress at the junction of the blade and the bolt, thus making it much less likely that the blade and/or bolt will become fatigued or broken. At the same time, the fastener can be made quite inexpensively and the blade can be attached in the superstructure by a simple procedure.

In a preferred embodiment, the bolt is made of a material that will cause it to break in preference to the blade or retainer when very large forces or stresses are encountered during use. The bolt is the easiest part of the system to manufacture to close strength requirements. The retainer can thus be made very strong, thereby reducing the risk of unnecesarry failure during use. The bolt can easily be replaced, especially when the retainer is attached to the blade by soldering.

Presently preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a bolt retainer according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the retainer of Figure 1 having a bolt positioned therein; Figure 3 is a cross-section along the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-section of a skate employing the fastener according to the first embodiment of the invention, the scale being different from that of Figures 1-3; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a retainer according to a second embodiment of the invention;; Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the retainer of Figure 5 rotated through approximately 180 and having a bolt located therein; Figure 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a skate employing the fastener according to the second embodiment of the invention, the scale being different from that of Figures 5 and 6; and Figure 8 is a perspective view of an intermediate scale, of a bolt suitable for use in any one of the embodiments of the previous Figures.

In a first embodiment of the present invention, a metal skate blade is attached to a plastic superstructure by means of a fastener consisting of a bolt and a bolt head retainer (hereinafter referred to simply as a bolt retainer) which is attached to an upper part of the skate blade.

The bolt retainer is shown in perspective view in Figure 1 and in cross-sectional views in Figure 2 and 3, and is generally identified by the reference numeral 10. The bolt retainer has a body 11 which, in use, is located above an upper edge 22 of a skate blade 23 (shown in phantom in Figures 2 and 3).

Legs 12 extend from the body 11 along the respective side faces of the blade 23 adjacent the upper edge 22. The distance d between the legs 12 is made slightly larger than the width of the blade so that the inner surfaces of the legs contact the side faces of the blade or are closely spaced therefrom.

The body 11 has a centrally located, upwardly projecting collar 13 with a central circular hole 14.

At the two longitudinal ends, the body 11 curves inwardly between legs 12 to form flat supports 15 intended to seat securely on the top flat edge 22 of the blade. The supports 15 and legs 12 thus form a saddle which securely mounts the bolt retainer 10 on the upper edge of the blade.

Locking tabs 16 shown in phantom are integral with supports 15, but are bent slightly upwardly out of the plane of the supports, as shown.

The bolt retainer 10 is shown in longitudinal cross-section in Figure 2 and in transverse crosssection in Figure 3 along line Ill-Ill of Figure 2. Both these figures show a bolt 17 located within the bolt retainer, thus forming a fastener.

The inner surface of the collar 13 defines a cavity 18 for receiving and retaining the lead 19 of the bolt.

The longitudinal ends of the cavity are curved and the adjacent side edges 20 of the bolt head are correspondingly curved so that the bolt 17 can pivot smoothly by a small extent both in the longitudinal direction of the bolt retainer 10 and also in the transverse direction. The amount of pivotal movement that is possible is governed by the amount of space betwen the inner edge of the hole 14 and the adjacent part of the shank 21 of the bolt, since further pivotal movement of the bolt is prevented whenever the shank abuts against the inner edge of the hole 14. For the purposes of this invention, only a relatively small total amount of pivotal motion is required both in the longitudinal and transverse directions (e.g. about 5a of arc) so the spacing between the inner surface of the hole 14 and the shank of the bolt can be quite small.

Locking tabs 16 keep the bolt in position in the retainer 10 and, because of their upward inclination, keep the bolt head 19 spaced a suitable distance from upper edge 22 of skate blade 23. This enables the legs 12 to be soldered, spot welded or brazed etc.

to the side faces of the blade without the bolt head 19 becoming rigidly fixed in the cavity 18 by surplus solder or the like.

The purpose of this embodiment of the invention will now be apparent. The retainer 10 forms an effective means of securing one end of a bolt 17 to a skate blade so that the shank of the bolt can be inserted through a hole formed in the skate superstructure and retained by suitable means, such as a nut, at the opposite end of the bolt. Such an arrangement is shown as a longitudinal crosssectional view in Figure 4.

The skate blade is anchored in the plastic superstructure 24 at two spaced locations beneath heel support 25 and toe support 26 by two bolt retainers 10, two bols 17 and nuts 27. Washers 28 are also provided between the nuts and the adjacent superstructure.

The bolt retainers 10 are firmly attached to the blade 23 by brazing, spot welding, soldering or otherwise attaching the legs 12 and/or the supports 15 of the retainers to the adjacent side faces and/or upper edge of the blade 23. This allows the bolts 17 to be tensioned by means of nuts 27 (which bear against reinforcing pillars 29 formed of the syuperstructure material), and thus securely fixes the blade 23 in slot 30 of the superstructure. The bodies 11 of the bolt retainers extend above the blade and are received in the superstructure in pockets 31 communicating with slot 30. The pockets are preferably dimensioned to snugly receive bodies 11 so that the bodies not only act as retainers for the bolts but also act as anchors or abutments to prevent the blade sliding longitudinally either forwards or backwards in the slot 30.

The slot 30 is made slightly wider (e.g. by 15 or 20 thousandths of an inch) adjacent pockets 31 to allow room for insertion of the bodies 11 and legs 12 of the bolt retainers. The dotted line 32 in Figure 4 shows the position on each side face of the blade 23 to which the superstructure extends on each side of slot 30. As can be seen from the drawing, the bolt retainers 10, and particularly the legs 12 thereof, are so dimensioned that the retainers are not visible when the blade is assembled in the superstructure.

The advantages of the retained 10 are as follows.

Firstly, the method of blade attachment using the retainers is quite economical. The retainer 10 and bolts 17 can be manufactured inexpensively and there is not need for any special treatment of the blade itself, apart from the attachment of the retainers thereto. Secondly, the smooth pivotal movement made possible by the contacting curved surfaces of the cavity 18 and bolt head 19 allows the skate blade to move slightly with respect to the superstructure when subject to impact or the like, without undue stress being placed on the blade, retainer, bolt or superstructure. Thirdly, the retainer 10 can easily be removed from the blade (particularly when it is attached by soldering) and replaced, if the retainer or bolt 17 breaks during use.

It is also preferred that the material of the retainer 10 and the bolt 17 should be chosen so that, when a breaking tensile or shearing stress is applied to the combination of blade, retainer and bolt, the bolt forms the weakest member and breaks in preference to the others. Since the bolt is the easiest part of the system that can be manufactured to a close strength requirement, the rest of the system can be designed with suitable safety factors, so that the system will never fail below a designed minimum value. It is particularly advantageous to protect the blade in this way as skate blades are relatively expensive. A suitable tensile strength for the bolt has been found to be about 950 Ibs.

Another advantage which accrues from the "play" or pivotal motion allowed by the retainer 10 between the blade 23 and the bolt 17 is that the metal of the blade has less tendency to become fatigued during prolonged use, and therefore the life of the blade is extended and the blade has a reduced tendency to break.

The stress-reducing effect of the play allowed by the retainer is enhanced by the fact that legs 12 extend a substantial distance along the side faces of the blade. When the legs are attached to the blade by solder, brazing or several spot welds, any stress between the retainer and the blade is spread over quite a large area of the blade rather than being concentrated at one point. Any given stress therefore has a reduced tendency to break or deform the blade, and the retainer is less likely to be detached from the blade.

The retainer 10 can be easily and economically manufactured from a flat plate by die forming and deep drawing (to form the raised collar 13). It is preferable to use a material which becomes hardened when drawn, and stainless steel is a suitable material. Stainless steel is also a suitable material for the bolt 17.

Soldering and spot welding are the preferred methods of attaching the retainer to the blade. A high tensile strength, low melting point solder may be used, e.g. solder having a melting point of about 400"F and a tensile strength of 18,000 Ibs. The use of low melting point solder reduces the tendency of annealing, which affects the temper of the blade.

Furthermore, it is advantageous to coat the bolt 17, or at least the head 19 thereof, with a material which repels molten solder. Similarly, the walls of the cavity 18 are also advantageously coated with such a material, so that solder is prevented from entering the space between the bolt head 19 and the walls of the cavity 18. This makes it less likely that the desired smooth pivotal movement of the bolt head will be interfered with during the attachment of the retainer to the blade. Lacquer is given as an example of a suitable coating material.

It will be appreciated that various modifications can be made to the retainer 10 described above without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appendant claims. For example, the lockjng tabs 16 for retaining the head 19 of the bolt and for spacing it from the legs 12 can be omitted or replaced by inwardly folded tabs punched out of the walls of the collar 13. Additionally, the two legs 12 can be replaced by a larger number of shorter legs (i.e. legs shorter in the longitudinal direction of the blade).

Furthermore, whereas Figures 1 to 4 show the type of retainer preferred for use in ice hockey skates, Figures 5 to 7 show a second embodiment of the retainer which is preferred for use in figure skates. In the description of this second embodiment, parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment are identified by the same reference numeral with the addition of a prime.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the second embodiment. The bolt retainer 10' has a body portion 11', legs 12', a collar 13', a hole 14' in the collar, supports 15' for engaging the top edge of the blade (not shown in Figure) and a iocking tab 16' for retaining the head of the bolt 19' (see Figure 6). In this embodiment the collar 13' and hole 14' are directed upwardly at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the retainer 10'.

From the longitudinal cross-sectional view of Figure 6 it will be apparent that bolt head 19' is located in cavity 18' (defined by the inner surfaces of the collar 13') and is retained in place by locking tab 16' in a similar manner to the corresponding parts in the first embodiment, and bolt 17' may pivot smoothly by a few degrees of arc within the retainer 10' both in the longitudinal and transverse direc tons.

The retainer 10' has supports 15' which rest on the top edge 22' of skate blade 23'.

The reason for the inclination of the collar 13', hole 14' and bolt 17' will be apparent from Figure 7 which is a cross sectional view of a skate superstructure and blade employing the retainer 10' of Figures 5 and 6.

The skate blade 23' has an upstanding lug 33 at the forward end which acts as an anchor to prevent rearward or downward motion of the blade relative to the superstructure 24'. The retainer 10' is attached at the rear of the blade, e.g. by soldering, spot welding or brazing, and it fits within pocket 31' in the superstructure 24', which communicates with the longitudinal slot 30' in the superstructure for the blade. Bolt 17' passes through a hole formed in the superstructure material and is retained at the external rear edge of the superstructure by nut 27'.

This arrangement allows the blade to be firmly fixed in the superstructure with only one retained 10', but is capable of withstanding the large rearward force on the blade that this type of skate is subjected to.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a bolt which may be used in either of the two embodiments disclosed above, and or this reason the parts are identified by two sets of reference numerals, corresponding to the numerals used in the two embodiments.

The bolt 17, 17' has an enlarged head 19,19' with curved side edges 20,20', and a shank 21,21' with a threaded end, as shown.

CLAIMS i 1. A fastener for enabling an ice skate blade having an ice-engaging edge, opposed side faces and an upper edge oposite the ice-engaging edge, to be secured in a skate superstructure, said fastener comprising: a bolt having a shank and a head; and a retainer adapted to be fixed at the upper edge of the skate blade for retaining the head of the bolt with the shank extending in a predetermined direction from said upper edge; said retainer acting to restrain longitudinal movement of the bolt when under tension while permitting restricted motion of the bolt about said head.

2. A fastener according to Claim 1 wherein surfaces of the head of the bolt contact restraining surfaces of said retainer when said bolt is under tension, and wherein said surfaces of the head and said restraining surfaces are correspondingly curved

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the blade 23 and the bolt 17 is that the metal of the blade has less tendency to become fatigued during prolonged use, and therefore the life of the blade is extended and the blade has a reduced tendency to break. The stress-reducing effect of the play allowed by the retainer is enhanced by the fact that legs 12 extend a substantial distance along the side faces of the blade. When the legs are attached to the blade by solder, brazing or several spot welds, any stress between the retainer and the blade is spread over quite a large area of the blade rather than being concentrated at one point. Any given stress therefore has a reduced tendency to break or deform the blade, and the retainer is less likely to be detached from the blade. The retainer 10 can be easily and economically manufactured from a flat plate by die forming and deep drawing (to form the raised collar 13). It is preferable to use a material which becomes hardened when drawn, and stainless steel is a suitable material. Stainless steel is also a suitable material for the bolt 17. Soldering and spot welding are the preferred methods of attaching the retainer to the blade. A high tensile strength, low melting point solder may be used, e.g. solder having a melting point of about 400"F and a tensile strength of 18,000 Ibs. The use of low melting point solder reduces the tendency of annealing, which affects the temper of the blade. Furthermore, it is advantageous to coat the bolt 17, or at least the head 19 thereof, with a material which repels molten solder. Similarly, the walls of the cavity 18 are also advantageously coated with such a material, so that solder is prevented from entering the space between the bolt head 19 and the walls of the cavity 18. This makes it less likely that the desired smooth pivotal movement of the bolt head will be interfered with during the attachment of the retainer to the blade. Lacquer is given as an example of a suitable coating material. It will be appreciated that various modifications can be made to the retainer 10 described above without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appendant claims. For example, the lockjng tabs 16 for retaining the head 19 of the bolt and for spacing it from the legs 12 can be omitted or replaced by inwardly folded tabs punched out of the walls of the collar 13. Additionally, the two legs 12 can be replaced by a larger number of shorter legs (i.e. legs shorter in the longitudinal direction of the blade). Furthermore, whereas Figures 1 to 4 show the type of retainer preferred for use in ice hockey skates, Figures 5 to 7 show a second embodiment of the retainer which is preferred for use in figure skates. In the description of this second embodiment, parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment are identified by the same reference numeral with the addition of a prime. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the second embodiment. The bolt retainer 10' has a body portion 11', legs 12', a collar 13', a hole 14' in the collar, supports 15' for engaging the top edge of the blade (not shown in Figure) and a iocking tab 16' for retaining the head of the bolt 19' (see Figure 6). In this embodiment the collar 13' and hole 14' are directed upwardly at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the retainer 10'. From the longitudinal cross-sectional view of Figure 6 it will be apparent that bolt head 19' is located in cavity 18' (defined by the inner surfaces of the collar 13') and is retained in place by locking tab 16' in a similar manner to the corresponding parts in the first embodiment, and bolt 17' may pivot smoothly by a few degrees of arc within the retainer 10' both in the longitudinal and transverse direc tons. The retainer 10' has supports 15' which rest on the top edge 22' of skate blade 23'. The reason for the inclination of the collar 13', hole 14' and bolt 17' will be apparent from Figure 7 which is a cross sectional view of a skate superstructure and blade employing the retainer 10' of Figures 5 and 6. The skate blade 23' has an upstanding lug 33 at the forward end which acts as an anchor to prevent rearward or downward motion of the blade relative to the superstructure 24'. The retainer 10' is attached at the rear of the blade, e.g. by soldering, spot welding or brazing, and it fits within pocket 31' in the superstructure 24', which communicates with the longitudinal slot 30' in the superstructure for the blade. Bolt 17' passes through a hole formed in the superstructure material and is retained at the external rear edge of the superstructure by nut 27'. This arrangement allows the blade to be firmly fixed in the superstructure with only one retained 10', but is capable of withstanding the large rearward force on the blade that this type of skate is subjected to. Figure 8 is a perspective view of a bolt which may be used in either of the two embodiments disclosed above, and or this reason the parts are identified by two sets of reference numerals, corresponding to the numerals used in the two embodiments. The bolt 17, 17' has an enlarged head 19,19' with curved side edges 20,20', and a shank 21,21' with a threaded end, as shown. CLAIMS i

1. A fastener for enabling an ice skate blade having an ice-engaging edge, opposed side faces and an upper edge oposite the ice-engaging edge, to be secured in a skate superstructure, said fastener comprising: a bolt having a shank and a head; and a retainer adapted to be fixed at the upper edge of the skate blade for retaining the head of the bolt with the shank extending in a predetermined direction from said upper edge; said retainer acting to restrain longitudinal movement of the bolt when under tension while permitting restricted motion of the bolt about said head.

to allow smooth pivotal motion of the bolt with respect to the retainer in the longitudinal direction of the skate blade.

3. A fasteneer according to Claim 1 wherein surfaces of the head of the bolt contact restraining surfaces of said retainer when said bolt is under tension, and wherein said surfaces of said head and said restraining surfaces are correspondingly curved to allow smooth pivotal motion of the bolt with respect to the retainer in the transverse direction of - the skate blade.

4. A fastener according to Claim 1, Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein said retainer comprises a body adapted to seat upon the upper edge of the skate blade, at least two legs adapted to extend from said body partially along the opposed side faces of the blade from the upper edge, a cavity defined within said body for receiving and retaining said head, and a hole in said body communicating with said cavity through which the shank of the bolt may extend.

5. A fastener for enabling an ice skate blade having an ice-engaging edge, opposed side faces and an upper edge opposite the ice-engaging edge, to be secured in a skate superstructure, said fastener comprising: a bolt having a shank and a head; and a retainer having a body adapted to seat upon the upper edge of the skate blade, at least two legs adapted to extend from the body partially along the opposed side faces of the blade from the upper edge, a cavity defined within said body for receiving and retaining said head, and a hole in said body communicating with said cavity through which the shank of the bolt may extend; said bolt head and parts of the body defining said cavity having surfaces which come into contact when tension is applied to said bolt, said surfaces being curved to allow smooth pivotal motion of the bolt head within said cavity.

6. Afasteneraccording to Claim 5 wherein said body includes means for spacing said bolt head from the upper edge of the skate blade when the body is seated thereon.

7. A fastener according to Claim 5 or Claim 6 wherein the bolt head is coated with a material which repels molten solder.

8. A fastener according to Claim 5, Claim 6 or Claim 7 wherein the dimensions and material of the bolt are such that it will break in preference to the blade or retainer when a breaking force or stress is applied to a combination of the blade, retainer and bolt.

9. A retainer for the attachment of a bolt having a head and a shank to an ice skate blade having an ice-engaging edge, two opposed side faces, and an upper edge opposite the ice-engaging edge, said retainercomprising: a body adapted to seat upon the upper edge of the blade; at least two legs extending from the body to enable the retainer to be securely fixed to both of the opposed side faces of the blade near the upper edge when the body is seated thereon; a cavity defined within the body for receiving and retaining said head of the bolt and having inner surfaces adapted to allow pivotal movement of said bolt head in the cavity; and a hole in the body communicating with said cavity through which the shank of the bolt may extend.

10. A bolt for the attachment of an ice skate blade to a skate superstructure, said bolt being adapted for use with a retainer for attaching the bolt to said blade, wherein the retainer has restraining surfaces for restraining longitudinal movement of the bolt when under tension but for permitting limited pivotal movement of the bolt, said bolt comprising: an elongated shank; and a head having curved surfaces adapted to contact said restraining surfaces of the retainer and to co-operate therewith so that said limited pivotal movement can take place smoothly.

11. An ice skate comprising a skate blade having an ice-engaging edge, opposing side faces, and an upper edge opposite the ice-engaging edge, a superstructure having a longitudinal slot receiving the upper edge of the blade, and at least one fastener fastening the blade securely in the superstructure; said fastener comprising: a bolt having a shank and a head at one end ofthe shank; a retainer for the bolt having a body locatedatthe upper edge of the blade, at least two legs extending from the body partially along the side faces of the blade and firmly secured thereto; a cavity defined in the body containing said head ofthe bolt and permitting restricted pivotal movement of the bolt head therein; a hole in the body communicating with the cavity through which the shank of the bolt extends, the shank being smaller than the hole at the part thereof which extends through said hole; a bore in the superstructure through which said shank extends; and means for securing the shank firmly within said bore.

12. A skate according to Claim 11 wherein the legs are attached to the blade by solder, spot welds or brazing.

13. A fastener substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A retainer substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15. A bolt substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.