Universal Skate Sharpeners Ltd.

Universal Skate Sharpener Ltd.

Joseph A Consay

Frederick N Trofimenkoff

David H Weiler

James H Hannaford

Donald M Dobie

Warren Myrfield

Douglas R Meier

A machine for sharpening the blade of an ice skate has a vertically mounted, thin grinding wheel with a convex transverse cross-section corresponding to the concave transverse cross-section desired for the blade edge. Clamping plates on a cradle hold the blade above the wheel with their central planes coplanar and with the wheel biassed against the blade. The cradle is pivotable about a horizontal axis above the skate so that the skate can be swung in an arc. Hence the movement of the blade over the wheel takes place in an arc that is curved in the same direction as the convex profile of the blade edge. This action reduces the problem of unevenness of depth of cut along the length of the blade, that has been experienced with prior machines employing straight line relative travel between the skate and the wheel. The tendency for the wheel to take a deeper cut at the more sharply curved toe and heel portions of the blade can be further compensated for by increasing the speed of traverse of the blade over the wheel in the vicinities of these end portions. This traversing speed can be reduced incrementally from a maximum at the extreme toe end of the blade down to a minimum over the central portion of the blade, while being increased again incrementally as the wheel approaches the heel end. Provision is also made for stopping the motor that drives the grinding wheel when the wheel is in the area of the picks of a figure skate.

Ice skate sharpening method

A machine for sharpening the blade of an ice skate has a vertically mounted, thin grinding wheel with a convex transverse cross-section corresponding to the concave transverse cross-section desired for the blade edge. Clamping plates on a cradle hold the blade above the wheel with their central planes coplanar and with the wheel biased against the blade. The cradle is pivotable about a horizontal axis above the skate so that the skate can be swung in an arc. Hence the movement of the blade over the wheel takes place in an arc that is curved in the same direction as the convex profile of the blade edge. This action reduces the problem of unevenness of depth of cut along the length of the blade, that has been experienced with prior machines employing straight line relative travel between the skate and the wheel. The tendency for the wheel to take a deeper cut at the more sharply curved toe and heel portions of the blade can be further compensated for by increasing the speed of traverse of the blade over the wheel in the vicinities of these end portions. This traversing speed can be reduced incrementally from a maximum at the extreme toe end of the blade down to a minimum over the central portion of the blade, while being increased again incrementally as the wheel approaches the heel end. Provision is also made for stopping the motor that drives the grinding wheel when the wheel is in the area of the picks of a figure skate.

Ice skate sharpening machine

Grinding apparatus is disclosed with the preferred embodiment being an automatic ice skate sharpening machine. The workpiece is secured to the frame, and a grinding wheel, mounted on a longitudinally moveable carriage, is biased against the workpiece for relative grinding movement. Sensing means are provided for detecting the grinding resistance of the workpiece on the grinding wheel, and control means responsive to the sensing means are provided for regulating the bias of the grinding wheel against the workpiece, in order to avoid chattering.

Skate sharpening apparatus

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Calgary, Canada

Joseph A Consay