Removable trainer handle and brake for skateboard

A trainer handle and brake for removable attachment to a skateboard comprises a handle strut, a handle bar fastened to one end of the strut, a clamp secured at the other end of the strut for clamping the strut to the front end of a skateboard in upstanding relation thereto, the clamp having an upper jaw extending substantially perpendicular to the strut, a lower jaw underlying the upper jaw, and an actuator for moving the jaws together and apart for securing and releasing the jaws relative to the front end of the skateboard, a pair of brake shoes pivotally supported beneath the lower clamp jaw having ends adapted to overlie the front wheels of the skateboard, a lever arm connected to the brake shoes, a brake handle pivotally supported to the handle strut adjacent the handle bar, and brake operating linkage connecting the brake handle with the lever arm for pivoting the brake shoes against the top of the front wheels when the brake handle is actuated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to skateboards and in particular to a combined 
trainer handle and brake for removable attachment to a skateboard. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The current widespread interest in skateboards particularly among young 
people has resulted in the occurrence of many accidents, sometimes 
resulting in serious injuries. The safe use of a skateboard requires the 
development of considerable skill by the operator who has to learn how to 
maintain balance while travelling at sometimes high speeds and to guide 
the skateboard often in competition with motor vehicles using the same 
road or street. 
This invention has been developed for the purpose of helping to reduce the 
risk of injury particularly to a beginner who is just learning how to use 
a skateboard. By providing a training handle and brake combination which 
may be removably attached to the front of the skateboard, the beginner is 
given a stabilizing support to help maintain balance and a brake which 
will permit the beginner to stop when necessary while learning to guide 
the skateboard out of the way of obstructions. 
The following U.S. Pat. Nos. are representative of the prior art: 182,835; 
1,213,454; 1,576,426; 2,027,254; 2,330,147; 4,003,582; 4,037,852; 
4,061,351. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,351 discloses the broad concept of providing a 
removable handle for skateboards to be used by beginners and small 
children. 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,576,426 discloses a handle attached to a coaster board by a 
U-shaped bracket which is bolted to the front of the coater board. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 182,835, 4,003,582, and 4,037,852 disclose brakes for 
skateboards and skates. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,213,454, 2,027,254 and 2,330,147 are illustrative of 
children's scooters which are customarily provided with handles but which 
do not have the combined handle and brake assembly of this invention. 
The present invention distinguishes from the prior art of which applicant 
is aware by providing a trainer handle and brake combined in one unit, or 
assembly, which is removably attachable to the front end of a skateboard 
by means of a clamp. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a trainer handle and 
brake as a unitary assembly which may be readily attached to and detached 
from a skateboard of conventional design without any modification to the 
skateboard. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a trainer handle which 
may be adjusted in height to accommodate users of different heights. 
It is still another object of this invention to provide a trainer handle 
which is secured to a skateboard by a clamp which includes a pair of jaws 
for engaging the skateboard along its top and bottom surfaces. 
It is still another object of the invention to provide a trainer handle and 
brake assembly in which the brake shoes are pivoted to the lower jaw of 
the clamp which secures the assembly to the skateboard with the shoes 
overlying the front wheels of the skateboard. 
It is still another object of the invention to provide brake shoes which 
are part of an adjustable brake plate assembly, the shoes being adjustable 
laterally to vary the spacing between the shoes.

Referring to the drawing, the trainer handle and brake assembly of the 
present invention is generally indicated at 10 and is shown in FIG. 1 
attached to a skateboard 6 of conventional construction. The skateboard 6 
comprises an elongated platform 7 which is rounded at opposite ends and is 
supported by sets 8 and 9 of small wheels adjacent the opposite ends of 
the platform. 
The invention 10 comprises a handle strut 12 having a handle bar 13 secured 
across its upper end, and a clamp 14 secured at its lower end for clamping 
the handle strut to the front end of a skate board as seen in FIGS. 1 and 
2. A brake 15 is pivotally secured beneath the clamp 14 for engagement 
with the front wheels 9 of the skateboard. 
The handle strut includes upper and lower sections 12a and 12b whose 
adjacent ends overlap and are secured together by a pair of bolts 18. The 
handle strut sections 12a and 12b have a plurality of equally spaced holes 
19a and 19b respectively therein through which the bolts 18 are 
selectively placed in order to adjust the length of the handle strut. The 
lower end of the handle strut section 12b is bent rearwardly approximately 
perpendicular to the major portion of the strut section 12b to provide a 
short right angle extension 20 having a pair of apertures 21 therein. 
The clamp 14 comprises channel shaped upper and lower jaws 14a and 14b, 
each having a pair of parallel legs 14',14' and a connecting web 14". The 
short extension 20 of the handle strut 12b is secured to one end of the 
upper jaw 14a preferably by spot welding the extension to the web 14" 
between the legs 14', 14' of the jaw. A diagonal brace 21 having short 
angular extensions 22a and 22b is connected by its upper extension 22a to 
the rear of the handle strut 12 by means of the upper bolt 18 and is 
connected by its lower extension 22b to the end of the upper jaw 14a 
opposite the end receiving handle strut extension 20 by spot welding. The 
lower clamp jaw 14b is adjustably secured to the upper jaw 14a by a pair 
of bolts 23 and 24 extending through spaced holes 25,25 in the lower jaw 
and correspondingly spaced holes 21,21 in the upper jaw. The bolts 23 and 
24 are inserted from beneath the lower jaw so that their hexagonal heads 
bear against the underside of the lower jaw, and their threaded shanks 
extend upwardly through the aligned holes 25 and 21. A washer 26 is 
interposed between the head of the bolt 23 and the web 14" of the lower 
jaw, and a pair of nuts 27,27 are threaded onto the shank of the bolt 23 
between the two jaws as seen in FIG. 2. The nuts 27 can be screwed 
together or apart to adjust the space between the jaws 14a and 14b to the 
approximate thickness of the skateboard. A washer 26 and a nut 28 are 
placed on the upper end of the bolt 24, and the nut 28 is turned to move 
the upper and lower jaws 14a,14b together to tighten the clamp 14 against 
the front end of the skate board as seen in FIG. 2. A nut 29 may also be 
placed on the end of the bolt 23 above the upper jaw 14a and tightened. 
The brake 15 includes a pair of L-shaped brake plates having overlapping 
adjacent ends 30a and 31a respectively, and parallel flat extensions 30b 
and 31b which function as brake shoes. A pair of holes 32,32 are provided 
in the brake plate end 30a, and a pair of elongated slots 33 are provided 
in the brake plate end 31a. A pair of bolts 34 are inserted through the 
slots 33 and holes 32 from above, and are secured by nuts 35 from beneath 
the brake plates. The parallel slots 33 provide means for adjusting the 
space between the brake shoes 30b and 31b to the distance between the 
wheels of the front wheel set 9 so that the brake shoes will overlie the 
tops of the wheels. A U-shaped pivot clevis 36 is secured on top of the 
brake plates 30,31 by one of the bolts 34 extending through an aperture 37 
therein. The clevis 36 is pivotally connected to the lower jaw 14b of the 
clamp 14 by a pivot pin 38 which extends through aligned holes 39 in the 
upstanding legs of the clevis 36 and through aligned holes 40 (only one 
shown) in the depending legs 14' of the channel shaped lower jaw 14b. A 
lever arm 41 is connected beneath the brake plates 30,31 by the bolts 
34,34, and it extends parallel to and opposite from the brake shoes 30b 
and 31b. The lever arm 41 has an upturned end portion 42 with a hole 43 
therein for receiving one end of a connecting rod 17. 
The brake 15 is actuated by a brake handle 16 which is pivotally connected 
adjacent one end to the upper handle strut section 12a beneath the handle 
bar 13 by a pivot pin 44. The brake handle 16 is connected to the brake 
lever arm by the connecting rod 17. 
In use, the trainer handle and brake assembly 10 is removably attached to 
the front end of a skateboard as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by inserting the 
front rounded end of the platform 7 between the upper and lower jaws 14a 
and 14b of the clamp 14. The clamp is then tightened by tightening the nut 
28 on the bolt 24. The brake shoes 30 and 31 are adjusted by loosening the 
nuts 35 on the bolt 34, and sliding the plates relative to each other 
until the brake shoes 30b and 31b are parallel and overlie the tops of the 
wheels of wheel set 9, whereupon the nuts 35 are tightened on the bolts 34 
to lock the brake plates in adjusted position. The length of the handle 
strut 12 is also adjusted to suit the user of the skateboard by removing 
the bolts 18, sliding the upper and lower strut sections 12a and 12b 
closer together or farther apart as the case may be and reinserting the 
bolts 18 through overlaping ends of the strut sections 12a and 12b. 
The handle 12 with its handle bar 13 provides support for the person who is 
learning to use the skateboard to which it is attached, and provides the 
person with a sense of balance. The brake 15 which is easily actuated by 
pulling up on the handle 16 provides the operator with means to stop for 
obstructions. The upward movement of the brake handle 16 lifts the forward 
end of the brake lever 41 and moves the brake shoes 30b and 31b down 
against the wheels of the wheel set 9. The friction of the brake shoes on 
the wheels 9 will brake the wheels and slow or stop the skateboard 
depending upon the braking force exerted by the operator. 
The position of the clevis 36 and the distribution of the weight of the 
brake plates 30,31, the lever arm 41 and connected parts is such that when 
the brake handle 16 is released, the brake handle will pivot downwardly 
under its own weight and the brake shoes 30b and 31b will be lifted out of 
engagement with the front skate wheel 9. 
Looking at FIG. 3, the two sets of aligned holes 45 and 46 in the clamp 
jaws 14a and 14b are provided so that optionally the trainer handle and 
brake assembly may be more permanently secured to the skateboard 6 by 
drilling holes in the skateboard to match the holes 45 and 46 in the clamp 
jaws and bolting the jaws to the skateboard by inserting bolts through the 
holes 45 and 46 and the matched holes drilled in the skateboard. 
While in the foregoing there has been described and shown a preferred 
embodiment of the invention, various modifications and equivalents may be 
resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.