Ski equipment transport device

A ski equipment transport device includes a handle having a telescoping tubular frame which pulls out of a base member. A top keeper is clasped on to the handle between the opposite sides of the telescoping portions thereof and is attached thereto by a snap fit. A notch is provided on the top keeper for accepting and supporting skis. A strap fastened to one end of the top keeper hooks on to the keeper at the opposite end for retaining the skis. Slots or openings are provided within the base for accepting the butt end of the skis and the points of the ski poles. A wheel assembly is attached to the base so that the device is able to support itself in an upright position when fully loaded. The wheel assembly is at least partially removable from the base to permit the device to be positioned in an equipment locker.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention pertains to a transportation device, in particular, a 
device for the transporting of ski equipment. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A number of devices have been developed for the transporting of various 
items such as ski equipment, luggage and golf clubs. Often these devices 
are bulky and cannot be reduced to a size where the device can be 
conveniently stored. In the case of transporting ski equipment, the prior 
devices are particularly bulky because they are normally as long as the 
skis so that they can efficiently balance the skis. Another problem is 
that the prior ski transport devices cannot normally be reduced to a size 
that may be fit into a ski locker of the type that is typically available 
for storage of personal items at most ski lodges. The result is that the 
transport device must be left out unattended, increasing the risk of 
theft. 
A number of transport devices for various articles are collapsible, 
including telescoping handles and the like. Other known transport devices 
are designed to have wheels to make transport easy and have folding axles 
for purposes of allowing further reduction in size when collapsed. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport device for 
ski equipment which is collapsible and which can stand upright when it is 
fully loaded. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a ski equipment transport device in 
the form of a cart having wheels thereon. The device includes a handle 
having a telescoping tubular frame which pulls out of a base member. A top 
keeper is provided between the opposite sides of the telescoping handle 
and is attached thereto by a snap fit around the tubes. A notch is 
provided on the top keeper for accepting and supporting skis and ski 
poles. A strap fastened at one end to the top keeper hooks onto the keeper 
at the opposite end and secures the skis to the top keeper. Clasps can be 
snapped onto a portion of the handle to hold ski poles. Slots or openings 
may be provided within the base for accepting the butt end of the skis and 
the points of the ski poles. A wheel assembly is attached to a base. The 
wheel assembly includes an axle having a removable portion and a fixed 
portion. The removable portion permits one wheel to be removed from the 
base so that the width of the device is reduced for placement in a locker 
or the like. The wheels are attached high enough on the base so that the 
device can stand independently in an upright position. A second embodiment 
includes at least one wheel attached to the base by a folding axle that, 
when folded, stabilizes the cart to stand in an upright position. Boot 
holders can be attached to the base in either embodiment. 
For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the 
drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, 
however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements 
and instrumentalities shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 illustrates a ski equipment transport device indicated generally by 
the numeral 10. The device 10 comprises a tubular handle 12 having two 
sides, each side having three portions 14, 16 and 18 which telescope 
within one another. The top portion 14 of the handle 12 is generally 
U-shaped and curved at the end to form the grasping section 20. The middle 
portion 16 of the handle 12 has an inside diameter slightly greater than 
the outside diameter of the top portion 14. The middle portion surrounds 
the legs of the U-shaped top portion 14. The top end of the middle portion 
16 is tapered and the bottom end of top portion 14 is expanded so that 
these ends interengage one another and lock in the extended position. The 
lower portion 18 of the handle 14 has an inside diameter that is slightly 
greater than the outside diameter of the middle portion 16. The lower 
portion 18 is also tapered at its upper end so that the middle 16 and 
lower 18 portion interengage and lock in the extended position. The 
tapering at the ends of the middle 16 and lower 18 portions of the handle 
prevent the tubing from sliding apart when the handle 12 is in its fully 
extended position A (shown by dotted lines in FIG. 1). Also the 
interengaging tapers are intended to maintain the handle in the extended 
position. When the handle 12 is in its collapsed position B (shown by 
solid lines in FIG. 1), the three pieces of tubing slide together so that 
substantially only the grasping portion 20 of the handle 14 is exposed 
above the top of the lower portion 18. Other means of expanding and 
locking a telescoping handle or the like are known and are contemplated as 
being applicable to the present invention. 
A top keeper 24 as shown in FIG. 4 forms a lateral extension to the upper 
portion-14 of the handle 12 directly beneath its grasping section 20. Top 
keeper 24 acts as a holding means for the ski equipment. The top keeper 24 
can be attached to any part of the handle 12 but is preferably attached to 
the upper portion 14. The top keeper 24 can be made from a polycarbonate 
polymer, a polypropylene plastic or any other material which can be molded 
as desired. The top keeper 24 snaps onto the two sides of the upper 
portion 14 of the handle 12 by means of clasping ends 26. A notch 30 is 
provided on one side of the top keeper 24 substantially midway between 
each clasping end 26 for retaining the upper portion of a pair of skis and 
ski poles. The notch 30 preferably has a square shape to receive the ski 
equipment therein (FIG. 1). A strap 32 is secured to the top keeper 24 on 
one side of the notch 30 at position 34. Strap 32 is preferably made of 
rubber or some other flexible or elastic material. On the opposite side of 
notch 30 from the attachment 34 of strap 32 is a receiving opening 36 for 
connecting the free end of strap 32 to the top keeper 24 Thus strap 32 
will retain the ski equipment within the notch 30. The strap 32 and 
receiving opening 36 combination may be modified as desired to include a 
buckle, hook or VELCRO (registered trademark of Velcro USA, Inc.) closure 
means or the like. 
The top keeper 24 has clasping ends 26 which are U-shaped and made to have 
a spring like quality such that they are able to snap onto the opposite 
sides of the handle 12. The elasticity in the clasping ends 26 causes them 
to conform to the outer surface of the handle 12 to maintain the position 
of the keeper 24. Likewise the top keeper 24 could be attached to any 
device having a similar handle, such as a luggage cart or a golf cart. As 
with the present device 10, the clasping ends 26 of the top keeper 24 
would move apart to accommodate the handle and then conform to the 
handle's outer surface to form a tight fit. This would adapt the cart to 
carry ski equipment. 
A clasp 28 can be snapped onto either side of handle 12 to hold the top 
portion of ski poles. The clasp 28, as shown in FIG. 4, has three U-shaped 
portions. One U-shaped portion snaps onto the handle 12 of the device 10. 
The two other portions 29 receive the upper portion of a ski pole. Each of 
the U-shaped portions are flexible and move apart to grip the handle 12 or 
ski pole. The clasp 28 is preferably positioned directly beneath the top 
keeper 24 with the two U-shaped portions 29 to receive the ski poles 
facing outward. The positioning of the clasp 28 is left to the convenience 
of the user. The determination as to which side of the handle to place the 
clasp will usually be based on whether the user is left handed or right 
handed. 
A conventional boot holder 38, which is well known in the prior art such as 
that manufactured by Allsop, can be connected to the lower portion 18 of 
the handle 12. On each end of each boot holder 38 is attached a pivotable 
bar 40. The boot holder 38 is spring loaded 41 (see FIG. 2) so as to be 
adjustable to accommodate any size boot. Bars 40 hold each end of the boot 
onto the base portion 39 of the boot holders 38. 
The base 42 of the device 10 is adapted to receive the butt ends of the 
skis and serves as the support for the handle 12 and the wheels 52, 54. 
Base 42 in the present embodiment can be made from a polycarbonate 
polymer, a polypropylene plastic or any other suitable moldable material. 
Base 42, as best illustrated in FIG. 5, is attached to the handle 12 of 
the device 10 by placing the lower portion 18 of the handle 12 through 
cups 44. The base 42 is also provided with ski cup 46 for supporting the 
butt end of the skis. Cups (not shown) may also be provided to receive the 
points of the ski poles. 
On the under side of the base 42 is a longitudinal gap 48 for receiving the 
axle 50 of a wheel assembly 49 which connects to two wheels 52, 54. The 
wheel assembly 49 is mounted high enough on the base 42 so that the wheels 
52, 54 do not touch the ground when the device 10 is in a standing 
position (See FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 1, the wheels 52, 54 are mounted 
on the axle 50 by means of a press cap nut 51 and washer 53. The axle 50 
includes a fixed portion 55 and a removable portion 57. The fixed portion 
55 of the axle 50 is secured to the base 42. The end of the removable 
portion 57 snaps into the fixed portion 55 to retain portion 57 on the 
base 42. When the device 10 is to be stored, the removable portion 57 of 
the axle 50 and the wheel 54 attached thereto can be removed by sliding 
the removable portion 57 of the axle 50 out of gap 48 in the base 42. 
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, both wheels 52, 54 are positioned above the 
bottom of the base 42. This arrangement permits the device 10 to stand in 
an upright position when wheel 54 is removed. Removal of wheel 54 shortens 
the width of the base. This permits the device 10 to be stored in a locker 
when not in use while providing maximum stability when rolling the ski 
equipment. Portion 55 of the axle 50 may also be removable for this 
purpose, if desired. 
A second type wheel assembly 56 is illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 
shows a lower portion of a ski transport device 10' having a base 58 
similar to the previous embodiment in that it contacts the floor when in 
the upright position. The wheel assembly 56 comprises a folding axle 60 
connected to one wheel 62 and supported in a channel 61 in the front of 
the base 58. The opposite wheel 64 is supported by a fixed axle 63. The 
wheels 62, 64 are made of a plastic such as polypropylene and are fastened 
to folding axle 60 and fixed axle 63 by suitable means such as that 
described above. 
The folding axle 60 is secured in the base 58 at one end by pin 68. The pin 
68 is located slightly off center from the midpoint of the base 58. The 
pin 68 forms a pivot such that the folding axle 60 may be removed from the 
channel 61 and the wheel 62 positioned in the front of the base 58 so that 
it is perpendicular to the other wheel 64 (FIG. 9). The folding axle 60 in 
this position is perpendicular to the axle 63. By having the folding axle 
60, the device 10' is further supported in the upright position when it is 
fully loaded. Also, this folding axle reduces the width of the base for 
purposes of locker storage. When the axle 60 is unfolded, the wheels 62, 
64 are extended an equal distance from the base 58 to provide stability. 
A fully loaded ski equipment transport device 10 is illustrated in FIG. 6. 
Ski boots 70 are placed in boot holder 38 with metal bars 40 attached to 
each end thereof. Skis 72 are inserted into the device 10 so that their 
bottom sides face one another. The skis are also inserted into slot 30 and 
are retained therein by the strap 32. The butt end of the skis 72 and the 
tips of the ski poles 74 are placed in the cup 46 in the base 42. The ski 
poles 74 may be inserted into slot 30 adjacent the skis and also be 
retained therein by strap 32. Alternatively, ski poles 74 may be retained 
by clasp 28 which is attached to the U-shaped portion 29. As can be seen 
in FIG. 6, when the device 10 is fully loaded it can support itself in a 
standing position. 
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without 
departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, 
accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than 
to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention.