Skateboard skid accessory

A skid accessory for skateboards adapted to be mounted at the end of the board between the wheel supporting trucks and the end of the board to protect the board from engagement with the ground and to act as a braking device by frictional engagement with the ground.

This invention relates to land vehicles such as skateboards and more 
particularly to a skid member which protects the skateboard from excessive 
wear and acts as a brake member. 
The board portions of skateboards are subjected to substantial wear 
particularly at opposite ends because the ends are frequently brought into 
engagement with the ground during performance of acrobatics by tilting the 
board about one or the other of its axles. Such wear appears primarily at 
the rear of the board. 
Skid members have been provided for skateboards which tend to wear 
excessively and when worn must be discarded. 
It is an object of the invention to provide a skid member for skateboards 
which acts to protect the board from excessive wear. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a skid member for skateboards 
having a configuration which enhances the braking effect resulting when 
the skid member is brought into engagement with the ground. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide a skid member for 
skateboards which is reversible to present a new wear surface thereby 
extending useful life of the skid member. 
The objects of this invention are accomplished by providing a skid member 
for skateboards which is in the form of a body member adapted for mounting 
to the underside of the skateboard with the body member having a 
semi-cylindrical surface such that the axis of curvature of the surface is 
disposed transversely to the board and generally parallel to the ground on 
which the skateboard is to be operated. The semi-cylindrical surface is 
provided with parallel spaced rib members which also extend parallel to 
the axis of curvature of the semi-cylindrical surface. The ribs are formed 
to project generally perpendicular to the bottom of the skateboard surface 
on which the skid member is to be mounted.

A skid member or accessory for skateboards embodying the invention is 
designated generally at 10 and is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as supported from 
the underside of a skateboard 12. The skateboard 12 includes a board 
member 14 supported for forward and rearward truck assemblies 16 and 18, 
respectively. Each of the truck assemblies includes a pair of wheels 20 
rotatable on axles 22 disposed substantially transversely to the board 
member 14. 
The skid member 10 has a unitary body member preferably made of a high 
density plastic material. The body member is a longitudinal segment of a 
cylinder having a semi-cylindrical surface 26 with the axis of curvature 
of the surface 26 extending substantially transversely to the board member 
14. The skid member 10 has a flat mounting surface 28 formed on the chord 
of said semi-cylindrical surface that is adapted to engage the lower 
surface 30 of the board 14. 
The skid member 10 is held in the attachably fixed position at the 
underside of the board member 14 by means of a pair of bolts 32 one of 
which is associated with each end of the skid member 10. As seen in FIG. 
3, the skid member 10 is provided with a pair of recesses 34 in the 
surface 26 adjacent opposite ends of the skid member 10 and each of the 
recesses 34 is provided with a pair of openings 36. The pair of bolts 32 
are adapted to pass through a selected one of the openings in each of the 
recesses 34 and as seen in FIG. 4 the bolts 32 preferably have a flat head 
38 seated in a counter sunk portion in the top surface of the board member 
14. The skid member 10 is maintained in position by nuts 39 engaged with 
the bolts 32 and disposed in the recesses 34. The two pair of openings 36 
in the pair of recesses 34 are disposed symmetrically relative to the 
center line of the board member 14 which is indicated at 40 and affords a 
selected mounting arrangement for different spacing of openings in the 
skateboards. 
The semi-cylindrical surface 26 of the skid member 10 is provided with a 
plurality of ribs 42 which project downwardly in substantially 
perpendicular relationship to the lower surface 30 of the board member 14 
as best seen in FIG. 3. The rib members 42 and the alternate grooves 44 
are disposed to extend substantially parallel to the axis of curvature of 
the semi-cylindrical surface 26. 
As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cylindrical surface 26 is formed on the 
exterior of a semi-cylindrical wall 50 of substantially uniform thickness. 
Also end walls 52, a middle wall 54 and intermediate walls 56 extend 
transversely to the axis of the semi-cylindrical wall and serve to 
reinforce the skid accessory 10. The cavities formed by the walls 52, 54 
and 56 permit the skid member 10 to maintain its strength and at the same 
time reduce its weight and material content to make the skid member 
economical to form. The top surfaces of the walls 52, 54 and 56 as well as 
the top surface of the enlarged portions 58 and connecting wall 60 form 
the mounting surface 28 which engages the bottom of the skateboard 14. 
Referring now to FIG. 3, when skid member 10 is placed in operation, the 
skateboard 12 is caused to pivot about the axis of the adjacent axle 22 so 
that one or more of the ribs 42 is brought into engagement with the ground 
surface on which the skateboard is being operated and which is indicated 
in FIGS. 1 and 3 by the line 62. Under that condition it will be noted 
that the ribs 42 are disposed at an angle to the surface 62 which enhances 
the braking characteristics of the skid member 10. 
After a period of use the ribs 42 in the ground contacting area become worn 
and if desired new ribs 42 may be brought into position for engagement 
with the ground by temporarily detaching the skid member 10, revolving the 
member end for end and refastening the bolts 32. 
A skid accessory for skateboards has been provided which is adapted to be 
fastened to the underside of the skateboard between the ground engaging 
wheels and the adjacent end of the board. The skid member has a 
semi-cylindrical surface with its axis of curvature disposed transversely 
to the direction of movement of the skateboard and the surface is formed 
with rib members which when engaged with the ground are disposed at an 
angle enhancing the braking effect of the skid member. After ribs become 
worn in one ground engaging area, the skid member can be reversed to 
present another ground engaging surface.