Clap skate

A clap skate include a forefoot support which is adapted for fastening the sole portion of said skating shoe thereon. The forefoot support is pivotally connected to the front part of a skate frame about a transverse pivot pin, so as to allow said forefoot support with the skating shoe thereon to tilt about the pivot pin forwardly from a normal position, so that the skating shoe is lifted with its heel portion from the rear portion of the skate frame. The pivot pin is held between two bracket flanges extending upwardly from the front part of the skate frame. A spring mechanism tending to cause the forefoot support to return into the normal position comprises a U-shaped spring wire, the cross portion of which engages the upper face of the forefoot support and the legs of which are provided with a helically wound portion. The helically wound portions are each positioned around the pivot pin in an intermediary space between a flange and one lateral end of said forefoot support.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
 The invention relates to skates of the type, with which the skater's foot
 may tilt forwardly relative to the skate frame while the latter is holding
 contact with the "ice" surface, and with which the skate frame returns to
 its normal or starting position relative to the skater's foot as soon as
 it is taken off the (ice) surface. The term "clap skate" is meant to cover
 both ice skates and inline roller skates (also called "skeelers"). Both of
 this clap skate versions are known. Especially the ice skate version has
 become very popular.
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 In the type of skate to which the invention relates, the skate frame has a
 forefoot support and a heel support. The forefoot support is pivotally
 connected to the frame about a transverse pivot pin. A forward tilting
 movement of the skater's foot relative to the skate frame, while the
 latter is in contact with the (ice) surface, is taking place against the
 action of a spring means. Thus said spring means tends to force the skate
 frame to return to its normal position relative to the skater's foot (i.e.
 with the heel of the foot resting on the fixed heel support) as soon as
 the skate frame is taken off the (ice) surface at the end of the skater's
 push.
 Thus the pivot connection between the frame and the forefoot support allows
 the skater's foot to turn away from the skate frame and thereby stretch
 completely during the skater's push being applied onto the (ice) surface.
 As a result of this the skater's push is optimalized.
 The reinstatement of the contact between the fixed heel support and the
 heel at the end of the return movement is accompanied by a blow or "clap".
 Depending on the angle, through which the skate frame has turned away
 during the push phase, the returning movement will take place with more or
 less force and consequently with a more or less powerful clap.
 OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 It is a principle object of the invention to provide an effective and
 reliable spring means for effecting the return movement of the skate
 frame. A further object of the invention is to provide a compact spring
 means which is adapted to be mounted at a location where it is effectively
 guarded against access from the outside.
 Further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter further
 explained by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
 With reference to FIGS. 1 and 21 is the front part of the tubular skate
 frame holding the sliding blade 1a of a speed skate of the "Norwegian"
 type.
 A bracket 2 is fastened, e.g. by soldering, onto the frame 1 (see also
 FIGS. 3-5). A pivot pin 3 is fixedly, but removably connected between the
 two flanges 2a of bracket 2 by means of a fastening screw 4 extending
 through said pivot pin.
 A forefoot support 5 adapted to be fastened to a skating shoe is rotatably
 mounted on said pin 3. For this 5 purpose bearing bushes 6 and 7 are
 mounted in a bore of the forefoot support 5. The bearing bushes 6 and 7
 may be formed of brass or a suitable plastic material.
 The outer ends of the bearing bushes 6 and 7 project beyond the respective
 ends of the forefoot support and are widened to form collars 6a and 7a
 respectively, which collars slidingly engage the inner side of the
 respective bracket flanges 2a.
 In the normal travelling position shown in FIG. 1, the heel portion 11 (as
 shown in FIG. 6) of the shoe is supported on a fixed heel support 12 (as
 shown in FIG. 6) on the rear part of the frame 1.
 Due to the pivot connection described hereinabove the skating shoe fastened
 onto the forefoot support 5 may turn from the position shown in FIG. 1
 towards the position shown in FIG. 2. This movement, which occurs
 particularly in the last phase of the push exerted with the skate under
 skating conditions, is taking place against the action of a spring 8 (see
 FIGS. 1 and 2). The spring 8 is constituted by an U-shaped spring wire see
 FIGS. 6A and 6B, the cross portion of which engages the upper face of the
 forefoot support 5 and the legs 8a of which are provided with helically
 wound portions 9, which are positioned about the collar portions 6a and 7a
 of the bearing bushes 6 and 7. The free end portions 9a of the spring 8
 are held by prongs 10 which extend from the bracket flanges 2a inwardly.
 As soon as the skate/shoe combination gets off the ice at the end of the
 push, the spring 8 causes the combination to return to the position shown
 in FIG. 1.
 It will be appreciated that the return spring 8 described hereinabove is of
 a simple and compact construction. It may be mounted relatively easily,
 whereas it is effectively guarded against obstruction from the outside.