Abstract:
The present invention relates to an improved ski holding device for mounting a ski on a table such as a work bench to prepare the ski base and edges. Problems presented by the new trapezoidal and monocoque designs are overcome by using a simulated ski boot to mount the ski. The mounting also provides for pivoting the ski from a position in which the base is horizontal with the ski inverted, positions in which the base of the ski is vertical and intermediate positions and holding the ski in such orientation. There is additional locking means for holding the base in a horizontal and inverted position. There is also provision for easily disengaging a boot portion of the holding device from a mounting portion of the holding device to reverse the direction in which the ski is pointing.

Description:
The present invention relates to an improved ski holding device wherein a ski is mounted on a stationary support such as a work bench or the like to allow for the preparation of the ski base and edges. 
     The manufacture of skis has undergone revolutionary technological changes both in the materials used and the methods of production. The cross-section of the ski has been traditionally of a rectangular box design which was predominant in 1985. Skis with a trapezoidal cross-section were introduced by Fischer and the monocoque design by Salomon entered the test market in 1989/1990 and is scheduled for mass entry into the ski market in the winter of 1990. 
     Skis are an expensive sporting apparatus which require frequent maintenance or &#34;tuning&#34; to ensure optimal performance and prolonged useful life. Tuning includes the cleaning, repair, texturing and waxing of the plastic base material as well as filing and preparation of the metal edges to remove roughness and provide a smooth, sharp running surface. Such tuning must be repeated throughout the life of the skis. 
     Traditionally skis of the rectangular box design have been secured to a work bench by conventional vises using compression to hold the skis in place. Adapters are required to secure skis of trapezoidal cross section to a conventional vise. These adapters are only marginally effective and are inconvenient to use. Skis both of the rectangular box and trapezoidal design are sensitive to lateral compression and the plastic material of the base of the ski is easily damaged by compression applied by the jaws of a vise. The situation is therefore that there is a risk of damage from clamping compression even with the rectangular box design. This risk remains with trapezoidal designs and there is additional inconvenience. 
     With the introduction of the monocoque design the foregoing problems are intensified. There are no satisfactory adapters and damage becomes probable if conventional vises are used. 
     Another problem presented by skis of trapezoidal and monocoque design is that it may be desired to mount the skis at an inclination to the vertical while sharpening the edges. This cannot be achieved with conventional devices. 
     A further problem is that the person tuning a ski may have preferences as to whether he uses his right hand or left hand to tune both edges. When adapters are needed, it is difficult to rotate the ski 180° so that its tip is facing in a direction opposite to its former direction. 
     Another inconvenience when using a conventional vise is that a brake holder must be used. Many skis have a brake including prongs which pivot to a lowered position to dig into the snow when a boot is released from a binding, but which are retained retracted when a boot is in place. These brakes will seriously interfere with tuning unless they are retracted. 
     It is important that any ski holding device hold the ski firmly, particularly when the ski is inverted with its base horizontal. Shaving, which involves the application of substantial pressure, is done with the base horizontal. 
     There are a number of prior art references which disclose various means for mounting a ski or skis on a work surface. Early prior art devices include those in which the skis themselves are clamped directly into the clamping or mounting device which is then secured by other means to the work bench or table. U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,712 to McGee discloses such a device wherein the ski to be tuned is secured within a vise which clamps either the edges of the ski or the top and bottom surfaces of the ski directly. Such clamping devices are undesirable in that they deform the surfaces to which they are clamped. In order to avoid this major disadvantage, other prior art devices provide other means to hold or mount a ski in a horizontal position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,890 to Sisko et al describes a ski holding device which utilizes a vacuum ski gripping force generated against the upper surface of the ski by a vacuum pad. This device, however, lacks flexibility as it does not allow for mounting of the ski in any position other than with the bottom or running surface facing upwards. 
     Swedish Patent No. 7,513,771-1 (Publication No. 395368) discloses a ski holder which makes use of the ski binding for securing a ski in a position with the running surface turned upwards. Again, however, this device does not allow for securement of the ski in positions other than the horizontal position. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,379 to Lindgren discloses another ski holder which utilizes a boot dummy for mounting a ski to be tuned, utilizing the ski binding. The mounting of the boot dummy within the holder of the Lindgren device, however, has marked disadvantages in that the boot dummy must be disengaged from the holder in order to move the ski from one predetermined position to another and, further, the device only allows for positioning of the ski in three positions, horizontal and the two vertical positions. This latter limitation is particularly undesirable for the tuning of the new varieties of skis which resulted from recent developments in ski technology. These new downhill skis have cross-sections which are trapezoidal or monocoque in device for mou other than at either vertical position or a horizontal position. 
     Finally, German Patent No. 3,243,559 to Stettler discloses a ski holder device which utilizes an adjustable boot dummy for mounting a ski utilizing the binding, together with vacuum cups. The Stettler device does not seem to have any provision for locking the base in a horizontal and inverted position. Also it would be difficult and time consuming to reorient the ski through 180° with its tip pointing in a direction opposite to its previous direction. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A ski holding device is provided for use in the maintenance of skis with bindings including a toe piece and a heel piece comprising a boot portion simulating a ski boot and a mounting portion for said boot portion; said boot portion having an upper section including a front part adapted to engage a toe piece of an inverted ski, a rear part adapted to engage a heel piece and means for adjusting the spacing between the rear part and the front part to simulate different sizes of ski boot, said boot portion also having a lower section comprising at least one supporting tongue dependent from the upper section; said mounting portion having a base and at least one mounting plate extending upwardly from the base to face the supporting tongue, means for pivotally connecting the mounting plate and supporting tongue to permit the ski to be oriented to positions in which the base of the ski is horizontal and inverted, and in which the base is vertical with one side edge uppermost, and vertical with the other side edge uppermost, and holding means which can be tightened for maintaining the ski in each of said positions and in intermediate positions and additional means for locking the base in a horizontal and inverted position. 
     The additional means for locking the base provides firm support when most needed, that is to say when the ski is inverted with its base horizontal. 
     Another important inventive feature in accordance with the preferred aspect of the invention, is that the boot portion can readily be removed from the mounting portion and replaced to point the ski tip in a direction opposite to its previous direction. 
     According to a preferred aspect of this invention the dependent tongue of the boot portion may have an open ended slot engaged by the means for pivotally connecting the mounting plate and tongue to permit this easy removal. The slot in the dependent tongue may also engage a stop to provide the additional means for locking the base. 
     The foregoing feature of an open ended slot with a dual function may also be used to provide a device for holding the ski tip or tail. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view generally illustrating a ski holding device in accordance with this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the ski holding device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a section view on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a section view on the line 4--4 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a section view on the line 5--5 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the ski holding device in position for holding a ski with its base vertical; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional elevation view of an alternative embodiment of this invention; 
     FIG. 8 is an end elevation view partly in section of the embodiment in FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is an end elevation view of a clamp; 
     FIG. 10 is a sectional view on the line 10--10 of FIG. 9. 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a ski holding device in accordance with another embodiment of this invention. 
     FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a clamp for use with the embodiment of FIG. 11. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings in which the same or corresponding parts are identified by the same reference numeral FIG. 1 shows a ski 10 having bindings including a toe piece 11 and a heel piece 12. The ski will often also have a brake 13 which pivots to dig into the snow when the ski boot leaves the binding. 
     The ski holding device in accordance with this invention generally comprises a boot portion 14 simulating a ski boot, and a mounting portion 15. Mounting portion 15 is illustrated as being bolted by bolts 16 to a table such as a work bench 17. However FIGS. 9 and 10 will illustrate a special clamp which may optionally be used. 
     The sole 18 of boot portion 14 has a front part 19 adapted to engage toe piece 11 and a rear part 20 adapted to engage heel piece 12. The sole is preferably shaped in accordance with the German Industrial Norm (D.I.N) specifications for ski boots. These specifications call for a width of from 6.7 to 7.1 mm for sizes 31/2 and up and there are specifications also as to the radius and other dimensions of the heel and toe. The front part 19 and rear part 20 of the boot portion 14 have an adjustable spacing to simulate different sizes of ski boots. Boot portion 14 also has a supporting tongue 21 dependent from the upper section 22 of the boot portion 14. As illustrated, tongue 21 is offset to be closer to the toe piece 11 than the heel piece 12. This provides improved balance, as bindings are closer to the back of the ski than the tip. 
     The mounting portion 15 includes a base 23 and mounting plates 24 and 25 extending upwardly from base 23. Supporting tongue 21 is sandwiched between mounting plates 24 and 25, and these are pivotally connected by a pin 26. Outer knob 27 controls pin 26 which has a threaded portion (not shown in FIG. 1) so that knob 27 can be tightened to clamp supporting tongue 21 to mounting plate 24. 
     Boot portion 14 may be positioned as shown in FIG. 1 with the base 10a of the ski horizontal and inverted or it can be pivoted so that the base 10a of the ski is vertical and facing the viewer of FIG. 1 with one side edge 10b uppermost or facing away with the other side edge 10c uppermost. It can also be maintained in intermediate positions by tightening knob 27. 
     Brake 13 will automatically be retracted due to boot portion 14 being in the binding. 
     Adjustment of front part 19 and rear part 20 of boot portion 14 is accomplished by loosening knobs 28 and 29 to permit relative telescoping movement between front part 19 and rear part 20, following which knobs 28 and 29 are tightened. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, the front part 19 of the boot portion has a U-shaped section as best shown in FIG. 5 including a base 30 and side walls 31 and 32. Rear part 18 has a T-shaped section including upper sole plate 33 and stem 34. At the bottom of stem 34 there are teeth 35 (best shown in FIG. 3) which mate with teeth 36 at the base of the U-shaped section. It is preferred that 100 mm. of potential adjustment be provided with 10 mm. increments as successive teeth are engaged. Knobs 28 and 29 may be tightened to turn bolts 38 and 39 respectively which threadably engage slide 40. Knobs 28 and 29 may be loosened to permit adjustment of the boot size and then tightened to maintain firm interlocking of front and rear portions 19 and 20. Slide 40 is movable along a slot 41 in the sole plate 33. 
     As best shown in FIG. 4, tongue 21 has a open ended slot 42 extending vertically from just above pivot pin 16 to the bottom of tongue 21. Slot 42 receives a reduced part 43 of boss 44. Reduced part 43 is shaped so that it will permit tongue 21 to slide up or down when tongue 21 is in the vertical position, as shown in FIG. 4. Tongue 21 can therefore be moved down to engage a locking projection 45 on base 23 with slot 42. This has an important function of providing means additional to knob 27 for locking the holder to maintain the base of the ski in a horizontal position. This is the position where there is most likely to be pressure during shaving or similar operations. 
     Slot 42 has an enlarged circular portion 46 so that part 43 of the boss will normally rotate within circular portion 46 with the slot 42 disengaged from locking projection 45, except when the flattened sides 47 of part 43 permit the tongue 21 to slide up or down. 
     The sliding of tongue 21 with respect to boss 44 has a further important function in that knob 27 may be loosened with the ski base in a horizontal position and having its tip facing in one direction, the boot portion 14 can be lifted up and replaced, after orienting the ski, with its tip facing in an opposite direction. This can be most convenient for people who have a preference as to the hand used for tuning. 
     Boss 44 is square and fits in a square recess 48 in plate 25, as best shown in FIG. 6. Pin 26 threadably engages boss 44 so that, as knob 27 is turned, boss 44 bears against tongue 21 to retain it in any desired position including the ski base horizontal, the ski base vertical with either edge uppermost and an infinite variety of intermediate positions. These intermediate positions may be preferred during the sharpening of the edges of skis with trapezoidal or monocoque cross-section. 
     The extent of rotational movement of tongue 21 with respect to base 23 may be limited by the abutment of portion 50 of tongue 21 with shoulder 51. Movement in the other direction may be similarly limited. These shoulders provide additional security against unintended movement of the skis during tuning and also provide a reference point to make it easy to orient the ski with its base exactly vertical. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6, the bottom part 52 of tongue 21 is rounded and the tops 53 and 54 of plates 24 and 25 are also rounded to facilitate unimpeded rotation. 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional elevation view and FIG. 8 is an end elevation view, partly in section, of an alternative embodiment for holding a ski tip or tail and in which a clamp is integral with the mounting portion. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a base 60 recessed to receive a ski tip or tail holding arm 61 having an open slot 62 similar to that of tongue 21 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6. 
     Boss portion 64 has flattened sides 65 for movement through slot 62 and is mounted on pin 66 as previously described, so that arm 61 can swing to the positions indicated in phantom lines. 
     Base 60 is integrally connected to supporting post 67 which has a ratchet 68 engaged by ratchet teeth 69 within sleeve 70. A clamping arm 71 extends from sleeve 70 and supports clamp 72, which is tightened against table 73 by turning knob 74. 
     As shown in FIG. 8 pin 66 has knob 75 which can tighten boss 64 against holding arm 61 to clamp arm 61 to mounting plate 76. Mounting plate 77 retains boss 64 against rotation as previously described. 
     The main difference between the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 and that of FIGS. 1 to 6 is that ski tip or tail holding arm 61 has recesses 78 and 78a adjacent its free end, one of which recesses will engage a ski intermediate its binding and its tip or tail when the base of the ski is vertical. This will support the ski when the operator is working on the ski. In one position, when the arm 61 is in the right hand position as shown in FIG. 7, with arm 61 resting against stop 79, recess 78 will be uppermost and will hold the ski; and when it is in the left hand position, resting against stop 79a, recess 78a will be uppermost. When arm 61 is vertical the ski will be supported on top of arm 61. A three piece unit may thus be provided including a structure as in FIGS. 1 to 6 to hold the ski and a pair of devices as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 to support the tip and tail. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, these illustrate a clamp particularly suitable for use in place of the bolts used to secure the base in the embodiment of FIG. 1 of the drawings. These drawings show a post 80, having ratchet teeth 81. A sleeve 82 slides on post 80 and has ratchet teeth 82a to engage teeth 81 at any desired vertical height. Clamping arm 83 extends from sleeve 82 and supports clamps 84 and 85 having knobs 86 and 87. 
     At the top of post 80 there is a beam 88 which extends over the top of table 90 and the base plate 91 of a ski holding device of the type shown in FIG. 1. Beam 88 has downwardly extending projections 92 which engage bolt holes 93 of base plate 91. 
     FIG. 11 illustrates a further embodiment comprising a ski holding device 100 and a tip or tail support 101 mounted on an extrusion 102. In this embodiment extrusion 102 includes a pair of rails 103 and 104 engaged by grooves 105 and 106 in the base 107 of ski holding device 100. Similarly, rails 103 and 104 are engaged by grooves 108 and 109 of tip or tail support 101. This results in the ski holding device 100 and the tip or tail support 101 being maintained in good alignment. Extrusion 102 also has an undercut channel 110 to receive a slide (not shown) which can be used to secure base 107 to extrusion 102 though bolt hole 111. Alternatively, base 107 may be clamped to extrusion 102 with a simple clamp such as clamp 112 shown in FIG. 12. Clamp 112 comprises L-shaped upper clamping member 113, lower clamping member 114 and wing nut 115. The ski holding device also includes two pairs of mounting plates 116 and 116a extending upwardly from base 107, one pair from the front and one from the rear. Each pair receives a dependent tongue 117 or 117a which is slotted as shown in FIG. 4 to allow for easy removal rotation and reclamping. A pair of knobs 118 may be tightened to secure tongue 117 in its desired position. 
     Tongues 117 are illustrated as being integral with a toe piece 119. A heel piece 120 is slidably secured to toe piece 119 by side 121 to accommodate different boot sizes. Knob 122 may be tightened to maintain toe piece 119 and heel piece 120 in a desired relation. 
     Tip or tail support 101 has a web 123 rotatably secured to base 124 by clamping knob 125. A tip or tail support pad 126 has a support arm 127 which is slotted to telescope with respect to web 123 for extensible adjustment of the tip or toe support. Knob 128 tightens the support arm 127 to web 123 at a desired height of pad 123.