Patent GB-1362090-A (GB)
Title: Sharpening of ice skates
IPC: B24B3/00
Filed: 1972-02-10
Abstract: 1362090 Sharpening ice skates MERCO INTERNATIONAL Ltd 10 Feb 1972 [12 Feb 1971] 6286/72 Heading B3D An ice skate sharpening machine comprises means 41, 43, Fig. 4, to clamp a pair of skate blades 11, 13 in a fixed position, in alignment but facing in opposite directions, a grinding wheel 65, Fig. 8, having its cross-sectional profile dressed to the desired cross-section of the skate blade edges, mounting means for holding the grinding wheel with its plane in a plane containing the clamped skate blades, means for driving the grinding wheel, means for biasing the grinding wheel towards the skate edges and traversing means for moving the grinding wheel along the skate blade edges. As described the machine is coin operated and automatically controlled. The skates are inserted in the machine heel-to-heel, each heel abutting a centre bar 15 and the edges resting on locations 19 ... 23, Fig. 3. Toe-end locators 31, 33 are slidable along a shaft 79, Fig. 9, and carry blocks 63A for locating the toe-ends of the skates, the heel ends being located by blocks 63B carried by the centre bar 15. The skates are clamped in their located positions by bars 41, 43, 45, 47 which are connected by toggle links 51, 53 to rods 55, 61 and a fixed part 59 of the machine; movement of the rods upon rotation of screw-threaded shafts 101, 102 driven by a clamp motor CL moves the bars to clamp the skates. When the skates are clamped, the locations 19 ... 23 are pivoted to an inoperative position by movement of a rod 108 driven by a crank 109 on a motor LOC. A lead screw 113 is rotatable by a motor CA to move a carriage 115 along guide rods 117, 119, the carriage having low friction slider bearings. The carriage has a transversely mounted shaft 129 which supports a sub-chassis 127 and is mounted in bearings 201 in the carriage. The sub-chassis carries a shaft 137 of the grinding wheel 65 which is belt-driven from a motor GR. An adjustable weight 197 acts to urge the sub-chassis about the axis of shaft 129 to engage the grinding wheel with the skates, undesirable oscillation resulting in chatter being prevented by an hydraulic damper 203 on shaft 129, the damper consisting of a vane in a cylinder of fluid. The grinding wheel has a convex profile for grinding a concave edge of the blades and is dressed by a diamond tool 143 carried by an arm 141 at one end pivotally mounted on the sub-chassis. The other end of the arm is connected by a link 147 to a nut 149 engaging a screw 151 which is rotated step-by-step by a ratchet mechanism 153 operated by a solenoid to advance the dressing tool incrementally towards the wheel. The arm 141 is rocked by a link 189 connected to a crank 189 driven by a dressing motor DR to cause the dressing tool to form a convex profile on the wheel. During dressing, a cam 167 mounted on the shaft of an electric motor, when moved to one limiting position, holds the sub-chassis, and hence the grinding wheel, in a lower position away from the skate edges. In its other position, the grinding wheel, urged by the weight 197, rises to engage the skate edges and the carriage is driven to traverse the wheel along the skate edges. The movement towards the toe-ends of the skates is terminated according to the position of the toe locators and according to whether the machine is set to grind hockey or figure skates. The number of traverses of the grinding wheel along the edges is determined by setting the machine for poor, fair, or good condition of the skate edges. Dust is drawn by a fan 219 through a duct 221 into a filter 223.