Patent Publication Number: US-2020289913-A1

Title: Attachment for a Ski Waxing Iron

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATOINS 
     Provisional Patent Application No.: U.S. 62/818,911 
     Provisional Patent Filing Date: Mar. 15, 2019 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to lessen friction between snow and a gliding ski, paraffin-based wax is typically applied to a ski, specifically the wax absorption layer known as the ski base. The technique for applying paraffin-based waxes to skis is well known. Most commonly, the following steps are completed:
     1. A heated plate (i.e. a waxing iron base) is held a short distance above the ski base.   2. A solid block of wax is placed against the iron base, thereby melting the wax, which flows by gravity onto the ski base. As the wax cools, it transforms back into a solid.   3. The waxing iron is then drawn along the ski base, again melting the wax, thereby creating a smooth and continuous film of wax on the ski base.   

     A common inconvenience when drawing the waxing iron across the ski base (step  3  in par. 0001) is the tendency of molten ski wax to flow off the ski base downward onto the ski&#39;s side walls, which wastes wax and requires subsequent removal. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is an attachment which may be affixed to the base of a commercially available ski waxing iron and prevents molten ski wax from flowing from the ski base downward onto the sidewalls of a ski. 
     The attachment consists of two clamping bars and two blades. Typical ski waxing iron bases have sufficient thickness to allow the clamping bars to attach to the fore and aft edges of the iron&#39;s base. The clamping bars are oriented parallel to each other and separated by a distance slightly larger than that of the ski&#39;s width. To the interior face of each clamping bar, a thin, flexible blade is permanently affixed near the front end. 
     The separation distance of the two blades is larger at the front of the attachment, tapering to a smaller separation distance in the rear. Therefore, the front of the attachment is easily applied to the ski, while the rear blades are held adjacent to the ski sidewalls via spring tension. 
     The heated iron base and attachment are guided onto the ski base, then drawn along the ski base which melts the wax, while the blades prevent molten ski wax from flowing downward onto the ski&#39;s sidewalls. 
     Accordingly, several advantages of one or more aspects of my invention are:
     1. the blade prevents molten was from flowing onto the ski&#39;s sidewalls, which would otherwise necessitate being removal and going to waste.   2. the prevention of wax flowing onto the ski sidewalls results in retaining a thicker layer of molten wax to remain on the ski bases, reducing the risk of overheating the ski bases.   3. that it is of straightforward operation and which may be cleaned and reused,   4. the attachment may be designed to attach to waxing iron bases of differing sizes, and   5. the separation distance of the 2 clamps may be easily adjusted to allow for use with skis of differing widths.   

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a bottom view of the attachment positioned on an iron base. 
         FIG. 2  shows a side view of the attachment positioned on an iron base. 
         FIG. 3  shows a front view of the attachment positioned on an iron base as well as the ski. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     One embodiment of the attachment is shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 . 
       FIG. 1  shows a bottom view, with an iron base  1  shown for clarity. The attachment is comprised of clamping bars  2 ( a &amp; b ), each having clamping screws  3 ( a &amp; b ) and threaded, matching threaded holes  4 ( a &amp; b ) cut into the front of the clamping bars. One of two flexible blades  5 ( a &amp; b ) are affixed near the front of each clamping bar  2 ( a &amp; b ). 
       FIG. 2  shows an end view of the attachment, with an iron base  1 , a ski  6 , a ski base  7 , and a ski wax layer  8 , shown for clarity. The attachment consists of the clamping bars  2 ( a &amp; b ) and blades  5 ( a &amp; b ). The narrow top edge of the blades  5 ( a &amp; b ) are flush with the bottom of an iron base  1 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a side view of the attachment, with an iron base  1  shown for clarity. The attachment consists of the clamping bars  2 , clamping screws  3 , and matching screw threads  4 . 
     The clamping bars  2 ( a &amp; b ) are oriented on an iron base  1  so the blades  5 ( a &amp; b ) are interior of the clamping bars  2 ( a &amp; b ), and the clamping bars  2 ( a &amp; b ) are parallel to each other and separated by a distance slightly larger than the width of a ski  6 . The clamping screws  3 ( a &amp; b ) are inserted into the threaded holes  4 ( a &amp; b ), then tightened against an iron base  1  tightened to secure the clamping bars  2 ( a &amp; b ) to an iron base  1 . Prior to using the attachment, a ski  6  is prepared by the conventional method of applying ski wax onto a ski base  7 , with ski wax  8  hardening to a solid as it cools. An iron base  1  with affixed attachment is applied to the front of a ski  6  such that the blade&#39;s  5 ( a &amp; b ) largest separation distance is facing towards the back end of a ski  6 . An iron base  1  is then in contact with a wax layer  8 , and the attachment&#39;s blades  5 ( a &amp; b ) are in contact with the sidewalls of a ski  6 . A waxing iron base  1  and the attachment are then moved down the length of a ski base  7 , which melts ski wax  8 . The blades  5 ( a &amp; b ) prevent molten ski wax  8  from flowing onto a ski&#39;s sidewalls. 
     The description above should not be construed as limiting in scope of the embodiments but as merely providing illustrations of some of several embodiments. For example, the attachment may be of numerous dimensions and being comprised of varying metals or metal alloys, etc.