Patent Publication Number: US-9895786-B2

Title: Reciprocating skate blade sharpener

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to sharpeners and more particularly to portable sharpeners for snow/ice travel members such as ice skates, skis and snowboards. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is known to provide a sharpener for sharpening items such as skate blades. Some sharpeners, in particular some portable skate blade sharpeners, however suffer from one or more problems. For example, some sharpeners are not capable of easily accommodating skate blades of different thicknesses. 
     Another problem with some sharpeners is that they are not configured to ensure that the left and right corners of a skate blade are sharpened evenly relative to each other. 
     Another problem with some sharpeners is that their sharpening surfaces may be difficult and/or expensive to replace after wearing out. 
     It would be advantageous to provide a sharpener that at least partially overcomes one or more of these and other problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect, the invention is directed to a sharpener for sharpening a corner edge of a snow/ice travel member, which may be, for example, an ice travel member such as a skate blade, or a snow travel member such as a ski or a snowboard. The sharpener reciprocates a sharpening structure lengthwise along a face of the item to be sharpened. The sharpener may reciprocate along the face of the item by means of a motorized drive mechanism, or alternatively, the sharpener may be manually operated. 
     In a particular embodiment of the first aspect, the sharpener includes a body, a skate blade orienting structure, first and second sharpening surfaces and a drive mechanism. The skate blade orienting structure is configured to orient the skate blade along a longitudinal direction line. The first and second sharpening surfaces are positioned for sharpening first and second corner edges respectively of the skate blade. The drive mechanism is configured to move the first and second sharpening surfaces reciprocally relative to the body along a reciprocation path that is at least generally parallel to the longitudinal direction line. 
     In a second aspect, the invention is directed to a sharpener that has at least one sharpening surface and first and second side face guide structures that center a skate blade along a particular direction line with respect to the at least one sharpening surface. The first and second side face guide structures may be adjustable along the particular direction line so that they can accommodate a plurality of thicknesses of skate blade. 
     In a particular embodiment of the second aspect the sharpener includes a body, a skate blade orienting structure configured to orient the skate blade along a longitudinal direction line, at least one sharpening surface, a drive mechanism configured to move the sharpening surface relative to the body, a first skate blade side face guide surface and a second skate blade side face guide surface. The first and second skate blade side face guide surfaces are spaced apart from each other laterally by a lateral spacing and are configured to receive therebetween a skate blade having a selected thickness and for centering the skate blade on the at least one sharpening surface. At least one of the first and second skate blade side face guide surfaces may be movable laterally relative to the other, thereby adjusting the first direction line spacing to accommodate a plurality of skate blade thicknesses. 
     In a third aspect, the invention is directed to a sharpener that has a first sharpening surface and a second sharpening surface which sharpen first and second corner edges of a skate blade. The first and second sharpening surfaces are adjustable in terms of their spacing from each other to accommodate a plurality of thicknesses of skate blade. 
     In a particular embodiment of the third aspect the sharpener includes a body, a skate blade orienting structure configured to orient a skate blade along a longitudinal direction line, a drive mechanism, a first sharpening surface and a second sharpening surface. The first and second sharpening surfaces are movable by the drive mechanism for sharpening a first skate blade corner edge and a second skate blade corner edge respectively, The first and second sharpening surfaces are spaced apart from each other laterally by a lateral spacing. At least one of the first and second sharpening surfaces is movable laterally relative to the other to permit adjustment of the lateral spacing to accommodate a range of thicknesses of skate blades. 
     In a fourth aspect, the invention is directed to a sharpener that has a first sharpening surface and a second sharpening surface and first and second side face guide surfaces, which center a skate blade on the first and second sharpening surfaces. The first side face guide surface and the first sharpening surface cooperate to form a sharp first corner edge of the skate blade. The second side face guide surface and the second sharpening surface cooperate to form a sharp second corner edge of the skate blade. 
     In a particular embodiment of the fourth aspect, the sharpener includes a body, a skate blade orienting structure configured to orient a skate blade along a longitudinal direction line, a drive mechanism, a first sharpening surface and a second sharpening surface, and a first side face guide surface and a second side face guide surface. The first and second sharpening surfaces are movable by the drive mechanism for sharpening a first corner edge of a skate blade and a second corner edge of the skate blade respectively. The first and second sharpening surfaces are spaced apart laterally from each other. The first and second side face guide surfaces are positioned to centre the skate blade laterally with respect to the first and second sharpening surfaces. The first sharpening surface is angled laterally outwardly towards the sharpening base and has a first laterally outer edge that is laterally outside of the first side face guide surface and wherein the second sharpening surface is angled laterally outwardly towards the sharpening base and has a second laterally outer edge that is laterally outside of the second side face guide surface. 
     In a fifth aspect, the invention is directed to a sharpener that has sharpening base with a sharpening surface on it, wherein the sharpening base is disposable and is removable from the rest of the sharpener. 
     In a sixth aspect the invention is directed to a disposable sharpening base with the sharpening surface thereon, wherein the sharpening base is for use with a non-disposable portion of a sharpener. 
     In a seventh aspect, the invention is directed to a sharpener with at least one sharpening surface that applies a consistent force on an edge face of a skate blade regardless of the force that a user applies on engaging the skate blade with the sharpener. 
     In a particular embodiment of the seventh aspect, the sharpener includes a body including an edge face positioning surface for receiving an edge face of a skate blade, at least one sharpening surface positioned for sharpening a corner edge of the skate blade, a drive mechanism configured to move the at least one sharpening surface relative to the body, a sharpening surface engagement biasing member that, in use, is configured to bias the at least one sharpening surface to the edge face of the skate blade. 
     In an eighth aspect, the invention is directed to a kit of parts that includes a sharpener including at least one sharpening surface for sharpening an edge face of the skate blade, and at least one shoe, wherein together, the at least one shoe and the sharpener include a plurality of skate blade orienting structures wherein each skate blade orienting structure is configured for orienting a skate blade having a unique width along a longitudinal direction line and for centering the skate blade laterally with respect to the at least one sharpening surface. 
     In a ninth aspect, the invention is directed to a sharpener, including a body a snow/ice travel member orienting structure, configured to orient a snow/ice travel member along a longitudinal direction line, and a sharpening base with a sharpening surface thereon positioned for sharpening a corner edge of the snow/ice travel member. The sharpening base is disposable and is removably connectable to a non-disposable portion of the sharpener. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1 a    is a perspective view of a sharpener in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1 b    is another perspective view of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 1   a;    
         FIG. 2  is a magnified perspective view of a portion of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 1 a   , which an element removed to show components hidden thereby; 
         FIG. 3  is a magnified end view of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 1   a;    
         FIG. 4  is another magnified perspective view of the portion of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 1 a   , with an element removed to shown components hidden thereby; 
         FIG. 6 a    is a highly magnified view of sharpening components of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 1   a;    
         FIG. 6 b    is a highly magnified view of sharpening components of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 1 a   , with a skate blade positioned thereon; 
         FIGS. 7 a  and 7 b    are plan views of two rotational positions for the sharpening components shown in  FIGS. 6 a    and  6   b;    
         FIG. 8  is an end view of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 1 a    with an optional shoe for accommodating a skate blade having a different thickness; 
         FIG. 9  is a highly magnified view of alternative sharpening components for the sharpener shown in  FIG. 1 a   , with a skate blade positioned thereon; 
         FIG. 10  is a side view of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 1 a   , with an optional item engagement sensor; 
         FIG. 11  is a diagram of selected electrical components from the sharpener shown in  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a side view of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 1 a   , with two optional item engagement sensors; 
         FIG. 13  is a diagram of selected electrical components from the sharpener shown in  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a side view of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 1 a   , with an optional item imperfection sensor; 
         FIG. 15  is a diagram of selected electrical components from the sharpener shown in  FIG. 14 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a kit of parts including the sharpener shown in  FIG. 1 a    configured to receive a plurality of shoes for guiding different skate blades; 
         FIG. 16 a    is a plan view of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 16 ; 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 1 a   , configured to sharpen a snow travel member such as a snowboard or a ski; 
         FIG. 17 a    is a side view of a sharpening base of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 17 ; 
         FIG. 18  is a shoe for use with the sharpener shown in  FIG. 16 , for sharpening a snow travel member such as a snowboard or a ski; 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view of a sharpener (with a portion removed) in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 20  is an end view of a component (a sharpening head) from the sharpener shown in  FIG. 19 ; 
         FIG. 21  is a perspective view of the sharpening head shown in  FIG. 20 ; 
         FIG. 22  is a perspective view of the sharpening head shown in  FIG. 20 , shown mounted in a base support; 
         FIG. 22 a    is a sectional elevation view of the mounted sharpening head shown in  FIG. 22 ; 
         FIG. 23  is a perspective view of a sharpener (with a portion removed) in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, for sharpening a snow travel member such as a snowboard or a ski; 
         FIG. 24  is a magnified elevation view of a portion of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIG. 25  is an exploded perspective view of a sharpening head from the sharpener shown in  FIG. 23 ; 
         FIG. 26  is another perspective view of the sharpener shown in  FIG. 23  with a portion removed; and 
         FIG. 27  is a perspective view of a variant of the sharpening head shown in  FIG. 20 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 1 a   , which shows a sharpener  10 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The sharpener  10  may be used to sharpen a skate blade  12  of a skate (not shown). The sharpener  10  may also be used as a blade sharpness maintenance device, whereby it is used on the skate blade  12  prior to each trip a skater makes onto an ice surface. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the skate blade  12  includes a first side face  78 , a second side face  80 , an edge face  68 , a first corner edge  32  and a second corner edge  34 . For ease of illustration, only the lower portion of the skate blade  12  is shown in the figures. The skate blade  12  has a thickness T. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the sharpener  10  includes a body  14 , a skate blade orienting structure  16 , a first corner edge sharpening structure  17   a  for sharpening the first corner edge  32  ( FIG. 6 b   ), a second corner edge sharpening structure  17   b  for sharpening the second corner edge  34  ( FIG. 6 b   ), and a drive mechanism  22  ( FIG. 2 ) for driving movement of the first and second corner edge sharpening structures  17   a  and  17   b  relative to the body  14 . 
     The body  14  may be a two-piece assembly (see  FIG. 1 a   ), and may be made from a suitable material such as a molded plastic. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 b   , the skate blade orienting structure  16 , which in a simple incarnation is a slot  24  in the body  14 , is configured to orient the skate blade  12  ( FIG. 1 a   ) along a selected direction line  23  relative to the first and second corner edge sharpening structures  17   a  and  17   b . The direction line  23  may be referred to as the longitudinal direction line  23 , since the orienting structure  16  sets the orientation of the longitudinal axis of the skate blade  12 . A lateral direction line, shown at  61 , is transverse to the longitudinal direction line  23 . The skate blade orienting structure  16  also centers the skate blade  12  laterally on the first and second corner edge sharpening structures  17   a  and  17   b.    
     The skate blade orienting structure  16  may have any suitable structure. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3  in embodiments wherein the orienting structure  16  is the slot  24 , the slot  24  has a first slot side wall  26 , a second slot side wall  28  and a slot floor  30 . The first and second slot side walls  26  and  28  are engageable with the first and second side faces  78  and  80  of the skate blade  12 . The slot floor  30  sets the position (the height specifically) of the edge face  68  and may be referred to as an edge face positioning surface  30 . Due to the concavity of the edge face  68 , the slot floor  30  may engage the first and second corner edges  32  and  34  and be spaced from the edge face  68  itself. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 6   a , the first and second corner edge sharpening structures  17   a  and  17   b  are positioned on a sharpening base  40 . The first corner edge sharpening structure  17   a  includes a first edge face sharpening surface  18  and a first side face sharpening surface  19 . Similarly, the second corner edge sharpening structure  17   b  includes a second edge face sharpening surface  20  and a second side face sharpening surface  21 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 b   , the first edge face sharpening surface  18  is positioned for sharpening the edge face  68  proximate the first corner edge  32 , and the first side face sharpening surface  19  is positioned for sharpening the first side face  78  proximate the first corner edge  32 . Similarly, the second edge face sharpening surface  20  is positioned for sharpening the edge face  68  proximate the second corner edge  34 , and the second side face sharpening surface  21  is positioned for sharpening the second side face  80  proximate the second corner edge  34 . The first and second edge face sharpening surfaces  18  and  20  are angled downwardly in a laterally outward direction (ie. in a lateral direction away from each other). In this way, they maintain the concavity of the edge face  68  of the skate blade  12 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 6 a   , when the sharpener  10  is viewed along the longitudinal direction line  23  (which is shown in  FIG. 6 a    as a point, since the longitudinal direction line  23  is perpendicular to the plane of the view shown in that figure), the first edge face sharpening surface  18  and the first side face sharpening surface  19  appear to intersect. Similarly, the second edge face sharpening surface  20  and the second side face sharpening surface  21  appear to intersect. This is because the first and second edge face sharpening surfaces  18  and  20  have laterally outer edges, shown at  35  and  37  respectively, which are laterally outboard of the first and second side face sharpening surfaces  19  and  21  respectively, as can be clearly seen in  FIG. 6 a   . As a result, as the sharpener  10  is passed along the length of the skate blade  12  ( FIG. 6 b   ), the sharpening surfaces  18 ,  19 ,  20  and  21  cooperate to provide relatively sharp first and second corner edges  32  and  34 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 6 a  and 6 b   , the first and second side face sharpening surfaces  19  and  21  may be sloped laterally towards each other slightly (eg. by one degree from vertical) and the lower portions of these sharpening surfaces  19  and  21  are inboard of the slot side walls  26  and  28 , so that they are ensured of engagement with the first and second side walls. Note that some of the relative sizes of selected elements shown in  FIGS. 6 a  and 6 b    may be exaggerated for visual clarity, however, these figures are not to be interpreted as being to scale. 
     The sharpening surfaces  18 ,  19 ,  20  and  21  may be made in any suitable way. For example, they may be covered with an abrasive material such as diamond, or Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN). 
     As shown more clearly in  FIG. 2 , the first and second edge face sharpening surfaces  18  and  20  may be surfaces on separate first and second bosses  36  and  38  respectively on the sharpening base  40 . It is alternatively possible for the first and second edge face sharpening surfaces  18  and  20  to be portions of a surface of a single large boss or similar feature, as shown at  41  in  FIG. 9 . The embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 , permits the sharpener  10  to be used to sharpen a skate blade  12  outright, since it is capable of forming the entire concave surface of the edge face  68  of the skate blade  12 , whereas the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  with two smaller, separate bosses  36  and  38  are preferably used to maintain the sharpness of the corner edges  32  and  34 . 
     The first and second side face sharpening surfaces  19  and  21  may be on first and second side face sharpening structures  70  and  74  respectively, which are also on the sharpening base  40 . 
     The sharpening base  40  may be made removable from the rest of the sharpener  10  so that it can be replaced with a new sharpening base  40  when it wears out and is no longer effective. Thus, the sharpening base  40  may be considered to be a disposable part of the sharpener  10 , and the rest of the sharpener  10  may be considered to be non-disposable, at least in some embodiments. 
     The sharpening base  40  may removably lock into a base support  42 , by any suitable connecting structure. For example, the sharpening base  40  may include a first and second apertures  44  and  46 , which receive first and second pins  48  and  50  on the base support  42 . The first aperture  44  may be circular and the first pin  48  may be circular. The second aperture  46  is a keyhole slot, and the second pin  50  is a T-pin (ie. it is T-shaped). To mount the sharpening base  40  onto the base support  42 , the sharpening base  40  is pushed down so that the pins  48  and  50  pass through the apertures  44  and  46 . The sharpening base  40  is then rotated to lock the T-pin  50  into the narrower part of the keyhole slot  46 . It will be understood that it is alternatively or additionally possible for the first aperture  44  to be a keyhole slot and for the first pin  48  to be T-shaped. 
     It will be noted that the sharpening base  40  is relatively small and may be made from a suitable plastic that is easily moldable and is relatively inexpensive or from an inexpensive grade of steel that can be stamped or from a powdered metal. Additionally, the sharpening base  40  can be, as shown, relatively easily removable from and installable onto the base support  42 . 
     The base support  42  is driven by the drive mechanism  22 . The drive mechanism  22  includes a motor  52  with an output shaft  54  which has an offset drive member  56  thereon that is offset from the output shaft axis, shown at Am. The drive mechanism  22  further includes a first driven member  58  and a second driven member  60 . The first driven member  58  is slidably mounted to the second driven member  60 . The second driven member  60  is configured to restrict the first driven member  58  to only have freedom of movement approximately along the transverse direction line  61 . The second driven member  60  is slidably mounted on a carriage  62  and is restricted by the carriage  62  to only have freedom of movement approximately along sliding movement approximately along the longitudinal direction line  23 . 
     Rotation of the motor output shaft  54  causes the offset drive member  56  to ‘orbit’ about the motor output shaft axis Am. This orbiting path causes the first driven member  58  to move in the orbiting (ie. circular path). This circular path results in transverse displacement and longitudinal displacement. Because of the freedom of movement of the first driven member transversely relative to the second driven member, the transverse displacement of the first driven member  58  does not drive any transverse movement of the second driven member. However, because the first driven member  58  does not have freedom of movement longitudinally relative to the second driven member  60 , the longitudinal displacement of the first driven member  58  drives longitudinal displacement of the second driven member  60 . Thus, the second driven member  60  reciprocates along the longitudinal direction line  23 . 
     The second driven member  60  supports the base support  42 . Thus, operation of the drive mechanism  22  generates reciprocation of the base support  42 , and therefore the sharpening surfaces  18 ,  19 ,  20  and  21  along a reciprocation path along the longitudinal direction line  23 . 
     The second driven member  60  has two slide bars  64  thereon, which hold the base support  42  and support sliding of the base support  42  along a third direction line  65  that is transverse to the edge face positioning surface  30 . The third direction line  65  is vertical when the sharpener  10  is oriented as shown in  FIG. 2 . A biasing member  66 , shown in  FIG. 4 , biases the base support  42  towards the edge face positioning surface  30  and therefore urges the sharpening surfaces  18  and  20  to engage the edge face  68  ( FIG. 3 ), of the skate blade  12  when the skate blade  12  is positioned on the edge face positioning surface  30 . The biasing member  66  ( FIG. 4 ) may be referred to as a sharpening surface engagement biasing member, since it biases the sharpening surfaces  18 ,  19 ,  20  and  21  towards engagement with the skate blade  12 , or alternatively a sharpening structure engagement biasing member since it biases the sharpening structures  17   a  and  17   b  towards engagement with the snow/ice travel member, which may be, for example, the skate blade  12 . The sharpening surface engagement biasing member  66  may be any suitable type of biasing member, such as a compression spring. 
     It should be noted that in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the skate blade  12  is not shown in engagement with the edge face positioning surface  30 . Also, it should be noted that, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the sharpening surfaces  18 ,  19 ,  20  and  21  are urged by the sharpening surface engagement biasing member  66  to a rest position that is past the edge face positioning surface  30 . Thus, when the skate blade  12  is positioned on the edge face positioning surface  30 , the sharpening surface engagement biasing member  66  is compressed by a certain amount, and therefore urges the sharpening surfaces  18 ,  19 ,  20  and  21  into engagement with the skate blade  12  with a selected force, regardless of how hard a user pushes the skate blade  12  into the slot  24 . In this way, even when the force of engagement between the skate blade  12  and the slot  24  varies, the force that is exerted between the sharpening heads  18  and  20  and the skate blade  12  remains consistent. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5, 6   a  and  6   b , the first and second edge face sharpening surfaces  18  and  20  are spaced apart by a first lateral spacing DL 1 . The first and second side face sharpening surfaces  19  and  21  are spaced apart by a second lateral spacing DL 2 , which is less than the lateral spacing DL 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the size of the slot  24  (only part of which is shown in  FIG. 5  since a portion of the body  14  has been omitted), and the relative positions of the sharpening surfaces  18 ,  19 ,  20  and  21  (which determine the lateral spacings DL 1  and DL 2 ) determine the thickness T ( FIG. 3 ) of skate blade  12  that can be sharpened. The sharpener  10  may advantageously be configured to accommodate a range of thicknesses T of skate blades  12 . For this purpose, the sharpening base  40  may be rotated through a range of positions, which changes the lateral spacings DL 1  and DL 2 , as shown in the two exemplary positions of the sharpening base  40  in  FIGS. 7 a  and 7 b   . As a result of the clockwise rotation of the sharpening base  40  from the position shown in  FIG. 7 a    to the position shown in  FIG. 7 b   , the lateral spacings DL 1  and DL 2  have both been reduced. As a result, rotation of the sharpening base  40  from the position shown in  FIG. 7 a    to the position shown in  FIG. 7 b    decreases the thickness of skate blade that it is positioned to sharpen. Similarly rotation of the sharpening base  40  in the counterclockwise direction from the position shown in  FIG. 7 b    to the position shown in  FIG. 7 a    increases the thickness of skate blade  12  ( FIG. 6 b   ) that it is positioned to sharpen. Thus, the sharpening base  40  may be rotatable to adjust the relative positions of the sharpening surfaces  18 ,  19 ,  20  and  21  so as to control the thickness of skate blade  12  that can be sharpened. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , to carry out the rotation of the sharpening base  40  the carriage  62  may be movable relative to the body  14 . A first carriage biasing member  82 , and a second carriage biasing member  84 , both shown in  FIG. 5 , bias the carriage  62  clockwise in the view shown in  FIG. 5 , which biases the sharpening surfaces  18 ,  19 ,  20  and  21  towards having reduced lateral spacings DL 1  and DL 2 . 
     The carriage biasing members  82  and  84  therefore drive the first and second side face sharpening surfaces  19  and  21  into engagement with the skate blade  12 , at least over a working range of adjustability. When a relatively thicker skate blade  12  is introduced into the sharpener  10 , the sharpening base  40  is rotated in a direction (counterclockwise in the view shown in  FIG. 5 ) that increases the spacings DL 1  and DL 2 . As a result of the rotation of the sharpening base  40  to accommodate the thicker skate blade  12 , the carriage  62  is rotated against the biasing of the carriage biasing members  82  and  84 . The carriage biasing members  82  and  84  may be referred to as side face sharpening surface engagement biasing members  82  and  84  since they bias the side face sharpening surfaces  19  and  21  into engagement with the skate blade  12 . 
     In order that the shape of the cut in the skate blade  12  provided by the first and second edge face sharpening surfaces  18  and  20  is consistent across a range of rotational positions of the sharpening base  40 , the sharpening surfaces  18 ,  19 ,  20  and  21  are preferably solid revolutions of profiles at least partway about their own individual axes. It is optionally possible, however, for the sharpening surfaces  18  and  20  to have shapes that are not solid revolutions. 
     It will be noted that the rotation of the carriage  62  when accommodating thicker skate blades  12  means that the carriage  62  may not initially be oriented strictly longitudinally (ie. precisely along the longitudinal direction line  23 ) when a thicker skate blade  12  is inserted into the slot  24 . Notwithstanding the misalignment of the carriage  62  with respect to the longitudinal direction line  23 , the skate blade  12  itself prevents the movement of the sharpening base  40  and therefore the second driven member  60  along a line other than the longitudinal direction line  23 . To permit such movement, the biasing members  82  and  84  permit the carriage  62  to float sufficiently during the reciprocation of the sharpening base  40  and second driven member  60 . 
     In an alternative embodiment the sharpening base  40  could be rotatable relative to the second driven member  60  to accommodate skate blades  12  of different thicknesses. In such an alternative embodiment the carriage  62  could be fixedly aligned longitudinally within the body  14  (such as the embodiment shown in  FIG. 19 ) and the biasing members  82  and  84  could be omitted. 
     In order to accommodate a plurality of skate blade thicknesses T the sharpener  10  may further include a plurality of shoes  96  ( FIG. 8 ) that are each sized to hold a different thickness of skate blade  12 . Each shoe  96  would fit on the body  14 , and would have an open-bottom slot  98  therein, which has first and second slot side walls  100   a  and  100   b  which define an opening for a skate blade  12  having a selected thickness T and which together form a skate blade orienting structure. By having the slot  98  be open-bottomed, the skate blade  12  is permitted to engage the edge face positioning surface  30  so that the same force is applied by the sharpening surfaces  18 ,  19 ,  20  and  21  on the skate blade  12  whether or not a shoe  96  is used. A kit of parts  102  may be provided that includes the sharpener  10  and at least one shoe  96  having a slot width that is different from the slot width of the slot  24  (and preferably a plurality of interchangeable shoes  96  of different slot widths) to accommodate a variety of skate blade thicknesses. The at least one shoe  96  and the sharpener  10  together include a plurality of skate blade orienting structures (eg. the slots  24  and  98 ) wherein each skate blade orienting structure is configured for orienting a skate blade having a unique width along a longitudinal direction line and for centering the skate blade  12  laterally with respect to the edge face sharpening surfaces  18  and  20 . It is optionally possible in embodiments wherein a plurality of shoes  96  are provided, that the sharpener  10  itself need not include a slot that constitutes a skate blade orienting structure. In such an embodiment, all the skate blade orienting structures could be provided by slots  98  in the plurality of shoes  96 . 
     It will be noted that it is at least possible to provide an embodiment of the invention wherein the first and second side face sharpening surfaces  19  and  21  are not provided. It is also possible to provide an embodiment of the invention wherein the first and second side face sharpening structures  70  and  74  with the sharpening surfaces  19  and  21  thereon are replaced with first and second side face guide structures, with first and second side face guide surfaces that guide the bottom-most portion of the skate blade  12  to ensure that it is centered on the first and second edge face sharpening surfaces  18  and  20 . In such an alternative embodiment, the first and second side face guide surfaces may be similar to the first and second side face sharpening surfaces  19  and  21 , except that they would not contain abrasive material. It will further be noted that even if the first and second side face sharpening surfaces  19  and  21  are provided, and therefore contain abrasive material, they nonetheless also act as first and second side face guide surfaces to center the skate blade  12  on the first and second edge face sharpening surfaces  18  and  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the motor  52  may be powered by any suitable source, such as by one or more batteries  92 . Alternatively or additionally, the sharpener  10  may include a connector (eg. a plug) for plugging into an A/C source, such as a wall outlet (not shown). 
     A switch shown at  94  in  FIG. 1 a    may be provided to turn the skate sharpener  10  on. The switch  94  may need to be depressed by the user at all times the sharpener  10  is to be operated, such that once the user lets go of the switch  94 , the switch  94  is urged to an ‘off’ position preventing current flow to the motor  52 . 
     In use, a user turns on the sharpener  10 , and may hold the gripping surface shown at  106  ( FIG. 1 a   ) on the body  14 , and passes the sharpener  10  along the edge face  68  of the skate blade  12  so that the sharpening surfaces  18  and  20  are able to reciprocate along their reciprocation path (which may be just a few millimeters in at least some embodiments), along the entire length of the edge face  68  of the skate blade  12 . 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 10 , which shows the sharpener  10  with an optional item engagement sensor  108  that is configured to detect whether the user has inserted a skate blade  12  into the sharpener  10  for sharpening. The item engagement sensor  108  may have any suitable structure. For example, the item engagement sensor  108  may be a switch  110  that is closed by a projection  112  on the base support  42  when the skate blade  12  is engaged with the sharpening structures  17   a  and  17   b  and moves the sharpening base  40  downwards against the force of the sharpening surface engagement biasing member  66 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 11 , the switch  110  may communicate with a controller  114  that controls the operation of the motor  52 . As an example, the controller  114  may prevent operation of the motor  52  if the switch  110  is open (indicating that a skate blade  12  is not present), so as to conserve energy in the batteries  92 . Therefore, if the button  94  is in the ‘on’ position (eg. it is depressed by a user), the controller  114  may disconnect power to the motor  52  in the event that the switch  110  is open. Furthermore, the controller  114  may send power to the motor  52  if the button  94  is ‘on’ and the switch  110  is closed (indicating that a skate blade  12  ( FIG. 10 ) is engaged and seated fully on the sharpening base  40 ). 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 11 , in another embodiment the switch  94  may be omitted. For example, the controller  114  may send power to the motor  52  automatically if the switch  110  is closed, and may automatically disconnect power to the motor  52  if the switch  110  is opened. Thus, the operation of the motor  52  may be automated. 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 12 , which shows the sharpener  10  with two item engagement sensors  116 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 12 , the item engagement sensors  116  may be positioned in the slot  24  ahead of and behind the sharpening base  40 . Each item engagement sensor  116  may include a button  117  that is slidable in a button-receiving aperture  118  in the slot floor  30 , a biasing member  120  and a switch  122 . The biasing member  120  urges the button  117  to project from the slot floor  30 . Placement of the skate blade  12  on the slot floor  30  depresses the buttons  117  causing closure of the switches  122 . Closure of both switches  122  signals a controller  124  ( FIG. 13 ) to permit operation of the motor  52 . Similarly to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 11 , the controller  124  may disconnect power to the motor  52  if one or both of the switches  122  is open, and may optionally send power to the motor  52  if both switches  122  are closed and the button  94  is in the ‘on’ position. Alternatively, the controller  124  may automatically control the stopping and starting of the motor  52  based on whether both switches  122  are closed, such that the button  94  may be omitted. 
     By incorporating a sensor  116  on each side of the sharpening base  40  and requiring both switches  122  to be closed to permit operation of the motor  52 , the user is encouraged to hold the skate blade  12  flat in the slot  24  and not to rock the skate blade  12  as it is moved forwards and backwards in the slot  24 . When the skate blade  12  is held flat in the slot  24  and triggers both switches  122 , the skate blade  12  is properly engaged with the sharpening structures  17   a  and  17   b.    
     Reference is made to  FIG. 14 , which shows the sharpener  10  with an optional item imperfection sensor  126  which can detect imperfections in the skate blade  12  that require smoothing out. Such imperfections, as noted above may occur, for example, as a result of blade-to-blade engagement with skate blades  12  from other skaters. Such events can occur, for example, during a game of ice hockey. The item imperfection sensor  126  may have any suitable structure. For example, the item imperfection sensor  126  may be a capacitive sensor, whose capacitance changes upon exposure to an imperfection (eg. a nick) in the skate blade  12 , relative to the capacitance sensed along smooth (ie. unnicked) portions of the skate blade  12 . Upon encountering an imperfection, the item imperfection sensor  126  may send a corresponding signal to a controller  128  ( FIG. 15 ). Upon receipt of such a signal from the item imperfection sensor  126 , the controller  128  may optionally notify a user that an imperfection was encountered, thereby prompting the user to send power to operate the motor  52 , eg. by depressing the button  94 . The notification to the user may be achieved in any suitable way. For example, the controller  128  may illuminate an indicator light (eg. an LED), or may generate an audible sound, or both, when an imperfection is encountered. In some embodiments, the controller  128  could automatically send power to operate the motor  52  upon encountering an imperfection in the skate blade  12 , instead of, or in addition to notifying the user of the presence of the imperfection by way of audible or visible indicating means. For some types of item imperfection sensor  126  it may be desirable to provide one proximate each corner edge  32  and  34  of the skate blade  12 . It will be noted that in embodiments wherein the sensor  126  is provided only on one side of the sharpening base  40 , the initiation of the motor  52  by the controller  94  will sharpen the imperfection only if the skate blade  12  and sharpener are being moved relative to each other in the directions shown by the direction arrows  127 . If instead the skate blade  12  and the sharpener  10  are being moved in the opposite directions to the direction arrows  127 , then the sharpening base  40  will not reciprocate along the imperfection. To address this, in some embodiments it may be desirable to provide one sensor  126  on either side of the sharpening base  40  (ie. both fore and aft longitudinally, of the sharpening base  40 ) so that the sharpening base  40  will be reciprocated over the imperfection regardless of which way the skate blade  12  and the sharpener  10  are being moved relative to each other. 
     In another embodiment the sharpener  10  may optionally have one or more item engagement sensors for sensing the presence of a skate blade  12  and also one or more item imperfection sensors  126 . In such a case, the controller would operate the motor  52  if all of the one or more item engagement sensors indicate that a skate blade  12  is engaged properly in the slot  24  and if any item imperfection sensor  126  indicated that an imperfection was encountered. If any item engagement sensor did not signal the presence of a skate blade  12  the controller may stop the motor  52 . If no item imperfection sensors  126  signal that an imperfection is encountered, the controller may stop the motor  52 . 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 16 , which shows a kit of parts  129  including the sharpener  10  and a plurality of optional shoes, shown generally at  130  and individually at  130   a  and  130   b  (it will be understood that more than two shoes  130  could optionally be provided). Each shoe  130  contains a slot  24  having a unique width W for accommodating skate blades  12  having different thicknesses T. Thus, the shoe  130   a  has a slot  24   a  having a width Wa and the shoe  130   b  has a slot  24   b  having a width Wb. Each shoe  130  may be made up of a first shoe portion  132  and a second shoe portion  134 . The first shoe portion  132  slides into a first shoe receiving slot  136  that is on a first side of the sharpening base  40 . The second shoe portion  134  slides into a second shoe receiving slot  138  that is on a second side of the sharpening base  40 . The first and second shoe portions  132  and  134  together define the slot  24  for receiving a skate blade  12 . 
     One or more locking features may be provided to hold the first and second shoe portions  132  and  134  in place on the body  14  of the sharpener  10 . For example, the first shoe portion  132  may have flanges  140  and  142 , which are received in flange receiving slot regions  144  and  146  ( FIG. 16 a   ). The engagement of the first shoe portion  132  and the first shoe receiving slot  136  prevents movement of the first shoe portion transversely (ie. along the transverse direction line  61 ) and vertically (ie. along the third direction line  65 ). A first locking pin  148  may be provided, which passes through a first locking pin pass-through aperture  150  in the body  14  of the sharpener  10  and which passes into a first locking pin receiving aperture  152  in the first shoe portion  132 , thereby preventing movement of the first shoe portion  132  longitudinally (ie. along the longitudinal direction line  23 ). The first locking pin  148  may have a mechanism for inhibiting the pin  148  from working its way out of the apertures  150  and  152  during use. For example, the first locking pin  148  may have a peripheral ball detent  153  thereon that engages a groove (not shown) in the first locking pin receiving aperture  152 . 
     Similarly to the first shoe portion  132 , the second shoe portion  134  may have flanges  154  and  156 , which are received in flange receiving slot regions  158  and  160  to prevent movement of the second shoe portion  134  transversely (ie. along the transverse direction line  61 ) and vertically (ie. along the third direction line  65 ). A second locking pin  162  may be provided, which passes through a second locking pin pass-through aperture  164  in the body  14  of the sharpener  10  and which passes into a second locking pin receiving aperture  166  in the second shoe portion  134 , thereby preventing movement of the second shoe portion  134  longitudinally (ie. along the longitudinal direction line  23 ). The second locking pin  162  may have a mechanism for inhibiting the pin  162  from working its way out of the apertures  164  and  166  during use. For example, the second locking pin  162  may have a peripheral ball detent  167  thereon that engages a groove (not shown) in the second locking pin receiving aperture  166 . 
     Once in position in the first and second shoe receiving slots  136  and  138 , the first and second shoe portions  132  and  134  are positioned to hold the skate blade  12  while providing clearance for the reciprocation of the sharpening base  40 . 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 17 , which shows the sharpener  10  configured for sharpening a corner edge  168  of a snow travel member  170 , such as a ski or a snowboard. Referring to  FIG. 17 a   , the corner edge  168  represents the junction of a side face  172  and a bottom face  174  of the snow travel member  170 . The sharpener  10  shown in  FIG. 17  is configured to sharpen one corner edge  168  at a time. As a result, the size of the sharpener  10  shown in  FIG. 17  may be kept small, thereby keeping it portable. 
     Instead of the slot  24  shown in  FIG. 1 b   , the orienting structure  16  for the sharpener  10  shown in  FIG. 17  may be, for example, a channel  178  in the body  14 , for orienting the snow travel member  170  with respect to the sharpener  10 . The channel  178  may have any suitable shape, such as a V-shape having an internal angle of about 90 degrees. The channel  178  has a bottom face receiving wall  180  and a side face receiving wall  182 , for receiving the bottom face  174  ( FIG. 17 a   ) and side face  172  of the snow travel member  170 . 
     The sharpener  10  shown in  FIG. 17  includes a sharpening base  183  instead of the sharpening base  40  ( FIG. 2 ). The sharpening base  183  may, as shown in  FIG. 17 , has mounted thereon a sharpening structure comprising two bottom face sharpening surfaces  184  (shown individually at  184   a  and  184   b ) and a side face sharpening surface  186 , which are configured to form a V-shape when viewed along the longitudinal direction line  23 , and which are configured to sharpen the bottom face  174  ( FIG. 17 a   ) and side face  172  respectively of the snow travel member  170 . The angles of the bottom face sharpening surfaces  184  and the side face sharpening surface  186  match those of the bottom face receiving wall  180  and side face receiving wall  182  respectively. The side face sharpening surface  186  may be positioned longitudinally between the two bottom face sharpening surfaces  184 . The sharpening base  182  may mount to the base support  42  in the same way as the sharpening base  40  shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     Instead of having two bottom face sharpening surfaces  184  and one side face sharpening surface  186 , it is alternatively possible to have some other combination of surfaces, such as, for example, two side face sharpening surfaces  186  and a single bottom face sharpening surface  184 . As another example, one side face sharpening surface  186  and one bottom face sharpening surface  184  may be provided. 
     The other elements of the sharpener  10  may be similar as appropriate to the corresponding elements of the sharpener  10  shown in the other figures. 
     During use, the sharpener  10  is moved along the length of the snow travel member  170  to permit the reciprocation of the sharpening base  40  to sharpen the corner edge  168 . It will be noted that the sharpening base  182  need not rotate to a different orientation about the third direction line  65  in order to accommodate skis  170  having different thicknesses and widths. As a result, structure, such as the biasing members  82  and  84 , shown in  FIG. 5 , that permitted the rotation of the sharpening base  40  about the third direction line  65 , need not be included in the sharpener  10  shown in  FIG. 17 . 
     It is optionally possible for the item engagement sensor  108  ( FIG. 10 ) and/or the item engagement sensors  116  ( FIG. 13 ) and/or the one or more item imperfection sensors  126  ( FIG. 14 ) described above to be incorporated into the sharpener  10  shown in  FIG. 17  for use with the snow travel member  170 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 18 , a shoe  188  may be provided which, in conjunction with the sharpening base  182 , would permit the sharpener  10  shown in  FIG. 17  to sharpen a snow travel member  170 , thus providing the sharpener  10  with the capability to sharpen ice skates, skis and snowboards. The shoe  188  ( FIG. 18 ) includes a first shoe portion  190  and a second shoe portion  192 , which can be inserted into the first and second shoe receiving slots  136  and  138  respectively of the sharpener  10  shown in  FIG. 16 . The first and second shoe portions  190  and  192  may have generally V-shaped channels, shown at  194  and  196  respectively, for holding the bottom face  174  and side face  172  ( FIG. 17 a   ) of the snow travel member  170 . 
     The sharpener  10  has been described in at least some embodiments as being configured to provide sharpening capability to a plurality of thicknesses of skate blade, and to other snow/ice travel members such as snowboards and skis, and may further be portable (with battery and/or A/C power). It is possible that at least some of the features of the sharpener  10  could be applied to a stationary (ie. non-portable) sharpener. 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 19 , which shows a sharpener  200  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The sharpener  200  may be similar to the sharpener  10  ( FIG. 1 ), and may include a body  202  (a portion of which is removed to show the components inside it), a skate blade orienting structure  204 , a first corner edge sharpening structure  206   a  ( FIG. 20 ) for sharpening the first corner edge  32 , a second corner edge sharpening structure  206   b  for sharpening the second corner edge  34  ( FIG. 20 ), and a drive mechanism  208  ( FIG. 19 ) for driving the movement of the first and second corner edge sharpening structures  206   a  and  206   b  ( FIG. 20 ) relative to the body  202  ( FIG. 19 ). 
     The body  202  may be a two-piece assembly (one of the pieces is not shown, as noted above), and may be made from a suitable material such as a molded plastic. 
     The skate blade orienting structure  204  may be a slot  210  in the body  202 , similar to the slot  24  in the body  14  in  FIG. 1 . The slot  210  has a first slot side wall  212 , a second slot side wall (not shown) and a slot floor  214 . The first and second slot side walls are engageable with the first and second side faces  78  and  80  of the skate blade  12  ( FIG. 20 ). The slot floor  214  ( FIG. 19 ) sets the position (the height specifically) of the edge face  68  ( FIG. 20 ) and may be referred to as an edge face positioning surface  214 . Due to the concavity of the edge face  68 , the slot floor  214  may engage the first and second corner edges  32  and  34  and be spaced from the edge face  68  itself. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 20 and 21 , the first and second corner edge sharpening structures  206   a  and  206   b  are positioned on a sharpening base  240 . The first corner edge sharpening structure  206   a  includes a first edge face sharpening surface  218  and a first side face sharpening surface  219 . Similarly, the second corner edge sharpening structure  206   b  includes a second edge face sharpening surface  220  and a second side face sharpening surface  221 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 20 , the first edge face sharpening surface  218  is positioned for sharpening the edge face  68  proximate the first corner edge  32 , and the first side face sharpening surface  219  is positioned for sharpening the first side face  78  proximate the first corner edge  32 . Similarly, the second edge face sharpening surface  220  is positioned for sharpening the edge face  68  proximate the second corner edge  34 , and the second side face sharpening surface  221  is positioned for sharpening the second side face  80  proximate the second corner edge  34 . The first and second edge face sharpening surfaces  218  and  220  are angled downwardly in a laterally outward direction (ie. in a lateral direction away from each other). In this way, they maintain the concavity of the edge face  68  of the skate blade  12 . 
     When the sharpening base  240  is viewed along a longitudinal direction of the sharpener  200  the first edge face sharpening surface  218  and the first side face sharpening surface  219  appear to intersect. Similarly, the second edge face sharpening surface  220  and the second side face sharpening surface  221  appear to intersect. This is because the first and second edge face sharpening surfaces  218  and  220  have laterally outer edges that are laterally outboard of the first and second side face sharpening surfaces  219  and  221  respectively. As a result, as the sharpening base  240  is passed along the length of the skate blade  12 , the sharpening surfaces  218 ,  219 ,  220  and  221  cooperate to provide relatively sharp first and second corner edges  32  and  34 . 
     The first and second side face sharpening surfaces  219  and  221  may be sloped laterally towards each other slightly and the lower portions of these sharpening surfaces  219  and  221  extend into the slot  212  ( FIG. 19 ), so that they are ensured of engagement with the first and second side faces  78  and  80  of the skate blade  12 . 
     The sharpening surfaces  218 ,  219 ,  220  and  221  may be made in any suitable way. For example, they may be covered with an abrasive material such as diamond, or Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN). 
     As shown more clearly in  FIG. 21 , the first and second edge face sharpening surfaces  218  and  220  may be surfaces on separate first and second tongues  236  and  238  respectively on the sharpening base  240 . The first and second tongues  236  and  238  are resiliently connected to first and second side walls  242  and  244  of the sharpening base  240 , such that the first tongue  236  is connected to the second side wall  244  and the second tongue  238  is connected to the first side wall  242 . The resilient connections permit the tongues  236  and  238  to flex as necessary to accommodate a skate blade  12  being placed in the slot  212  into engagement with the slot floor  214 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 21 , the resilient connection is provided by cutting and bending the tongues  236  and  238  from the side walls  242  and  244 , thereby saving the cost, assembly time, and complexity associated with having separate spring members to provide resiliency. It is nonetheless contemplated that a separate spring member could alternatively be provided for biasing the first and second edge face sharpening surfaces  218  and  220  toward a selected position. 
     An optional feature that prevents the tongues from being deflected by the skate blade  12  ( FIG. 3 ) to the point of yielding is shown in  FIG. 27 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 27 , tongue flexure limit structures  400  and  402  are provided in the first side wall  242  under the first tongue  236  and in the second side wall  244  under the second tongue  238 . The limit structures  400  and  402  are positioned to permit a selected amount of deflection of the tongues  236  and  238  but prevent deflection that would damage the tongues. In this way, if a user inserts a corner of the blade  12  into the sharpening base  240  (thereby avoiding contact with the slot floor  214  ( FIG. 19 )), and uses too much force, the tongues  236  and  238  are protected from being overflexed. 
     The first and second side walls  242  and  244  are themselves resiliently joined together by a resilient hinge portion  243  at the their respective bottom ends, shown at  245  and  247 . The resilient hinge portion  243  permits the first and second side walls  242  and  244  to resiliently spread apart as necessary to accommodate a range of thicknesses of skate blade  12 , but biases the first and second walls  242  and  244  back towards a rest position for accommodated narrower skate blades  12 . Having the integral hinge portion  243  further saves cost, assembly time and complexity that would associated with having a separate spring member resiliently connecting the first and second side walls  242  and  244 . It is nonetheless contemplated that some other means for resiliently biasing the first and second side walls  242  and  244  towards the skate blade  12  could alternatively be provided. 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 22 a   , which shows a sectional view of the sharpening base  240  mounted in the base support  280 . As shown in the figure, the clip portions  246  are connected with the clip receiving features  248 , however there is room for the side walls  242  and  244  of the sharpening base  240  to spread apart when receiving a skate blade  12  ( FIG. 20 ) therebetween. Also, it can be seen that the lower portion of the sharpening base  240  mounts into a mating form in the base support  280  which ensures that the sharpening base  240  sits in an upright position when installed in the base support  280 . 
     It is alternatively possible for the first and second edge face sharpening surfaces  218  and  220  to be portions of a surface of a single tongue or similar feature. 
     The first and second side face sharpening surfaces  219  and  221  may be on the first and second side walls  242  and  244  respectively, which are also on the sharpening base  240 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 19  the sharpening base  240  may be made removable from the rest of the sharpener  200  so that it can be replaced with a new sharpening base  240  when it wears out and is no longer effective. Thus, the sharpening base  240  may be considered to be a disposable part of the sharpener  200 , and the rest of the sharpener  200  may be considered to be non-disposable, at least in some embodiments. 
     Referring to  FIG. 22 , the sharpening base  240  may removably lock into a base support  280 , by any suitable connecting structure. For example, the sharpening base  240  may include one or more clip portions  246  (shown in  FIG. 20 ), which mate with clip receiving features  248  ( FIG. 22 ) on the base support  280 . To mount the sharpening base  240  onto the base support  280 , the sharpening base  240  is simply pushed down into the receiving slot  282  of the base support  280 . The side walls  242  and  244  of the sharpening base  240  are squeezed inwardly towards each other as the sharpening base  240  is pushed into place in the receiving slot  282 . Once the base  240  is in place, the clip portions  246  snap into place around the clip receiving features  248 . In the view shown in  FIG. 21 , the molded plastic portion of the sharpening base  240  has been removed so as not to obscure other portions of it. 
     To remove a worn sharpening base  240  from the base support  280 , the user simply squeezes the clip portions  246  together (flexing the resilient hinge member  243 ), which disengages the clip portions from the clip receiving features  248 , at which point the sharpening base  240  may be pulled directly out of the receiving slot  282 . 
     The sharpening base  240  may be made from a suitable metal, such as a type of steel that can be stamped or from a powdered metal. Additionally, the clip portions  246  may be molded onto a metallic portion of the base  240  at a suitable position for engaging the clip receiving features  248 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 19 , the base support  280  is driven by the drive mechanism  208 . The drive mechanism  208  includes a motor  252  with an output shaft  254  which has an offset drive member  256  thereon that is offset from the output shaft axis. The drive mechanism  208  further includes a first driven member  258  and a second driven member  260 . The first driven member  258  is slidably mounted to the second driven member  260 . The second driven member  260  is configured to restrict the first driven member  258  to only have freedom of movement approximately along a transverse direction line shown at  261 . The second driven member  260  is slidably mounted on rails (not shown) and is restricted by the rails to only have freedom of movement along the longitudinal direction line shown at  223 . The rails are integral with the body  202 . The second driven member  260  is integral with the base support  280 . 
     Operation of the drive mechanism  208  generates reciprocation of the base support  42 , and therefore the sharpening surfaces  218 ,  219 ,  220  and  221  along a reciprocation path along the longitudinal direction line  223 , similar to the operation of the drive mechanism  22  in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     In the event that a skate blade  12  that is thinner than the slot  212  is inserted in the slot  212  for sharpening, it is possible that the skate blade  12  could be rotated slightly so that it was not strictly aligned with the longitudinal direction line  223 . It will be noted that the structure of the sharpening base  240  permits some angular misalignment in the blade  12  relative to the sharpener  200  while keeping the sharpening surfaces  218 ,  219 ,  220  and  221  at least generally correctly oriented relative to the skate blade  12  itself. 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 23 , which shows a sharpener  300  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The sharpener  300  may be similar to the sharpener  200  ( FIG. 19 ), but is configured to sharpen one corner edge  168  ( FIG. 24 ) of a snow travel member  170  such as a ski or snowboard or the like. The sharpener  300  is configured to sharpen one corner edge  168  at a time. 
     A snow/ice travel member orienting structure for the sharpener  300  is shown at  302  may be similar to the orienting structure  16  on the sharpener  10  shown in  FIG. 17  and may be a channel  378  in the body  314 . The channel  378  may have any suitable shape, such as a V-shape (best seen in  FIG. 24 ) having an internal angle of 90 degrees. The channel  378  has a bottom face receiving wall  380  and a side face receiving wall  382 , for receiving the bottom face  174  ( FIG. 24 ) and the side face  172  respectively of the snow travel member  170 . The bottom face receiving wall  380  optionally includes a plurality of debris removal grooves  391  ( FIG. 23 ), which collect and remove debris such as snow, dirt and ice from the bottom face  174  ( FIG. 24 ) of the snow travel member  170  to inhibit the debris from getting into and damaging the drive mechanism inside and from interfering with the sharpening process. 
     The sharpener  300  includes a sharpening base  383  which is shown in exploded view in  FIG. 25 . The sharpening base  383  has mounted thereon a sharpening structure comprising a bottom face sharpening surface  384  and two side face sharpening surfaces  386  (shown individually at  386   a  and  386   b ), which together form a V-shape when viewed along the longitudinal direction line, and which are configured to sharpen the bottom face  174  ( FIG. 24 ) and side face  172  respectively of the snow travel member  170 . The base support is shown at  342  ( FIG. 26 ) and may be similar to the base support  280  shown in  FIG. 19 . The sharpening base  383  may mount to the base support  342  in the same way as the sharpening base  240  shown in  FIG. 19 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 25 , the sharpening surfaces  384  and  386  may be provided on tongues  385  and  387  which are integrally and resiliently joined through resilient hinge members  393  and  395  to first and second walls  388  and  389  respectively which form part of the sharpening base  383 . The resilient connection permits the tongues to extend upwards into the channel  378  ( FIG. 24 ) and to resiliently urge the sharpening surfaces  384  and  386  into engagement with the snow travel member  170  when it is pressed down into engagement with the channel  378 . In the embodiment shown, there are first, second and third tongues provided, namely first tongue  385 , second tongue  387   a  and third tongue  387   b  and thus there are two sharpening surfaces for the side face  172  and one sharpening surface for the bottom face  174  of the snow/ice travel member  170 . However, other combinations of tongues and sharpening surfaces may alternatively be provided. There may be the same number of tongues for sharpening the side face as there are for the bottom face. There may be more tongues for the bottom face than for the side face. The tongues (and therefore the sharpening surfaces) need not have the same longitudinal dimension. In the view shown in  FIG. 24 , the snow travel member  170  is just being introduced into the channel  378  and has not yet caused flexing of the tongues  385  and  387 . 
     The first and second walls  388  and  389  may at their bottom ends be joined by a resilient hinge member  399 , in similar manner to the first and second walls  242  and  244  and hinge member  243  of the sharpening base  240  shown in  FIG. 21 . The resilient hinge member  399  permits flexure of the first and second walls  388  and  389  towards each other for removal of the sharpening base  383  from the sharpener  300  and for urging the clip portions shown at  397 , into clip receiving portions on the sharpener  300  ( FIG. 23 ). 
     The other elements of the sharpener  10  may be similar as appropriate to the corresponding elements of the sharpener  10  shown in  FIG. 17  and in the other figures. 
     During use, the sharpener  300  is moved along the length of the snow travel member  170  to permit the reciprocation of the sharpening base  383  to sharpen the corner edge  168 . 
     While each of the embodiments described has included a drive mechanism including a motor and structure for generating reciprocating motion from the motor&#39;s rotation, it is alternatively possible to provide a sharpener for skates, or skis or the like, that is manually operated, (ie. the sharpening is carried out by manually sliding the sharpener along the blade of the skate or ski by the user for sharpening the skate or ski). For example, the manual sharpener could include a handle that has at its end a structure similar to the base support shown in any of the embodiments described and shown herein, for receiving a sharpening head in accordance with one of the embodiments described and shown herein. 
     While the above description constitutes a plurality of embodiments of the present invention, it will be appreciated that the present invention is susceptible to further modification and change without departing from the fair meaning of the accompanying claims.