Abstract:
A pair of portable supports that are adapted to removably engage longitudinally spaced sections of a ski to support the latter in an elevated substantially horizontal position above a floor surface to permit the ski to be tuned or maintenance work performed thereon. The pair of ski supports are of such structure that they are adapted to removably engage the edges of a longitudinal section of the ski irrespective of the configuration of the edges.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Ski Supporting Device. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Prior to the present invention, no light weight, portable support has been available to removably engage a ski to support the latter in a substantially horizontal position where it may be tuned or maintenance work performed thereon. 
     In the past, the only support for skis to have such work performed thereon were bench mounted clamps. 
     A major object of the present invention is to provide a pair of portable light weight supports that may be fabricated from standard commercially available materials, that have a simple structure, and may be carried from place to place by a user to removably support a ski in a substantially horizontal position where the ski may be tuned or maintenance or repair work performed thereon. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a pair of portable light weight supports for engaging longitudinally spaced sections of a ski that have first and second laterally spaced side edge surfaces, to dispose the ski in an elevated, substantially horizontal position above a floor surface to permit the ski to be turned or maintenance work performed thereon. Each of the supports is of identical structure. Each support includes first, second and third elongate rigid spaced legs. Each of the legs has a first upwardly disposed end and a second end that rests on the floor surface. First, second and third legs extensions project upwardly and outwardly from the first ends of the first, second and third legs, and the first, second and third leg extensions including first, second and third straight, vertically disposed end portions. 
     First means are provided for pivotally connecting the first, second and third ends of the first, second and third legs in such a manner that the second and third end portions may be disposed in a common vertical plane, and the first end portions move normal to this vertical plane. 
     First, second and third clamps are pivotally supported on the first, second and third end portions. Manually operated means are provided for pivoting the first leg relative to the second and third legs to force the first clamp into pressure contact with the first side edge surface of the ski and the second and third clamp into pressure contact with the second side edge surfaces of the ski to frictionally grip a longitudinal section of the ski therebetween, with the second means when in the second position so remaining until manually moved to the first position. When the supports are so removably engaging the ski, the ski is disposed at a substantially horizontal position above the floor surface on which the first, second and third legs rest, and the ski may be tuned or have maintenance work performed thereon. After the turning or maintenance work has been performed thereon, the first leg is pivoted to the first position where it is released from the support, and the support may be then folded into a compact configuration until again needed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one of the ski supports removably engaging a desired longitudinal section of a ski to hold the ski in a horizontal position where it may be tuned or maintenance work performed thereon; 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional and end elevational view of the invention taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the upper portion of one of the pair of supports, and illustrating the support in removable engagement with the ski; 
     FIG. 4 is a transverse cross sectional view of the invention taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary combined top plan view and transverse cross sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 3. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The invention is a pair of tri-pod like ski supports A, one of which is shown in FIG. 1 that may removably engage a desired longitudinal section of a ski B, to maintain the latter in a substantially horizontal position where the ski may be tuned or have maintenance work performed thereon. The ski B has first and second longitudinal side edge surfaces 10 and 12, which side edge surfaces may be either parallel, angularly disposed relative to one another, or have portions thereof angling outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis of the ski. 
     Each of the inventions A includes first, second and third legs 14, 16 and 18, that are preferably formed from light weight tubular stocks, such as aluminium tubing or the like. The first, second and third legs 14, 16 and 18 include first ends 14a, 16a and 18a and second ends 14b, 16b, and 18b as may be seen in FIG. 1. First, second and third tubular extensions 14c, 16c and 18c project upwardly from the first ends 14a, 16a and 18a of the legs, and these extensions including first, second and third end portions 14d, 16d and 18d that are straight and vertically disposed relative to the ground surface when the invention A is disposed as shown in FIG. 1. 
     Each of the inventions A includes first means C for pivotally connecting the first, second and third legs 10, 12 and 14 together as shown in FIG. 1. 
     The first means C includes a rigid body that has first, second and third circumferentially spaced arms 20a, 20b and 20c defined thereon. The first, second and third arms 20a, 20b and 20c have bifurcated free ends that serve to support first, second and third pins 22, 24 and 26 therein, and these pins passing through transverse bores formed in the first end 14a, 16a and 18a of the first, second and third legs 14, 16 and 18 as shown in FIG. 5. 
     First, second and third clamps 28, 30 and 32 are provided that are in the form of rollers that are rotatably supported on the upper extremities of the first, second and third end portions 14d, 16d and 18d as may be seen in FIG. 3, with the rollers having first, second and third cylindrical surfaces 28a, 30a and 32a. Each of the first, second and third clamps 28, 30 and 32 includes an upwardly disposed longitudinally extending recess 34 that is defined by a flat upper surface 34a, an angle surface 34b situated therebelow, and a horizontal surface 34c, as may be seen in FIG. 2. The angled surfaces 34b as may best be seen in FIG. 2 project downwardly and outwardly at an angle substantially 12° with the vertical, and permit a ski having an angularly disposed portion to be situated adjacent thereto and grip by the clamps. The flat surfaces 34a frictionally grip adjacent portions of the first and second longitudinal side surfaces 10 and 12 as shown in FIG. 2. The first, second and third extensions 14c, 16c and 18c are of such configuration that the second and third clamps 30 and 32 lie in a common vertical plane, and with the first clamp 28 capable of being moved either towards or away from the plane in which the second and third clamps 30 and 32 lie. 
     Manually operated means D are provided for pivoting the first leg 14 relative to the second and third legs 16 and 18 to removably grip a ski D as shown in FIG. 1. The manually operated means D includes an elongate rod 36 that has a bifurcated first end portion 36a and a second end portion 36b best seen in FIG. 4. External threads 38 are formed on the second end portion 36b. A pin 40 extends through transversely aligned openings formed in the first end portion 14d and in the bifurcated end 36a. A bar 42 is provided that has a transverse bore 44 therein through which the second end portion 36b of the rod 36 extends. The bar, as may be seen in FIG. 4 is in abutting contact with the second and third end portions 16d and 18d of the second and third legs 16 and 18. The threads 38 are engaged by a wing nut 46, which nut when tightened bears against the bar 42, and as the wing nut is rotated in a first direction, causes the end portion 14d to move towards the second and third end portions 16d and 18d. 
     The use and operation of the invention is extremely simple. The two supports A are spaced from one another a desired distance, and the ski B then disposed in a position to rest thereon, with each of the two spaced sections of the ski being disposed between a first clamp 28 and second and third clamp 30 and 32 as shown in FIG. 1. The wing nut 46 is now rotated in a first direction to force the first clamp 28 and second and third clamp 30 and 32 into gripping contact with the ski as shown in FIG. 2. The ski is now supported in a horizontal position, and may be tuned to have maintenance work performed thereon. After the tuning is then completed, the wing nut 46 are rotated in a second direction, to permit the first clamp 28 to be pivoted away from the second and third clamp 30 and 32, and permit the ski B to be separated from the supports A. The supports A may be then folded into a compact configuration and stored in a suitable place until again needed. 
     The use and operation of the invention has been described previously in detail and need not be repeated.