Patent ID: 7220161

Claim:
A method of using a skate grinding device, comprising: provide an automatic sharpening system ( 10 ) having grip members ( 14 , 16 ) and a grinding wheel ( 28 ); inserting a blade ( 18 ) of a skate ( 20 ) into a groove ( 19 ); automatically centering the grip members above the grinding wheel by turning a handle ( 46 ) so that the blade is aligned with the grinding wheel when adjusting a width of the groove with the handle; connecting the handle ( 46 ) to a first bar ( 45 ) and a second bar ( 47 ), the first bar being connected to the grip member ( 14 ) and the second bar being connected to the grip member ( 16 ), the first bar being parallel to the second bar, the grip member ( 14 ) being attached by eccentrically mounted fasteners ( 48 , 50 ), the grip member ( 16 ) being eccentrically mounted to fasteners ( 56 , 58 ); a motor ( 44 ) simultaneously and automatically rotating the grinding wheel ( 28 ) and moving the grinding wheel ( 28 ) within the groove along the blade from a first end ( 32 ) of the blade to a second end ( 34 ) of the blade to grind the blade ( 18 ); an electronic unit ( 86 ) measuring a time the system ( 10 ) is used; move the handle to a locked position to push the grip member ( 14 ) away from the handle to rotate the fasteners ( 48 , 50 ) about eccentric rotors ( 52 , 54 ) in a first rotational direction ( 55 ) and to push the grip member ( 16 ) away from the handle to simultaneously rotate the fasteners ( 56 , 58 ) about eccentric rotors 60 , 62 ) in a second rotational direction ( 57 ) to symmetrically narrow a gap ( 15 ) formed between the grip member ( 14 ) and the grip member ( 16 ), the first rotational direction ( 55 ) being opposite the second rotational direction ( 57 ); moving the handle from the locked position to a released position to pull the grip member ( 14 ) towards the handle to rotate the fasteners ( 48 , 50 ) about the eccentric rotors ( 52 , 54 ) in the second rotational direction and to pull the grip member ( 16 ) towards the handle to simultaneously rotate the fasteners ( 56 , 58 ) about the eccentric rotors ( 60 , 62 ) in the first rotational direction to symmetrically widen the gap ( 15 ); and the system sending an activation signal to a remote communication device to indicate that the system is being used by a user.