Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1055~7
The subject invention relates generally to a wax appli-
catin~ device, and, in particular, to such a device which is
easily portable and is adapted to apply a coating of melted wax
to the lower surface of skis, toboggans, or the like.
The application of wax to skis, especially at the site,
is both a tedious and time consuming problem. For example, if
solid wax is being used, the wax is difficul;t to apply and re-
quires the application of sufficient force in order to spread
the wax over the surface of the ski. Further, using solid wax,
it is difficult to obtain a layer of wax of relatively uniform
thickness over the surface of the ski. To render such a cold
wax application effective, one has to vigorously rub the waxed ~ ~
surface of the ski with a hand held rubbing device (usually cork ~ ~ -
.
or styrene foam), or pass a hot iron over it. This is usuallytedious and messy. Liquid waxes which are available are restric
ted in their range of use. Consequently they do not significant-
ly ease the waxing problem.
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Apparatus similar to that according to the subject in
vention have been utilized for applying a surfacing material such
20~ as wax over a floor. Howevér, such apparatus are normally of
more complicated structure than that according to the subject
invention and could not be readily adapted for use in applying
a coating of melted wax to the lower surface of a ski or toboggan.
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Accordingly, the subject invention proposes to provide an easily
portable device adapted to apply a coating of melted wax to a
~- surface to be waxed.
.
To achieve this, the wax applicating device according
to the subject invention comprises; a holder adapted to receive
a ~uantity of solid wax; a wax applicating head adapted to engage
a surface to be waxed; and heater means operatively associated
with the holder. The heater means is adapted to melt solid wax
situated in the holder, whereby melted wax passes through an
opening in the holder to the wax applicating head for applica-
tion to a surface to be waxed. ~
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~055i427
In accordance with one aspect of the present .invention,
there is provided a portable wax-applicating device for manually
applying a thin coat of wax on the running surface of skis or
the like, comprising, a wax-holder having a bottom surface and
comprising a compartment for holding a piece of solid wax to be
progressively melted at its inner end at the bottom surface: a
gripping portion circumposed in insulated relation about said
was-holder for accommodating the hand of a user as wax is melted :
and applied to a running surface, a wax applicating head of a
heat-conducting material depending from said wax-holder and
gripping portion, heater means on the wax-applicating head
adjacent the bottom surface of the wax-holder for concentrating
heat where the wax is melted at the inner end of the wax being
melted, and maintaining the wax-applicating head at a temperature . -.
for applying liquid wax and ironing the wax into a thin layer
after it has been applied, said applicator head including inter~
nal conduit means communicating with the bottom surface of the : :~
; wax-holder for receiving melted wax, said applicator head having ~:~
a substantial width defined by two convergent faces extending the :
wldth of the applicator and terminating in a lower transverse
edge, said conduit means opening into one of the faces which one
face comprises an application face when the melted wax discharges ..
onto the one face and is applied as a thin coat the width o~ the
applicator head when the device is moved in one direction, said
other face comprising an ironing face for ironiny a thin layer
of the melted wax as the device is moved in an opposite 1 ...... ..
direction, said transverse edge comprising mean5 for forming a
liquid head of melted wax between the respective faces and the ¦
surface upon which the wax is applied. .
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lOS54~
In drawings which illus-trate embodiments of the inven-
. tion according to the subject application:
Figure 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the wax
applicatiny device according to the subject -~
invention' . -
Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section of the embodiment
according to Figure 1, taken along the Line ::
II-II, .
Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section of the embodiment .~-
10 . according to Figure 2, taken along the line
III-III;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a further embodiment
of the wax applicating device; .
. - Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken along
~:; the line V-V o Figure 4, and . .
: Figure 6 is a vertiaal cross-section of a further
embodiment of the wax applicating device.
In Figures 1 to 3, the embodiment of the wax appli-
catlng devlce according to the subject inventlon is designated
20 ; generally by reference numeral 10~ The device 10 includes two
main components comprising an elongated central portion 12 and a
gripping portion 14 which encloses a cylindrical sidewall 13
:: forming an upper section of the central portion 12. In this em-
bodiment, the central portion 12 is of one-piece aluminum con-
struction and the cylindrical sidewall 13 thereof forms a wax
holder 16, the holder 16 haviny an open upper end adapted to re
ceive a bar of wax which is to be applied to a surface to be
waxed. The side-wall 13 can aLso be a separate componen-t of the
;~ central portion 12 and be made from a heat resistant material,
~30 as in the embodiment according to Figures 4 and 5.
.~
A lower sectionof the central portion 12 of the de-
;~ vice cornprises a wax applicating head 18 having two converging
: ~ flat surfaces 20 and 22 which merge into a rounded nose portlon
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1~55427
24 at the lowermost end of the head 18. The rounded nose portion
24 is adapted to permit the waxing of a longitudinal groove which
extends along a lower surface of a ski. The flat surface 22 in-
cludes a shallow depression 26 which, in the embodiment of Fig- :~
ures 1 to 3, is substantially rectangular in plan view, the de- ..
pression 26 being situated near the middle of the flat surface
22 and extending approximately one-third the width of the surface
22. The shape and width of the depression 26 can be varied, the
width being of any suitable size which is less than the width of
the surface 22. The function of the depression 26 is to.direct
the flow of melted wax along the surface 22 to the nose portion .
24. Melted wax enters the depression 26 via a lower end of a con- .:
duit means 28 which communicates the wax holder 16 with an upper
end of the depression 26. An upper end of the conduit means 28 ~ .
terminates at a bottom surface 29 of the wax holder 16, the bot-
tom surface 29 being tapered slightly downwardly from the sidewall
: 13 of the holder 16 to the upper end of the conduit means 28. The
tapered bottom surface 29 directs the flow of melted wax within . .
......
the wax holder 16 to the conduit means 28, thereby limiting accu- .
mulation of melted wax on the bottom surface 29 of the wax holder
16. While not shown in this embodiment o the invention, the
conduit means 28.may include a valve so that a user can shut off
the flow of melted wax from the holder 16 to the depression 26.
The lower section of central portion 12 of the device
; includes a transverse cylindrical bore 30 situated near the bot- .
tom surface 29 of the wax holder 16. The bore 30 is adapted to :.
receive a heater means 32 therein, the heater means 3~ ~ei~
shown in phantom in Figure 2. One heater means 32 which has been
successfully utilized is a 50 watt, 120 volt cartridge electrical
heater. The heater means 32 in Fiyure 2 is provided with an ex-
ten~ion cord 3~ having an electric plug 36 for connecting the . ...... ... .
heater means 32 to an alternating current source of power. .
:" The heater means 32 also includes a thermostat 35 by ~ :
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105542~7
' means of which the temperature oE the wax holder 16 is maintained
O O
approximately between 22S and 250 F. when the wax applicating
device is in use. Further, while the embodiment of Figures 1 to
3 operates off of an alternating current source of power, the
device according to the present invention can bé easily adapted
to permit its operation from a direct current source of power, e.
- g., by using an adapter which can be plugged into the holder for '
a cigarette lighter in an automobile. The latter arrangement would
permit the wax applicating device to be used at the site from the
power generated by an automobile battery.
The lower section of the central portion 12 includes
an outwardly extending annular shoulder portion 38 situated between
the bore 30 and upper edges of the flat surfaces 20 and 22. A
lower surface 40 of the shoulder 38 engages a cooperating upper
surface of an inwardly extending flange portion 42 located at the
lowermost end,of the gripping portion 14. As best seen in Figure 1, ;,,
the gripping portion 14 is a cylindrical container having an open
upper end and a bulge portion 44'extending outwardly over a nar-
~row portion of the circumference of the gripping portion, the bulge
portion 44 also extending the height of the gripping portion 14and adapted to provide sufficient space for a portion of the ex-
: .
tension cord 34, as well as the thermostat 35. An inner surface
of the gripping portion 14 is separated from an outer surface of
the cylindrical sidewall 13 of the wax applicating portion 12 by
an annular space 45 extending from an upper surface 46 of the
annular shoulder 38 to the top of the device. The gripping portion
14 is made of a plastic, heat-resistant material, and is adapted
to be grippe'd by a user of the device. To further limit heat trans- ' ,~
fer from sidewall 13 of wax holder 16 to the gripping portion 14,
the annular,space 45 may be filled with a suitable insulating '~ '~
' material. ~ -
To operate the wax applicating device, solid wax is
3 ~ first inserted into the wax holder 16 of the device 10. The elec-
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~0554Z7
tric plug 36 is then inserted into a suitable alternatiny cur-
rent receptacle, whereby the heater means 32 generates heat which
is conducted by the aluminum central portion 12 to the bottom '.
surface 29 of the wax holder 16. The heat-generated by the heater '~
means 32 is such'that only the lower surface of the bar of wax '
wlthin the holder 16 is melted. Melted wax within the wax holder '~
16 passes through the conduit means 2~ to the depression 26. The ~'
wax applicating head 18 also receives heat by conduction from the
heater means 32, thereby maintaining the melted wax passing from --
the holder 16, through the conduit means 28, to the rectangular -
depression 26 in its liquid form. To apply melted wax to a sur~
fac~, the device is held ln substantially a vertical position, '.~ ' .
such that melted wax entering the depression 26 flows downward- '
ly therein to the nose portion 24 which is in contact with the ~. ...... ..
surface 50 to be waxed. The device is adcanced by the user in
a direction facing the surface 22 as indicated by arrow A in Fig- .'
ure 3, which is substantially at right angles to a length of the
'nose portion 24. As the device is.advanced, melted wax flows
:: ~ away from the area of the.depression and a bead of melted wax
20: is formed between the surface 50 and a leading edge of the nose .'
,
portion, the bead extending'the width of the nose portion 24. ..
Mo~ement of the device i.n the reverse direction irons out irregu- :.
larities in the wax~ which has just been deposited on the surfhce
50. To increase the flow of wax to the surface 50, the user sim-
ply'applies pressure to an upper surface of the bar of wax situa- ' '. :
ted within the wax holder 16, thereby forcing a greater area of
the lower surface of the bar of wax against the heated bottom . .:'
surface 29 of the holder 16, whi'le simultaneously urging melted ' '~..''
wax within the.holder 16 through the conduit means 28. '
- The width of the rounded nose portion 24 of the de- .. . '
:
vice is a little more than the distance from an edge of the longi- ~
~-. tudinal groove situated at the centre of the lower surface of a '
.
:~ ski to an adjacent longitudinal edge of the ski. Thus, wax is ' :
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1055427
first applied to the surface on one side of the longitudinal groove
and then to the surface on the other side of the groove. The groove
itself is then waxed by advancing the rounded nose portion 24
along the length of the groove in a direction at right angles to
arrow A in Figure 3.
As noted above, only the lower surface of the bar of
wax within the holder 16 is melted, the remainder of the bar of
wax remaining cool and solid to facilitate its removal from the
wax applicating device once the waxiny of the surface is completed.
The upper portion of the bar of wax is kept cool and solid in that
the upper end of the device is completely open.
The embodiments of the invention according to Figures
4, 5, and 6 are quite similar to the embodiment of Figures l to 3,
with similar component parts bearing the same reference numerals
in all 6 figures. In the embodiments of Figures 4 to 6, the wax
holder 16 is rectangular in plan view and the heater means 32
comprises a flat band heater which is wrapped around the wax
applicating head 18 adjacent the bottom surface 29 of the wax
holder 16. To facilitate mounting of the band heater, corners
of the head 18 are rounded off. The use of the band heater avoids
the necessity of providing a bore in the lower section of the
~- central portion 12 for the cartridge-type heater means. In addi-
tion, in this embodiment, the sidewalls 13 of the holder 16 are
constructed from a non~heat conducting material in order to pre
vent melting of sides of a bar of wax 52 situated within the
holder.
Further, the bar of wax 52 shown in Figures 4 to 6 is
gripped at its upper end by a clamp means 54 comprising a spring
clamp which releasably supports the upper end of the bar of wax
from a slider 56 to which the clamp means 54 is secured. The sli-
der 56 is so dimensioned as to slide freely within the holder 16
while supporting the bar of wax away from the sidewalls 13 of the
wax holder 16, thereby preventiny clogginy while providing a
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~0S5427
measure of neatness to the device which minimizes the amount of
cleaning of the device which would otherwise be necessary. A han-
dle 58 is mounted on the top of the slider 56, by means of which
a user presses down on the top thereof, forcing the bar of wax
downwardly in order to increase the flow of melted wax to the
surface to be waxed, as described previously. A slot 60 is situa-
ted in a wall of the holder 16 in order to facilitate the appli-
cation of pressure to the top of the handle, especially when the
bar of wax within the holder 16 becomes smaller in size. The use
-of the slider 56 and clamp means 54 allows pressure to be applied
to the wax without the user placing his fingers on the wax, thus
providing a measure of safety and convenience. Thé slider and
clamp means also facilitates the removal of the bar of wax from
the wax holder after waxing is completed.
The t~pe and location of the heater means used in
; association with the~device can be modified from the embodiments
shown without in any way departing from the invention according
to the subject application. Thus, a rechargeable portable battery ~
ncorporated in the device could provide the necessary source of ~;
~20 power. In addition, in the embodiment according to Figure 6, only
the lower section of the central portion 12 which includes the
: :, , ,
bottom surface 2g of the holder 16, as weLl as the wax applica
ting head 18, need be made of a heat conducting material such as
aluminum. Thus, the sidewalls 13 are constructed from a non-heat
conducting material which limits heat transfer to the gripping
portion 14. Li~ewsie, in Figures 4 and 5, the sidewalls of the
wax holder are made of a non-heat conducting material and, in
this embodiment, function as the gripping portion of the device.
Further, while the embodiments of Figures 1 to 6 uti-
lize a conduit means between an opening in the holder and the wax
applicating head, it is within the scope of the subject invention
to construct the wax applicating device such than an opening in
.
the~holder would permit the discharge of melted wax directly to
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~055~27
the wax applica-ting head. For example, in such an embodim~nt,
a portion of the wax holder would extend outwardly beyond an upper
edge of the outer surface of the wax applicating head. An open- : .
ing in the bottom surface of the holder would be situated adjac-
ent a location where the uppex edge of the outer surface meets the
holder, whereby melted wax flows directly from the holder to the
outer surface of the wax applicating head. At least one depression
could be provided in the outer surface of the applicating head in
order to direct the\flow of melted wax flowing from the opening
in the bottom surface of the holder to the lower edge of the wax
applicatlng head which would be in contact with the surface being
waxed.
As a further modification of the embodiments of Figures
1 to 6, one end of the rounded nose portion of the wax applicating
: head is flattened over a width of approximately three-eighths of
an inch in order to facilitate the waxing of longitudinal grooves
situated in the lower surfaces of skis which are substantially
rectangular, as opposed to curvedj in cross-sectionu The device
: would then be advanced along the rectangular groove with the
flattened portion of the wax applicating head lying against the
, ~
~ base of the groove. : .
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