Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~2~6(~
The present invention relates to a blade for ice
skates, and, more particularly, to a blade which can be
partially embedded in a supporting body of plastic material
that is, in turn, affixed to a shoe for skating.
In the use of ice skates, each blade and its sup-
port are constantly subjected to pressures that depend in
severity upon the particular activity for which the skates
are used. The pressures are particularly severe, for example,
when the skates are used for ice hockey.
The resulting pressures have an adverse effect on
the supporting body of each skate, particularly in the
connection of the support body and the blade. To realize a
suitable blade-support combination, it is necessary to
select an appropriate plastic material for the support, and,
in particular, an appropriate anchorage of the blade to the
support.
In one prior art technique for attempting to realize
an anchorage that can withstand rough treatment, a support
body had been molded directly over the blade, with a plurality
of transverse links between the blade and the support. For
that purpose, the blade is provided, along a side that is
embedded in the support, with a number of transverse holes
of various forms and more or less regular distribution. The
dimensions of the holes are chosen to facilitate the flow of
fluid or semi-fluid plastic material that forms the desired
links when the plastic becomes cold.
In another prior art technique for attempting to
achieve a suitable anchorage, the upper edge of the blade
that is embedded in the support is provided with a plurality
of protuberances, each essentially in the form of a "T" with
wings parallel to the edge to form passages. These serve to
provide transverse links that correspond to those provided by
;603
the holes mentioned above. This last technique, using "T"
wings, provides better anchorage between the blade and the
support body than does the use of apertures alone.
Both techniques, however, present a technical
difficulty not heretofore overcome. ~onsiderlng the high
temperatures used during the molding of the support, the
shrinkage of the selected plastic material during cooling,
and the presence of transverse links realized in cores-
pounding positions at opposite extremities of the blade,
internal stresses are produced which are localized near the
blade or passages of the blade. As a consequence during use
of skates that are produced in a conventional way, relatively
minor pressures can cause the formation of cracks that can
rapidly lead to a fracture.
The invention provides an ice skating blade that is
anchored to a support in a way that overcomes the difficulties
mentioned above.
More specifically, an ice skate blade is provided
with an upper edge adapted to be embedded in a supporting
body of plastic material, comprising an ice engaging edge
protruding from the supporting body. The skate blade has an
intermediate projection extending from the upper edge
centrally of the blade. The intermediate projection has at
least an appendage thereof spaced from the upper edge of
the blade. The skate blade has opposed end projections from
which appendages extend inwardly towards the intermediate
projection spaced above the upper edge of the blade, the
appendages adapted to anchor the skate blade within the
supporting body.
The intermediate projection has a transverse
aperture in the projection of the blade above its upper
edge.
12~66Q;~
!
The principal advantage of the invention is that
the anchorage of the blade to the supporting body is ensured
with transversal tightness between the blade and the body.
During the cooling of the plastic material chosen for the
supporting body, the material shrinks in a longitudinal
direction with respect to the blade in such a way that there
is an apparent absence of any zones of undesired stress.
Other characteristics of the invention will become
apparent from a description of several realizations of a
blade for ice skates with reference to, but not limited to,
embodiments described below:
Figure 1 represents a side view of a first realize-
lion of a blade for ice skates according
to the invention;
Figure 2 represents the blade of Figure 1 anchored
to a support body shown in phantom,
Figures 3 and 4 represent two alternative variations
of the blade of Figure 1, and
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the blade of
Figure 4 taken along the line V-V.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, an ice skating
blade 1 according to the invention is shown with an edge 2
and associated structure to be embedded in a support 3 (in
phantom) realized using an appropriate plastic material.
Along the edge 2 the blade 1 has three projection
portions 4, 5 and 6 of which the intermediate portion 5 has
a transverse passage or hole 7 of prescribed form. The
particular passage 7 is oblong with major axis extending
longitudinally in alignment with the edge 2. The passage 7
within the projection 5 defines an appendage pa parallel to
the upper edge 2. The remaining projections 4 and 6 are
formed at counterpart extremities of the blade and define
it
respective appendages pa and pa. The appendages extend toward
the intermediate projection 5 in parallel alignment with
associated portions of the edge 2 of the blade 1.
The appendages pa and pa have a prescribed length
in accordance with the coefficient of shrinkage of the
plastic material chosen for realization of the supporting
base 3. The appendages are separated from edge 2 of the
blade 1 to form respective oblong passages 8 and 9 of
prescribed width. As illustrated in Figure 1, the passages
8 and 9 desirably have substantially the same width and
length as the transverse passage 7. The illustrated length
of each passage is about eight per cent of the overall length
of the blade 1.
The blade 1 described above is rigidly fixed in the
supporting body 3 by molding. During the molding operation,
which is completely conventional, plastic material in fluid
form engulfs the projections 4 and 6 with their respective
appendages pa and pa, the intermediate projection 5 and
parts of the blade in proximity to the edge 2. This come
pletely fills the hole 7 of the intermediate portion 5 and the passages 8 and 9 of the appendages 4 and 6. As India
acted in Figure 2, the overlap of the plastic material from
the edge 2 along the lateral faces of the blade 1 is ad van-
tageously approximately the same as the widths of the
passages 7, 8, and 9.
During the subsequent cooling of the molded plastic
material and its consolidation into the support 3, there is
an attendant shrinkage of the plastic. Because of the oblong
form of the support body 3, the fixed transverse and oblong
passages formed between the support and the blade 1 and the
partially embedding of the blade in the body in correspondence
with the hole 7 of the intermediate projection 5, the blade
-- 4 --
1~660~
resists the phenomenon of shrinkage corresponding to the
movement of the material from the extremity of the support
body 3 towards its central portion. This movement is not
absolutely stopped by the configuration of the blade but is
guided, particularly for the plastic material contained
between the appendages pa and pa and the edge 2 of the blade,
so that internal localized stresses are avoided in the
support body 3.
In other words, an anchorage with the desired
resistance characteristic is ensured by the complete embedding
of the appendages pa and pa of the projections 4 and 6 and the
intermediate projection 5, along with the realization of
transverse links by the solidification of plastic material
in the passage 7 of the projection 5.
The length of each of the appendages pa and pa
associated with the projections 4 and 6 is chosen so that
when there is consolidation of the supporting body, not-
withstanding the effects of shrinkage of the plastic material
in the directions indicated by the arrows, leaving voids in
the passages 8 and 9 as shown in Figure 2, the appendages
are nevertheless totally embedded in the body 3.
In Figure 3 there is illustrated a variant ice
skating blade of the invention. With reference to that
Figure, a blade 11 intended to be partially embedded in the
body (not shown) of plastic material is equipped along an
edge 12 with projection portions 13 and 14 at corresponding
opposite extremities. The portion 13 is pierced by a hole
15, preferably oblong, while the projection 14 forms an
appendage aye turned towards the portion 13 extending
parallel to and in alignment with the edge 12 of the blade.
Between the appendage 14 and the edge 12 there is formed a
passage 16 of prescribed length and width, which is
-- 5 --
clue
advantageously similar to that of the passage 15.
With reference to Figures 4 and 5 there is thus-
treated an alternative form of the invention. The blade 17
is provided with a hole 18 in its central portion. On oppo-
site sides aye and 17b of the blade 17, as further indicated
in the cross-sectional view of Figure 5, there is an anchorage
in the form of corresponding grooves 19 and 20 which extend
parallel to the upper edge 17c of the blade in prescribed
relation and distance with respect to it. The grooves 19
and 20, for example produced by milling, are dimensioned
for hooking together the plastic material of the support
body (not shown) during molding directly with the blade 17.
They confine the shrinkage to movement in the desired
longitudinal direction.
While various aspects of the invention have been
set forth by the drawings and specification, it is to be
understood that the foregoing detailed description is for
illustration only and that various changes in parts, as
well as the substitution of equivalent constituents for those
shown and described may be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the
appended claims.
-- 6 --
