Portable skate sharpener

Abstract

A skate sharpening device is provided which allows a grinding device to rotate with respect to a working surface of the device in both a cross grind configuration and a finish grind configuration. The grinding device pivots about a pin and is guided by a threaded stud protruding through an arcuate slot and securable using a flared, hand operated nut. A slidable rack attached to the grinding device is moveable in fore and aft directions relative thereto. A dressing tool may be attached to the rack and its forward position is governed by an actuating system. The actuating system allows a user to selectively inhibit forward movement of the rack to position the dressing tool at a suitable position to allow a dressing bit to contact a grinding wheel attached to and powered by the grinding device to dress the grinding wheel.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 653,610 filed Feb. 16, 2005.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to skate sharpening devices. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART [0003] The use of a grinding wheel for sharpening ice skates is well known. There exists numerous machines which utilize a motor-driven grinding wheel supported on a table top or other working surface for sharpening skates. To sharpen an ice-skate, an operator of the machine typically advances the blade of the skate towards the rotating grinding wheel making contact with the wheel to create a concave surface on the blade's ice engaging surface, commonly known in the art as a “hollow”. The hollow provides a pair of relatively sharp edges at terminal ends of the resulting concave surface. [0004] In some cases, a skate will be sharpened by first cross grinding the blade to remove the old edge. A cross grind is performed by passing the bottom of the blade a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011] In another aspect, the present invention provides a dressing tool for attaching to a skate sharpening device, the skate sharpening device having a grinding device operating a grinding wheel, the tool comprising a bit for dressing the grinding wheel, the bit hav

Problems solved by technology

Such unevenness typically makes it more difficult to properly align or “centre” the blade with the convex periphery of grinding wheel.

In either case, the machine is either bulky, requiring an oversize working surface, or requires two separate machines.

Such arrangements are generally not suitable for portability.

In fact, a machine which utilizes separate cross grinding and finish grinding machines is not only far too large to be portable but also can be quite heavy, even for relocating the machine within a shop.

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