SKATE GUARD

• Main Authors: CHININIS, STEPHEN P, DIMEGLIO, DAWN C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 15.09.1996
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: AMUSEMENTS; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE; GAMES; HUMAN NECESSITIES; ROLLER SKATES; SKATES; SKIS; SPORTS

A skate guard has front and rear pieces with slots for receiving the front and rear portions of a skate runner. A center piece is rigidly connected to the front and rear pieces, and it is formed of a stretchable elastomeric material which biases the front and rear pieces toward each other. The center piece has a downwardly facing tread surface, and it is stiff enough to keep the front and rear pieces substantially longitudinally aligned with each other when the device is not on a skate runner. In a gap between the front and rear pieces, the center piece has a runner-protecting portion which (a) is no higher than the bottom walls of the runner-receiving slots, and (b) lies between two vertical longitudinal planes which include the sidewalls of the runner-receiving slots. Separately molded elastomeric tread pieces are attached to the front and rear pieces. Each tread piece has a horizontal tread portion and a bumper portion which extends around the end of its respective front or rear piece. To facilitate cutting of the front and rear pieces to suitable lengths, pairs of transversely aligned horizontal cutter-positioning grooves are provided on opposite sides of the runner-receiving slots. For further guidance of a cutting tool, outboard vertical grooves are located in a same transverse plane as each pair of cutter-positioning grooves.