US2213903A - Reinforced laminated ski - Google Patents

Description

p 194G. H. MCI... DAVEDSON 2,213,993

REINFORCED LAMINATED SKI I Filed Aug. 4, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l &\ \\&y{/ i I 3 if J I Ma I N E N T O [Q Hamish M Leod Davidson.

ATTOFQNEY Sept. 3, 1940.

H. McL..- DAVIDSON REINFORCED LAMINATED SKI Filed Aug. 4, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NV E N TD F Ham/Sh M Leod Davidson.

ATTOFQN EY Patented Sept. 3 1940 UNITED STATES REINFORCED LAMINATED SKI Hamish McLeod Davidson, Vancouver, Province of British Columbia, Canada ApplicationAugust 4, 1938, Serial No 223,093

2 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to improved reinforced laminated skis and aeroplane skis.

An object of the present invention is the provision of light, reinforcedlaminated skis or other laminated articles in which lightness and durability are required.

Another object is the provision of means for reinforcing flexible laminated articles without affecting their pliability or materially increasing their weight, or size.

Another object is the provision of means for increasing the flexibility of laminated skis without decreasing the strength thereof.

Yet another object is the provision of means in laminated skis for affording a better grip for screws, nails and other fasteners'that may be used therewith.

Still another object is the provision of means in laminated skis for reducing splitting and breaking.

As is well known, skis require considerable flexibility at both the forward and tail ends thereof. The forward end must be flexible in order that the ski will bend and ride over any reasonably size-d obstacles that may be encountered while the tail end thereof must also be flexible to prevent the ski from being broken by the weight of the skier after the middle point of the ski has passed over the obstacle. Unfortunately, flexibility is gained by making the ski relatively thin at the desired points and these points of great flexibility are subjected to very great and usually sudden strain. The forward end of the ski is constantly subjected to sudden bending at high speeds which often results in breakage at this point while the tail end is whipped about which results in the splitting of the wood from the end of the ski towards the middle thereof. Actually the whole ski is constantly placed under great strain and, therefore, must be made as strong as possible consistent with the necessary flexibility and lightness thereof.

The lamination of skis in itself was an attempt to strengthen them as well as to reduce their weight. This has been only partially successful so that the breaking and splitting has been reduced very little. An attempt has been made to reinforce the forward or upturned ends of skis by securing thereto metallic strips by means of nails, screws, rivets or the like. This, however, has proven very detrimental to the skis for many reasons. The metal increases the weight of the skis at the forward ends thereof and throws them out of balance. The screws, nails or rivets weaken the wood at the point of the greatest strain. The

,metal, being substantially non stretchable, pulls against the securing means under continual bending and, therefore, not only strains the wood but loosens the securing means. filter in between the metal and the wood causing the latter to expand and warp and eventually to rot and the metal is liable to rust. The metal cannot be bonded to the wood successfully owing to the constant flexing thereof and to the well known difficulty of making According to the present invention, suitable means is provided for reinforcing skis either throughout their entire lengths or at any desired point or points. This reinforcing means is in itself light, flexible and may be bonded to the wood.

The following drawings illustrate by way of example, a number of skis made up in accordance with the present invention, but it is to be understood that aeroplane' skis, runners, or the like come equally well within the scope of this invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of ski,

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Figure 3 is a view of the sub-units of the ski shown in Fig. 1, before the final assembly thereof, and

Figures 4 and 7, inclusive, illustrate alternative ski constructions.

According to the present invention, the skis are provided with one or more laminations or plies of thermo-set material, such as, for example, vulcanized fibre, laminated Bakelite, and plastic compositions. These laminations or plies of thermoset material may extend the full length of the skis or they may extend over any desired point or points, or the ski may include a combination of these. In this way, the skis are reinforced throughout their entire length or at any desired point or points by a material that in itself is durable, pliable and light and which may be readily bonded to the ski.

Referring more particularly to Figs. l to 3, inclusive, of the drawings, the ski A comprises upper and lower laminations II and i2 and a central lamination, ply or core l3, all formed of suitable wood. The core [3 is shorter than the plies H and I2 and it is comparatively thick at substantially'it's mid section and tapers towards each end thereof. A ply of thermo-set material I4 is interposed between the upper ply l l and the core l3 and another ply of thermo-set material i5 is interposed between the lower ply l2 and the Moisture tends to I metal adhere to wood. 10

core, said plies l4 and i5 extending substantially the full length of the ski. While the core I3 is illustrated as being. formed from a single piece of wood, it is to be understood that it may comprise a plurality of laminations or plies of wood with or without plies of thermo-set material interposed therebetween. If desired, the ski may be provided along its lower edges with metal edges l6 secured thereto by securing means ll, such as small screws or nails, which extend into or through the lower material ply i5.

In this manner, the ski is formed with two plies or laminations of thermo-set material that reinforce the ski throughout; its entire length without affecting its flexibility and without adding materially to its weight. It will be noted that there are two plies of the thermo-set material bonded together at the forward and tail ends of the ski where it .is thinnest and where it is subjected to the greatest strain.

The various plies or laminations of the ski A may be bonded together in any suitable manner.

In Fig. 4, the ski consists of a lamination or ply of wood 20 which is relatively thick at its mid section and tapers towards the ends thereof. The lamination 20 may be longitudinally slotted at either or both ends to receive one or more laminations or plies of thermo-set material 2|, These plies extend throughout the very thin portion of the ski where it must be flexible and where it is subjected to the greatest strain.

Fig. 5 illustrates a ski made up of an upper ply or lamination 23 formed of wood, which is relatively thick at its mid section and tapers towards the ends thereof, a central lamination or ply of wood 26 and a lower lamination or ply of thermo-set material 25. If desired, the upper ply 23 may be formed of a plurality of laminations with or without interposed layers of thermo-set material.

Fig. 6 shows a ski having a central ply or lamination 21 formed of wood which is relatively thick at its mid section and tapers towards the ends thereof. This ski also has a ply or lamina- .tion of thermo-set material 28 bonded to the bottom of the ply 21 and/or a ply or lamination of thermo-set material 29 bonded to the top of the central ply. If desired, the ply 28 may be formed of a plurality of laminations of wood with or without interposed layers of thermo-set material bonded together according to the present invention.

In Fig. 7, the ski is formed with an upper ply or lamination of wood 3| which is relatively thick at its mid section and tapers towards the ends thereof. A central ply or lamination of thermoset material 32 is interposed between the ply 3| and a lower ply or lamination of wood 33. The upper ply 3! may be slotted to receive a single ply or lamination of thermo-set material 36 below the upper surface thereof at its mid-section or it may be formed of a plurality of pliesor laminations of wood with or without interposed layers of thermo-set material which have been bonded in any suitable manner. a

Fig. 7 illustrates another alternative in which a ply or lamination of thermo--set material 35 is bonded to the bottom of the ski at any desired point but preferably at the forward endthereof. Obviously, the ply 35 may be applied to any of the above described skis which do not have a ply of thermo-set material along the bottom thereof.

The plies or laminations of thermo-set'material thus incorporated in the skis reinforce them at the desired points without affecting the flexibility thereof or without adding materially to their weight or thickness. In fact, the flexibility of the skis may be increased at the desired points since the wooden plies may be made thinner owing to the greatstrengthening effect of the thermo-set material plies. In most of these skis, the plies or laminations of thermoset material aiford a better grip for screws, nails and other fastening means for ski harness, fittings, metal edges or the like.

From the above, it will readily be seen that means have been provided for reinforcing skis to reduce splitting and breaking without affecting, and. in some cases, even increasing, the flexibility thereof or without adding materially to the weight or size thereof.

While only one type of ski has been described and illustrated, it is to be understood that aeroplane skis may be reinforced-in a similar-manner. It is intended that the words thermo-set material as used in the foregoing specification and 1n the following claims, shall include materials,

such as vulcanized fibre, laminated Bakelite, and plastic compositions, which are set by means of heat when they are manufactured.

Various modifications may be made in this invention without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the claims, and therefore the ex-' act forms shown are'to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense, and it is desired that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are disclosed in the prior art or are set forth inthe accompanying claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A laminated ski comprising a wooden core,

upper and lower wooden laminations having a length greater than the length of said core, said core gradually tapering in the direction of its ends, and upper and lower reinforcing composition laminations interposed between said core and said upper and lower wooden laminations and adhesively secured thereto, said composition laminations adhesively secured to said core and said wooden laminations and adhesively secured together beyond the ends of said core to thereby form a reinforcing means at the point of greatest stress.

2. A laminated ski comprising a wooden core, upper and lower wooden laminations having a length greater than the length of said core, said core gradually tapering in the direction of its ends, and upper reinforcing composition laminations interposed between said core and said up-

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