Automatic blade holder

Abstract

The blade holder has a movable plate and a fixture. A rotatable bolt in operative engagement with a block attached to the plate. A motor is in operative engagement with the bolt. The motor rotates the bolt to move the plate towards the fixture to grip a first set of blades until a torque threshold value is reached. The processor determines a number of blades included in the set of blades based on the number of rotations of the bolt. A first grinding portion of a rotating abrasive belt is applied against the set of blades (having width (W1)) to sharpen the set of blades. Sliding a vise sideways a distance (W1) until a second grinding portion is aligned on top of the second set of blades.

1 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method of operating an ice skate blade sharpening apparatus having a blade holder with lateral holding parts at least one of which being movable relative to the other, the method comprising:
 causing a motor to move at least one of the lateral holding parts relative to the other to grip a set of ice skate blades placed therebetween;   monitoring a torque or force generated by the motor;   upon determining that the torque or force generated by the motor has reached a threshold torque value or threshold force value, determining a gripping gap between the lateral holding parts;   determining a number of ice skate blades in the set based at least in part on the gripping gap; and   outputting the determined number of ice skate blades via a user interface or storing the determined number of ice skate blades in a memory.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the lateral holding parts comprise a fixed part and a movable part, wherein the blade holder further comprises a rotatable bolt in engagement with a block coupled to the movable part and wherein said determining a gripping gap between the lateral holding parts is based on a number of rotations of the bolt. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the lateral holding parts comprise a fixed part and a movable part, wherein the blade holder further comprises a position sensor configured to sense a position of the movable part and wherein said determining a gripping gap between the lateral holding parts is based on an output of the position sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said determining the number of ice skate blades is based on a thickness of each ice skate blade in the set of ice skate blades. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving input from a user of the apparatus specifying the thickness of one or more of the ice skate blades in the set of ice skate blades. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said determining the number of ice skate blades is further based on an initial distance between the lateral holding parts of the blade holder. 
     
     
         17 . The method defined of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving an input specifying the thickness of the ice skate blades; and   receiving an input specifying the initial distance between the lateral holding parts of the blade holder.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the set of ice skate blades includes at least two ice skate blades and wherein the method further comprises simultaneously sharpening at least two of the ice skate blades in the set of ice skate blades. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein upon determining the number of ice skate blades in the set of ice skate blades, the method further comprises determining a final torque value or a final force value for holding the ice skate blades in the set of ice skate blades during a sharpening procedure, the final torque value or the final force value being based at least in part on the number of ice skate blades in the set of ice skate blades. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein upon determining the final torque value or the final force value for holding the ice skate blades in the set of ice skate blades during the sharpening procedure of the ice skate blades, the method further comprises narrowing the gripping gap between the lateral holding parts until the final torque value or the final force value is generated during the sharpening procedure of the ice skate blades in the set of ice skate blades placed between the lateral holding parts of the blade holder. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining a grinding pressure to be applied to the set of ice skate blades during a sharpening procedure of the set of ice skate blades by a grinding device of the ice skate blade sharpening apparatus, the grinding pressure being based on the number of ice skate blades in the set of ice skate blades. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein upon determining the grinding pressure to be applied to the set of ice skate blades during the sharpening procedure of the ice skate blades, the method further comprises setting the grinding pressure to be applied to the set of ice skate blades during the sharpening procedure. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining a speed of sideways movement of a contact wheel separated from an ice-contacting surface of the ice skate blades in the set of ice skate blades by a rotating abrasive belt of the ice skate blade sharpening apparatus, the speed of sideways movement of the contact wheel being based at least in part on the number of ice skate blades in the set of ice skate blades. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein upon determining the speed of sideways movement of the contact wheel, the method further comprises adjusting the speed of sideways movement of the contact wheel to the determined speed of sideways movement during the sharpening procedure of the ice skate blades. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the force is a force per unit area.