Automatic blade holder

Abstract

The method is for profiling blades with a belt grinding profiling machine. The blades are mounted into a vise. A vertical position of the template is adjusted by rotating the rotatable knob. The motor is turned on to rotate the grinding belt over the grinding wheel. The guide wheel engages the underside profile of the template. The guide wheel of the template guides movement of the grinding wheel mounted on the common axle by moving the guide wheel along the underside profile of the template. The grinding belt grinds material off the underside of the blade until a portion of the underside profile of the template is copied to the underside of the blade.

1 .- 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A template for profiling a blade for a skate for skating on ice, the blade having an ice-contacting surface for contacting the ice, the template comprising:
 a first end and a second end opposite the first end; and   an underside surface extending longitudinally between the first end and the second end, wherein at least a portion of the underside surface comprises a profile corresponding to a portion of a shape of an ellipse, the profile of the at least a portion of the underside surface of the template being configured to be copied onto at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface of the blade to profile the blade.   
     
     
         11 . The template of  claim 10 , wherein the template has a length defined between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         12 . The template of  claim 11 , wherein the at least a portion of the underside surface of the template to be copied onto the at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface of the blade corresponds to a majority of the length of the template. 
     
     
         13 . The template of  claim 11 , wherein the at least a portion of the underside surface of the template to be copied onto the at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface of the blade corresponds to 50% to 75% of the length of the template. 
     
     
         14 . The template of  claim 11 , wherein the length of the template is longer than a length of the blade. 
     
     
         15 . The template of  claim 11 , wherein the length of the template is about 450 millimeters. 
     
     
         16 . The template of  claim 10 , further comprising at least one recess configured for receiving a positioning element of a positioning mechanism of a profiling apparatus to adjust a position of the template relative to the blade to profile the blade. 
     
     
         17 . The template of  claim 16 , wherein the template is positionable relative to the blade so as to be centered longitudinally relative to blade. 
     
     
         18 . The template of  claim 16 , wherein the template is positionable relative to the blade so as to be off-centered longitudinally relative to blade. 
     
     
         19 . A template for profiling a blade for a skate for skating on ice, the blade having an ice-contacting surface for contacting the ice, the template comprising:
 a first end and a second end opposite the first end; and   an underside surface extending longitudinally between the first end and the second end, wherein at least a portion of the underside surface comprises a profile corresponding to a portion of a shape of a conic section, the profile of the at least a portion of the underside surface of the template being configured to be copied onto at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface of the blade to profile the blade.   
     
     
         20 . The template of  claim 19 , wherein the shape of the conic section corresponds to a shape of an ellipse. 
     
     
         21 . The template of  claim 19 , wherein the template has a length defined between the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         22 . The template of  claim 21 , wherein the at least a portion of the underside surface of the template to be copied onto the at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface of the blade corresponds to a majority of the length of the template. 
     
     
         23 . The template of  claim 21 , wherein the at least a portion of the underside surface of the template to be copied onto the at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface of the blade corresponds to 50% to 75% of the length of the template. 
     
     
         24 . The template of  claim 21 , wherein the length of the template is longer than a length of the blade. 
     
     
         25 . The template of  claim 21 , wherein the length of the template is about 450 millimeters. 
     
     
         26 . The template of  claim 19 , further comprising at least one recess configured for receiving a positioning element of a positioning mechanism of a profiling apparatus to adjust a position of the template relative to the blade to profile the blade. 
     
     
         27 . The template of  claim 26 , wherein the template is positionable relative to the blade so as to be centered longitudinally relative to blade. 
     
     
         28 . The template of  claim 26 , wherein the template is positionable relative to the blade so as to be off-centered longitudinally relative to blade. 
     
     
         29 . A blade for a skate for skating on ice, the blade being elongate and comprising:
 an ice-contacting surface for contacting the ice wherein at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface comprises a machined profile corresponding to a portion of a shape of an ellipse.   
     
     
         30 . The blade of  claim 29 , wherein the profile of the blade is machined by copying at least a portion of an underside surface of a template onto the at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface of the blade to profile the blade, the at least a portion of the underside surface of the template comprising a profile corresponding to a portion of a shape of an ellipse. 
     
     
         31 . The blade of  claim 30 , wherein the at least a portion of the underside surface of the template to be copied onto the at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface of the blade corresponds to a majority of a length of the template. 
     
     
         32 . The blade of  claim 30 , wherein the at least a portion of the underside surface of the template to be copied onto the at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface of the blade corresponds to 50% to 75% of a length of the template. 
     
     
         33 . The blade of  claim 30 , wherein a length of the blade is longer than a length of the template. 
     
     
         34 . A blade for a skate for skating on ice, the blade being elongate and comprising:
 an ice-contacting surface for contacting the ice wherein at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface comprises a machined profile corresponding to a portion of a shape of a conic section.   
     
     
         35 . The blade of  claim 34 , wherein the shape of the conic section corresponds to a shape of an ellipse. 
     
     
         36 . The blade of  claim 34 , wherein the profile of the blade is machined by copying at least a portion of an underside surface of a template onto the at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface of the blade to profile the blade, the at least a portion of the underside surface of the template comprising a profile corresponding to a portion of a shape of a conic section. 
     
     
         37 . The blade of  claim 36 , wherein the at least a portion of the underside surface of the template to be copied onto the at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface of the blade corresponds to a majority of a length of the template. 
     
     
         38 . The blade of  claim 36 , wherein the at least a portion of the underside surface of the template to be copied onto the at least a portion of the ice-contacting surface of the blade corresponds to 50% to 75% of a length of the template. 
     
     
         39 . The blade of  claim 36 , wherein a length of the blade is longer than a length of the template.