US2473300A - Ski tow device - Google Patents

Description

June 14, 19 49. E. PURICELLI I w 2 4 SKI Tow DEVICE Filed Oct. 17, 1946 INVENTOR- ENZO FUR/CELL! 7' ORNEY Patented June 14, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SKI TOW DEVICE Enzo Puricelli, Springfield, Mass.

Application October 17, 1946, Serial No. 703,854

3 Claims. 1

The invention relates to a device adapted for use with an upwardly movingski tow rope for enabling the skier to conveniently and effectively engage the rope in order to be towed thereby.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a ski tow device of the character described which is simple and compact and which can be operatively engaged with the rope by one hand of the user and which is automatically released from the rope when disengaged by the hand.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the drawing and from the following specification and claims.

In the drawing, I have shown in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction shown, and that the drawing is not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention. the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing,

Fig. l'is a perspective view showing a device embodying the invention in use in connection with a ski tow rope.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a side view showing the device in cooperative relationship with the ski tow rope, and also indicating the engagement of the device and of the rope by one hand of the user.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view showing the device out of use and held by a suitable mitt or receiver attached to the belt of the user.

Referring to the drawing, I represents the ski tow device as an entirety, this device having an open-side notch l2 near the front for receiving the ski tow rope. The notch [2 has substantially parallel end walls which extend transversely inward from its open side so that the device can be engaged with or disengaged from the rope by sidewise movement. At the rear of the notch l2 the device is provided with a handle or gripping portion l4 adapted to be engaged by one hand of the user as will presently be explained. The front portion of the device is relatively wide and the notch I2 is formed in this wide portion. The rear or gripping portion M of the device is preferably relatively narrow, with its center line substantially midway between the sides of the wider front portion. The entire device II! is preferably flat and relatively thin, and its sides are parallel.

The device I0 is provided with means for the attachment of the front end of a tow cord, and this means is preferably at the rear of the handle or gripping portion l4. As shown, the attaching means comprises a hole l6 formed in the rear portion of the device. A tow cord [8 may extend through the hole It and may be connected by knotting or otherwise. The rear end of the cord is suitably attached to the belt of the user as indicated in Fig. 4.

Preferably, the device. I 0 is formed adjacent the notch l2 with two oppositely disposed inclined grooves 20 and 22 in which the tow rope fits when it is entered in the notch 12. These notches are approximately in longitudinal register with the center line of the narrow gripping portion It.

When the device is to be used it is moved sidewise into engagement with a moving tow rope 24, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the device being so positioned that the rope is received within the notch I2 and is entered in the grooves 20 and 22. The handle or gripping portion 14 is at the rear and this extends longitudinally along the rope. The position of the handle or gripping portion I4 with respect to the rope maybe widely varied, but preferably and as shown, it is directly 'below the rope. It will be understood that while the handle or gripping portion [4 is shown below the rope, the invention is by no means so limited and the said portion may be positioned at one side of the rope or even at the top of the rope.

When the device has been placed on the rope in the manner described, the user grips the gripping portion l4 and also the rope with one hand so as to bring the gripping portion closer to the rope and so as to flex that portion of the rope which extends thrugh the notch 12. This gripping of the handle or gripping portion l4 may bring it into approximate parallelism with the rope. The flexing of the rope as above described causes frictional engagement of the device l0 therewith at the grooves 20 and 22, thus causing the device to move with the rope. Inasmuch as the cord 18 is attached to the device and also to the belt of the user, the cord serves to tow the user upward along the slope at a speed determined by the speed of the rope.

If at any time the user desires to discontinue his motion he can do so by merely releasing his grip. The device can be disengaged from the rope by relative sidewise movement. If the user loses his footing, or otherwise encounters difficulties, it is merely necessary for him to release his grip and the rope will then pass freely through the notch in the device. Ordinarily the device will be moved by gravity with respect to the rope so as to be completely disengaged therefrom. There is no danger that the user may be dragged by the rope when the device is not in proper towing position.

It will be obvious that the width of the notch l2 between its end walls should be relatively large with respect to the thickness of the front portion of the device. The relationship must be such that, when the device is initially engaged with the rope and before the rope is flexed, the gripping portion will lie at a relatively small acute angle to the rope so as to make it possible for the user to grip both the rope and the device with one hand to effect flexing. If the front end of the device were substantially thicker than as shown, or if the notch I2 were substantially narrower than as shown, the initial angle would 'be so great that the distance between the rope and the gripping portion could not be spanned by one hand of the user.

Preferably, there is provided a mitt or receiver 26 which is attached to the belt "of the user. One side 28 of the mitt or receiver is open in order that the device It may beslipped into it. The receiver maybe formed of leather or of any suitable fabric such as canvas. The edges of the receiver are stitched, as indicated, except 'at the open side 28. It will be seen that when the tow device in is not in use, it can be conveniently carried in the initt or receiver 26 and inasmuch as the device has fiat parallel side's it occupies but very little space and does not interfere with free movements of the user.

What I claimis'.

1. For use with a moving ski tow rope, a relatively thin hold-on device having opposite substantially flat faces which are substantially parallel throughout and having an -open-sided parallel-ended notch extending between the said faces near the front for receiving the rope, the said device having means near the rear for the attachment of a tow cord and having a gripping portion at the rear of the notch with its center line in longitudinal alignment with the said notch which gripping portion is adapted to be positioned adjacent the rope when the rope extends through the notch so that when the said gripping portion and the said rope are gripped by one hand of the user the rope is flexed at the notch and is thus frictionally engaged with the device to effect towing.

2. A hold-on device as set forth in claim 1, jwherem the front portion in which the notch is located is relatively wide and wherein the rear gripping portion is relatively narrow to facilitate the gripping of the last said portion and of the rope, the center line of the relatively narrow gripping portion being substantially midway between the sides of the relatively wide front portion.

3. hold-on device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the notch is provided with oppositely disposed inclined rope receiving grooves in its front and rear edges, and wherein the center hne of the gripping portion is substantially in longitudinal alignment with the said grooves.

ENZO PURICELLI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in file of this patent: the

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