Snow board brake

Abstract

A braking device for slowing a snow board which is to be used by novice or inexperienced users. The invention is comprised of a blade which is affixed either between the rear boot attachment means and the rear of the snow board or on the bottom upturned portion of the rear end of the snow board. The blade is adjustably angled forward against the snow in the direction of travel. When the blade is in the lowered position it cuts snow and directs the cut snow upward over the blade. A slot in the snow board just ahead of the blade allows the snow to pass upward through the snow board. Alternately for another embodiment, the blade is held in a bracket which is affixed to the rear upturned surface of the snow board. For this embodiment of the invention, the cut snow is directed upward between the blade and its supporting structure. The preferred embodiment of the invention is to employ a broad straight bottom edge for the blade about 4 inches wide with a maximum depth of cut of about ½ inch. An acceptable angle of cut of the angled blade can range from a vertical position to about 45 degrees downward and forward. When the snow board is not being used, the blade is repositioned by loosening the blade and sliding or rotating it relative to its support with tightening of the blade fixing means for its final securement. In another embodiment, a fixed blade in the form of a angle is attached directly to the bottom of the snow board perpendicular to the length of the snow board. Such blades can extend downward different distances to provide different amounts of drag.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A speed reduction apparatus for a snow board comprised of at least one obstruction beneath and affixed to the rear half of said snow board whereby said at least one obstruction creates constant drag when said snow board moves over snow in a forward direction.  
     
     
         2 . An apparatus as in  claim 1  whereby said at least one obstruction spans part or all of the width of said snow board  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus as in  claim 1  whereby said at least one obstruction extends below and beyond the sides of said snow board.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus as in  claim 1  whereby said the lower edge of said at least one obstruction is a blade whose bottom edge is parallel to the bottom of said snow board.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus as in  claim 1  whereby said at least one obstruction is perpendicular to the length of said snow board.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus as in  claim 1  whereby said at least one obstruction is a vertical blade or a downward and forward oriented blade.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as in  claim 1  whereby said at least one obstruction is a downward and forward oriented blade perpendicular to the length of said snow board and whose bottom edge is parallel to the bottom of said snow board and which spans the bottom rear center portion of said snow board.  
     
     
         8 . A speed reduction apparatus for a snow board comprised of a bracket, said bracket comprised of a curved plate affixed by mounting means to the upturned curved bottom rear surface of said snow board, said curved plate and said curved bottom rear surface in congruent contact, two vertical side plates parallel to the long axis of said snow board affixed at their forward edges, one on each side, to the outer edges of said curved plate, a rear plate, said rear plate affixed at its outer edges to the rear edges of said side plates, a blade adjacent to and in contact with said rear plate, the lower edge of said blade parallel to the bottom of said snow board and said blade slidably affixed to said rear plate by slidable affixing means, said slidable affixing means affixing the bottom edge of said blade at or below the bottom plane of said snow board, whereby snow cut by said blade passes upward behind said curved plate when said blade is in the lowered position  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus as in  claim 8  whereby said slidable affixing means is comprised of at least one hole in said rear plate, at least one slot through said blade parallel to the sides of said blade, a bolt or thumb screw passing through said at least one slot and through said at least one hole whereby said blade is adjustably secured to said rear plate by a nut on the forward side of said rear plate or by threaded means within said hole by a thumb screw.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus as in  claim 8  whereby said slidable affixing means is comprised of at least one threaded hole in said rear plate, grooves in each of said side plates at their respective interior rear edges, said blade slidably located forward of said rear plate, the outer forward edges of said blade slidably located within said grooves and said outer edges of said blade slidably restrained by the rear edges of said grooves, a bolt or thumb screw passing through said threaded hole contacting the rear surface of said blade and by pressure means adjustably securing the bottom edge of said blade at or below the bottom plane of said snow board, whereby when the lower edge of said blade is secured below the bottom of said snow board, snow cut by said blade passes upward behind said curved plate  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus as in  claim 10  whereby said slidable affixing means is comprised of said blade having a vertical recessed groove on the rear surface, the bottom of said groove located beneath the end of said bolt or thumb screw when said blade is slidably adjusted.  
     
     
         12 . A speed reduction apparatus for a snow board comprised of a modified snow board, said modification comprised of a vertical slot in the flat rear portion of said snow board, the length of said vertical slot perpendicular to and centered on the length of said snow board, said apparatus comprised of support means, said support means comprised of a bottom member secured to the upper surface of said snow board and a sloped forward surface, the bottom front edge of said sloped member affixed to the front edge of said bottom member and said sloped member extending rearward and upward at an angle from and adjacent to the rear edge of said vertical slot, a blade slidably affixed to said sloped member by slidable affixing means and passing downward through said vertical slot, the lower edge of said blade parallel to the bottom of said snow board and secured at or below the bottom of said snow board by said slidable affixing means, whereby when the snow board is in use and the front edge of said blade is in the lowered position, snow is cut by the blade and passes upward through said vertical slot.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus as in  claim 12  whereby said slidable affixing means is comprised of at least one slot in said blade parallel to the sides of said blade, at least one adjusting screw, said at least one screw passing through said at least one slot and into said sloping member slidably affixing said blade to said sloping member.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus as in  claim 12  whereby said slidable affixing means is comprised of a pair of grooves comprised of inward facing channels affixed on the upper outer rear surface of said blade, a rectangular upper extension on said sloped member contiguous within said inward facing channels, a threaded hole centrally located in said sloping member, a bolt or thumb screw passing through said threaded hole, whereby said sloping member is slidably secured to said blade by pressure means against said blade.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus as in  claim 14  whereby said slidable affixing means is comprised of said blade having a vertical recessed groove on the rear surface, the bottom of said groove located beneath the end of said bolt or thumb screw when said blade is slidably adjusted.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus as in  claim 12  whereby said slidable affixing means is comprised of a pair of inward facing channels affixed to the upper forward surface of said sloped member and a rectangular upper extension on said blade contiguous within said inward facing channels, a threaded hole in said sloping member, a bolt or thumb screw passing through said hole whereby said blade is adjustably secured to said rear plate by said bolt or thumb screw by pressure means against said blade,  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus as in  claim 16  whereby said slidable affixing means is comprised of said blade having a vertical recessed groove on the rear surface, the bottom of said groove located beneath the end of said bolt or thumb screw when said blade is slidably adjusted.  
     
     
         18 . A speed reduction apparatus for a snow board comprised of a modified snow board, said modification comprised of a vertical slot in the flat rear portion of said snow board, the length of said vertical slot perpendicular to and centered on the length of said snow board, said apparatus comprised of a bracket, said bracket comprised of a base plate having at least one mounting hole therein, said base plate affixed by at least one screw through said at least one hole to the upper surface of said snow board and having the forward edge of said base plate rearward of and adjacent to the rear edge of said vertical slot, two vertical bracket plates affixed at their lower edges to the outer edges of said base plate and parallel to the length of said snow board, a hole in each of said bracket plates at the lower rear end, a flat rectangular blade having a lower edge at or below the bottom rear of said vertical slot and extending upward through said vertical slot, a top plate, affixed along its forward edge to the upper edge of said blade, two vertical side plates attached at their upper edges, on each side, to the outer edges of said top plate and attached at their forward edges, on each side, to the upper outer edges of said blade above the upper surface of said snow board, a hole in the rear portion of each of said side plates, said bracket plates and said side plates adjacent to each other on each side and said holes in their rear portions aligned, two bolts, each passing inward through said holes in said side plate and said bracket plates and secured with a nut rotably securing said side plates to said bracket plates, whereby said side plates, said top plate and said blade rotably pivot about said two bolts, whereby when the lower edge of said blade is secured below the bottom of said vertical slot snow passes upward through said vertical slot.  
     
     
         19 . A speed reduction apparatus for a snow board comprised of a bracket, said bracket comprised of a curved plate affixed by mounting means to the upturned curved bottom rear surface of said snow board, said curved plate and said curved bottom rear surface in congruent contact, two vertical bracket plates parallel to the long axis of said snow board affixed at their forward edges, one on each side, to the outer edges of said curved plate, a flat rectangular blade having a lower edge at or below the bottom rear of said snow board, two vertical side plates attached at their rearward edges on each side to the upper outer edges of said blade, a hole in the rear portion of each of said side plates, said bracket plates and said side plates adjacent on each side and holes in their rear portions aligned, said bracket plates and said side plates adjacent to each other on each side and said holes in their rear portions aligned, two bolts, each passing inward through said holes in said side plate and said bracket plates and secured with a nut rotably securing said side plates, whereby said side plates and said blade rotably pivot about said two bolts, whereby when the lower edge of said blade is secured below the bottom of said snow board, snow cut by said blade passes upward behind said curved plate.  
     
     
         20 . A speed reduction apparatus for a snow board comprised of a bracket, said board, said modification comprised of a vertical slot in the flat rear portion of said snow board, the length of said vertical slot perpendicular to and centered on the length of said snow board, said apparatus comprised of a central bracket, said central bracket comprised of a base plate having at least one mounting hole therein, said base plate affixed by at least one screw through said at least one mounting hole of said central bracket to the upper surface of said snow board and having the forward edge of said base plate rearward of and adjacent to the rear edge of said vertical slot, a vertical plate affixed along its upper edge to the forward edge of said base plate and the lower edge of said vertical plate at the bottom rear edge of said vertical slot, a blade affixed at its rear edge by hinged means to the bottom edge of said vertical plate, said hinged means orienting said blade horizontally or inclined downward from the bottom rear rear edge of said vertical plate, two vertical arms, each comprised of a vertical plate and each affixed to the outer edge of said blade inside the outer surface of said vertical slot and passing upward through said vertical slot above the surface of said snow board, a threaded hole in the upper portion of each of said vertical arms above the upper surface of said snow board, a pair of side brackets, said side brackets each comprised of a flat plate having at least one mounting hole therein, each of said flat plates affixed by at least one screw through said at least one mounting hole of said flat plate to the upper surface of said snow board, a vertical plate affixed at its lower edge to the inner edge of each of said flat plate and said vertical plate at the side of said vertical slot and parallel and adjacent to said vertical arm, said vertical plates and said vertical arms parallel to the length of said snow board, a curved slot in the upper portion of each vertical plate, the center arcs of said curved slots concentric to said hinged means, two bolts, one each passing inwardly through a washer and through said curved slot and into and through said threaded hole in said vertical arm and by pressure means securing said vertical plates to said vertical arms, whereby when the position of said bolts in said threaded holes is at the rear of said curved slots, said blade is in a horizontal position at the bottom of said vertical slot and when the position of said bolts in said threaded holes is at the front of said curved slots, the front edge of said blade is inclined downward below the level of the bottom of said snow board, whereby when the snow board is in use and the front edge of said blade is in the lowered position, snow is cut by the blade and passes upward through said vertical slot.