Exercising apparatus for skaters

Abstract

An exercising apparatus for a speed skater or similar athlete including a base having a plurality of board members arranged in side-by-side relationship. Hinges pivotally connect adjacent board members to each other. A flexible plastic sheet overlays the board members and has a smooth glide surface on which the skater can slide. Bumpers are located at opposite ends of the base. Clamps releasably interconnect the base, the sheet, and the bumpers.

I claim: 
     
       1. An exercising appartus for use in training for skating or other sports, said apparatus comprising: a base which has a longitudinal extent and includes a plurality of board members arranged in side-by-side relationship and connector means for connecting adjacent board members to each other;   a flexible sheet having a smooth glide surface along which the feet of a person can slide, said sheet having an area which is substantially equal to the area of an upper side surface of said base and covering said upper side surface of said base;   first bumper means located near one end of the longitudinal extent of said base and extending transverse to the longitudinal extent of said base for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a first direction on the glide surface along the longitudinal extent of said base;   second bumper means located near the other end of the longitudinal extent of said base and extending transverse to the longitudinal extent of said base for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a second direction in the glide surface along the longitudinal extent of said base;   first clamp means for releasably connecting said first bumper means with said base; and   second clamp means for releasably connecting said second bumper means with said base.   
     
     
       2. An exercising apparatus for use in training for skating or other sports, said apparatus comprising: a base which has a longitudinal extent and includes a plurality of board members arranged in side-by-side relationship and connector means for connecting adjacent board members to each other;   a flexible sheet having a smooth glide surface along which the feet of a person can slide, said sheet having an area which is substntially equal to the area of an upper side surface of said base and covering said upper side surface of said base;   first bumper means located near one end of the longitudinal extent of said base for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a first direction on the glide surface;   second bumper means located near the other end of the longitudinal extent of said base for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a second direction on the glide surface;   first clamp means for releasably connecting said first bumper means with said base and said flexible sheet;   second clamp means for releasably connecting said second bumper means with said base and said flexible sheet;   said base having a longitudinal central axis which extends in the first and second directions, said first bumper means including first side surface means engageable by the foot of the person sliding in the first direction, said first side surface means extending at an acute angle to the longitudinal central axis of said base, said second bumper means including second side surface means engageable by the foot of the person sliding in the second direction, said second side surface means extending at an acute angle to the longitudinal central axis of said base, said first and second side surface means being skewed at an acute angle relative to each other.   
     
     
       3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said board members are made of wood and said flexible sheet is made of plastic material. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of said bumper means includes bumper parts, and each of said clamp means includes a plurality of thread and members for releasably connecting said bumper parts with said board members. 
     
     
       5. An exercising apparatus for use in training for skating or other sports, said apparatus comprising: a base which has a longitudinal extent and includes a plurality of board members arranged in side-by-side relationship and connector means for connecting adjacent board members to each other;   a flexible sheet having a smooth glide surface along which the feet of a person can slide, said sheet having an area which is substantially equal to the area of an upper side surface of said base and covering said upper side surface of said base;   first bumper means located near one end of the longitudinal extent of said base for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a first direction on the glide surface;   second bumper means located near the other end of the longitudinal extent of said base for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a second direction on the glide surface;   first clamp means for releasably connecting said first bumper means with said base and said flexible sheet;   second clamp means for releasably connecting said second bumper means with said base and said flexible sheet;   said base including a central section and first and second end sections which slope upwardly from said central section, said first bumper means being connected with said first end section of said base and said second bumper means being connected with said second end section of said base.   
     
     
       6. An exercising apparatus for use in training for skating or other sports, said appartus comprising: a base which has a longitudinal extent and includes a plurality of board members arranged in side-by-side relationship and connector means for connecting adjacent board members to each other;   a flexible sheet having a smooth glide surface along which the feet of a person can slide, said sheet having an area which is substantially equal to the area of an upper side surface of said base and covering said upper side surface of said base;   first bumper means located near one end of the longitudinal extent of said base for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a first direction on the glide surface;   second bumper means located near the other end of the longitudinal extent of said base for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a second direction on the glide surface;   first clamp means for releasably connecting said first bumper means with said base and said flexible sheet;   second clamp means for releasably connecting said second bumper means with said base and said flexible sheet;   said base including a central section and first and second end sections which slope downwardly from said central section, said first bumper means being connected with said first end section of said base and said second bumper means being connected with said second end section of said base.   
     
     
       7. An exercising apparatus kit for use in training for skating and other sports, said kit comprising the following component parts capable of being assembled together: a plurality of board members adapted to be assembled in side-by-side relationship to form a base of the exercising apparatus having a predetermined longitudinal extent;   connector means for connecting adjacent board members to each other;   a flexible sheet having a smooth glide surface along which the feet of a person can slide, said sheet having an area which is substantially equal to the area of an upper side surface of said base for covering said upper side surface of said base;   first bumper means for locating near one end of the longitudinal extent of said base transverse to the longitudinal extent of said base for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a first direction on the glide surface along the longitudinal extent of said base;   second bumper means for location near the other end of the longitudinal extent of said base transverse to the longitudinal extent of said base for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a second direction of the glide surface along the longitudinal extent of said base; and   a plurality of clamp means for releasably connecting said first and second bumper means with said base.   
     
     
       8. A kit as set forth in claim 7 further comprising at least two wedge blocks for positioning in overlying relationship with board members forming opposite end portions of said base to form upwardly sloping end portions of said base. 
     
     
       9. A kit as set forth in claim 7 further comprising a plurality of spacer block members, each spacer block member having a flat base and an arcute upper surface, said spacer block members when assembled forming a continuously curved upper surface. .Iadd. 
     
     
       10.  An exercising apparatus for use in training for skating or other sports, said apparatus comprising: sliding surface means, said sliding surface means comprises longitudinally extending flexible surface means along which the feet of a person can slide, said flexible surface means being capable of being rolled for storage purposes;   first bumper means located near one end of the longitudinal extent of said flexible surface means and extending transverse to the longitudinal extent of said flexible surface means for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a first direction along the longitudinal extent of said flexible surface means;   means for connecting said first bumper means with said flexible surface means;   second bumper means located near the other end of the longitudinal extent of said flexible surface means and extending transverse to the longitudinal extent of said flexible surface means for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a second direction along the longitudinal extent of said flexible surface means; and   means for connecting said second bumper means with said flexible surface means;   said first bumper means being movable relative to said flexible surface means between a first position in which a longitudinal central axis of said first bumper means extends perpendicular to a longitudinal central axis of said flexible surface means and any one of a plurality of positions in which the longitudinal central axis of said first bumper means is skewed at any one of a plurality of acute angles to the longitudinal central axis of said flexible surface means to accommodate any one of a plurality of different foot orientations of a person using said apparatus. .Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       11.  An exercising apparatus as set forth in claim 10, said means for connecting said first bumper means with said flexible surface means including first clamp means, said means for connecting said second bumper means with said flexible surface means including second clamp means, said first clamp means being releasable to enable the position of said first bumper means relative to said flexible surface means to be varied and to enable said first bumper means to be disconnected from said flexible surface means for storage purposes. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. An exercising apparatus as set forth in claim 10, said means for connecting said first bumper means with said flexible surface means including a first clamp means, said means for connecting said second bumper means with said flexible surface means including a second clamp means, said first and second clamp means being releasable to enable the positions of said first and second bumper means relative to said flexible surface means to be varied and to enable said first and second bumper means to be disconnected from said flexible surface means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. An exercising apparatus for use in training for skating or other sports, said apparatus comprising: sliding surface means, said sliding surface means comprising longitudinally extending flexible surface means along which the feet of a person can slide, said flexible surface means being capable of being rolled for storage purposes;   first bumper means located near one end of the longitudinal extent of said flexible surface means and extending transverse to the longitudinal extent of said flexible surface means for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a first direction along the longitudinal extent of said flexible surface means;   a first base element having an upper side surface engagable with a lower side surface of said flexible surface means;   means for clamping a portion of said flexible surface means between said first base element and said first bumper means;   second bumper means located near the other end of the longitudinal extent of said flexible surface means and extending transverse to the longitudinal extent of said flexible surface means for engaging a side of the foot of a person sliding in a second direction along the longitudinal extent of said flexible surface means;   a second base element having an upper side surface engagable with the lower side surface of said flexible surface means; and   means for clamping a portion of said flexible surface means between said second base element and said second bumper means. .Iaddend.