Device for toting skis and ski poles

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR TOTING A PAIR OF SKIS AND A PAIR OF SKI POLES IN ASSEMBLED RELATION SO THAT THE POLES CAN BE USED AS A HANDLE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING TWO VERTICALLY DISPOSED HANGER MEMBERS ADAPTED FOR USE IN SPACED RELATION WITH SAID SKIS, EACH OF SAID HANGER MEMBERS HAVING AN ELONGATED VERTICAL PORTION AND A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL FIRST LEG EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID VERTICAL PORTION TO DEFINE AN L-SHAPED SKI RECEPTACLE FOR RECEIVING A PAIR OF SKIS HAVING THEIR BOTTOM SURFACES ADJACENT ONE ANOTHER, A SECOND LEG EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID VERTICAL PORTION TO DEFINE A SKI POLE RECEPTACLE HAVING A DOWNWARDLY FACING SURFACE, SAID DOWNWARDLY FACING SURFACES ON EACH OF SAID HANGER MEMBERS DESCRIBING AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE RESPECTIVE VERTICAL PORTIONS WHICH IS NO MORE THAN 90* SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE LIFTING FORCE EXERTED ON SAID POLES IN CARRYING THE RESULTING ASSEMBLY IS REACTED BY SAID DOWNWARDLY FACING SURFACES, RESILIENT SKI RETAINING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OUTER ENDS OF EACH OF SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL LEGS RESPECTIVELY, RESILIENT POLE RETAINING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OUTER ENDS OF EACH OF SAID SECOND LEGS RESPECTIVELY, AND MECHANISM FOR RELEASABLY CLAMPING SAID RESILIENT SKI AND POLE RETAINING MEANS TO THE RESPECTIVE VERTICAL PORTIONS OF SAID HANGER MEMBERS INTERMEDIATE THE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS OF EACH OF SAID MEMBERS WHEREBY THE RESULTING ASSEMBLY CAN BE CONVENIENTLY LIFTED BY USE OF SAID SKI POLES.