Skiing teaching device

Claim 2

A skiing simulator comprising a support structure, a pair of generally parallel side by side arranged foot pedals superposed thereon, resilient means comprising a single flexiBle element mounted for rotation about a vertical axis from said support structure, means for mounting said pedals along adjacent edges on said element for simulataneous vertical movements attendant to flexing of said element and turning movements with said element, and rigid universal mounting means on said support structure for each pedal adjacent to the remote edges thereof accommodating universal angling of said pedals.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1 and a brake surface on the support structure, and brake means on said element engageable with said brake surface upon deflection of said element toward said support structure due to bouncing movements of an operator supported on the pedals for resisting turning movements of said pedals.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 2 and said brake surface being non planar and providing varying resistance during turning movements to simulate resistance to turning during actual skiing.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 1 and said means for mounting the pedals at their adjacent edges on said element comprising lever means at each end of the flexible element and pivoted intermediate its ends thereto, and means pivotally connecting the ends of each of said lever means to the respective pedals along their adjacent edges, said pedals being conjunctively tilted laterally through said lever means.

Claim 6

The invention according to claim 4 and said means connecting the adjacent ends of the pedals to said lever means comprising a pair of rods pivotally supporting respective pedals and having relative sliding movement therewith longitudinally thereof, and spring means reactively stressed between the pedals and respective rods for compression by the pedals during turning movements, said spring means effective for returning the pedals to centered position.

Claim 7

In a device according to claim 1, a horizontal base, means mounting the support structure from the base for lateral movement thereon, and adjustable means operatively connected between the base and support structure and said element for controlling the extent of sliding movement of said support structure.

Claim 8

The invention according to claim 6 and said adjustable means comprising an arm pivotally connected on a vertical axis adjacent to one end to the support structure, and on a vertical axis at selected points to said base and vertical pivot means on the flexible element having a slidable pivotal connection with said arm intermediate said one end thereof and any of said selected points of pivotal connection of the arm with the base.

Claim 9

In a skiing simulating device, a base means, platform means laterally movable thereon, foot support means rotatably mounted on the platform means for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, and linkage operably interconnecting said foot support means with said base means and with said platform means for effecting lateral movement of the platform means with respect to said base means in response to turning movements of said foot support means.

Claim 10

In a skiing simulating device, a base means, platform means laterally movable thereon, foot support means rotatably mounted on the platform means for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, and linkage operably interconnecting said foot support means with said base means and with said platform means for effecting lateral movement of the platform means with respect to said base means in response to turning movements of said foot support means.

Claim 11

The invention according to claim 8 and said foot support means comprising a support element and a pair of foot pedals, a pair of parallel rods extending lengthwise of the pedals and pivotally mounting the same adjacent to their inner edges for tilting movement and relative longitudinal movement with respect to the rods, means pivotally mounting said rods from said support element on an axis parallel to the rods to alternately elevate one rod and lower the other as the pedals are turned, means on the platform supporting each pedal adjacent to its outer edge from the platform and accommodating said tilting movement of the pedals and pivotal movement of the foot support means with attendant sliding movement of the foot pedals with respect to said rods, and spring means on each rod between the respective foot pedal and abutment means on the rods for biasing the foot pedals to a predetermined centered position.

Claim 12

The invention according to claim 8 and said foot support means being a vertically defleCtible leaf spring member and means on said spring member engageable with said platform in consequence to an operator standing on the pedals and serving as means for braking turning movements of the foot support means.

Claim 13

A skiing instruction device comprising a support structure, foot support means mounted thereon for rotation about a vertical axis, said foot support means being flexible and resilient and deflectible toward and away with respect to the support structure under weighting and unweighting actions of an operator standing upon the foot support means as he simulated the actions of actual skiing during a turn, brake means mounted on said flexible foot support means, and a braking surface on the support structure engageable with said brake means as the operator descends and flexes the foot support means downwardly, said brake means being disengageable from the brake surface in the interval that the operator rises during making of the simulated turn.

Claim 14

A skiing instruction device comprising a support structure, foot support means mounted thereon for rotation about a vertical axis, said foot support means being flexible and resilient and deflectible toward and away with respect to the support structure under weighting and unweighting actions of an operator standing upon the foot support means as he simulated the actions of actual skiing during a turn, brake means mounted on said flexible foot support means, and a braking surface on the support structure engageable with said brake means as the operator descends and flexes the foot support means downwardly, said brake means being disengageable from the brake surface in the interval that the operator rises during making of the simulated turn.

Claim 15

In a skiing instruction device, a base, a non-rotative platform movable laterally thereon, a rotatable support assembly mounted on the platform for rotation about a vertical axis, a pair of foot pedals, means partly mounting said foot pedals on said support assembly for rotation therewith and relative sliding movement longitudinally thereof, other means partly mounting said foot pedals from said platform, said means mounting the foot pedals on said rotatable support assembly effecting rotation of the foot pedals with said assembly and in conjunction with said other means effecting slidable movement of the pedals relative to said rotatable assembly lengthwise of the pedals, and said means mounting said pedals from said platform accommodating rotation and canting movements of the respective foot pedal thereabout.

Claim 16

In a skiing instruction device, a base, a non-rotative platform movable laterally thereon, a rotatable support assembly mounted on the platform for rotation about a vertical axis, a pair of foot pedals, means partly mounting said foot pedals on said support assembly for rotation therewith and relative sliding movement longitudinally thereof, other means partly mounting said foot pedals from said platform, said means mounting the foot pedals on said rotatable support assembly effecting rotation of the foot pedals with said assembly and in conjunction with said other means effecting slidable movement of the pedals relative to said rotatable assembly lengthwise of the pedals, and said means mounting said pedals from said platform accommodating rotation and canting movements of the respective foot pedal thereabout.

Claim 17

The invention according to claim 12 and lever means pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof to said rotatable assembly and at the ends thereof to respective pedals and operative to effect edging positioning of the pedals by elevating one pedal while simultaneously lowering the other pedal during turning movements of said pedals and rotatable assembly.

Claim 18

The invention according to claim 13 and common means for simultaneously controling the extent of lateral movement of said platform and rotation of said assembly and adjustable to increase and decrease the extent of lateral movement of the platform in proportion to extent of rotation of said assembly.

Claim 19

A skiing trainer comprising a base, a platform laterally movable thereon, a foot support assembly mounted for rotation about a vertical axis from said platform, means for effecting lateral movement of the platform pursuant to rotation of said foot support assembly comprising a horizontally swinging arm, pivot means affording a pivot along the length of the arm and the base, a pivotal connection between said arm and platform, and a pivot element on said foot assembly having a slidable pivotal connection with said arm between said pivot means and pivotal connection.

Claim 20

A skiing trainer comprising a base, a platform laterally movable thereon, a foot support assembly mounted for rotation about a vertical axis from said platform, means for effecting lateral movement of the platform pursuant to rotation of said foot support assembly comprising a horizontally swinging arm, pivot means affording a pivot along the length of the arm and the base, a pivotal connection between said arm and platform, and a pivot element on said foot assembly having a slidable pivotal connection with said arm between said pivot means and pivotal connection.

Claim 21

The invention according to claim 15 and said pivot means adjustably mounted on the base to lengthen or shorten the arm and thereby vary the extent of lateral movement of the platform with respect to the base.