Patents Assigned to Tubbs Snowshoe Company
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Publication number: 20040187355Abstract: A snowshoe has a frame and a pivot axle assembly extending across an opening in the frame for pivotally supporting a boot binding assembly for limited front and rear rotation, a resilient pad is disposed between the pivot axle assembly and the boot binding assembly for permitting frontal plane, side to side movement of the boot binding assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2003Publication date: September 30, 2004Applicant: TUBBS SNOWSHOE COMPANY, LLCInventors: Francis E. Mahoney, Daniel P. Kiniry
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Patent number: 6526629Abstract: A snowshoe having a boot harness assembly includes one or more cam lock type buckles through which webbing straps are tightened. The cam lock buckle allows low friction pulling of the tail end of a strap for tightening, while providing a positive lock against slippage in the opposite direction. A particular configuration of cam lock buckle is disclosed by which friction in tightening the strap is reduced further.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2000Date of Patent: March 4, 2003Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe Company LLCInventors: Charles Bentley Warner, Daniel T. Emerson
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Patent number: 6505423Abstract: An improved snowshoe includes a frame at least partially covered by a membrane, a front claw, and biased mounting means for pivotally attaching the front claw to the frame at an offset relative to a neutral frame plane. The biased mounting permits the user's foot to pivot the front claw downward increasing friction with the underlying terrain, but also urges the snowshoe to pivot toward an angle restoring the offset when the snowshoe is lifted. This results in the back of the snowshoe being urged downward, minimizing snow throwing by the snowshoe back, without producing dragging. At the same time, the front of the snowshoe is urged upward, tending not to trip the user. The biased mounting preferably includes at least one resilient strap attached to the frame and, at the strap center, to the front claw. The preferred embodiment includes a rear cleat mounted to the upper membrane surface, and including at least one wall projecting downward through the membrane.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 1997Date of Patent: January 14, 2003Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe CompanyInventors: Perry A. Klebahn, James D. Klingbeil
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Patent number: 6453581Abstract: A snowshoe crampon system has toe and heel crampons which are fabricated from strong, hard abrasion resistant material such as stainless steel, titanium, or tool steel, the toe crampon having a depending formed skirt and a trio of tooth pairs depending angularly therefrom, namely: a pair of forward climbing teeth, a pair of lateral traction teeth and a pair of rear braking teeth, each tooth of each pair having an outwardly curved, convex, crowned outer face which Is grooved to form a gusset, each tooth pair being disposed at such an angle as to contribute to the traction provided by the other two pair; the heel crampon having two pair of teeth, namely: a pair of lateral traction teeth and a pair of rear braking teeth, the pair of lateral traction teeth being disposed on a plane parallel to the direction of snowshoe travel and the pair of rear braking teeth being disposed at an angle relative to the direction of snowshoe travel.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2001Date of Patent: September 24, 2002Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe Company, LLCInventors: Daniel P. Kiniry, Francis E. Mahoney
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Patent number: 6374518Abstract: Crampon and snowshoe combinations are disclosed, wherein the crampon or terrain-engaging cleat can be a traditional ice crampon used on a rigid and essentially unbending boot, or a soft boot cleat which engages only the front portion of the boot, forward of the heel, permitting boot flexing. The snowshoe has in a toe or ball area a registry plate configured to engage with the crampon, preferably between depending teeth or other structure of the crampon, and preferably with a self-centering feature as the crampon is lowered down onto the registry plate. Once the cleat or crampon is fully engaged down against the plate, it is substantially locked in position against relative shifting or rotation, and lifting of the boot off the back of the crampon is restricted by clips or straps, preferably flexible straps extending up from the registry plate and securable to brackets or hooks on the crampon device. Specific configurations of cleats or crampons are also disclosed, for use with or without snowshoes.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2001Date of Patent: April 23, 2002Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe Company LLCInventor: Charles Bently Warner
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Patent number: 6256908Abstract: Crampon and snowshoe combinations are disclosed, wherein the crampon or terrain-engaging cleat can be a traditional ice crampon used on a rigid and essentially unbending boot, or a soft boot cleat which engages only the front portion of the boot, forward of the heel, permitting boot flexing. The snowshoe has in a toe or ball area a registry plate configured to engage with the crampon, preferably between depending teeth or other structure of the crampon, and preferably with a self-centering feature as the crampon is lowered down onto the registry plate. Once the cleat or crampon is fully engaged down against the plate, it is substantially locked in position against relative shifting or rotation, and lifting of the boot off the back of the crampon is restricted by clips or straps, preferably flexible straps extending up from the registry plate and securable to brackets or hooks on the crampon device. Specific configurations of cleats or crampons are also disclosed, for use with or without snowshoes.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 1999Date of Patent: July 10, 2001Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe Company LLCInventor: Charles Bently Warner
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Patent number: 6178666Abstract: A snowshoe has an integral deck and frame molded from a high impact, plastic material, the frame having integral molded hubs for accepting a unique binding pivot system which includes a molded two piece axle with integral bearings journalled in the molded hubs of the frame, the axle being located in close proximity to the operating plane between the snowshoe and the snow, a non-slip, easy-to-adjust binding, and a steel crampon having teeth with rounded edges which diminishes the risk of children being cut by sharp, pointed teeth.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 1999Date of Patent: January 30, 2001Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe Company, LLCInventors: Daniel P. Kiniry, Francis E. Mahoney
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Patent number: 6006453Abstract: A snowshoe is constructed of molded plastic nose and tail pieces, both connected to a pair of rigid rails to complete the snowshoe frame. A stretched deck membrane, in an area over the heel of a user's shoe or boot, has left and right sides secured to the rails, and preferably is also supported on the tail piece and on aft portions of the nose piece. In one embodiment the rails are of tubular metal, secured to aft portions of the nose piece and forward portions of the tail piece via reinforced, shaped cavities in the molded plastic, contoured to receive the rails. The snowshoe construction is efficient in assembly and cost because there is no need for bends in the rails, the molded plastic components are relatively inexpensive, and snowshoes of different lengths may be produced simply by changing the lengths of the rails and of the deck membrane.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 1999Date of Patent: December 28, 1999Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe Company LLCInventors: Perry A. Klebahn, Daniel T. Emerson
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Patent number: 5809668Abstract: In a composite snowshoe, a thermosetting plastic deck or jacket wholly or partially encapsulates an aluminum tubing frame which includes an integral toe cord axle insert molded with the deck or jacket, with a boot binding system mechanically interlocked with the deck and frame which includes integral traction cleats, a crampon, longitudinal, serrated ribs on the underside of the deck to provide lateral stability when traversing a slope and improved traction when climbing an incline and diagonal ribs on the deck for strengthening the longitudinal ribs and adding traction in packed snow.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 1997Date of Patent: September 22, 1998Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe CompanyInventors: Daniel P. Kiniry, Francis E. Mahoney
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Patent number: 5787612Abstract: A snowshoe incorporates a semi-rigid boot housing assembly which encloses the boot of a user on either side and bottom of the foot, and an integral heel crampon assembly which precludes deflection of the snowshoe flotation member and heel crampons by ensuring that the downward force of a user's weight is transmitted directly to the crampons whereby the crampons remain perpendicular to the snow surface, the boot housing assembly extending to the heel area and upward to the ankle area and including an adjustable heel stop assembly attached to the housing for ensuring that the ball of the foot is positioned directly over the snowshoe axle, the housing assembly having semi-rigid side walls which extend the lateral rigidity to the ankle area, and provide a tension member to resist foot movement during descents, the housing walls being designed to comfortably restrain the foot using an instep clamp assembly, the boot housing assembly including a width adjustment system which allows the user to pre-set the proper wiType: GrantFiled: February 24, 1997Date of Patent: August 4, 1998Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe CompanyInventors: Francis E. Mahoney, Daniel P. Kiniry
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Patent number: D477043Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2002Date of Patent: July 8, 2003Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe Company, LLCInventors: Francis E. Mohoney, Daniel P. Kiniry
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Patent number: D424644Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 1999Date of Patent: May 9, 2000Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe Company, LLCInventors: Daniel P. Kiniry, Francis E. Mahoney
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Patent number: D425161Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 1999Date of Patent: May 16, 2000Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe Company, LLCInventors: Daniel P. Kiniry, Francis E. Mahoney
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Patent number: D429513Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 1999Date of Patent: August 15, 2000Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe Company LLCInventor: Charles Bently Warner
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Patent number: D434824Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2000Date of Patent: December 5, 2000Assignee: Tubbs Snowshoe Company, LLCInventors: Daniel P. Kiniry, Francis E. Mahoney