An automated apparatus for grinding an ice blade on an ice skate comprises a processor, an input device in communication with said processor, a skate holder, a non-contact measuring device in communication with said processor, and a grinding device in communication with said processor. The input device permits a user to select an ice blade grinding option. The skate holder releasably holds at least one said ice skate to said apparatus. The non-contact measuring device is configured to measure a three-dimensional (3D) shape of said ice blade. The grinding device is configured to perform a grinding action on said ice blade in said holder based on said selected ice blade grinding option to change said 3D shape of said ice blade to a desired 3D shape.

An ice blade measuring system comprises a holder for holding an ice blade in a measurement position, and a non-contact measuring device operationally positioned relative to the holder to measure at least a three-dimensional (3D) shape of an ice contacting surface of the ice blade held in the holder. The non-contact measuring device is configured to create a dataset which corresponds to the measured 3D shape. The system further comprises a data storage means operatively connected to the non-contact measuring device to record the measured dataset.

The blade holder has a movable plate and a fixture. A rotatable bolt in operative engagement with a block attached to the plate. A motor is in operative engagement with the bolt. The motor rotates the bolt to move the plate towards the fixture to grip a first set of blades until a torque threshold value is reached. The processor determines a number of blades included in the set of blades based on the number of rotations of the bolt. A first grinding portion of a rotating abrasive belt is applied against the set of blades (having width (W1)) to sharpen the set of blades. Sliding a vise sideways a distance (W1) until a second grinding portion is aligned on top of the second set of blades.

The method is for profiling blades with a belt grinding profiling machine. The blades are mounted into a vise. A vertical position of the template is adjusted by rotating the rotatable knob. The motor is turned on to rotate the grinding belt over the grinding wheel. The guide wheel engages the underside profile of the template. The guide wheel of the template guides movement of the grinding wheel mounted on the common axle by moving the guide wheel along the underside profile of the template. The grinding belt grinds material off the underside of the blade until a portion of the underside profile of the template is copied to the underside of the blade.

In at least one embodiment, the present invention discloses a manual blade sharpening tool having a longitudinally extending at least partial channel defined by a longitudinally extending first channel wall, a cutter pocket and a distal planar guide surface located in the longitudinally extending first channel wall, and a longitudinally extending cutter having a longitudinally extending first cutter wall, a longitudinally extending second cutter wall and a transverse cutter surface, the transverse cutter received in the cutter pocket such that one of the longitudinally extending first cutter wall and the longitudinally extending second cutter wall abuts the cutter pocket.

The blade holder has a movable plate and a fixture. A rotatable bolt in operative engagement with a block attached to the plate. A motor is in operative engagement with the bolt. The motor rotates the bolt to move the plate towards the fixture to grip a first set of blades until a torque threshold value is reached. The processor determines a number of blades included in the set of blades based on the number of rotations of the bolt. A first grinding portion of a rotating abrasive belt is applied against the set of blades (having width (W1)) to sharpen the set of blades. Sliding a vise sideways a distance (W1) until a second grinding portion is aligned on top of the second set of blades.

The present document describes a blade sharpening system comprising a blade sharpening device, a blade holding apparatus and a controller operatively coupled to the blade sharpening device and said blade holding apparatus to control sharpening of said blade, and methods of using the same.

A skate blade sharpening system used to sharpen the blades of ice skates. The skate sharpener can include a housing that includes an elongated slot for receiving the blade of an ice skate for sharpening, and clamp jaws for retaining the skate. The housing can include at least one slot cover to engage the skate blade. Engagement of the skate blade can be sensed by a controller to enable sharpening operations to proceed. The skate blade sharpening system can automatically operate a grinding wheel and move the rotating grinding wheel back and forth along the lower face of the skate blade a desired number of times to sharpen the skate blade.

A skate blade alignment system used to align a skate blade sharpening system. The skate alignment system can align a grinding wheel for sharpening a skate blade secured within the skate blade sharpening system. A controller can enable alignment operations and control an alignment process.

The method is for profiling blades with a belt grinding profiling machine. The blades are mounted into a vise. A vertical position of the template is adjusted by rotating the rotatable knob. The motor is turned on to rotate the grinding belt over the grinding wheel. The guide wheel engages the underside profile of the template. The guide wheel of the template guides movement of the grinding wheel mounted on the common axle by moving the guide wheel along the underside profile of the template. The grinding belt grinds material off the underside of the blade until a portion of the underside profile of the template is copied to the underside of the blade.