Shock-absorbing ski pole grip and method of adjusting the same

A shock absorbing hand grip assembly for a ski pole having a hollow shaft, said hand grip assembly comprising:

• a. a hand grip adapted to be mounted circumjacent to the upper end of said shaft,
• b. a pneumatic cylinder and piston assembly adapted to be mounted in the upper end of the shaft, said assembly comprising a first cylinder member adapted to be fixedly connected to one of said shaft and said hand grip, and a piston member adapted to be fixedly connected to the other of said shaft and hand grip and positioned for reciprocating motion in said cylinder, said cylinder and piston defining an air compression chamber to resist relative movement of said hand grip downward relative to the shaft,
• c. spring means adapted to be mounted in the upper end of said shaft to resist downward movement of the hand grip relative to the shaft and urge the hand grip to an upper position with a first force of a predetermined value,
• d. stop means to limit upward movement of the hand grip relative to the shaft and
• e. an elongate friction and positioning sleeve positioned securely within said hand grip and adapted to frictionally engage the outer surface of the upper end of the shaft to exert a frictional force thereagainst less than the first force exerted by said spring means, said sleeve adapted to engage the upper end of the shaft along the length thereof to prevent movement of the hand grip relative to the shaft about an axis perpendicular to a lengthwise axis of the shaft, while permitting relative movement about an axis parallel to the lengthwise axis of the shaft,
• whereby when the hand grip assembly is mounted to the ski pole and the ski pole is being manipulated with its snow engaging end free of the snow, the friction and positioning sleeve prevents relative movement between the hand grip and the shaft in a manner to give a secure feel to the ski pole, and when the ski pole is planted in a snow surface to push the hand grip downwardly so as to compress the spring means and pressurize the compression chamber to absorb the impact, said friction and positioning sleeve resists return movement of the hand grip to absorb resiliency in the return motion.

A method of disassembling a shock absorbing hand grip assembly for a ski pole, shortening the ski pole, and reassembling said hand grip assembly in its operative condition, said method comprising:

• a. providing a hand grip assembly for a ski pole having a shaft, wherein said hand grip assembly comprises:
• 1. a hand grip mounted circumjacent to the upper end of said shaft,
• 2. a pneumatic cylinder and piston assembly mounted in the upper end of the shaft, said assembly comprising a cylinder member and a piston member positioned for reciprocating motion in said cylinder, said cylinder and piston defining an air compression chamber to resist relative movement of said hand grip downward relative to the shaft,
• 3. spring means mounted in the upper end of said shaft to resist downward movement of the hand grip relative to the shaft and urge the hand grip to an upper position with a first force of a predetermined value,
• 4. a retaining pin extending through pairs of matching holes in said cylinder and said shaft to locate said cylinder in said shaft,
• 5. an elongate friction and positioning sleeve positioned securely within said hand grip and frictionally engaging the outer surface of the upper end of the shaft to exert a frictional force thereaginst less than the first force exerted by said spring means, said sleeve engaging the upper end of the shaft along the length thereof to prevent movement of the hand grip relative to the shaft about an axis perpendicular to a lengthwise axis of the shaft, while permitting relative movement about an axis parallel to the lengthwise axis of the shaft,
• 6. a removable fastening means connecting said hand grip and said sleeve to said piston,
• b. disassembling said hand grip assembly by:
• 1. removing said removable fastening means from its securing position,
• 2. removing said sleeve and said hand grip from said shaft,
• 3. removing said pin from said matching holes,
• 4. removing said cylinder and piston assembly from said shaft,
• c. shortening said shaft by removing an upper end portion of said shaft to leave the shaft at the desired length,
• d. reassembling the hand grip by:
• 1. providing in said shaft a second pair of holes adapted to match the holes in said cylinder at a desired location,
• 2. reinserting the cylinder and piston assembly in said shaft so that the holes of said cylinder are in alignment with the second pair of holes provided in said shaft,
• 3. inserting said pin in said aligned holes,
• 4. reassembling said spring means, sleeve and hand grip, and securing the same by means of said removable fastening means.

A shock absorbing hand grip assembly for a ski pole having a hollow shaft, said hand grip assembly comprising:

• a. a hand grip means adapted to be mounted circumjacent to an upper end of said shaft and including tension means to apply a radially inward tension toward said shaft
• b. resilient means adapted to be positioned in the upper end of said shaft to resist downward movement of said hand grip means relative to said shaft and urge said hand grip means to an upper position relative to said shaft,
• c. stop means to limit upward movement of said hand grip means relative to said shaft, and
• d. an elongate friction and positioning sleeve positioned securely within said hand grip means and adapted to frictionally engage an outer surface of the upper end of the shaft to exert a frictional force thereagainst less than the force exerted by said resilient means, said sleeve adapted to engage the upper end of the shaft along the length thereof to prevent movement of the hand grip means relative to the shaft about an axis perpendicular to a lengthwise axis of the shaft, while permitting relative movement about an axis parallel to the lengthwise axis of the shaft,
• e. said friction and positioning sleeve being provided with slot means to permit expansion and contraction radially relative to its lengthwise axis, with said tension means pressing said sleeve into frictional engagement with said shaft,
• whereby when said hand grip assembly is mounted to the ski pole and the ski pole is being manipulated with its snow engaging end free of the snow, the friction and positioning sleeve prevents relative movement between the hand grip and the shaft in a manner to give a secure feel to the ski pole, and when the ski pole is planted in the snow surface to push the hand grip downwardly against the urging of the resilient means to absorb the impact, said friction and positioning sleeve resists return movement of the hand grip to absorb resiliency in the return motion.

A shock absorbing hand grip assembly for a ski pole having a hollow shaft, said hand grip assembly comprising:

• a. a hand grip adapted to be mounted circumjacent to the upper end of said shaft,
• b. a pneumatic cylinder and piston assembly adapted to be mounted in the upper end of the shaft, said assembly comprising a first cylinder member adapted to be fixedly connected to one of said shaft and said hand grip, and a piston member adapted to be fixedly connected to the other of said shaft and hand grip and positioned for reciprocating motion in said cylinder, said cylinder and piston defining an air compression chamber to resist relative movement of said hand grip downward relative to the shaft,
• c. spring means adapted to be mounted in the upper end of said shaft to resist downward movement of the hand grip relative to the shaft and urge the hand grip to an upper position with a first force of a predetermined value,
• d. stop means to limit upward movement of the hand grip relative to the shaft, and
• e. said cylinder and piston assembly being provided with a bleed orifice to permit restricted inflow and outflow of air into and from said compression chamber, whereby during downward movement of said hand grip relative to the shaft, pressurized air in said compression chamber resists downward movement of said hand grip, and during upward movement of said hand grip relative to the shaft, lower pressure in said compression chamber tends to retard such return movement.

A method of disassembling a shock absorbing hand grip assembly for a ski pole, shortening the ski pole, and reassembling said hand grip assembly in its operative condition, said method comprising:

• a. providing a hand grip assembly for a ski pole having a shaft, wherein said hand grip assembly comprises:
• 1. a hand grip mounted circumjacent to an upper end of said shaft,
• 2. an elongate member mounted in the upper end of the shaft,
• 3. spring means mounted in the upper end of said shaft to resist downward movement of the hand grip relative to the shaft and urge the hand grip to an upper position with a first force of a predetermined value,
• 4. a retaining pin extending through a slot in said elongate member and through a pair of holes in said shaft,
• 5. an elongate friction and positioning sleeve positioned securely within said hand grip and frictionally engaging an outer surface of the upper end of the shaft to exert a frictional force thereagainst less than the first force exerted by said spring means, said sleeve engaging the upper end of the shaft along the length thereof to prevent movement of the hand grip relative to the shaft about an axis perpendicular to a lengthwise axis of the shaft, while permitting relative movement about an axis parallel to the lengthwise axis of the shaft,
• 6. a removable fastening means connecting said hand grip and said sleeve to said elongate member,
• b. disassembling said hand grip assembly by:
• 1. removing said removable fastening means from its securing position,
• 2. removing said sleeve and said hand grip from said shaft,
• 3. removing said pin from said shaft and from said elongate member
• 4. removing said elongate member from said shaft,
• c. shortening said shaft by removing an upper end portion of said shaft to leave the shaft at a desired length,
• d. reassembling the hand grip by:
• 1. providing in said shaft a second pair of holes at a desired location,
• 2. reinserting said elongate member in said shaft so that the slot in the elongate member is in alignment with the second pair of holes provided in said shaft,
• 3. inserting said pin in said second pair of holes and said slot,
• 4. reassembling said spring means, sleeve and hand grip, and securing the same by means of said removable fastening means.

A shock absorbing hand grip assembly for a ski pole having a hollow shaft, said hand grip assembly comprising:

• a. a hand grip adapted to be mounted circumjacent to an upper end of said shaft,
• b. resilient means adapted to be positioned in the upper end of said shaft to resist downward movement of said hand grip relative to said shaft and urge said hand grip to an upper position relative to said shaft,
• c. stop means to limit upward movement of said hand grip relative to said shaft,
• d. an elongate friction and positioning sleeve positioned securely within said hand grip and adapted to frictionally engage an outer surface of the upper end of the shaft to exert a frictional force thereagainst less than the force exerted by said resilient means, said sleeve adapted to engage the upper end of the shaft along the length thereof the prevent movement of the hand grip relative to the shaft about an axis perpendicular to a lengthwise axis of the shaft, while permitting relative movement about an axis parallel to the lengthwise axis of the shaft,
• e. said friction and positioning sleeve being provided with slot means to permit expansion and contraction radially relative to its lengthwise axis, said ski pole further comprising a tension member pressing said sleeve into frictional enagagement with said shaft,
• whereby when said hand grip assembly is mounted to the ski pole and the ski pole is being manipulated with its snow engaging end free of the snow, the friction and positioning sleeve prevents relative movement between the hand grip and the shaft in a manner to give a secure feel to the ski pole, and when the ski pole is planted in the snow surface to push the hand grip downwardly against the urging of the resilient means to absorb the impact, said friction and positioning sleeve resists return movement of the hand grip to absorb resiliency in the return motion.

A shock absorbing hand grip assembly for a ski pole having a hollow shaft, said hand grip assembly comprising:

• a. a hand grip adapted to be mounted circumjacent to an upper end of said shaft,
• b. resilient means adapted to be positioned in the upper end of said shaft to resist downward movement of said hand grip relative to said shaft and urge said hand grip to an upper position relative to said shaft,
• c. stop means to limit upward movement of said hand grip relative to said shaft,
• d. an elongate friction and positioning sleeve positioned securely within said hand grip and adapted to frictionally engage an outer surface of the upper end of the shaft to exert a frictional force thereagainst less than the force exerted by said resilient means, said sleeve adapted to engage the upper end of the shaft along the length thereof to prevent movement of the hand grip relative to the shaft about an axis perpendicular to a lengthwise axis of the shaft, while permitting relative movement about an axis parallel to the lengthwise axis of the shaft,
• e. said sleeve being provided with at least one elongate slot extending from a lower end thereof toward the upper end of the sleeve, and said sleeve is adapted to receive therearound a tension member to cause firm frictional engagement of said sleeve with said shaft,
• whereby when said hand grip assembly is mounted to the ski pole and the ski pole is being manipulated with its snow engaging end free of the snow, the friction and positioning sleeve prevents relative movement between the hand grip and the shaft in a manner to give a secure feel to the ski pole, and when the ski pole is planted in the snow surface to push the hand grip downwardly against the urging of the resilient means to absorb the impact, said friction and positioning sleeve resists return movement of the hand grip to absorb resiliency in the return motion.