Method and apparatus for grinding the sliding surface of skates

An apparatus for automatically sharpening the slide surface of a skate to restore the sliding surface after wearing to a desired profile with regard to at least two directions x and y in a coordinate system, one of said directions corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the slide surface, comprising:

• a rotatable grinding wheel for grinding and for scanning said profile in a non-grinding state,
• driving means for rotating the grinding wheel,
• guide means for providing a relative movement between said grinding wheel and the slide surface, in said x and y directions,
• means for disconnecting said driving means during scanning by said grinding wheel in said non-griding state of the existing profile of said slide surface,
• means for exerting a substantially constant pressure of the grinding wheel against the slide surface at a plurality of measuring points during said scanning, and for determining x and y coordinates at said measuring points,
• means for recording in a memory said x and y coordinates corresponding to the scanned profile of said slide surface,
• means for connecting said driving means of the grinding wheel during a subsequent grinding operation, and
• means connected to said recording mens for machine grinding said slide surface to a desired profile governed by the recorded x and y coordinates.