Unitary skate assembly having vertical spring means

A method for producing a unitary blade/boot plate assembly from a unitary metal member, comprising the steps of;

• providing a flat, sheet-like metal member occupying an X-Y plane,
• shaping said metal member to form
• (1) an elongated blade portion that extends generally in an X direction within said X-Y plane,
• (2) at least one boot plate means located in a Y direction within said X-Y plane and above said blade portion, said boot plate means including an upper and a lower portion that join at a first bend line that extends in an X direction within said X-Y plane, and
• (3) a web portion connecting the lower portion of said boot plate means to said blade portion and extending in a Y direction within said X-Y plane, said web portion joining said lower portion of said boot plate means at a second bend line that is generally parallel to said first bend line and extends in an X direction within said X-Y plane,
• twisting said web portion about an axis that extends in a Y direction within said X-Y plane, so as to cause said first and second bend lines to extend in a Z direction within a Y-Z plane that is perpendicular to said X-Y plane,
• forming a bend of about ninety degrees at said second bend line, and
• forming a U-shaped bend of about one hundred eighty degrees at said first bend line,
• to thereby place said upper and lower portions of said boot plate means one above the other, with said lower portion being adjacent to said blade.

A blade/boot plate assembly arranged for attachment to a skate boot, comprising;

• a unitary metal member having a boot plate portion that extends in a generally horizontal direction, said boot plate portion being integrally connected to a second generally horizontal portion by way of a generally 180.degree., U-shaped spring bend, said second portion then underlying said boot plate portion, and a generally vertically extending web portion integrally connected to said second portion of said unitary metal member by way of a generally 90.degree. bend, said web portion then extending in a generally vertical downward direction and underlying said second portion of said unitary metal member, and said web portion terminating in an lower end portion,
• a U-shaped generally vertical slot formed formed in said lower end portion, and having a generally horizontal width equal to a given thickness,
• an elongated generally horizontally extending blade located in said U-shaped slot and having a generally vertical thickness about equal to said given thickness, and
• weld means cooperating with said blade and said web portion to thereby attach said unitary metal member to said blade.