BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to skateboards and more specifically to a novel skateboard deck that has been designed to eliminate mechanical fastener structure from its top surface when the truck assemblies have been attached thereto.

The history of skateboards goes back 40 or more years and they have always had truck assemblies attached to their bottom surface. The structure during this period of time has required the fasteners to pass downwardly from the top surface of the skateboard deck and into the structure of the truck assembly. As a final assembled skateboard, there has always been a portion of the mechanical fasteners extending upwardly from the top surface of the skateboard deck.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel method for manufacturing a skateboard deck with truck mounting inserts therein.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel skateboard deck that eliminates any truck fasteners on its top surface.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel truck mounting insert.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide novel skateboard deck that is economical to manufacture and market.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel skateboard deck that can have the skateboard trucks quickly and easily installed or removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The novel skateboard deck and the method of making the same has been designed to eliminate any mechanical fastening structure on the top surface of the skateboard deck. This is accomplished by making the skateboard deck in two distinct stages. During the first stage a plurality of veneer layers of wood are stacked upon each other and a coating of glue is applied between each layer. This stack is then placed in a hydraulic press to form a first block of wood. Next, the first block of wood is positioned in a CNC shaper machine that forms the outline shape of a skateboard deck. Next two sets of four bore holes are drilled completely through the first block of wood. The top end of these bore holes are counter-bored on the initial top surface of the skateboard deck. The truck mounting inserts are then pressed into the bore holes from the initial top surface of the skateboard deck.

The next step involves stacking one or more veneer layers of wood onto the initial top surface of the skateboard deck and applying a coating of glue between each layer. This combined structure is then reinserted in the hydraulic press to form a second block of wood for the second stage in forming the skateboard deck. The second block of wood is then returned to the CNC (computer numerical control) shaper machine for trimming the second block of wood to the same shape as programmed originally. The skateboard deck is then sanded and finished as a regular skateboard. Following this step the two trucks would be installed on the bottom of the skateboard deck using screws that are threaded into the mounting inserts.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1

is a front perspective view of the novel skateboard deck with the truck assemblies mounted thereto;

FIG. 2

is a partial cross-sectional elevation view illustrating the bore holes that are drilled into the initial assembled structure of the skateboard deck;

FIG. 3

is a cross sectional view similar to

FIG. 2

but showing the truck mounting inserts installed therein;

FIG. 4

is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in

FIG. 3

;

FIG. 5

is a partial cross sectional elevation view of the skateboard deck in its assembled second stage;

FIG. 6

is a front perspective view of one of the truck mounting inserts;

FIG. 7

is a top plan view of the truck mounting insert illustrated in

FIG. 6

;

FIG. 8

is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the truck mounting insert; and

FIG. 9

is a top plan view of the alternative embodiment truck mounting insert illustrated in FIG.

8

.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The novel skateboard deck and method of making the same will now be described by referring to

FIGS. 1-9

of the drawings. The skateboard is generally designated numeral

20

. It has a skateboard deck

22

having a kicktail

24

. A pair of truck assemblies

26

are fastener to the underside of skateboard deck

22

.

FIGS. 2-5

illustrated the structure of the skateboard deck during different stages of its manufacture. In

FIG. 2

, a plurality of veneer layers of wood have been stacked upon each other and a coating of glue has been applied between each layer, they are then pressed together in a hydraulic press to form the structure illustrated in FIG.

2

. This produces a first block of wood having an initial top surface

32

and a bottom surface

34

. The outline shape of skateboard deck is then formed on the first block of wood in a CNC shaper machine. Following this a plurality of bore holes

38

having a counter bore

40

at their top end are drilled through the first block of wood. In

FIG. 3

the truck mounting inserts

41

have been pressed into the initial top surface

32

of the first block of wood formed.

FIG. 4

is a top plan view of FIG.

3

.

In

FIG. 5

, two more veneer layers of wood have been stacked upon each other and also upon the initial top surface

32

. A coating of glue has been applied between each of the layers and the resulting structure has been thus pressed together in a hydraulic press to form a second block of wood. This second block is then trimmed to the same shape as programmed previously to form the outline shape of the skateboard deck.

The truck mounting inserts

41

are illustrated in

FIGS. 6 and 7

. They have a cylindrical barrel portion

42

having a height H

1

and a diameter D

1

. A threaded bore

44

is formed in the top end of cylindrical barrel portion

42

. A plurality of barbs

46

have been formed on the outer surface of cylindrical barrel portion

42

from its outer surface to form relieved areas

48

. H

1

is in the range of ⅛-1 inch and D

1

is in the range of ⅛-¼ inch. The disk-shaped base

50

is integrally formed on the bottom end of cylindrical barrel portion

42

. Disk shaped base

50

has a top surface

51

with strengthening web portions

52

connected to opposite sides of cylindrical barrel portion

42

. W

1

is in the range of ½-1 inch.

An alternative embodiment of the truck mounting insert is illustrated in

FIGS. 8 and 9

and they are identified by numeral

60

. It has a cylindrical barrel portion

62

having a threaded bore

64

in its top end. A plurality of barbs

66

are formed on the outer surface of cylindrical barrel portion

62

and they form relieved areas

68

. A disk-shaped space

70

is integrally formed on the bottom end of cylindrical barrel portion

62

. It has a top surface and extending upwardly therefrom are a plurality of tooth-shaped barbs

72

that form recesses

74

in the outer peripheral edge of disk-shaped base

70

.

The truck assemblies

26

are secured to the bottom surface of skateboard deck

22

by screws that pass through the truck assemblies and then into the bottom ends of the respective truck mounting inserts

41

or

60

. The finished skateboard deck thus has no mechanical fasteners appearing on its top surface.