AN IMPROVED SELF- SECURING SKATE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Marson Lamb, of 119, Finchley Road, South Hamp-
stead, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SELF-
SECURING SKATE'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Marson Lamb at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th February 1876.
JOHN MARSON LAMB, of 119, Finchley Road, South Hampstead, in the County
of Middlesex. AN IMPROVED SELF-SECURING SKATE."
"
The skate is made entirely of metal and is secured to the boot or shoe by means
of a sliding sole plate which slides upon the runner, being propelled forward and.
backward by a lever bolted to the side of runner.
The runner is made with three
projections; one at the heel, one at the ball of the foot, and another at the toe,
the heel projection having a long slot in which the heel plate is adjusted to the
length of heel and a slot is cut from the inner side into which the spiked edge
of sole plate slides.
The projection at ball of foot has one slot cut downwards and two slots cut
inwards parallel with top part of runner which forms a key pattern piece on which
the sole plate slides. The projection at the toe is used as a guide and support.
The sole plate is made in one piece extending from the toe to the inner side of the
heel; the ball part of the sole plate is cut and stamped down on each side of the
runner to form a bed in which the toe clips slide, and are there adjusted to any
width boot or shoe by means of a taper headed bolt and nut which fit into
corresponding holes cut in the sole plate, and are there clamped from the under part
with nut. Two elongated flanges are cut and bent down lengthwise in the sole
plate in which an oblong or square hole is cut to correspond with the key pattern
piece of runner; the bottom of the flanges are slotted to fit over runner to give
greater steadiness. The heel part of sole plate has a corresponding hole cut to
fit in slot of runner and a hole is cut through the plate in which the lever works.
The toe part of sole plate is made with a flange cut and bent down in which a
square hole is also cut to slide over support of runner. Or it may be made with
a long slot cut in the plate to slide over a shoulder which can be filed down on
runner.
The heel plate is made out of one piece having two long flanges cut and bent

page_text: down so as to fit tight over runner in which a square hole is' cut corresponding in
width of slot in runner through which a square shouldered bolt is passed screwed
at one end and fitted with nut by which it can be adjusted to any size heel. Two
flanges are turned up and serrated at back of heel plate, by which the heel is held
in position, and a small flange slotted and turned down in front to give extra
steadiness. The lever is made with a round hole in the end through which it is
bolted to the runner, after being passed through the slot in the sole plate the arm
of lever is bent to clip over the inside of runner, whereby it is held securely. Or
I can make the lever with a curved spike on the end that passes through the sole
plate so that it can be the means of fastening the heel in conjunction with or
independently of spiked piece of sole plate.
To take the skate to pieces it is only necessary to unscrew bolt of lever slide
back sole plate, when it is immediately released, then unscrew bolt of heel plate
and the runner is seperated for cleaning or regrinding. For fixing the skate to
boot or shoe spring the lever arm over runner, press down the lever, adjust the
toe clips and heel plate, place the boot or shoe within, push the lever up, and
spring it on the edge of runner which will have caused the sole plate to slide
forward to the heel and have drawn the toe clips up to the wide part of the sole,
and at the same time the spiked piece will have entered the inner side of heel and
thereby firmly secured the skate to boot or shoe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Marson Lamb in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th August
1876.
JOHN MARSON LAMB, of 119, Finchley Road, South Hampstead, in the County of
Middlesex. "AN IMPROVED SELF-SECURING SKATE."
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of self-securing skates,
that is to say, skates which are secured to the boot without the use of straps. The
improvements consist in fitting the sole plate to slide to-and-fro on the runner in
order to secure or detach the said sole plate carrying adjustable toe clips to embrace
the side edges of the boot sole, and being made in one piece extending backwards
to form the grip or claw which embeds itself in the front of the heel. The sole
plate is operated by a lever, and the object of fitting it to slide as above-described
is to enable the skate to be readily applied to the boot and secured. By sliding the
sole plate forward the toe clips are moved towards the toe of the boot where the
boot sole is narrower and they readily admit this narrow part between them, and
by then merely sliding the sole plate back again the toe clips are drawn back to
and firmly grip the wider part of the sole, at the same time that the heel is clamped
between the claw on the sole plate and the stationay clips at the back of the heel
plate.
The improvements also consist in the means of connecting the sole plate to the
runner to admit of this sliding motion and also in making the heel plate carrying
the back heel clips separate from the sole plate and fixing it adjustably to the
runner.
In order that my Invention may be more readily understood I will proceed to
describe it with reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which―
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the skate, and Figure 2 a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 1-1, Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a view of a modification of the lever used to operate the sole plate.
The skate is made entirely of metal. A is the runner of any suitable pattern as
shown in Figure 1; B is the sole plate of the form shown in Figure 2 connected to
and sliding on the runner in the following manner; C, C, are two ears or flanges
cut partly out of the middle of the sole plate and bent downwards as shown; D, D,
are two horizontal guides formed on the upper edge of the runner by cutting the
slots E, E, therein. The ears C have slots F in them corresponding in shape to and

page_text: fitting accurately upon the guides D along which the ears C are free to slide to and
fro. To strengthen the connection between the sole plate and the runner the ears
C.extend below the horizontal slots E and are themselves grooved to embrace the
sides of the runner. The sole plate is also connected with the runner at the extremity
of the toe or point by a similar ear G having a slot in it through which a guide H
formed at the toe of the runner passes. Or instead of the ear G a stud on the
guide H may project upwards through a longitudinal slot in the sole plate. The
sole plate B is extended backwards in the form of a narrow strip or waist bent
slightly downwards and then bent upwards at a right angle near its extremity to
form the grip I, which bears against the front of the heel. This grip I has also a
slot fitting accurately and sliding on another horizontal guide or key pattern piece
K formed upon the runner A as shown. By means of these slots and guides the
sole plate is connected firmly to the runner whilst being free to slide longitudinally
to and fro thereon as above mentioned. The sole plate is thus slid to and fro by
means of a lever L, L', pivoted on a bolt secured to the runner A. The long arm
L of this lever by which it is operated, is curved outwards near its free end to
enable it to be readily grasped. Its extremity is bent inwards across the runner
and notched so as to spring over and engage with the top edge of the runner when
the lever is raised, thus locking the lever and consequently the sole plate in position.
The other arm L' of this lever is curved backwards eccentrically and passes through a
slot M in the sole plate, which it thus pushes forward or draws back when the lever
arm L is raised or lowered. The upper extremity of the arm L' has a projecting
lug or stop to prevent the lever being drawn down too far.
The dotted lines, Figure 1, show the sole plate slid forward and the lever drawn
down. N, N, are the toe clips, they are fitted in beds in the sole plate formed by
cutting a slit in the plate and bending down the parts O, O, below the general level
of the sole plate as shown. The clips whose inner ends pass beneath the sole plate
are secured adjustably by screw bolts P whose heads are countersunk flush with the
sole plate. The bolts pass through long slots in the clips which are secured at the
proper width apart by nuts tightened up against them on the under side. R is the
heel plate having two clips S, S, bent up at the back as usual to embrace the back
of the heel. The heel plate R is fixed to the runner and is adjustable to suit the
length of the heel by two ears T, T, cut out of the heel plate and turned down so
as to clamp the runner between them when tightened up by a bolt U secured by
a nut, and whose square part passes through corresponding holes in the ears T and
through a long slot V on the runner to admit of the adjustment of the heel plate.
W are two flanges at the front of the heel plate, bent down on either side of the
runner to steady it.
In Figure 4 I have shown the arm L¹ of the lever as being formed with a claw
shaped extremity which embeds itself in the heel and which may be used either in
addition to or in lieu of the clip I, on the sole plate.
Having described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of perform-
ing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
First. Fitting the sole plate to slide forward along the runner to bring the toe
clips into a position to admit the sole between them and back again to draw the
clips back until they grip the wide part of the sole, as shown and described.
Second. Connecting the sole plate to the runner by slotted ear pieces or flanges
bent down from the sole plate and taking on to horizontal guides formed on the
runner substantially as shown and described to admit of the longitudinal sliding
movement of the sole plate as and for the purpose specified.
Third. In combination with the longitudinally sliding sole plate the laterally
adjustable toe clips and the heel grip formed on the end of, and in one with, the
waist portion of the sole plate, as shown and described.
Fourth. The combination with the longitudinally sliding sole plate of the lever
for sliding it back and forth, pivoted to the runner and constructed and operating
as shown and described.

page_text: Fifth. Extending the upper extremity of this lever back to form a heel grip as
shown and described.
Sixth. In a skate having a sole plate sliding longitudinally as described, I claim
fitting the heel plate adjustably to the runner substantally as and for the purpose
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Marson Lamb, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
J. M. LAMD.
(L.S.)