Improvements in Skates.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 12th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1897
Improvements in Skates.
I WILLIAM WYATT No. 2 back of 67 Morville Street Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in skates which are suitable for use
on ordinary roads or streets or artificial rinks, and which may be converted so as to
suit any of the purposes at a short notice and by the substitution of parts of
the same.
Hitherto, steel iron and brass have been largely used in making the body portion
of skates and also other portions. According to my invention I use aluminium or
aluminium alloyed with other metal or metals so as to considerably lighten the body
and bulky portions thereof as well as the casings of the bearings and such parts
may be cast or stamped or pressed as most convenient. The height of pneumatic
roller skates has militated against them very much. To reduce this I form the
wheels with a tubular centre with increased ends to form the cups for the balls with
cones screwed on to the spindle ends and cover caps screwed over the enlargements
upon the wheel centre. The cone cups or washers form flanges between which the
tyre or tube is placed so that the inner portion of the tyre or tube rests upon the
wheel centre tube thus minimizing the diameter of the wheel. The cover caps may
seal the journals against dust or they may not do so according to their formation.
To still further reduce the height and weight of the skates I make the tyres or
their centres of wood, cork, asbestos yarn or rope, packings feathers, sponge rubber
or such like materials which may be used separately or together and they may be
compressed to form a composition from which even the centre portions of the
wheels may be made to mount upon the spindle. Thus the hub forms a combined
hub and rim upon which a pneumatic or solid tyre of any of the materials named
may be placed. For skating on ice I exchange the wheels and their holder for
angle steel blades for which suitable holes or fastenings are provided. I may use
two three or even four wheels to each skate.
Dotad this 12th day of February 1896
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Skates.
1, WILLIAM WYATT No. 2 hack of 67 Morville Street Birminghain in the
County of Warwick Mechanic do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object improvements in skates which are suitable for

page_text: ordmary roads artificial rinks or for roads, and which may be converted so as to
suit any of the purposes at a short notice and by the substitution of parts of
the same.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practical effect I have appended hereunto a double sized sheet of drawings
upon which I have illustrated examples of my improved skate.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a skate constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.
Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional elevation of one of the wheels and
bearings.
Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional elevation of a modified form of my
wheel.
Figure 5 shows part of the frame B with the end which supports the wheel
cranked upwards.
Figure 6 is a cross sectional elevation of the frame B showing one form of
strutting or strengthening the same.
In carrying my invention into practice I prefer to form the two bearers or
frames B and B' out of aluminium tubing or aluminium alloyed' with other metal or
metals of any desired section with a rib or flattened portion 62 running along the
top, the ends are also flattened and a hole drilled in the centre of each into which
I mount the spindle S which carries or supports the wheels. On the top of the
bearers B and B I secure the front and back plates 63 and upon which the foot
rests. I also strengthen or stiffen these bearers by the cross struts or stays b and be
as shown at Figure 6.
My bearing upon which the tyre is fixed consists of the outer hub casing D with
two enlarged flanges d' and d at either end and these flanges have a screw thread
cut on their periphery. The cups or ball races d³ and d are fixed inside these
flanges in the usual manner and onto one end of the spindle S I fix the fast cone s
the spindle is then inserted into the hub and the balls placed in position after which
the loose cone is screwed onto the opposite end of the spindle and the bearing
properly adjusted. I then place my wheel onto this hub and this wheel consists of
an air chamber t' the centre portion resting upon the centre or barrel portion of the
hub and an outer cover T which fits over the flanges d¹ and d2 and around the
edges of this outer cover are formed flanges or enlargements 2 and 3 which fit
under the flanges c¹ and of the outer caps C which are screwed onto the
flanges and d³, a hole being formed in their centres for the spindle to pass
through. When the tyre or wheel is inflated the inner air chamber wedges the
enlargements 2 and 3 under the flanges of the caps C (as clearly shown at
Figures 3 and 4) thereby securely and firmly holding the tyre or wheel in position
and these caps prevent all dirt and dust from entering the bearings.
At Fig. 4 I have shown a modification of my wheel. In this case I form the
hub a little wider & instead of inserting cups or ball races into the ends of the hub
I run the balls direct onto the inside of the ends of the hub I also form that
portion of the air chamber which rests upon the centre or barrel portion of the hub
flat or nearly flat the outer cover being held in position in the same manner as
hereinbefore described.
At Fig. 6 I have shown another method of mounting the wheels in the bearers
or frames B & B¹ so as to further reduce the height of the foot from the ground
and in this case I crank or bend the ends in which the spindle of the wheel is
mounted, upward so that the centre portion upon which the foot rests is below the
centre of the wheels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
First. The improvements in skates herein set forth and as shown upon the
accompanying sheet of drawings.

page_text: Second. The skate wheels having an air chamber such as t' and a detachable
outer cover T with the adjustable caps C in combination with the tubular centre
and bearings substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the accompanying
sheet of drawings.
Dated this 11th day of November 1896.
GEORGE BARKER,
77 Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.