IM- PROVEMENTS IN WHEELS OR ROLLERS FOR ROLLER SKATES."
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Cæsar Frederick Franklin, of Brighton, in the
County of Sussex, Civil and Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN WHEELS OR ROLLERS FOR ROLLER SKATES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Cesar Frederick
Franklin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April 1876.
ALEXANDER CESAR FREDERICK FRANKLIN, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex,.
Civil and Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS OR ROLLERS FOR
ROLLER SKATES."
My Invention relates to the novel construction of the wheels or rollers of roller
skates, and is designed to afford the means whereby the said skates are rendered
very easy to guide or turn upon the skating surface or floor whereon they are used
without turning or converging the axles of the said wheels or rollers.
For this purpose I so construct the said wheels or rollers that the outer portion
or periphery of the same is capable of moving laterally upon its inner portion or
boss, so that the said outer portion or periphery of the wheels can be made to
assume and move in any required angular positions with regard to the stock while
the shaft or axle remains immovable.
I carry the said Invention into practise by the aid of various devices. For
instance, I may make the boss or inner portion of the wheel of india-rubber and
the outer portion of wood, metal, or other suitable material, and obtain the required
lateral adjustability of the said outer portion of the wheel by the elasticity of the
india-rubber. But I prefer the following construction, which embodys my said
Invention in what I consider the most practical and advantageous form thereof:
that is to say, I construct the boss or inner portion of the wheel or roller in the
form of the segment of a globe or sphere, the same being of brass or other suitable
metal. This boss or central portion is fitted to turn freely on the axis or shaft
which is secured to the foot stock in any secure and convenient manner. Upon
this inner portion or boss of the wheel or roller I fit the outer portion or rim, which
is formed of hard wood or other suitable material; it is made in two parts for con-
venience of fitting it upon the spherical boss, the said parts being secured together
when placed on the boss by screws or otherwise. The said outer portion or rim of
the wheel when properly fitted upon the said spherical boss will be free to turn
[Price Gd.

page_text: freely thereon in any direction. But I prefer to limit the lateral turning or adjust-
ment of the same, and for this purpose I form on the axle a collar or shoulder, and
place between the latter and the wheel or roller an india-rubber washer or cushion.
This washier or cushion forms a spring stop, which allows the free turning or
adjustment laterally of the outer portion upon the inner portion of the wheel or
roller only within the desired limits.
By this peculiar construction of the said wheels or rollers the outer portion of the
same can be caused by the skater to assume any required angle upon the inner
portion or boss of the same, while the said wheels or rollers run freely upon their
axles or shafts, and the skate is thereby guided or turned in any required direction
on the skating surface so that the skater can easily describe any circle or perform
other evolutions on the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Cæsar Frederick Franklin in the Great Seal Patent. Office
on the 18th October 1876.
ALEXANDER CESAR FREDERICK FRANKLIN, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex,
Civil and Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEELS OR ROLLERS FOR
ROLLER SKATES."
My Invention relates to the novel construction of the wheels or rollers of roller
skates, and is designed to afford the means whereby the said skates are rendered
very easy to guide or turn upon the skating surface or floor whereon they are used
without turning or converging the axles of the said wheels or rollers.
For this purpose I so construct the said wheels or rollers that the outer portion
or periphery of the same is capable of moving laterally upon its inner portion or
boss, so that the said outer portion or periphery of the wheel can be made to assume
and move in any required angular positions with regard to the stock while the
shaft or axle remains immovable.
I carry the said Invention into practice by the aid of various devices. For
instance, I may make the boss or inner portion of the wheel of india-rubber, and
the outer portion of wood, metal, or other suitable material, and obtain the required
lateral adjustability of the said outer portion of the wheel by the elasticity of the
india-rubber, provision being made to prevent the crushing of the india-rubber by
the weight of the foot on the skate. But I prefer the following construction, which
embodies my said Invention in what I consider the most practicable and advan-
tageous form thereof, and which I have illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is an under side view of my improved skate; Figure 2 is a side
elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line x, x,
Figure 1; Figure 4 is a transverse section illustrating a modification in the con-
struction of my improved skate wheels or rollers. Like letters indicate the same
parts throughout the Drawing. a is the foot stock; b, b, are the wheels or rollers;
c, c, are brackets for supporting the same and connecting them with the foot stock.
I construct the boss or inner portion b₁ of the wheel or roller b in the form of the
segment of a globe or sphere, as clearly shewn in Figure 3, the same being of brass
or other suitable metal. This boss or central portion b¹ is fitted to run freely on
the axle or shaft d, which is connected with the foot stock a by the said brackets,
in which it is tightly secured in any convenient manner. Upon this inner portion
or boss b¹ of the wheel or roller I fit the outer portion or rim 62, which is formed of
hard wood or other suitable material. It may be made in two parts, as shewn in
Figure 2, for convenience of fitting it upon the spherical boss b¹, the said parts
being secured together when placed on the boss by screws, as shown at b³, or other-

page_text: wise. But I may avoid having the said outer portion of the wheel in two parts by
making it with a concave recess for the reception of the ball or spherical ball, and
forming the latter with a neck which projects through the outer side of the wheel,
which neck is then fitted with a plate or collar screwed or otherwise securely
attached to the neck with an india-rubber washer placed between the wheel and
collar. Or the outer portion or rim be may be made in one piece and fitted upon
flanged plates b' fitted together upon the boss b¹, as shewn in Figure 4.
The said outer portion or rim of the wheel when properly fitted upon the spherical
boss will be free to turn freely in any direction upon the same. But I prefer to
limit the lateral turning or adjustment of the same, and for this purpose I form on
the axle d, or in one piece with the boss b¹, preferably the latter, a collar or
shoulder and place between the said collar and the wheel or roller b an india-
rubber washer or cushion f, and I place on the axle between the two wheels or
rollers a distance piece f¹. These washers or cushions allow the free turning or
adjustment laterally of the outer portion upon the inner portion of the wheel
or roller to the extent required and only to this extent.
C,
By this peculiar construction of the said wheels or rollers the outer portions of
the same can be caused to assume any required angle upon the inner portion or
boss of the same, while the said wheels or rollers run freely upon their axle or shaft
and the skate is thereby guided or turned in any required direction on the skating
surface, so that the skater can easily describe any circle or curve or perform other
evolutions on the same.
I prefer to provide the skate with arms c¹, on which are carried small discs, which
rotate freely on the said arms, and which, when the foot stock is depressed or tilted
to either side, bear on the edge of the wheel or roller and turn the outer portion or
periphery of the same upon the boss, as above described.
I have shown the skate provided with four wheels or rollers, but if desired it
may have only two wheels or rollers, that is to say, one instead of two at each end,
and my improved wheels or rollers may be applied to skates with any form of foot
stock, and may be used at both ends of the skate or only at one end of the same in
combination with other wheels at the other end of the said skate.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and shown how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I wish it understood that
I claim―
First. A wheel or roller for skates with an inner portion or boss and an outer or
peripheral portion, constructed separately and formed and fitted together in such a
manner that when properly mounted on the axle of a skate the said outer portion
can be caused to change its position upon the inner portion or boss of the wheel,
for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination of two of the said wheels or rollers upon the axle of a
skate in such a manner that the adjustment or turning of the outer portions upon
the bosses of the said wheels or rollers may be effected by pressure exerted upon the
foot stock of the skate, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Cæsar Frederick Franklin, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
A. C. F. FRANKLIN. (L.S.)