IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Arthur Underhill at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 13th April 1876.
ARTHUR UNDERHILL, of 4, Middle Temple Lane, in the City of London, Barrister-
at-Law. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
The object of this Invention is to construct a roller skate having only two rollers
for straight skating (one being under the toe and the other under the heel in the
centre of the skate), and to provide in conjunction therewith simple, durable, and
efficient arrangements for enabling the skater to perform curves by inclining the foot
to the side to which he wishes to turn.
According to one modification of this Invention the back roller (being that under
the heel) carried upon an axle revolving in fixed bearings or revolves upon a fixed
axle, but in either case it can have no motion relatively with the skate but that of
rotation on its axis. The front roller (being that under the toc) is carried in a frame
which is connected to the stock of the skate by means of a swivel immediately
above the centre of the said front roller. An arm fixed to or forming part of the
said frame extends backwards under the stock and is connected to a spring or springs
of india-rubber or other suitable substance fixed in any convenient manner for
keeping the said front roller in a proper position for straight skating when the foot
is in an upright or sufficiently upright position as will be herein-after explained.
The front axle extends for some distance on each side of the said front roller and is
provided at each end with a roller less in diameter than the said front roller. The
said front roller and the two smaller rollers on each side thereof are made fast to or
form part of the front axle, the said front axle itself turning freely in suitable
bearings which form part of the said swivel frame and are arranged either between
the said front roller and the said smaller rollers or outside the said smaller rollers. The
said front roller and smaller rollers may be formed together in one piece, or otherwise
fastened together, in which case they do not require to be fixed to the front axle but may
rotate thereupon. When the foot is canted sufficiently on one side to bring one of
the smaller rollers into contact with the skating surface the front axle will adjust
itself radially with a circle, the diameter thereof depending on the difference between
the diameter of the front and smaller rollers and on the distance between them.
Upon the smaller roller being raised from the skating surface, on account of the
foot assuming an upright or sufficiently upright position, the spring or springs afore-
said cause the return of the front axle to its position at right angles with the
centre line of the stock. The smaller rollers may have soft and easily compressible
Price 2d1

page_text: india-rubber tyres so as to secure a variation in the curve depending to some extent
upon the pressure from the canting of the foot, the compression of the india-rubber
in effect reducing the diameter of the roller of which it forms the tyre.
According to another modification of this Invention the back roller (instead of
revolving in fixed bearings) may be made to revolve in bearings fastened to the
stock by means of a swivel immediately above the centre of the back roller, and in
such case the said bearings must have an arm attached thereto similar to the arm.
attached to the frame in which the front roller revolves, but extending forwards
instead of backwards, and a spring must then connect the two arms together
tending to keep them in a proper position for straight skating, without itself being
connected to the stock. By this means very sharp curves may be executed as both
front and back rollers would be aiding in effecting the necessary divergence from a
straight course.