IMPROVE- MENTS IN ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Alfred Bowles, of No. 10, Ship Street,
Brighton, in the County of Sussex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
Sealed the 13th July 1875, and dated the 17th April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Alfred Bowles
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 17th April 1875.
I, JOHN ALFRED BOWLES, of No. 10, Ship Street, Brighton, in the
County of Sussex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES," to be as follows:-
The object of my improvements is to give easy play to the rollers, so
that they may accommodate themselves to every gyration of the skater,
and come back to their normal position without girk or shock when the
skater ceases to travel in curves.
I propose to construct my improved roller skate with four rollers, two
toe and two heel rollers. The axle upon which the toe or heel rollers are

page_text: set will have a boss in its centre, and rest upon angular or curved
bearings, the parts of the axle resting upon these bearings being
preferably conical. The supports of these angular bearings will be
secured to the stock by screws or otherwise, and will carry at their
opposite ends a pin or axle passing through the boss or swelling of the
roller axle at a right angle thereto, and between the checks formed by
these supports and the boss on the roller axle will be placed on each side
an india-rubber, spiral, or other suitable spring.
The action will be as follows:-On the skater describing a curve the
toe and heel rollers moving to a diagonal position the conical parts of
their axles will travel along the angular bearings, and the bosses working
loosely on the pin or axle which traverses each of them will compress
one or other of the springs, accordingly as the skater curves to the right
or to the left, and directly this curve is completed the springs, relieved
from pressure, will at once bring the axle to its normal position at a right :
angle to the pin carrying the springs.
Daculation
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Alfred Bowles in the Great Seal Patent 2
Office on the 15th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ALFRED BOWLES, of No. 10, Ship Street, Brighton, in the County of
Sussex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand ciglt hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Alfred Bowles, Her special licence
that I, the said John Alfred Bowles, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Alfred Bowles, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the

page_text: term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ROLLER SKATES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Alfred Bowles, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calcndar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Alfred Bowles, 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 :-
The object of the improvements in roller skates herein-after described
is to give easy play to the rollers, so that they may accommodate them-
selves to every gyration of the skater, and come back to their normal
position without jerk or shock when the skater ceases to travel in
curves.
I construct my improved roller skate with four rollers, two toe and
two heel rollers. The axle upon which the toc or heel rollers are set has
a boss in its centre, and rests upon a bearing block with angular or
curved bearings, the parts of the axle resting upon these bearings being
preferably conical. The supports of these angular bearings or angular
bearing blocks are secured to the stock by screws or otherwise, and carry
at their opposite ends a pin or axle passing through the boss or swelling
of the roller axle at a right angle thereto, and between the cheeks formed
by these bearing blocks and the boss on the roller axle is placed on each
side an india-rubber, spiral, or other suitable spring.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing Figure 1 illustrates a side
view in elevation of an improved roller skate embodying my Invention ;
Figure 2 is an inverted plan of same; Figure 3 represents the skate as
seen from the front or end view; and Figures 4 shew the various parts
detached.

page_text: A. is the block, to the under side of which are secured the two angular
bearing blocks B, B.
B, angular bearing block, having at its lower end an angular or curved
portion b, b, for the roller axle to bear upon.
D, D, the rollers.
E, pin passing through the boss c in centre of axle C.
F, F, india-rubber, spiral, or other suitable springs.
The action is as follows:-On the skater describing a curve the toe
and heel rollers D, D, moving to a diagonal position (as shewn by dotted
lines, Figure 2) the conical parts of their axles C will travel along the
angular bearings b, b, and the bosses c working loosely on the pin or
axle E which traverses each of them will compress the springs F, F, and
directly the curve is completed the springs, relieved from pressure, will
at once bring the axle C to its normal position at a right angle to the
pin or axle E carrying the springs F, F. On reference to Figure 2 it
will be seen that the two springs in each block are cach compressed in
opposite directions during an evolution, and that thus each assists in
bringing back the axle C to its normal position. Washers are placed
between the checks of the block and the springs and between the springs
and the boss c for the preservation of the india-rubber springs, and the
compression of the springs is regulated by screwing one of these washers
on its spring by tightening up the pin E more or less; or regulating
screws may be used to compress the springs, or other suitable means.
The shape of the bearing blocks, excepting as regards the axle
bearings, may be varied at pleasure; any kind of fastening may be used
to fix the skate to the foot; a greater number of rollers may be employed
if desired; and I propose to use any suitable material or combination of
materials in the manufacture of this improved skate.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is or may be performed, what I claim
as secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is,-

page_text: Secondly. The use of the axle bearings with the angles or curves b, b,
for the traverse of the roller axle, substantially as herein-before set
forth.
In witness whercof, I, the said John Alfred Bowles, have hereunto
set my hand and soal, this Thirteenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.