AN IMPROVED ROLLER SKATE
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Lloyd Wise at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th July 1876. A communication
from abroad by Mr. Napoléon Rebour, of Paris, France, Mechanist, and Mr.
Auguste Louis Bernard Dévot, of 82, Boulevart Haussmann, Paris, France,
Gentleman.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the County of Middle-
8CX. "AN IMPROVED ROLLER SKATE" A communication from abroad by Mr.
Napoléon Rebour, of Paris, France, Mechanist, and Mr. Auguste Louis Bernard
Dévot, of 82, Boulevart Haussmann, Paris, France, Gentleman.
This Invention has for its object an improved skate, which is illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Fig. 1 being a side elevation; Fig. 2 a plan; Fig. 3 an end elevation; and Fig.
a transverse section.
The several parts of the skate are marked with figures as herein-after mentioned,
1 being loose rollers; 2 and 3 rollers fixed on the axles (10); 4 two boxes which
serve as centres of motion to the axles of the rollers, and at the same time as oil
or grease boxes; 5 the extremities of the naves of the rollers; 6 four cylindrical
pillars in a piece with two cheeks fixed by means of four screws to immoveable
platforms (11); 7 the sole plate, which varies in length to suit the user; 8 supports
fixed to the sole plate. These supports serve to fix the platforms (11) and do not
prevent the sole plate from oscillating from right to left by means of the four axes
12 formed with the platforms 11; projections of the sole plate serving to fix the
upper plate (13) which itself holds the fastenings that cross the narrow part of the
foot; 10 axles fixed to their respective rollers 2 or 3, these axles traverse the boxes
4. After passing the axles through their respective boxes the two loose rollers (1)
are placed on the extremities of the axles, which as well as the loose rollers them-
selves are retained in place by means of two screws (15) the extremities of which
enter grooves 16, thus allowing the rollers (1) to turn independently of the axles
and other rollers, thereby enabling curves to be described by the skater. At the
middle of each axle there is a groove which serves as a reservoir for the lubricant
so that it can never escape (a great inconvenience in other roller skates) the rollers
not being perforated.
One peculiarity of this Invention consists in the employment of platforms 17
moveable by means of little balls 18 of ivory or metal interposed between the said
platforms and the fixed platforms (11), said balls being arranged in grooves or
channels formed in both the moveable and fixed platforms and thus permitting of
[Price 4d 1

page_text: the friction being transformed into rolling, and allowing the weight of the skater to
be supported on the circumference of the rollers instead of leaving the weight of the
body on the axles, which occasions friction, necessitating constant lubrication.
Thus by this novel application the axle or axletrees no longer support the load,
they serve only to maintain the positions of the rollers. Before introducing the
axles or axletrees four cylindrical parts 19 are introduced, each having three diameters.
The first or smaller diameter enters the box 4, the second traverses the thickness of
the cheeks 20, the third serves in each case as a centre of motion to the adjacent
24 are
roller. These parts are retained in place by four screws (21), as shewn.
springs whose extremities rest on the platforms 11. These springs allow the foot
to oscillate and return the sole plate when requisite to its normal or horizontal
position. This method of applying the springs differs from those in skates as hereto-
fore constructed. The pivots or axes (22) are made with a flat part to allow of
the introduction of lubricant to the boxes (4). The screws 25 serve as axes for the
moveable platforms.
In some cases to save expense the moveable platforms may be dispensed with,
the fixed platforms resting upon the pillars (6), and the latter supporting the weight
of the skater which will thus be transmitted through the boxes (4) to the axles
(10) In this way larger wheels may be employed without increasing the height
of the skate, still retaining the use in combination of the springs, the oil or
grease boxes, and the non-perforated wheels.