IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Harrington and Dudley Watkins, both of
Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ROLLER SKATES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Harrington and
Dudley Watkins at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 2nd March 1875.
We, JOHN HARRINGTON and DUDLEY WATKINS, both of Ryde, in the
Isle of Wight, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS in Roller SkateES," to be as follows:-
:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in roller skates, whereby
the skater is enabled readily to skate in straight or curved lines without
putting undue strain on his feet and ancles. For this purpose we mount
one or a pair of wheels on an axis at or near each end of the skate, as
has heretofore been done. These axes are each carried by a vertical
spin dle or perch bolt" fixed rigidly thereto, which is capable of

page_text: turning in a bearing formed in an axis running longitudinally of the
stock or foundation of the skate and parallel therewith, such last-
mentioned axis being capable of turning in suitable bearings fixed to the
stock or foundation. To each of these vertical spindles or perch bolts is
fixed a toothed segment to take into corresponding segments fixed to the
stock or foundation board or plate of the skate.
Springs are fixed to the stock or foundation board or plate of the
skate so as to retain the parts in a parallel position, except when the
weight of the skater is thrown more to the one side or the other of the
skate, when the toothed segments fixed to the stock will act on the
toothed segments fixed to the vertical studs or "perch bolts," and turn
the latter partly round in their bearings, and thereby cause the axes of
the wheels at one of their ends to incline towards each other, by which
means the skate is caused to run in a curved direction, the sharpness of
the curve depending upon the degree to which the stock is canted over
on the longitudinal axis or axes of the perch bolts or vertical studs.
As a modification of the above the longitudinal axis or axes may be
dispensed with, in which case the vertical axes or perch bolts are carried
in bearings in the stock or foundation, whilst the foot of the skater is
supported on a board or plate pin jointed to the stock or foundation.
The axis of this plate or board passes through the stock or foundation,
and has fixed thereon a lever having at its outer ends toothed segments
which take into and give motion to the toothed segments fixed to the
vertical axes or perch bolts, and thereby cause the axes of the wheels to
incline towards each other, as before stated. By this modification in
turning it is not necessary for the skater to incline his feet.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, JOHN 30
HARRINGTON and DUDLEY WATKINS, both of Ryde, in the Isle of Wight,

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Harrington and Dudley Watkins,
Her special license, that we, the said John Harrington and Dudley
Watkins, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said John Harrington and Dudley Watkins, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the 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 we, the said John
Harrington and Dudley Watkins, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under
the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Harrington, on behalf of
myself and the said Dudley Watkins, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in roller skates, whereby
the skater is enabled readily to skate in straight or curved lines without
putting undue strain on his feet and ancles. For this purpose we mount
one or a pair of wheels on an axis at or near each end of the skate, as
has heretofore been done. These axes are each carried by a vertical
‣ spindle or "perch bolt" fixed rigidly thereto, which is capable of
turning in a bearing formed in an axis running longitudinally of the
stock or foundation of the skate and parallel therewith, such last-
mentioned axis being capable of turning in suitable bearings fixed to
the stock or foundation. To each of these vertical spindles or "perch
bolts" is fixed a toothed segment to take into corresponding segments
fixed to the stock or foundation board or plate of the skate.
Springs are fixed to the stock or foundation board or plate of the skate
so as to retain the parts in a parallel position, except when the weight

page_text: of the skater is thrown more to the one side or the other of the skate,
when the toothed segments fixed to the stock will act on the toothed
segments fixed to the vertical studs or "perch bolts," and turn the
latter partly round in their bearings, and thereby cause the axes of the
wheels at one of their ends to incline towards each other, by which
means the skate is caused to run in a curved direction, the sharpness of
the curve depending upon the degree to which the stock is canted over
on the longitudinal axis or axes of the perch bolts or vertical studs.
"
of the skater is thrown more to the one side or the other of the skate,
when the toothed segments fixed to the stock will act on the toothed
segments fixed to the vertical studs or perch bolts," and turn the
latter partly round in their bearings, and thereby cause the axes of the
wheels at one of their ends to incline towards each other, by which
means the skate is caused to run in a curved direction, the sharpness of
the curve depending upon the degree to which the stock is canted over
on the longitudinal axis or axes of the perch bolts or vertical studs.
And in order that our said Invention may be more clearly understood
and readily carried into effect we will proceed, aided by the accom-
panying Drawings, more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents an under side view; Figure 2, a longitudinal
section on the line 1, 1, of Figure 1; and Figure 3, a cross section on
the line 2, 2, of Figure 1, of a skate constructed according to our 1
Invention.
a, a, represent the stock or foundation board of the skate; b, b,
represent two pairs of wheels, each pair of which are mounted on an axis e
at or near each end of the skate, as has heretofore been done. These
axes c, c, are each according to our Invention carried by a vertical 2
spindle or "perch bolt" d fixed rigidly thereto, but capable of turning
in a bearing formed in the end of an axis e running longitudinally of the
stock or foundation a of the skate and parallel therewith, the axis e
being capable of turning in bearings of fixed to the stock or foun-
dation a.
For facility of manufacture the axis e is formed in two parts, united
together at the centre by a tube or collar e¹ fastened rigidly thereto, and
working freely between the bearing tubes f, or the two parts of the
axis e may be independent of each other. To each of these vertical
spindles or perch bolts d is fixed a tooth d', or it may be a toothed &
segment which takes into corresponding teeth g, or it may be toothed
segments fixed to the stock or foundation board or plate of the skate.
Springs are fixed to the stock or foundation board a, so as to retain
the parts in a parallel position, as shewn in the Drawings, except when
the weight of the skater is thrown more to the one side or the other of 3
the skate, when the teeth 9, 9, fixed to the stock will act on the teeth d'

page_text: fixed to the vertical studs or
"
perch bolts"
d, and turn the latter partly
round in their bearings in the ends of the axis e, and thereby cause the
ends of the axes c of the wheels on the one or the other side of the skate
to incline towards each other, by which means the skate is caused to run
in a curved direction, the sharpness and direction of the curve depending
upon the degree and side to which the stock a is canted over on the
longitudinal axis or axes e of the "perch bolts" or vertical studs d. To
assist in causing the parts to return to the position shown in the Drawings
we, in addition to employing the springs h, employ hinged plates i,
which bear against the axes d, and are drawn or forced towards such
axes by a spring j or by other suitable means.
We would here remark that the modification described in our
Provisional Specification does not possess that amount of utility which
we had anticipated, and for this reason we desire to disclaim and we do
hereby disclaim such modification; and we would further remark that
we do not confine ourselves to the employment of a pair of wheels at
each end of the skate, as a single broad wheel may be employed at each
end, the axes carrying such wheels being suitably modified, as will be
well understood.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the mode
in which we carry the same into effect, we would have it understood that
what we claim is, the carrying the axes of the wheels or rollers b, b, on
vertical studs or "perch bolts" capable of turning in bearings formed
in a longitudinal axis or axes, and operated by means of teeth & and 9 in
manner substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harrington, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.