AN IMPROVEMENT IN ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Christy, of 155, Fenchurch Street, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN ROLLER SKATES." A communication
from abroad by Charles Rhodes Goodwin, of 166, Quai Jemmapes, Paris.
Sealed the 23rd May 1876, and dated the 9th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Christy at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th February 1876.
THOMAS CHRISTY, of 155, Fenchurch Street, London. "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
ROLLER SKATES." A communication from abroad by Charles Rhodes Goodwin, of
166, Quai Jemmapes, Paris.
The improvements consist in constructing roller skates in such a manner that
when the skater inclines his body to one side or the other he is enabled to describe
curves of different radius at his pleasure, the wheels or rollers by such inclination'
being caused to pivot to the right or left as the case may be by means of inclined
or cam surfaces acting without springs upon the supports or axes of the wheels or
rollers. And further that the number and position of rollers or wheels can be
varied according to the will and proficiency of the skater, and also in providing
certain methods of lubricating the axles and mechanism of the skates, such methods
consisting of the insertion of absorbant material, such as sponge, in oil chambers
constructed in the wheels or rollers or other parts requiring lubrication.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Christy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st May
1876.
THOMAS CHRISTY, of 155, Fenchurch Street, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ROLLER SKATES." A communication to me froin abroad by Charles Rhodes
Goodwin, of 166, Quai Jemmapes, Paris.
The Invention relates to an improved method of guiding or controlling the rollers
or wheels, and of attaching them to the foot stand or stock.
The arrangements employed in this Invention are illustrated in Figures 1 to 12b
of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a skate. constructed according to my Invention;
Figure 2 is an end view, and Figure 3 an under plan of the same skate; Figure 4
is a vertical sectional elevation on the line 1, 2; and Figure 5 a transverse section
at the line 3, 4.
This skate as shewn in the Drawing is fitted with four rollers or wheels, two on
each axle, although as subsequently explained the number may be varied at will.
The rollers o, o, run loose on the axle n, which is firmly held in the arms j, j, of the
axle frame by means of the small screws w; this axle frame is shown in detail in
Figures 8, 84, 8b, 9, and 9a, the letters of reference corresponding in all cases.
It is
hung by means of the lugs or bearings k, k, upon a pin attached to the pivotting
plate shewn in detail in Figures 7, 70, and 7b, in which. Figures h, k, are the
sockets of the pin already mentioned, in which. sockets the pin is secured by set
screws, as shewn, or otherwise. The pin is parallel with the longitudinal axis of
the foot stand or stock. So far it will be seen that the roller or axle frame is
capable of an oscillating motion at right angles to the above-mentioned longitudinal
axis, or in other words, the foot stand or stock is capable of a rocking motion from
side to side on the roller or axle frame while the rollers rest firmly on the ground.
But the pivotting plate which carries the roller frame is susceptible of a horizontal
rotary motion around its centre, a result obtained in the following manner :- -The
upper part of the pivotting piece f is formed into a hollow pin or support, shewn
clearly in section in Figure 4. This pin or support fits into and turns in a socket d
let into the foot stand a of the skate, and forming part of the plate c which is
firmly and immovably secured to the under side of the foot stand. The inclined
pieces or cams are also part of this plate, and the plate c with the socket d, and the
cams e, e, is shewn in detail in Figures 61, 64, and Gb. The pivotting piece fis
attached to the fixed plate c by means of two screws i, i, which pass through the
curved slots g, g, Figures 3 and 7b, but before they are connected a central pin p is
inserted into the centre of the support f. This pin, which is shown in detail in
Figure 10, has a broad head notched or grooved on the under side so that it may
rest firmly on the pin before mentioned. The arrangement of this pin p in its
place is clearly shewn in Figures 4 and 5. Its upper end works loosely in the
centre of the adjustable screwed washer t, Figures 4, 5, and 11, and it may if
desired be surrounded by a spiral or other spring, but to the use of such a spring I
make no claim. The pivotting piece f is now capable of being moved horizontally
round the centre of the pin p in either direction to an extent limited by the length
of the curved slots g, g, and these slots are proportioned to the sharpest curve which
the skater may require to describe.
It will be remembered that the foot stand or stock of the skate is capable of
being rocked from side to side, and it therefore only remains to show how this
rocking movement the result in practice of the skater inclining his body to one side
or the other is caused to affect the horizontal rotary movement of the roller or
wheel frame. For this purpose a screw or pin m is fitted in each arm j, j, of the
roller frame. In Figure 1 these pins are shewn as screwed through the frame in a
horizontal direction. In Figures 9 and 94 they are inclined upwards so as to meet
the cams e, e, which bear against them at right angles or nearly so. Various methods
of fitting this pin may be adopted, that is to say, it may either screw in as in
Figures 1, 9, and 9a, or serew in and be clamped by another screw as at q in
Figures 5 A and 5 B, or be set up by a nut or otherwise as desirable so long as it is
capable of being adjusted up to the cams to compensate for wear. Accordingly
when the foot stand of the skate is inclined or rocked on one side the can on the
side towards which the foot stand is inclined or rocked is depressed, that on the
opposite side being raised. The cam which is depressed bears on its pin m and
forces round the roller frame to a proportionate extent, as will be seen by reference
to Figure 3, the cams or inclined surfaces belonging to one pair of rollers face those
belonging to the other pair, and as a consequence the movements of the roller
frames caused by the depression of the cams are in opposite horizontal directions,
so that the result is a convergence of the roller axis on the side to which the skate

page_text: is inclined, as shown by the dotted lines 61, 61, 61, 61; the rollers being in this
position the skate will describe a curve, the centre of which is the point of con-
vergence of the axes of the rollers. In inclining his body for the purpose of rocking
or tilting the foot stand the skater is prevented from inclining too far by the heads
of the screws i, i, coming into contact with or cushioning upon the upper part of the
roller frame. This adds very much to the stability and power of the skater, and
tends greatly to prevent accident and to the avoidance of injurious strains upon the
ankle joints.
It is obvious that by the use of the above mentioned curved slots g, g, and the
cushioning screws i, i, the limit of safe inclination in describing curves cannot well
be exceded by the skater. When the skater returns to an upright position the
foot stand becomes level, the cams which were formerly depressed are raised, and
those which were previously raised are depressed, so that by the action of the
respective cams the parallelism of the axles of the rollers is restored and the skate
proceeds in a straight line.
As above stated the number and position of the rollers or wheels may be varied
at pleasure. Figure 2 shows a third roller o' in dotted lines upon the axle. Again
a single roller may be used in place of each pair. To effect this change the armsj, j,
of the axle frames are made as shewn in Figures 9 and 9a with bearings at
different heights. When the axle carries more than one roller it is placed in the
higher set of bearings. When one roller only is used on each axle such roller is
placed between the arms of the axle frame on an axle preferably fitted in the lower
set of bearings. The axles may however in either case be used in either set of
bearings, although the position of the axle will in some circumstances obviously
govern the diameter of rollers.
For beginners the rollers may if desired be set even more widely apart on their
axle than shewn in Figure 2 by lengthening the axle and using (if desired for
strength) a wider frame; and for proficients if one wheel or roller only on each axle
be not preferred the rollers of each pair may be set very closely together upon their
axle, so as to narrow the gauge in fact.
If it desired to skate with two pair of wheels arranged in narrow gauge or close
together then a roller frame with a central upright is used. This modification is
shewn in Figure 2A. The roller frame is shewn in elevation in Figure 5 A; in
plan in Figure 5B; and in vertical transverse section in Figure 9 B. It will be
observed that the central support j, j, is substituted for the axle frames bearing the
same letters of reference in Figures 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, and Sa. The construction of this
form of skate is otherwise generally similar to that already described, and will be
readily understood from the Drawings.
It will be obvious that the user of one of the improved skates herein described
is not restricted to the use of rollers or wheels of one particular size, or arranged in
one particular position. Moreover he may provide himself with roller frames of
different sizes, each of which may be interchangeable with the others and be readily
attached to the skate according to his requirements.
The means I employ for lubricating the rollers consists in making a cavity or
box y, Figure 12b, in the roller U, which cavity communicates by a little canal V
with the hole, through which the axle n passes in the cavity y. I place cotton or
some retentative substance soaked with oil, which I connect by a wick in the
canal with the rubbing surface; 2, Figures 12 and 12b, is a plate which covers the
opening y. It is attached by screws but has a central orifice through which the oil
may be inserted. This method of lubrication, to which however I make no claim,
has the advantage of not allowing the lubricant to spread on the sides of the wheels,
which is the case in other systems.
rrying the
or cam
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner.
same into effect, and without making any claim to the use of inch
surfaces generally for the purpose of guiding or controlling the rollers or w.eels of
skates, or to the use generally of rollers or wheels variable at pleasure in number
and arrangement, I declare that what I claim to be protected by the herein-before

page_text: in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and combination of parts herein-
before described and shewn in the Drawing annexed, whereby the rollers or wheels
are applied or attached to the foot stand or stock of the skate, and are guided or
controlled by the inclination from side to side of the body of the skater and the
consequent inclination or rocking of the foot stand or stock.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Christy, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
THO. CHRISTY. (L.S.)