A NEW STEAM ROTATING SKATING RINK OR MACHINE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abraham Waddington, Engineer, and John Colson Row-
botham, Ironmonger, both of Bradford, in the County of York, for the Invention
of "A NEW STEAM ROTATING SKATING RINK OR MACHINE"
Sealed the 10th July 1877, and dated the 26th January 1877
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abraham Waddington and
John Colson Rowbotham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
26th January 1877
ABRAHAM WADDINGTON, Engineer, and JOHN COLSON ROWBOTHAM, Ironmonger,
both of Bradford, in the County of York "A NEW STEAM ROTATING SKATING
RINK OR MACHINE"
Our Invention relates to employing a rotating floor or rink worked by a steam
engine, in which are fitted peculiarly constructed skates having a forward and
backward motion, producing skating actions as the machine iotates For this
purpose we employ an ordinary engine and boiler mounted on wheels which
actuates by gear a large spur wheel, the boss of this wheel works in suitable
bearings fitted on the chimney of the boiler On the top of this spur wheel are
fitted or foined sockets on beaicis, in which are fitted long wooden arms, the
number of these aims varying according to the size of the machine and number of
persons the machine is made to hold
The arms are stayed by means of metal iods, which fit in staples or eyes fixed in
the aims
The tops of the stays fit in a loose 11ng working over friction olleis
fitted in a circular frame fixed on the top of the chimney of the boiler, one stay is
fixed or fitted at the extreme end of each arm, and one or two more between the
end and the spur wheel, keeping the arm firmly secured Near the end of each arm
are fitted sockets, in which are secured brass or metal rods which hang down to a
suitable height from the ground, the bottom ends of these brass rods fit in sockets
01 bearers fixed on the ends of wooden beams, on these beams are bolted or
screwed bearers, to which are secured wooden segments forming the circular floor or
rink Each of these segments is made to hold two, four, or more persons, according
to the size of the machine, and the segments allow of easy removal and packing
TDA77

page_text: when moving from place to place The segments are made with slot openings of
sufficient length to give a skating motion, and in these openings are fitted the
skates, which are constructed with sole plates made on the under side, with ribs
which work in the slot openings, the tops of the sole plates are formed with
projections to prevent slipping Lugs are cast or otherwise formed on the under
side of the sole plates, in which are fitted studs, on which work the rollers of the
skates (made by preference of wood), the rollers work on the segments or circular
ink floor, and have a forward and backward action, according to the length of the
openings in which the ribs of the skates are fitted, the bottom parts of these ribs
are inado with lugs, through which are fitted studs preventing any person purloining
the skates
Between each set of persons or skates are fitted the brass or metal rods hanging
down from the arms, and to each set of rods are fitted longitudinal rods which have
a rising and lowering action to suit the height of the person using the machine.
These iods work in bearers fitted on the biass or metal rods; they form the handles
01 supports of the rinkers or skaters Metal stays are also fitted to the cucular
floor and aims
Instead of having the floor suspended it can work over friction 1ollers or tram-
ways fitted in a foundation plate or plates fixed to the ground.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Abraham Waddington and John Colson Rowbotham in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 20th July 1877
ABRAHAM WADDINGTON, Engineer, and JOHN COLSON ROW BOTHAM, Ironmonger,
both of Bradford, in the County of York "A NEW STEAM ROTATING SKATING
RINK OR MACHINE"
The said Invention relates to employing a rotating floor or rink worked by a
steam engine, in which are fitted peculiarly constructed skates having a forward
and backward motion, producing skating actions as the machine 1otates For this
purpose we employ an ordinary engine and boiler mounted on wheels which
actuates by gear a large spur wheel, the boss of this wheel works in suitable
bearings fitted on the chinney of the boiler On the top of this spur wheel are
fitted or formed sockets or bearcis, in which are fitted long wooden aims, the
number of these aims varying according to the size of the machine and number of
persons the machine is made to hold
The aims are stayed by means of metal iods, which fit in staples or eyes fixed in
the aims The tops of the stays fit in a loose ring working over fiction rollers
fitted in a circular frame fixed on the top of the chimney of the boiler, one stay 18
fixed or fitted at the extreme end of each am, and one or two more between the
end and the spur wheel, keeping the aim firmly secured Near the end of each arm
me fitted staples on eyes, in which we secured brass or other metal iods which hang
down to a suitable height from the ground, the bottom ends of these brass rods fit
in plates, and are passed through the wooden segments forming the "cncular floo
o nk," and the segments are secured to the rods by gibs Each of the segments
1s made to hold two, four, or more persons, according to the size of the machine,
and the segments allow of easy removal and packing when moving from place to
place The segments are made with slot openings of sufhcient length to give a
skating notion, and in these openings are fitted the skates, which are constructed
with sole plates made on the under side, with ribs which work in the slot openings,
the tops of the sole plates are formed with projections to prevent shipping Lugs
are cast or otherwise formed on the under side of the sole plates, in which are fitted
studs, on which work the rollers of the skates, which are made by preference of
The rollers work on hoop iron fixed to the segments or crculai ink floor,
wood

page_text: and have a forward and backward action, according to the length of the openings
in which the bs of the skates work, the bottom paits of these ribs are made with
lugs, through which are fitted studs or pins, preventing any person puiloining the
skates
To each pau of hanging down 1ods is fitted a horizontal iod having a rising and
lowering action to suit the height of the persons using the machine The 10d works
an beucis fitted on the brass oi metal iods forming the handle or support of the
nke o skater Metal stays are also fitted to the cucular floor and aims
Instead of having the floor suspended it may work over fiction rollers oi tram-
way, fitted in a foundation plate or plates fixed to the ground
But in order to enable oui Invention to be better understood we will proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1
represents a sectional elevation of the rotating floor oi rink, Figure 2, plan of the
Saune
Figure 3 represents a side view of a skate (drawn full size), Figure 4, end
clevation, and Figure 5, plan of the same
Similu letters of reference are used to represent similar paits
'
A, boiler and engine mounted on wheels, which actuates by a pinion B a large
spur wheel C, the boss of which works in suitable bearings fitted on the chimney D
On the top of the spur wheel is fitted a fiamme E, on which are fixed long wooden
ans F, the number of the aims may vary according to the size of the machine
and the number of persons the machine is made to hold The ans are stayed by
rods G and H, which hook in staples on eye bolts I fixed in the arms the tops of
the rods G and H fit in a loose ing working over fiction rollers fitted in a circular
fiame fixed on the top of the chimney Near the end of each aim are fitted staples
01 eye bolts J and K, in which are hooked metal iods L and M, by preference made
of gas piping and covered with biass, these rods hang down to a suitable height
from the ground The bottom ends of the rods are passed through metal plates N
The bottom
and O, and through the segments P forming the circular floor or rink
parts of the rods are made with slot holes Q, in which are passed gibs securing the
segments to the rods, the rods passing through the centre of the segment pass
thiough round washers R secured to the segments
The
The machine shewn in the Diawing is constructed with twenty segments, and
cach segment is made to hold four persons, but machines may be constructed with
more or less segments, each inade to hold two, six, 01 more persons, the segments
allow of easy removal and packing when moving from place to place
segments P are made with blot openings S, having pieces of india-rubber T fitted at
each end to deaden the blow of the skates when striking On each side of the slot
openings are fixed hoop iron rails U, on which the rollers A¹ of the skates run The
In the slot
slot openings are made of sufficient length to give a skating motion
openings S work the guides V of the skates, and the skates are made with curved
sole plates W, having heels D' and projections X to prevent the feet slipping
Under the sole plates are cast or other wise formed lugs Y, in which are fitted
studs Z, on which work the rollers A' of the skates, these rollers work on the non
rails U, and have a forward and backward action, according to the length of the
openings
S The guides V are fitted with pins B¹, to prevent any person purloining
the skates, and the guides are strengthened by ribs Cl
To each set of hanging down rods L and M is fitted a horizontal metal iod E¹, by
The rod is fitted with a
preference of brass, or of gas piping covered with brass
divisional wooden ornainent Fl The rod forms the handle or support of the rinker
or skater, and the rod is fitted in beaiers G¹, which can be easily moved up or down,
to suit the height of the person skating, the bearers are secured in position by set
Screws II¹
Instead of having the floor suspended it may work over friction rollers or tram-
ways fitted in a foundation plate or plates fixed to the ground
Having thus described our Invention, and the best means we are acquainted with
for carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that we do not

page_text: confine ourselves to the precise details shewn and described, as these may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention, but what we do
clann 18, the arrangement, construction, and employment of rotating floor or rink
made in sections, and worked by a steam engine, in which are fitted peculiarly
constructed skates, having a for waid and backward motion producing skating actions
as the machine rotates, substantially as herein-before described and represented in
the accompanying Drawing
In witness whereof, I, the said John Colson Rowbotham, for and on behalf of
myself and the said Abraham Waddington, have hereto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand 1
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
WALTER JAS TURNER, CE.,
Patent Agent,
Bradford
JOHN COLSON ROWBOTHAM. (L.S.)