Year: 1898

page_text: I, ARTHUR ROGERS JENKINS, of 163, Wool Exchange, in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to roller-skates and is chiefly designed to improve the construc-
tion and increase the efficiency thereof.
According to my said invention, instead of arranging the skate to run on wheels as
heretofore, I provide it with spherical rollers or balls which are themselves mounted in
ball-bearings each consisting of a circular series or group of balls arranged in a
suitable ball-race or channel in the underside of the body or frame of the skate and
engaging with the larger ball along a circular path in a horizontal or approximately
horizontal plane above the horizontal plane extending through the centre of the larger
ball. The larger balls, which roll on the ground or runnning surface, are each held in
position by means of a retaining ring having a curved surface to engage with a zone
of the ball below its central horizontal plane, which ring is secured in place by screw-
threads and is provided with a suitable device for preventing it from turning when
adjusted to any desired position. A dust-excluder of cloth, leather or other suitable
material is preferably arranged in a suitable position in or on the outside of the said
retaining ring to prevent grit or dirt from entering the bearings. Or an annular brush
may be employed for this purpose. I preferably arrange two of the said larger or rolling
balls on the underside of each skate, the said balls and the ball-race or groove and
retaining-ring being made of steel or other suitable material.
According to another part of my said invention, in order to enable the skate to grip
or engage with the ground or running surface when necessary, and thus permit the
propulsion of the skater as desired, I provide one or more driving-wheels of hardened
steel or other suitable material. I prefer to use for this purpose a single driving-
wheel arranged beneath the ball of the great toe in each skate. This driving-wheel
can be hollow-ground or otherwise made with a sharp edge or edges, and is preferably
so arranged that it will be a short distance above the running surface when the skates
are horizontal so as not to interfere with the rolling motion of the skates, but, when
the skate is inclined in the usual manner to enable a skater to make a stroke, it will
come into contact with the running surface and afford a grip thereon. The said
driving-wheel can be mounted in ball-bearings or in parallel or other suitable
bearings.
It may be advantageous, in some instances, to arrange the said driving-wheel in
line with the rolling balls above mentioned, or to provide one at each side of the
skate.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, ARTHUR ROGERS JENKINS, of 163, Wool Exchange, in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My invention relates to roller-skates and is chiefly designed to improve the con-
struction and increase the efficiency thereof.
According to my said invention, instead of arranging the skate to run on wheels
as heretofore, I provide it with spherical rollers or balls which are themselves mounted
in ball-bearings each consisting of a circular series or group of balls arranged in a
. suitable ball-race or channel in the underside of the body or frame of the skate, and
engaging with the larger ball along a circular path in a horizontal or approximately
horizontal plane above the horizontal plane extending through the centre of the
larger ball. The larger balls, which roll on the ground or running surface, are each
held in position by means of a retaining ring having a curved surface to engage with
a zone of the ball below its central horizontal plane, which ring is secured in place by
screws or other suitable means.
To enable the skate to grip or engage with the ground or running surface, when
necessary, to permit the propulsion of the skater as desired, I provide one or more
driving-wheels of hardened steel or other suitable material. I prefer to use for this
purpose a single driving-wheel on each skate, so arranged that it will be beneath the
ball of the great toe of the wearer. This driving-wheel can be hollow-ground or
otherwise made with a sharp edge or edges, and is preferably so arranged that, when
the skate is horizontal, the said wheel will be a short distance above the running
surface and will therefore not interfere with the rolling motion of the skate, but,
when the skate is inclined in the usual manner to enable a skater to make a stroke,
the said wheel will come into contact with the running surface and afford a grip
thereon. The said driving-wheel can be mounted in ball-bearings or in parallel or
other suitable bearings.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be con-
veniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 a plan showing one form of my improved roller-skate, and
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
a is the body or frame of the skate, which may be made of wood and provided with
straps as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or may be made of metal and provided with
adjustable clips or with straps or other suitable devices for securing the skate on the
foot of the wearer.
b, bare the spherical rollers or balls which I use instead of the wheels heretofore
employed. These spherical rollers or balls are partially enclosed, respectively, in
metal casings c which are firmly secured in any convenient manner to the underside
of the body or frame a, so that one will be below the heel and the other below the
ball of the wearer's foot.
An inverted cup or cone d is fitted in each casing c and affords a bearing surface
or race for a circular series or group of balls e against which bears the larger roller or
ball b. To the underside of each casing c is secured, by screws or otherwise, a
retaining ring f whereby the spherical roller or ball b is kept in place in the said
casing whilst being permitted to turn freely about its axis in any direction.
g is a grooved driving-wheel which is secured upon a fixed axle h so that it can
turn freely thereon. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, this driving-wheel is arranged

page_text: with the lower part of its periphery at such a distance above the ground or other
running surface, when the skate is in a horizontal position, that, by slightly tilting
the skate, the said driving-wheel can be caused to touch and engage with the said
surface for the purpose of propulsion.
A dust-excluder of cloth, leather or other suitable material is preferably arranged
in a suitable position in or on the outside of the said retaining ring f to prevent grit
or dirt from entering the bearings. Or an annular brush may be employed for this
purpose.
The larger or rolling balls and also the bearing-balls, the ball-race and the retain-
ing-ring should be made of steel or other hard metal.
It may be advantageous, in some instances, to arrange the aforesaid driving-wheel
in line with the rolling balls, or to provide one of the said driving-wheels at each side
of the skate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
--
First. A roller-skate in which the rollers have the form of balls or spheres, sub-
stantially as herein before described.
Second. A roller-skate provided with spherical rollers and with one or more driving-
wheels, substantially as, and for the purposes, hereinbefore described.
Third. The improved roller-skate constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawing and for the purposes above specified.
Dated the und da of Tune 1000
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.