IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER AND RUNNER SKATES
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Clark at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 21st July 1877.
GEORGE CLARK, of No. 93, York Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER AND RUNNER SKATES."
This Invention relates to the construction of roller and runner skates, and
consists,―
Firstly. In applying to the axles of runner or roller skates constructed on the
castor system in accordance with the description of my Invention contained in
the Provisional Specification, No. 3419, dated 30th August, 1876, for which I
obtained a certificate of protection, a separate spring for the axle of the fore and
hind wheels, each of such springs being so applied that one end thereof shall
be fastened to the axle, and the other end to the foot board of the skate, or
vice versa.
The mechanical arrangement just described is to be carried out in such manner
that a bar or plate projecting at right angles from the axle shall be parallel to and
on a line with the aforesaid spring, so that the wheels being propelled either in a
straight or curved line the spring shall partake of the motion of the wheels and
produce the result of maintaining the wheels in a straight line when the skate
is propelled in that direction; or if the wheels are converged to the right or the
left, shall allow the wheels to turn in a curved line, and at the skater's will
bring the wheels back to their normal straight position.
It is an essential condition of the above-described mechanical arrangement that
each of the axles of the toe and heel wheels shall have its separate spring, inde-
pendently of the other, so as to leave the converging action of the castor system
above mentioned for each pair of wheels independent of the other.
Secondly. In compensating the effect of the sidelong motion of the skater's foot,
whereby the toes of both feet being turned outwards in the natural position, the
skates are necessarily maintained in the same position when on the skater's feet,
whether standing still, or in motion, when propelled by the skater. The result of
this natural position of the skater is, that as the feet of the skater are put in

page_text: motion, not from the heel to the point of the toe, but sideways, and diagonally
to the longitudinal direction of the foot board, the wheels, when placed parallel to
the length of the foot board instead of advancing in a straight line, and
encounter the resistance of the skating floor, and impede or disturbe the motion
of the skater in a straight line. To obviate this objection I attach the axles of
the front and hind wheels to the foot board in a position, diagonal or oblique,
to a line drawn longitudinally along the centre of the foot board, so that the
wheels shall stand on a line parallel to the line of motion of the skater's foot
when he propels the 'skate in a straight line. The result of this arrangement is
that the skater at his pleasure either moves in a straight line, or in a curved line
by the action of the springs, which maintain their straight position in their
normal state, or allow the wheels to turn to the right or the left when con-
verged.
Thirdly. In making the spring applied to each pair of the front wheels stronger
than that applied to the hind wheels, in order to compensate the greater force
exercised by the skater at the toe end of the skate in a turning motion in conse-
quence of the skater's foot pivoting on the heel and turning at the toe, this
variation of the strength of the springs may be effected either by making the springs
of the same strength, but shorter at the toe than at the heel end of the skate, or by
making the springs of the same length, and the toe springs proportionally
stronger.
Fourthly. In adapting the skates separately to the right and left foot as a neces-
sary consequence of the mechanical arrangement described in the aforesaid second
part of the said improvements.
The aforesaid improvements numbered first, second, third, and fourth, are col-
lectively or severally applicable to ice or other runner skates, by substituting runners
for wheels, such runner being of the proper length and attached to the ends of the
axles respectively in an efficient manner.
The said improvements are also wholly or in part applicable to skates not con-
structed on the herein-before mentioned castor system, whether such other skates
be made on the so-called Plimton principle, with a rocking or tilting foot stand,
or any other kind of roller or runner skate.