A Road Skate.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 16th June, 1894
A Road Skate.
PAUL PROVOST, Merchant, 14 Route de Mortain, Avranches Manche France,
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 :-
This skate has two wheels A and B. Fig. 3, and a third C. Fig. 2, in front, all
three being in the same line. The two wheels, A and B, have ball-bearings;
see Fig. 1. and can be made with spokes like bicycle wheels, or else like the wheels.
of locomotives, sec Fig. 8.
For lightness and simplicity of construction the wheels are grooved like those
of pullies, and are shod with rubber tyres :-either solid, 1 inch cushion or
pneumatic.
The small front wheel which assists in propelling the skate is grooved out and
bevelled off towards the rim so as to be arrow-headed in shape, see Fig. 2.
Being smaller in diameter than the other wheels it does not touch the ground'
except when the toe of the skate is depressed in the act of striking-out. Hence.
although this skate has three wheels yet virtually it is but a two-wheeled skate.
In order to reduce the weight this wheel could be niade hollow.
The frame of the skate is made out of a single piece of steel plate cut out in the
shape of a sole, and having the side pieces bent down and pierced with four slits to.
take leather straps at a. a' and b. Figs. 3 and 4. The heel piece, d, is bent
back in the shape of a hook, so as to hold the heel strap.
In the sole of the skate is a long slit f. Fig. 4. in which travels the under-
fastening of a leather toe-piece (in the shape of a half-shoe) S. Fig. 3. which thus.
can be adjusted to the exact length of the skater's foot, and held in place underneath
by means of a nut.
"
The sole of this "half-shoe" S. consists of two thin plates of steel or iron;:
between these are grasped the under-edges of the "upper" of the leather half-shoe,
which are held secure by the two plates, tightly rivetted together.
The "upper" of the "half-shoe" is slit and made to lace up on the instep, Bo
that a firm grip is obtained by tightening or slackening the lace according to the
size of the foot.
In order to obtain a more powerful hold of the ground, and hence to get a.
stronger push off in starting, the small frout wheel C. Fig. 2. could be replaced by
a steel blade, as represented Figs. 5 and 6.
According to a slightly different arrangement, and one which, owing to the
centrifugal force, would give great facility and freedom of action in describing.
curves of even the smallest radius, the middle wheel B. Fig. 3. could be made to.
turn on a pivot, somewhat after the manner of a chair castor, and as shewn in.
Fig. 7.
This pivot, which in order to avoid its working loose, is made slightly conical in
shape, is provided with brass washers, and should be kept screwed just sufficiently
tight by the nut R. as to prevent the wheel having so much play as would allow it.
to turn by its own weight.
A small oil hole is provided for lubricating the pivot-also a hole V. is pierced
right through both the pivot and its socket through which hole a key or bult can
be shot in order to lock its action and thus, when desired, enable the wheel to be.
held rigid and in line with the others.

page_text: The following method for fastening to the heel can also be easily adapted to this
skate (the toe fastening having been already provided for by the "half-sboe"
arrangement described above):
It consists of a small steel plate T. Fig. 10. pierced by a spiral, or eccentric,
slit through which is passed a small bolt P. which bolt, together with the clutch Q,
to which it is joined by the little bar, or connecting link, Z. travels in the
Blit U..
All that is required, therefore, in order to grasp and hold the skater's heel, is to
turn, by means of the key 11. the nut X. which is fixed to the steel plate T.-
and should this arrangement happen at any time to work loose it can be at once
rectified by slightly tightening, with the other end of the key 11. the nut at P.
To avoid the possibility of the clutch Q. failing to reach, and therefore to hold,
the skater's heel (which might happen in the case of a small made boot) a notched
slit, as shewn Fig. 9. could be made in the sole of the skate under the eccentric
plate T through which the bolt X, or R joined to the bolt X by a lath T, would
pass, and thus by catching the bolt X in either a forward or more backward notch,
Fig. 9, the whole clutch system could be advanced or placed further back as
required according to the size of the skater's boot.
If great lightness be a consideration aluminium might be used in the construction
of this skate instead of steel.
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:
1st. The right to make this skate in all sizes, as the length of the skate must be
in proportion to that of the skater's foot.
2ndly. The right of constructing this skate either with metal or wooden wheels
and without rubber tyres so that it may be adapted also to asphalte or floor-
skating.
201
1
C
100
P. PROVOST.