IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Henry Davis, of 12, London Street, in the City
of London, and Brice Tydeman, of 21, Cardigan Road, Bow, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
d the 12th April 1876, and dated the 18th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Henry Davis and
Brice Tydeman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
18th February 1876.
on the
FRANCIS HENRY DAVIS, of 12, London Street, in the City of London, and BRICE
TYDEMAN, of 21, Cardigan Road, Bow, in the County of Middlesex.
MENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
** IMPROVE-
This Invention has for its object improvements in roller skates.
We construct a roller skate with a foot stand supported upon four wheels, two
in front and two behind. The two wheels in each case arc mounted upon the
extremities of two arms projecting from an upright tubular axis carried in a
suitable bearing piece fixed to the under side of the foot stand. The pins or axles
on which the wheels turn are screwed into holes tapped through the two arms;
they meet or nearly so in the centre, and semicircular notches are formed in their
ends. A pin traversing the upright axis from end to end and serving to hold it
in its place also passes through the notches in the ends of the pins or axles on
which the wheels turn, and so locks them that they cannot unscrew.
Upon the bearing piece which carries the upright axis a slide is mounted so
that it can work up and down in a vertical direction, and by an incline it acts
upon a corresponding incline or projection from the upright axis; thus when the
The two slides
slide is pressed down or raised up the axis turns partly round.
pass up through the foot stand, and are pressed upon the one by the head or front
The slides are connected
of the foot of the wearer, and the other by the heel.
beneath the foot stand by a lever, so that when one descends the other necessarily
rises, and so by the pressure of the heel and toe the wheels are caused to lock
round.
A flexible metal plate may be fixed on the foot stand to form a fair surface to
receive the foot.
:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Francis Henry Davis and Brice Tydeman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th August 1876.
FRANCIS HENRY DAVIS, of 12, London Street, in the City of London, and BRICE
TYDEMAN, of 21, Cardigan Road, Bow, in the County of Middlesex.
MENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
"
IMPROVE-
This Invention has for its object improvements in roller skates.
We construct a roller skate with a-foot stand supported upon four wheels, two
in front and two behind. The two wheels in each case are mounted upon the
extremities of two arms projecting from an upright tubular axis carried in a
suitable bearing piece fixed to the under side of the foot stand. The pins or axles
on which the wheels turn are screwed into holes tapped through the two arms;
they meet or nearly so in the centre, and semicircular notches are formed in their
ends.
A pin traversing the upright axis from end to end and serving to hold it
in its place also passes through the--notches in the ends of the pins or axles on
which the wheels turn, and so locks them that they cannot unscrew.
Upon the bearing piece which carries the upright axis a slide is mounted, so
that it can work up and down in a vertical direction, and by an incline it acts
upon a corresponding incline or projection from the upright axis; thus when the
slide is pressed down or raised up the axis turns partly round.
The two slides
pass up through the foot stand, and are pressed upon the one by the tread or front
of the foot of the wearer, and the other by the heel. The slides are connected
beneath the foot stand by a lever, so that when one descends the other necessarily
rises, and so by the pressure of the heel and toe the wheels are caused to lock
round.
A flexible metal plate may be fixed on the foot stand to form a fair surface to
receive the foot.
Figure 1 shews a side view of a roller skate constructed as above described.
Figure 2 shews another side view with some of the parts removed; Figure 3
shews an under side view; and Figure 4, a front view of the same.
Figure 5 shews separately one of the pairs of wheels with the pins and upright
tubular axis by which they are carried.
E are
A are the wheels, and B the pins, upon which they turn; these pins are screwed
into arms C¹, which project from upright tubular axes C. The two pins B for
each pair of wheels meet, or nearly so, at the centre of the tubular axis C which
carries them, and semicircular notches are formed in their ends. D is the pin, upon
which the tubular axis C revolves; it passes down through the semicircular notches
in the ends of the pins B and prevents these pins from coming unscrewed.
the castings or bearing pieces by which the pins D are carried. These castings
are fixed by screws to the under side of the foot stand F. The vertical stems F¹ of
these castings are hollow, and each of them is slotted away on the side towards
the vertical axes C to allow a projection C² on the axis to enter within it. On the
opposite side of each stem F¹ is another slot to allow the ends of a lever G to pass
through. On the ends of the lever are inclines, which enter inclined grooves in the
projections C². The lever at its centre turns on a pin carried by a projection H
from the under side of the foot stand. I are two pins passing down through holes
in the foot stand, and bearing upon the two ends of the lever G. One of the pins I
is in a position to come below the heel of the wearer of the skate, and passes down
the vertical stem F1 of the casting E, which is below that end of the skate, whilst
the other pin is in a position to come below the tread of the foot. K are elastic
springs of vulcanized india-rubber, by which arms L which turn upon pin joints
close to the under side of the foot stand are drawn against the arms C¹ which
project from the upright axes C, consequently the axles of the wheels are by the
springs always drawn towards a position at right angles to the length of the foot
stand. When however either one or other of the pins I is depressed the lever G

page_text: rocks on its centre, and the inclines on its ends cause the vertical axes C to turn,
and the axles of the front and back pairs of wheels to radiate to one side or the
other, according as one or other of the pins is depressed. M is a flexible metal
plate secured at its centre by screws N to the upper side of the foot stand; O are
spring washers of vulcanized india-rubber surrounding the screws N, and interposed
between the flexible plate M and the foot stand; P are two small studs standing
up from the foot stand to impede the wearer of the skate when bearing his weight
upon the tread or heel of his foot from inclining his body in the direction opposite
to that in which it should be inclined when moving along in the curve which the
skate will then run in.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same I would have it understood that we claim,—
First. The combined arrangement of roller skate substantially as herein-before
described, whereby the axles carrying the front and back wheels can be caused to
radiate to one side or other of the skate by the wearer bearing his weight upon
the heel or front part of his foot, according to the curve in which he requires to
move.
Second. The means described of securing the wheels of the skate and preventing
them from coming off from their axles when the skate is in use.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Henry Davis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
F. H. DAVIS. (L.S.)