Improvements in Roller and Wheel Skates.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 1st July, 1895-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roller and Wheel Skates.
I, CHARLES HOLT, of Kettering in the County of Northampton, Solicitor, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
In roller and wheel skates, as used up to the present time, the wheels or rollers
are in general, situate under the foot of the wearer, or in other words, the sole of
the wearer's foot is at a higher level than the top of the wheels, or rollers when in
use; and the result is that undue and unnecessary strain is put upon the ankles of
the wearer, in some cases to such an extent that iron or other ankle supports are
even now in use.
Now in the improved form of skate which is the subject of this invention, I avoid
all this unnecessary strain by so forming the skate that the sole of the wearer's foot
is in all cases at a lower level than the top of the wheels or rollers; and in general
at a lower level than the centre of revolution of such wheels or rollers.
In order to effect this I so shape the skate that the body or part which is in
contact with the wearer's boot, hangs or depends downwards from the axles of one
or both of the wheels; and in order to do this conveniently I place the wheels or
rollers at a considerable distance apart, one in front of the other, so as to leave a
sufficient space between them for the length of the foot.
In some cases I make the back wheel or roller of smaller diameter than the front,
so that the wearer may easily pass one foot over or across the other when skating.
The wheels or rollers may be of any suitable description, and in general, I use
ball bearings for them; and I sometimes employ mechanism for connecting the
spindles of such wheels, or rollers one to another, in order that they may when
travelling in a curved path, adjust themselves automatically to such curvature:
but where great pace is required, as in racing, I dispense with this as I find that a
long wheel base, without such mechanism, affords the best purchase.
An incidental advantage of my invention is the ease with which a person can
learn to skate, no practice whatever being required to enable anyone to stand or
move slowly upon skates constructed according to my invention.
Dated this 14th day of November 1894.
Improvements in Roller and Wheel Skates.
I, CHARLES HOLT of Kettering in the County of Northampton, Solicitor, do
35 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:-
In roller and wheel skates as used up to the present time the wheels or rollers
are in general situate under the foot of the wearer, or in other words the sole of

page_text: the wearers fot, is at a higher level than the top of the wheels or rollers when in
use, and the result is that undue and unnecessary strain is put upon the ankles of
the wearer, in some cases to such an extent that iron or other ankle supports are
even now in use.
Now in the improved form of skate which is the subject of this invention, I avoid
all this unnecessary strain by so forming the skate that the sole of the wearers foot
is in all cases at a lower level than the top of the wheels or rollers, and in general
at a lower level than the centre of revolution of such wheels or rollers.
In order to effect this I so shape the skate that the body, or part that is in
contact with the wearers foot, hangs or depends downwards from the axles of one
or both of the wheels or rollers; and in order to do this conveniently, I place the
wheels or rollers at a considerable distance apart, one in front of the other so as to
leave a sufficient space between them for the length of the foot,
The wheels or rollers may be of any suitable description, and in general I use
ball bearings for them.
An incidental advantage of my invention is the ease with which a person can
learn to skate, no practice whatever being required to enable anyone to stand,
or move slowly upon skates constructed according to my invention.
In order that my invention may be fully understood, I append a sheet of drawings
in which :-
Fig. is a plan, and
Fig. 2 an elevation of a skate according to my invention.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of a skate, shewing a modification in the shape of the
frame.
The frame or body is composed of two tubes A, or rods of steel or other metal
which is suitable for the construction of a frame to be at once light and strong, and
two or more cross bars a, which are firmly attached to the longitudinal tubes or
rods A in such manner as to form a strong, light and rigid frame. These rods are
bent at one or both ends a', so as to bring the whole or the greater part of the foot
plate B, or equivalent device below the horizontal plane in which the axes of the
wheels are situate. The ends of the rods A are flattened and perforated, or slotted,
for the reception of the axles a² of the wheels C; and in these wheels, c is the hub,
c¹ the spokes, c² the rim, and c³ the tyre, which is preferable of india rubber or
other suitable resilient material, and is attached to the rim in any convenient
manner. The skate is fastened to the foot by straps D, but any other device may
be used to effect this purpose.
It will be seen that in a skate constructed according to Figs. 1 and 2, the tubes
or bars connecting the tro wheels together, and to which the foot plate is attached,
depend downwards immediately from the front wheel so that whilst the level of the
sole of the skaters foot is below the horizontal plane of the axes of the wheels, the
sole of the foot is lower at the toe than at the heel; but in Fig. 3, the tubes or
rods A are bent at each end so as to bring both the sole and heel of the skaters
foot below the horizontal plane of the axes of the wheels. In each case the wheels
are disposed, one immediately in front and the other immediately behind the foot
of the wearer, and are connected to the frame in such manner that while free to
rotate on ball or other bearings, the frame and wheels are so arranged as to prevent
any lateral movement of one without the other. This rigidity is essential where
speed is the first consideration, such as in racing; but for other purposes I may
connect the wheels to the frame by means of any of the well known devices for
causing the wheels to adjust themselves when the skater is following a curved path.
This may be done by making one of the wheels a castor.
In some cases I make the back wheel or roller of smaller diameter than the front
thus facilitating the crossing of the feet of the skater.
Any suitable kind of wheel may be used with any description of tyre, but I prefer
the latter to be of a resilient character such as india-rubber, or a pneumatic tyre
may be employed.

page_text: 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. A roller or wheel skate having its wheels or rollers disposed one in front of,
and the other behind, the foot of the skater, and the framework and foot plate or
plates attached thereto so arranged as to bring the whole or a part of the sole of
the foot below the horizontal plane in which the axes of the wheels are situate,
substantially as described and shewn.
2nd. A roller or wheel skate having its wheels or rollers disposed one in front of,
and the other behind the foot of the skater, such wheels being so attached to the
frame as to prevent any lateral movement of the one without the other, and the
framework and foot plate or plates attached thereto so arranged as to bring
the whole or a part of the sole of the foot of the skater below the horizontal plane
in which the axes of the wheels are situate, substantially as described and shewn.
3rd. A roller or wheel skate substantially as described and shewn with reference
to Figs. 1 and 2.
4th. A roller or wheel skate substantially as shewn and described with reference
to Fig. 3.
Deted this 20th day of June 1895.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106 Priory Park Road, Kilburn, London, N.W.,
Agent for the Applicant.