IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Morton and Joseph Morton, of Cheapside,
in the City of London, and County of Middlesex, Cutlers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES.”
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
Sealed the 20th December 1875, and dated the 17th August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Morton and
Joseph Morton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 17th August 1875.
We, GEORGE MORTON and JOSEPH MORTON, of Cheapside, in the
City of London, and County of Middlesex, Cutlers, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES,"
to be as follows, that is to say :—
Our Invention refers more particularly to improved forms and arrange-
ments of the springs employed for guiding the rollers in making
evolutions or in turning round for circular skating, enabling the skater
to move about with greater ease and freedom.
One improved form of spring consists of a back part and two side
wings. The back part is screwed between the two rollers to the bracket

page_text: arm, the bracket arm being secured to the stock, and the rollers are
mounted on an axle in the ordinary manner, this axle being held in the
roller carriage, which has also a tubular shaft at right angles to the
roller axle. Through this tubular shaft passes the axle connecting
the roller carriage to the bracket arm.
On the tubular shaft is a pro-
jection or projections for steering, acting (when the rollers are travelling)
on the side wings of the improved spring, on the inside or outside of
the wings of such spring. Or we form a spring secured to the bracket
as before described, and having a pair of pressure arms bearing upon
the tubular shaft of the roller carriage through which the roller axle
passes.
By another arrangement we employ an india-rubber or flat metal
spring or a pair of spiral springs held in a recess in the bracket arm,
such spring or springs being acted upon by a bar or cross projection
fitting upon the india-rubber, flat metal, or spiral springs, so that an
equilibrium is maintained by such spring or springs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Morton and Joseph Morton in the Great
Scal Patent Office on the 17th February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
MORTON and JOSEPH MORTON, of Cheapside, in the City of London, and
County of Middlesex, Cutlers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said George Morton and
Joseph Morton, Her special license, that we, the said George Morton
and Joseph Morton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others, as we, the said George Morton and Joseph Morton, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with and no others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said George Morton and Joseph Morton, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said George Morton and Joseph
Morton, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
Our Invention refers more particularly to improved forms and arrange-
ments of the springs employed for guiding the rollers in making
cvolutions or in turning round for circular skating, enabling the skater
to move about with greater ease and freedom.
We will now proceed to describe our Invention more fully in detail
by aid of the Drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had to the
letters and figures marked thereon.
Fig. 1 shews in under side plan and side elevation certain portions of
a roller skate with one of our improved forms of springs applied thereto.
This spring is shewn detached in Fig. 2, and it consists of a back
part (a) and two side wings (b). The back part (a) is screwed between
the two rollers (which are not shown) to the bracket arm (c), which is
secured or formed as part of the stock or plate (d), and the rollers are
mounted on the axle (e) in the ordinary manner, this axle being held in
the roller axle carriage (ƒ), which has also a tubular shaft (9) at right
angles to the roller axle. Through this tubular shaft (g) passes the
axle, connecting the roller axle carriage (f) to the bracket arm (c).
On the tubular shaft (g) is a projection or projections (/) for steering,
acting when the rollers are travelling on the side wings (b) of the
improved spring on the insides of such spring, or as shewn in Fig. 3 in
similar views upon the outside of the wings (6) of such spring.
Again, as shewn in similar views of the parts, Fig. 4, we form a spring,
which is detached in Fig. 5, having a pair of pressure arms (i) bearing
upon the roller axle carriage (ƒ).

page_text: Fig. 6 represents in similar views another arrangement with modified
form of spring, which is shown detached in Fig. 7. (k), Fig. 6,
is an annular disc having a rim (k) fitting upon a face plate contained
within the annular disc, the disc (%) being connected to the face plate
by pins or stops (1) passing through slots cut in the face of the disc (k)
and secured in the face plate, the slots in the disc (%) being sufficiently
long for the requisite play of such disc in use. Upon the disc (%) are
also formed bearings (m) for the passage of the roller axle, and in con-
nection with the bearings (m) are lugs or cars (n), which bear upon the
side wings or pressure arms (i) of the spring in wear.
Again, as represented in similar views Fig. 8, we employ a spring
similar to that last described, working in connection with the lugs or
cars (n) formed as before described upon the disc (0), but in this case
the disc (o) fits within a collar (o') after the manner of an eyelet, that is
to say, the stock (p) and bracket (p¹) are made in two equal halves
suitably connected together, as indicated, the annular collar (0¹) on each
half fitting into a groove cut in the face of the disc (o), or I may
dispense with the spring shewn, and use a plug or pin passing through
the disc and made to fit the roller axle at its top end, and slit up a
certain distance from its bottom end to receive a vertical strong spring
secured to the stock.
By another arrangement shewn in similar views, Fig. 9, we employ an
india-rubber or flat metal spring, such as shewn in Fig. 10, or a pair of
spiral springs held in a recess (7) in a projecting bracket arm (¹) of the
stock (2), such spring or springs being acted upon by a bar or cross
projection (s) fitting upon the india-rubber, flat metal, or spiral springs,
so that an equilibrium is maintained by such spring or springs.
In similar views, Fig. 11, we have shewn the employment of a flat
vertical double spring (t), which may be similar to either of those
shewn in Fig. 12, and suitably secured into the stock plate so as to a
engage into a recess (¹) formed in a projecting portion of the tubular
shaft (u); which also carries the axle carriage shaft (v); the separts being
shewn detached in wear either side of the recess (¹) will bear upon the
spring (t), as the case may be.
'
Having thus described the object and nature of our said Invention a
and in what manner the same is to be carried into effect, we claim the
improved forms and arrangements of the springs emploved for governing

page_text: the rollers of roller skates in making evolutions or for circular skating,
and the several methods of applying the rollers to the stocks or foot
stands of skates, as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Morton and Joseph
Morton, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this 16th day
of February, in the year of our Lord Onc thousand eight
hundred and seventy-six.