IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES."-A communication from abroad
by Daniel Hartwell Shirley, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts,
United States of America.
Sealed the 8th April 1862, and dated the 12th November 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th November 1861.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention of improvements in skates consists in a new mode of
fastening a skate to the boot or shoe, whereby the skate is rigidly held in its
place by means of a longitudinal binding force (that is, in the direction of its
length) exerted upon the boot or shoe, and in such a manner as to avoid any
wrenching of the sole. This result is effected by means of a moveable clamp
either at the toe or heel, or both, which can be moved forward and back, and
held at any desired point so as to be engaged with or disengaged from the
boot or shoe, the toe piece being made to slightly lap over the toe of the boot
or shoe, and thereby form a bearing for the foot to press against, and prevent
the skate from dropping at the toe.

page_text: The principal features of novelty in this improved skate are, 1st, a sliding
heel piece or clamp, or a sliding toe piece or cap, or both, susceptible of
being moved forward and back, and fastened at any desired point so that the
toe of the boot or shoe being held by a suitable overlapping toe piece, a lon-
gitudinal binding force can be brought to bear upon or relieved from the foot,
as set forth.
2nd. The adaptation of a screw box to the heel-locking screw below the
heel portion of the body of the skate, and also securing the skate at the heel
by the button or head of the heel screw made to gripe on or against the heel
of the boot or shoe.
3rd. The combination of a heel-locking screw with a step or set off in the
body of the skate in front of the heel, and fitted with prongs or spikes to gear
with the front of the heel of the boot or shoe.
4th. The combination of a heel-locking screw spiked, set off, or step to
the body in front of the heel and toe cap, also the use of a sliding heel piece,
having a raised lip or projecting flange in the rear of the boot or shoe, and
operated by a screw.
5th. The arrangement of a sliding heel piece with a bevilled lip capable of
engaging with or being disengaged from a bevelled groove of the heel of the
boot or shoe; also the use of a screw button with a slot for the purpose of
securing the heel part of the skate to the heel of the boot.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th May 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM 2
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her 3
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special license, that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and 3
at all times thereafter, during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully

page_text: might make, use, exercise, and vend, .within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES," being a communication from abroad by Daniel.
Hartwell Shirley, of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States of America,.
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William. Edward,
Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should parti-
cularly describe and ascertain 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 I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the;
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto. annexed,.
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention consists in a new mode of fastening a skate to the boot or:
shoe, whereby the skate is rigidly held in its place by means of a longitudinal.
binding force (that is, in the direction of its length) exerted upon the boot or.
shoe, and in such a manner as to avoid any wrenching of the sole. This
result is effected by means of a moveable clamp either at the toé or heel, or
both, which can be moved forward and back, and held at any desired point so
as to be engaged with or disengaged from the boot or shoe, the toe piece
being so constructed and so attached to the skate, as to slightly lap over the
toe of the boot or shoe, and form a bearing for the foot to press against, and
prevent the skate from dropping at the toe.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal vertical.
section of a skate with my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a. plan
or top view of the same; and Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are detail views, showing:
modifications in the construction and arrangement of the heel clamp..
In these Figures, A is the body of the skate, which may be made of cast
metal, and of openwork construction, with a toe cap B in front. This body is
made with a set off a to establish its fit under and with or against the heel of
the boot; C is the skate runner, which may be bent up in front, and made to
enter the toe cap, and is further locked with the body by screw projections
b, b, fitting into a boss c,. under the heel part a, through a boss d, under the
tread into a locking nut or cone e..
The set-off a has spikes or prongs f pro-
jecting from it so as to enter the front part of the heel of the boot, while the
rear portion of the heel part g of the body has cast to it on the under side a
screw box 7, into and through which a screw running longitudinally in the

page_text: direction of the length of the skate fits. This screw is formed with a head or
button S at its rear end of such diameter, that while not extending below, or so
as to interfere with the runner, it will lap over or above the heel part g of the
skate sufficiently when screwed up to bear or bite against the heel of the boot
or shoe, and thereby to lock the skate at its rear with the heel, and in so
doing to draw up or back the toe cap and skate body generally, including the
set-off a and prongs or spikes f, f, into the 'front of the heel. The screw
head or button S may be milled on its edge to facilitate the turning of it, and
the screw and its inside face may be grooved so as to form an annular pro-
jection, or be otherwise súitably constructed to increase its gripe on the boot
heel.
By this arrangement, it will be evident that every weight, strain, or
pressure upon the skate by the foot brings a corresponding longitudinal bind-
ing force to bear upon the boot or shoe, as every weight, strain, or pressure
tends to extend the foot lengthwise. It will also be seen that the skate may.
be rapidly applied to and detached from the boot or shoe, and that it is firmly
secured to the boot or shoe, without the use of a strap or straps which have
heretofore been necessary. It will further be evident that the toe piece or
cap may be so arranged as to be susceptible of motion in a longitudinal
direction, while a suitable stationary heel piece is provided for the heel of the
boot or shoe to bear against. Or both the toe and heel pieces may be sus-
ceptible of being moved in a longitudinal direction, the essential feature and
object of my improvements being to provide some suitable 'simple attachment
to the body of the skates that will produce, when desired, a sufficient longitu-
dinal binding force upon the boot or shoe, that is, in the direction of its length,
to firmly and securely hold the skate to the same.
A modification of my improvements in skates is represented in Figures 3
and 4, and consists in attaching permanently to the heel of the boot or shoe
by screws or otherwise a thin semicircular plate of metal 2, having a bevilled
edge m, so as to leave a recess n. Into this recess enters the lip t of a sliding
heel piece or clamp o, which is operated by a screw p, that passes loosely
through a projection r upon the lower surface of the clamp, and fits into a
corresponding female screw y of the stock of the skate. The lip t of the heel
piece o, when the screw p is turned, is caused to bind the boot or shoe in a
longitudinal direction to the skate. Instead of using the heel piece l, a button
with a slot (see Fig. 7) and screw shaft d, may be used for the above
purposes with the same results; this button, which is susceptible of removal,
enters the rear portion of the boot heel.
Another modification of my improvements in heel clamps is represented in

page_text: Figures 5 and 6, and consists of a sliding plate i bearing upon the upper
surface of the heel portion of the skate frame that has a raised lip k upon its
upper surface, and at its rear edge extending partially around the heel of the
boot or shoe, and upon its under surface another lip w, through which a
screw passes and works into the stock of the skate. By this arrangement
it will be seen that the prongs or forks f,f, are brought up and pushed into
the sockets of the heel, the sliding heel piece or clamp i thereby accomplish-
ing the objects of the present Invention.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Skates," as communicated to me from abroad, I wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim,-
First, a sliding heel piece or clamp, or a sliding toe piece or cap, or both,
susceptible of being moved forward and back, and fastened at any desired point
in such a manner that the toe of the boot or shoe being held by a suitable over-
lapping toe piece, a longitudinal binding force can be brought to bear upon or
relieved from the foot, as set forth.
Second, the means for securing the skate to the boot heel, as above set
forth.
Third, the arrangement of the sliding heel piece with its bevilled lip / so
operated as to engage with or be disengaged from the recess n under the heel
of the boot or shoe, as described.
And, lastly, the screw button, with its slot, to be used for the purpose
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
0
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)