IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wright, of Looe Street, Plymouth, in
the County of Devon, Brassfounder and Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
Sealed the 16th June 1876, and dated the 18th December 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wright at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th December 1875.
I, WILLIAM WRIGHT, of Looe Street, Plymouth, in the County of
Devon, Brassfounder and Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to those skates that have two sets of rollers as
pairs at the toe and heel of the footboard, the rollers being so arranged
that by a canting action of the footboard a cramping action of the
rollers will follow to obtain curvilinear or other movements, appliances
being fitted to bring the rollers in position again for straight skating,

page_text: According to my Invention I form a block or bracket with an inclined
flange plate for attaching it to the footboard, toe or heel, as the case
may be. The end of a socket on this bracket has an angled or cone-
shaped face against or upon which a correspondingly shaped face of a
carriage piece bears preferably under the pressure of a spring. This
carriage piece has a projecting socket through which the axle pin for
carrying the rollers passes, and in which the axle is free to turn in order
to have a motion independent of that of the rollers. Through the centre
of the first-named socket I fit a tapered pin on which the carriage piece
is free to move in a circular direction to the right and to the left, and
with a rising motion due to the curve or cone shape of the meeting
faces.
A spring is employed between two washers under the carriage piece,
ou to one of which washers the end of the centre pin is rivetted or
otherwise secured to retain it in place.
Instead of attaching the centre pin to the socket, as before explained
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Wright in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th June 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WRIGHT, of Looe Street, Plymouth, in the County of Devon, Brass-
founder and Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Wright, Her special license,
that I, the said William Wright, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others, as I, the said William Wright, my 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 yend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ROLLER SKATES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Wright, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly 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 Wright, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
:―
This Invention relates to those skates that have two sets of rollers as
pairs, one at the toe and one at the heel of the footboard, the rollers
being so arranged that by a canting action of the footboard on the part
of the skater by a lean over of his foot a cramping action of the rollers
will follow to obtain curvilinear or other movements, appliances being
fitted to bring the rollers in position again for straight skating.
According to my Invention which is clearly shown in the annexed
Drawings, I form a block or bracket A with an inclined flange plate B
for attaching it to the footboard C, toe or heel, as the case may be. The
end of a socket D on this bracket has an angled or cone-shaped face E,
against or upon which a correspondingly shaped face of a carriage piece F
bears under the pressure of a spring G. This carriage piece F has a
projecting socket H through which the axle pin I for carrying the
rollers J, J, passes, and in which the axle is free to turn in order to
have a motion independent of that of the rollers. Through the centre of
the first-named socket D I fit a tapered pin K on which the carriage
piece F is free to move in a circular direction to the right and to the
left, and with a rising motion due to the curve or cone shape of the
meeting faces of the socket and the carriage piece.
The spring G is employed between two washers L, L, under the
carriage piece, on to one of which washers the end of the centre pin is
rivetted or held, or otherwise secured to retain it in place.
The tapered pin may be in a piece with the socket, and one washer
may be dispensed with and form part of the block.

page_text: i
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
The inclined faces on the block or bracket piece and on the carriage
piece as described when fitted to roller skates, as and for the purposes
set forth and substantially as shown.
Secondly. I claim the conical or tapered pin on or to a bracket of a
roller skate to permit a carriage piece to turn thereon without jam in the
rising motion when a skater is performing curvilinear movements as
described, and as shown in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wright, have hereunto :
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of June, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.