IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Burstow, of Horsham, in the County of Sussex,
and 91, Queen Street, Cheapside, in the City of London, Architect, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
ealed the 23rd June 1876, and dated the 20th April 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Burstow at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th April 1876.
EDWARD BURSTOW, of Horsham, in the County of Sussex, and 91, Queen Street,
Cheapside, in the City of London, Architect. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER
SKATES."
Near to each end of the foot stock, on the under side thereof, I attach. a pair of
inverted cups working one within the other in the manner of a ball-and-socket
joint. The inner and lower cup has two ears projecting downwards from its edge,
one on each side, which carry the axle of the roller or rollers. In the case of a skate
with only two rollers to each skate the roller is placed between the ears and partly
within the inverted cups; when four rollers to cach skate are used they are placed
outside the ears, one on each side of the cups. The outer and larger cup is let into
and firmly attached to the under side of the foot stock, and has through its crown an
opening of sufficient size to allow the necessary motion to a stud, which rises from
the top of the inner cup, and projects through the said opening.
A short spring or bar passes through or is otherwise attached to the stud, and
connects it with the foot stock, to which it is attached at a point in the longitudinal
central line nearer the end of the skate than the centre of the cups. The point at
which the end of the said spring or bar is connected with the foot stock being above
the centre of motion is carried by the tilting laterally of the foot stock to the right
or left, as the case may be, thus turning the stud and the inner cup and with it the
axle of the roller or rollers slightly on its vertical axis. The axles of the back and
front rollers being thus turned or cramped in opposite directions cause the skate to
run in a curve in obedience to the tilting of the skater's foot.
The sharpness or otherwise of the curve produced by any given inclination of the
foot stock depends on the distance (for the regulation of which I provide an adjust-
ment) between the stud and the point at which the said spring or arm is connected
with the foot stock.

page_text: The skate after it has been inclined is brought back to its central position either
by the action of the before-named spring, or by a pad of india-rubber or other spring
or equivalent.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Burstow in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th October
1876. .
EDWARD BURSTOW, of Horsham, in the County of Sussex, and 91, Queen Street,
Cheapside, in the City of London, Architect. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER
SKATES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the method of constructing
roller skates, which I effect in the mauner herein-after described.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents a side view of my
improved skate; Figure 2, a bottom or under view; Figure 3, an end view;
Figure 4 represents a longitudinal vertical section on the line a, b; and Figure 5, a
transverse vertical section on the line c, d.
Figure 6 represents a side view of the inner cup and fittings as constructed for
carrying a pair of rollers under each end of the skate; Figure 7, a back view of the
castings and wheels removed from the cup; and Figure 8, some of the parts
separated.
The same letters are used to indicate the same parts in the various Drawings.
Near to each end of the foot stock on the under side thereof I attach a segment of
a cup indicated on the Drawings by the letter B, and shewn separately at B, Figure 8,
within which a smaller cup C works in the manner of a ball-and-socket joint. The
outer cup or segment of a cup B is firmly attached to the foot stock A by screws
passing upwards through ears D, D, projecting from the cup. The inner cup when
intended to carry only one roller is constructed, as shewn at C, with two ears E
projecting downwards from its edge, one on each side, to carry the axle F and the
roller H, but when intended to carry a pair of rollers it is cut away at the sides, as
shewn at C¹, and an additional casting G to carry the axle D¹ and the pair of
rollers H, H¹, is riveted into it, see Figures 6 and 7.
To the upper part of the inner cup is rigidly attached a spring K, the other end
of which is held by a pin or screw in a projecting head J, forming part of the outer
cup B. The point at which the end of the said spring is connected with the foot
stock being above the centre of motion is carried by the tilting laterally of the
foot stock to the right or left, as the case may be, thus turning the inner cup and
with it the axle of the roller or rollers slightly on its vertical axis. The axles of
the back and front rollers being thus turned or cramped in opposite directions
cause the skate to run in a curve in obedience to the tilting of the skater's foot.
The sharpness, or otherwise, of the curve produced by any given inclination of
the skater's foot depends on the distance from the centre of the cups of the point
at which the spring K is attached to the outer cup; and to make this adjustable I
provide two or more holes L, L, in the said head, and through the spring K and
into either one of these at the option of the skater a pin or screw is passed, it being
inserted in that nearest the centre of the cups when it is desired that the skate
should turn quickly with a slight inclination of the foot, and in that farthest from
the centre when it is desired that the skate shall turn more slowly.
I do not confine myself to the exact shape of the spring K as it may be varied
without departing from my Invention, but it is necessary that its attachment to
the cup C should be rigid as regards horizontal lateral motion, so that any hori-
zontal motion of the spring will turn the cup on its vertical axis, and it should
possess elasticity to enable it to accommodate itself to the motion produced by the
inclination of the outer cup. The spring, as represented in the Drawings and

page_text: marked K, is that which I have found most suitable, and it also serves to bring
the cups back to the central position after the foot stock has been inclined.
In order to facilitate oiling the skate I bore a hole from the surface of the roller
to the axle, as shewn at M, and close the same with a short screw; N is a metal
washer and O, one of felt or other absorbent material; P is a small screw serving
to secure the axle F in its place.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention for "Improvements in Roller Skates," together with the best means I
am acquainted with of carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark that
what I claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the mode of constructing roller skates, having the foot stock over
the wheels supported on pairs of cups working one within the other in the manner
of a ball-and-socket joint, with the cups of each pair connected by a spring, sub-
stantially in the manner herein-before described and for the purposes herein-before
set forth.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Barstow, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of October One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six
EDWARD BURSTOW. (L.S.)