IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Simpson, of 27, Bedford St., in the City
of Westminster, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SKATES."
Scaled the 18th July 1871, and dated the 20th January 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Simpson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th January 1871.
I, JOHN SIMPSON, of Bedford Street, in the City of Westminster,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES," to be as follows:-
}
The improvements consist in constructing skates with an improved
adjustable sole piece or plate so formed that by means of a screw
movcable side pieces can be made to fit and grip on to any foot, and by
means of a key working a screw a moveable piece can be made to hold
and grip the heel in addition to and at the same time working the
novcable side pieces.
i

page_text: The improvements may be carried into effect by making the sole
piece of thin metal or wood, with a moveable plate or plates under it,
the said plates being furnished with slots in which the moveable side
pieces may travel by means of guides and become adjusted, the move-
able plate is intended to be furnished with a worm screw by means of
which it and its side pieces may be moved and worked for proper
adjustment, the heel adjustment may be formed by making two fixed
back supports or holders and one moveable adjusting piece, the said
piece being worked and moved by a worm screw actuated by means of
a key, the said worm screw working and adjusting at the same time the
moveable sole pieces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Simpson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SIMPSON, of 27, Bedford Street, in the City of Westminster, Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto the said John Simpson, Her special
licence that I, the said John Simpson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Simpson, 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
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SKATES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Simpson, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said John Simpson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The improvements consist in constructing skates with an improved
adjustable sole piece or plate so formed that by means of a screw,
moveable side pieces can be made to fit and grip on to any foot and by
means of a key working a screw a moveable piece can be made to hold
and grip the heel, in addition to and at the same time working the
moveable side pieces.
'
The improvements may be carried into effect by making the solė
piece of thin metal or wood, with a moveable plate or plates under it,
the said plate being furnished with slots in which the moveable side
picces may travel by means of guides and become adjusted, the move-
able plate is intended to be furnished with a worm screw, by means of
which it and its side pieces may be moved and worked for proper
adjustment, the heel adjustment may be formed by making two fixed
back supports or holders and one moveable adjusting piece, the said piece
being worked and moved by a worm screw actuated by means of a key
or otherwise, the said worm screw being also capable of actuating at the
same time the moveable sole pieces.
The accompanying Drawings will serve to illustrate my Invention,
in which Figure 1 is a side view; Figure 2, plan of bottom looking
upwards with part of blade removed; and Figure 3, section through
side pieces; and Figure 4, end view from heel. In all the Figures the
same letters denote the same parts.
a is the sole piece with holes or slots a¹ cut out for the sake of
lightness and appearance; b, b1, are the moveable plates furnished with
slots c in which the projections d¹ on the side pieces d travel, the side
pieces being kept in their places by the guides e, and the guide slot e¹
in the moveable plate; fis a worm screw which may be worked by the
hand but means of nut g, and which by causing the moveable plate to
work backwards. or forwards makes the side pieces by reason of their
projections travelling in the slots c to move backwards and forwards,
as the case may be, at right angles to centre line of the skate, thus
causing the side pieces to grip or release the sole of the boot or shoe
without affecting the grip of the heel; are the back supports; i is
the heel adjusting piece,' and ' the slot in which the adjusting piece i

page_text: works; k is the heel worm screw which is furnished with a key piece 7,
and worked by means of a key or otherwise, this worm screw when
turned by means of the key actuates the heel adjusting piece i at the
same time, and in addition to actuating the moveable side pieces by
means of the moveable plate 6¹ being connected both to the worm
screws k and f
The manner in which the skate is intended to be fastened to the boot
or shoe. will be more fully understood by the following:-By turning the.
nut 9 in one direction or the other the side pieces d can be adjusted.
to suit the size of the heel, that is to say, that supposing the user of
the skate has a broad sole and short heel or vice versa, the sole piece
can be made to be in accordance with the size of the heel, this being.
adjusted (and it would not be necessary to use it often, as supposing
the same boot or shoe used it would always be right), all that remains
to be done is by means of the key to turn the screw k, thus bringing
forward the moveable picce i to grip the heel, and the moveable pieces d
to grip the sole, and thus firmly securing the skate to the boot or shoe;.
m is the blade of the skate, and n, n¹, n³, connections or supports
between the blade and the sole piece.
"
I wish it to be understood that I do not bind myself down to the
precise details shewn in these illustrative Drawings, but what I claim is,
the means of adjusting the sole pieces, apart from and independently
of the heel piece, while I can by means of the key and screw adjust.
the heel piece at the same time and in addition to adjusting the sole
pieces.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Simpson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.