IMPROVED MEANS OF LOCOMOTION
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Horace Brandon, Engineer, of 13,
Rue Gaillon, Paris, in the Empire of France, for the Invention of
"IMPROVED MEANS OF LOCOMOTION."-A communication from Thomas
Luders, Engineer, of Olney, United States of America.
Sealed the 22nd March 1870, and dated the 9th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Horace
Brandon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 9th October 1869.
I, ALEXANDER HORACE BRANDON, Engineer, of 13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris, in the Empire of France, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OF LOCOMOTION," a communication, to
be as follows:-
My summer skate is composed, in the first place, of a piece of wood
or other appropriate material, which I call a leg piece, and adapt to
the outside of the leg, reaching from a little below the knee to a little
below the sole of the foot.

page_text: Secondly. Of a strap for uniting the upper part of said leg piece below
the knee.
Thirdly. Of a foot piece attached firmly to the inner face of the bottom
of said leg piece, and to which the foot is attached in any convenient
manner. I prefer that this foot piece be yielding or elastic to pressure.
Fourthly. A locomotion wheel of about fifteen inches diameter
running on a spindle attached to the outer face of the leg piece in such
a manner that when resting on the floor the whole weight of the wearer
is supported on this wheel.
And, fifthly. In certain cases of a ratchet and pawl attached in such
a manner that the wheel, free to rotate for the forward motion of the
wearer, cannot revolve in the opposite or backward direction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Horace Brandon in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 2nd April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
HORACE BRANDON, Engineer, of No. 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, in the
Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Alexander Horace Brandon, Her special licence
that the said Alexander Horace Brandon, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Horace
Brandon, 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 "IMPROVED MEANS OF LOCOMOTION," being a communication to me from
Thomas Luders, Engineer, of Olney, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Horace Brandon,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Horace Brandon, 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):
:-
My summer skate is composed, in the first place, of a piece of wood
or other appropriate material, which I call a leg piece, and adapted to
the outside of leg, reaching from a little below the knee to a little
below the sole of the foot.
Secondly. Of a strap for uniting the upper part of said leg piece below
the knee.
Thirdly. Of a foot piece attached firmly to the inner face of the bottom
of said leg piece, and to which the foot is attached in any convenient
manner. I prefer that this foot piece be yielding or elastic to pressure.
Fourthly. A locomotion wheel of about fifteen inches diameter
running on a spindle attached to the outer face of leg piece in such a
manner that when resting on the soil the whole weight of bearer is
supported on this wheel.
And, fifthly. In certain cases of a ratchet and pawl attached in such
a manner that the wheel free to rotate for the forward motion of the
wearer cannot revolve in the opposite or backward direction.
In order that my Invention be fully understood I will describe it
conjointly with the six Figures of the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a lateral elevation and a front elevation
(the latter partly in section) of my complete apparatus or summer skate;
Figures 3 and 4 respectively similar views without the locomotion wheel,
the only part in section being in Fig. 3, shewing another construction
of foot piece; and Figures 5 and 6 respectively views similar to those,
Figures 3 and 4 shewing another arrangement of leg piece.
In Figures 1 and 2 a is the leg piece, which I prefer making of wood,
such as ash or oak; I attach the same on the outside of the leg of the-

page_text: wearer, with the pad 6 in contact of the leg a little below the knee by
means of a strap c, or any other convenient mode of attachment; to the
lower part of this leg piece I attach, by bolts and nuts or otherwise, a
wrought iron or steel angle piece d, to which I attach in a similar
manner an elastic steel foot piece e, slightly raised at its extremities for
supporting the foot and the heel of the wearer. Side joggels ff, serve
to maintain the foot laterally, and straps g, g, to hold it firmly down on
the foot piece. The locomotion wheel his hung on a stud i attached to
the leg piece a by a nut k; a vertical slot is made through the said leg
piece where the stud passes to enable the wearer to regulate within
certain limits the height of his foot from the ground, as well as for the
purpose of using different sized wheels if desired. Thus it will be seen
that the entire weight of wearer using this apparatus must of necessity
fall on the wheel h, and that a very slight effort suffices for his pro-
pulsion either in a straight line or a curve. It is generally found
convenient to adjust the wheel in the leg piece in such a manner that
the foot of wearer is nearly in contact with the soil, so that by inclining
the same he can easily bring the toe or the heel in contact with the soil
either for the purpose of impulsion or arresting impulsion.
In Figures 3 and 4 I have shewn another form of foot piece in which
the requisite elasticity is derived from india-rubber. In this case the
angle piece d is extended fore and aft, and on each such extremity I
adapt a small cylindrical holder l, in which I introduce a cylindrical
piece of india-rubber m, and on these I adapt a foot piece e, the under
face of which is provided at each extremity with a cylindrical cup n
enclosing the india-rubber spring.
In Figures 5 and 6 I have shewn another mode of constructing the
leg piece a and angle piece d above described out of one single piece of
timber steamed and bent in the manner shewn, with the turned up
extremity d' firmly attached by any convenient means to the inner face
of the leg piece a.
To prevent retrogade motion I either fit a ratchet wheel on the inside
of the hub at o when such hub is made of wood, or I cut a series of
teeth on the same when it is made of metal, and I suspend a pawl on
the outside of the leg piece in such a manner that its point falls
freely in the teeth of the ratchet. When it is not desired to use the
arrangement the pawl can be thrown back out of reach of the teeth.

page_text: This ratchet and pawl does not however form an essential part of my
mechanism.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best
means that I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practice,
I claim,―
Firstly. The leg piece a with the manner of attaching the same to the
leg of the wearer, as described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 5, and 6.
Secondly. The foot piece e with the manner of attaching the same
both to the leg piece and the foot of the wearer, as well as the means
adopted for the purpose of providing elasticity.
Thirdly. The use of the wheel h fitted in the manner described to the
leg piece.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Horace Brandon, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
D. H. BRANDON,
13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris.
A. H. BRANDON. (L.S.)