A New or Improved Roller Skate.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Roller Skate.
I, GEORGE SPENCE of Thornybank Edinburgh, Scotland, Surgeon, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a skate of simple construction and which may be used on
any moderately smooth surface on land and also on ice; and whereby greater speed
and safety is attainable than heretofore.
According to my invention the skate consists of the usual frame or body which
may be of any suitable material, and fixed to the feet as usual. Two wheels are
placed in the middle line of said frame one under the heel the other under broadest
part
of foot. Each wheel has two short axles which revolve in ball bearings. The
inner balls may project beyond the socket and the axles be fitted loose so as to
allow the wheels a little twist when skater turns. The wheels are or may be fitted
with india-rubber or pneumatic tyres; and may be made double with an interspace
to increase breadth of support.
Dated this 30th day of December 1891.
DAVID F. MASON,
Glasgow, Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Roller Skate.
I, GEORGE SPENCE, of Thornybank, Edinburgh, Surgeon, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to roller skates and it has for its object to improve their
construction.
The improved skate consists essentially of three parts viz. :-the body, wheel and
ball-bearing socket for the wheels.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved skate.
Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line x-x, Fig. 1.
Referring to the drawings:-
The skate consists of the usual body or sole B, which may be made of wood,
steel or other suitable material, and be of any desired shape and size to suit the
wearer. Attached to the body B, by means of bearing pieces or plates A, are two
wheels G one at the front of the body and one at the back. The wheels are each
made with a hollow hub H, through which is passed a, preferably, steel spindle C.
One end of the spindle C is rivetted to one of the plates A whilst its other end,
which is screw threaded, as shown at E, passes through the other plate and is
secured in place by a nut E¹. I is a block which is screwed on the spindle C. The
block I spindle C and hub H are made with hollow bearing surfaces or sockets for
the reception of the balls J. The wheels G have india-rubber tyres D. The
tyres may be either solid, cushion, or pneumatic.
The ball bearings can be adjusted by means of the lock nuts E¹.
The wheels are placed, preferably, one under the heel and the other under the
broad part of the foot at or near the spring of the plantar arch.
My improved roller skate may be used on ice or on any other suitable
surface.

page_text: The improved skate, combines, in one, the advantage of two wheels, of ball
bearings for the wheels, and rubber tyres.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The combination, in a roller skate, of two wheels, of ball bearings for the wheels
and of rubber tyres, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the
drawings annexed.
Dated this 6th day of September 1892.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.