AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF SKATE
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Horton, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
Auger Maker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF
SKATE."
Sealed the 3rd January 1862, and dated the 4th November 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Horton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th November 1861.
I, GEORGE HORTON, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Auger Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUC-
TION OF SKATE," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct skates which shall afford great
facilities for attachment to the foot, and may be manufactured at small cost.
To this end, I make the sole of the skate of sheet metal (preferring iron or
steel), and I turn up the rear end to form an abutment for the heel of the
boot to which the skate is to be secured. The skate iron is secured to the
metal sole by rivetting, or by screws, or other suitable attachment; but I
prefer puncturing holes in the sole to receive projections from the upper side
of the skate iron, and then by hammering on to the projections to clench the
sole and skate iron together. From the upper face of the sole project pins

page_text: for holding fast to the sole and heel of the wearer's boot, and I provide three
strap pieces with buckles for securing the skate to the wearer's foot. Thus a
strap piece secured by rivets to the heel of the skate passes round his ankle,
another near the other end of the skate (being slipped between the sole and
skate iron) passes over the toes, and a third (passing also between the skate
iron and metal sole), buckles over the instep.
The improved skate therefore requires no application of screws, or piercing
of the boot heel to effect its firm attachment to the boot, but may be readily
and firmly attached thereto by means of the straps.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Horton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
May 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HORTON, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Auger Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Horton, Her special license that I, the said George Horton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Horton, 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 "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF
SKATE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Horton,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 George Horton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, 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) :-

page_text: The object of this Invention is to produce a skate which shall present
facilities for attachment to the foot, and will admit of being manufactured at
small cost.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents in side elevation my im-
proved skate as applied to the human foot; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the
skate detached. This skate I make wholly of metal, and by this means am
enabled not only to produce a strong and durable, but also a very cheap
skate.
A, A, is the sole of the skate, made by preference of rolled or sheet iron or
steel. This metal sole I turn up at the rear end as shewn at B, to form an
abutment or kind of socket for the heel of the boot to which the skate is to
be secured; C, C, is the skate iron, which may be secured to the metal sole
by rivetting, soldering, or other suitable attachment, but I prefer to punch holes
in the sole as shewn at a, a, Fig. 2, to receive projections c, c, from the upper
side of the skate iron, and then by hammering on to the projections to clench
the sole and skate iron together. The upper face of the sole I furnish with
projecting pins 6 for entering and holding fast to the sole of the wearer's
boot, and I provide in general three strap pieces D, E, F, with buckles for
securing the skate to the wearer's foot. The several straps are passed
between the sole and the skate iron, and then brought up and buckled over
the boot. The strap D buckles over the foot a little below the ankle;
but in order to keep it in place, I find it desirable to employ a short
strap G, which passes round the turned up piece B of the sole plate, and
is secured thereto by rivets. This strap G has loops at its ends, through
which the ends of the strap D are passed before being buckled over the
boot, or in lieu of the strap G, rings or hooks fastened to the piece B may
serve to effect the same object. The strap E near the other end of the skate
(being slipped between the sole and skate iron) passes over the toes, and a
third strap F (passing also between the skate iron and metal sole) may be
used if required to buckle over the instep.
The improved skate therefore requires no piercing of the boot heel and
application of screws to effect its firm attachment to the boot, but may be
readily and firmly attached thereto by means of the straps. The loops, rings,
or hooks on the heel-piece B through which the heel strap D passes, serving
along with the pins on the surface of the sole to keep the skate from slipping
backwards.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Con-
struction of Skate," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent,

page_text: I claim, constructing skates of metal in the manner and for the purpose,
above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Horton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
GEORGE HORTON. (L.S.)