Improvements in Roller-skates.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th June, 1893-4ccepted, 8th July, 1893
Improvements in Roller-skates.
I, LEONARD HENRY GEORGE, of 51 Alexandra Road, Hill, Southampton, in
the County of Hampshire, Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a simple and cheap form of roller-
skate, and at the same time to afford skaters an exercise on the rink more like ice
skating than has hitherto been possible.
In order to permit the natural swaying of the body from side to side without
forcing the ankles into an unnatural position, I place all the wheels or rollers of the
skate of which there may be any number-in a single line along the centre of
In order to avoid the
the same, after the manner of the blade of an ice skate.
employment of complicated and costly steering mechanism to facilitate the turning
of corners, reduce friction, and at the same time to lessen the strain upon the :
skater's ankles, I curve the under side of the skate from heel to toe so that but one
or two of the wheels or rollers can touch the ground at once.
Turning without friction is only possible when the body is balanced on one..
wheel; this is quite possible with the skate described, and can be acquired with but.
a little practice.
This arrangement of the rollers also allows of a more natural movement of the
skater's ankles as the front rollers come into use when the body is inclined forward,
the middle rollers when the body is upright, and the hinder rollers when the body
is inclined backwards. Thus the skate, and with it the skater's foot not having to
be maintained in a horizontal position when upon the ground, may be inclined to
agree with the varied attitudes of the skater.
"
To secure this form of skate to the foot of the wearer, I employ adjustable
fastenings so as to allow of the skate being fitted to feet of various sizes, within
reasonable limits. At such part of the upper side of the skate as will lie under the
broadest part of the foot, I secure a plate of metal or other suitable material..
Immediately below this plate, the upper part of the skate is grooved or recessed
transversely so as to form a channel for the reception of two straps as hereinafter
described. Two parallel rollers secured to the underside of the said plate dip down
in, and lie transversely to, the said channel. Over each of these rollers I pass a
strap the two ends of which lie one above the other in the said channel and pass to
the outside of the skate. The upper end of each strap is secured to an L-shaped
piece of metal which may be drawn inwards towards the skate, to bear against the
wearer's boot sole, by the drawing out of the lower end of the said strap. The said
lower ends of the straps are provided with buckle or other suitable fastenings so
that they may be secured over the wearer's boot. To the heel of the skate I secure,.
on its upper side, a plate having a suitable rim or projection to confine the back of
the wearer's heel. The forward end of this plate has a longitudinal slot lying over
A sliding
one end of a groove or channel formed in the upper side of the skate.
clip is made to lie within the said channel and project through the slot in the said
plate so as to come in contact with the front of the heel of the wearer's boot when
drawn along the said slot and channel by means of suitable straps secured thereto.
These straps pass out of the channel at the heel end of the skate and are then led
upwards to encircle the wearer's ankle. It will be seen that the tighter the strain
:

page_text: upon these straps the firmer will the boot be gripped by the three sliding clips
described.
Dated this 7th day of September 1892.
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roller-skates.
I, LEONARD HENRY GEORGE 51 Alexandra Road, Hill Southampton Hampshire
Draughtsman 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:-
The object of this invention is to provide a simple and cheap form of roller-
skates, and to provide skaters with an exercise on the rink more like ice-skating
than has hitherto been possible. In order to permit the natural swaying of the
body from side to side without forcing the ankles into an unnatural position, I place
all the wheels or rollers of the skate-of which there may be any number-in a
single line along the centre of the same, after the manner of the blade of an ice-
skate. In order to avoid the employment of complicated and costly steering
mechanism, to facilitate the turning of corners, to reduce friction, and at the same
time to lessen the strain upon the skater's ankles, I curve the underside of the
skate from heel to toe so that but one or two of the wheels or rollers can touch the
ground at once. This arrangement of the rollers also allows of a more natural
movement of the skater's ankles as the front rollers come into use when the body
is inclined forward, the middle rollers when the body is upright and the hinder
rollers when the body is inclined backwards.
Thus the skate, and with it the skater's foot, not having to be maintained in a
horizontal position when upon the ground may be inclined to agree with the varied
attitudes of the skater.
The outside edges of the rollers must of course be rounded off to allow the
swaying from side to side; and to give, the necessary grip of the floor, the rollers
must be made of some slightly flexible material. This shape and flexibility of the
roller causes the skate to turn to the side in which the body may be inclined.
When upright the skate moves straight forward because the edges of the wheels
are at equal distances from the spindle and so move at equal rates, but when
inclined to one side, one edge being nearer to the spindle, does not move so fast as
the other edge and consequently the skate tends to move in the direction to which
the body is inclined. The two rollers that are in use at any one time being very
close together makes this action much more effectual than if they were farther
apart.
To secure this form of skate to the foot of the wearer I employ adjustable
fastenings so as to allow of the skate being fitted to feet of various sizes, within
reasonable limits. At such part of the upper side of the skate as will be
under the broadest part of the foot, I secure a plate of metal or other
suitable material. Immediately below this plate, the upper part of the skate
is grooved or recessed transversely so as to form a channel for the reception
of two straps as hereinafter described. Two parallel rollers secured to the
underside of the said plate dip down into and lie transversely to the said channel.
Over each of these rollers I pass a strap, the two ends of which lie one above
the other in the said channel and pass to the outside of the skate. The upper end
of each strap is secured to an L shaped metal clip which may be drawn inwards
towards the skate, to bear against the wearer's boot-sole, by drawing out the lower
end of the said strap. The said lower ends of the straps are provided with buckles
or other suitable fastenings so that they may be secured above the wearer's boot.

page_text: E. EATON,
Agent for Applicant.