Improvements in Skates.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1892-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Skates.
1, UBEL WIERDA of Winsum in the Province of Groningen, in the Kingdom of
Holland, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to that class of skates which have blades removable from
the frame or foot-plate and the invention relates to the means of fastening those
two parts and also to the fastening of the plate to the foot and to the comfortable
accommodation of the foot upon the plate.
In carrying out the invention I form of thin metal a plate more or less con-
forming to the shape of the foot and at the back of this at the heel portion I
have a raised edge preferably made of spring steel or the like centrally secured
to the plate and at the ends provided with screws passing through slots in the
plate by which means the shape can be varied to suit different sized or different
shaped heels.
The plate may be provided with lugs or flanges to which suitable straps may
be secured or the straps may be secured directly upon the plate without the
flanges. One strap is, towards its free end formed like an ordinary strap with
holes in it, but has also further down a catch or hook, while the other strap which
is shorter is provided with a buckle frame without the pins. In securing this
arrangement of straps the long strap is passed through the buckle frame and brought
back again until one of the holes in it corresponds with the hook upon which it is
placed and the whole is securely fastened without the inconvenience of the usual
buckle arrangement where the strap has to be pulled tight, the pin inserted through
one of the holes and the strap turned back.
Upon the plate is placed if desired an indiarubber bag or sole preferably filled
with air under pressure so as to afford a soft and yielding surface for the weight of
the skater to be supported upon.
Instead of using the above mentioned air cushion a simple plate or pad of india-
rubber or other suitable soft or resilient material or steel springs may be employed
for the same purpose.
The removable blades are adapted to fit upon pins projecting from brackets
secured to the foot-plate and when placed upon these are secured by cottars passing
Hitherto have made these cottars
through slots in the pins outside the blades.
ordinary solid cottars but I now divide them so as to provide a spring by which the
cottar when driven home may securely and firmly fit against the blades although
these may differ in thickness.
The plate may have its edges turned up if desired to prevent the foot from
slipping off, and these turned-up edges which may be continuous or only ordinary
clips or clip edges may be provided with accommodation springs which would
accommodate alterations in the size of the sole due to wet or the like.
Dated this 21st day of March 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Skates.
I, UBEL WIERDA of Winsum in the Province of Groningen in the Kingdom of
Holland, Gentleman, 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 that class of skates which have blades removable from
the frame or foot-plate and the invention relates to the means of fastening those
two parts and also to the fastening of the plate to the foot and to the comfortable
accommodation of the foot upon the plate.
In carrying out the invention I form of thin metal a plate more or less
conforming to the shape of the foot and at the back of this at the heel portion I
have a raised edge preferably made of spring steel or the like centrally secured to
the plate and at the ends provided with screws passing through slots in the plate
by which means the shape can be varied to suit different sized or different shaped
heels.
The plate may be provided with lugs or flanges to which suitable straps may be
secured or the straps may be secured directly upon the plate without the flanges.
One strap is, towards its free end formed like an ordinary strap with holes in it,
but has also further down a catch or hook, while the other strap which is shorter is
provided with a buckle frame without the pins. In securing this arrangement of straps
the long strap is passed through the buckle frame and brought back again until one
of the holes in it corresponds with the hook upon which it is placed and the whole
is securely fastened without the inconvenience of the usual buckle arrangement
where the strap has to be pulled tight, the pin inserted through one of the holes
and the strap turned back.
Upon the plate is placed if desired an indiarubber bag or sole preferably filled
with air under pressure so as to afford a soft and yielding surface for the weight of
the skater to be supported upon.
Instead of using the above mentioned air cushion a simple plate or pad of india-
rubber or other suitable soft or resilient material or steel springs may be employed
for the same purpose.
The removable blades are adapted to fit upon pins projecting from brackets
secured to the foot-plate and when placed upon these are secured by cottars passing
through slots in the pins outside the blades. Hitherto I have made these cottars
ordinary solid cottars but I now divide them so as to provide a spring by which the
cottar when driven home may securely and firmly fit against the blades although
these may differ in thickness.
The plate may have its edges turned up if desired to prevent the foot from
slipping off, and these turned-up edges which may be continuous or only ordinary
clips or clip edges may be provided with accommodation springs which would
accommodate alterations in the size of the sole due to wet or the like.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a skate constructed according to this invention,
Figure 2 being a plan thereof and
Figure 3 an end view, while
Figure 4 is a section upon line 4 4 of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a detail of the spring cottar.
Figure 6 illustrates one form of end of the strap H.
Figure 7 is a transverse section of the skate provided with an indiarubber or
equivalent pad, or plate an underside view of a portion of which latter is shown in
Figure 8.

page_text: Figure 9 is a perspective view showing an accommodation spring device apart
from the skate.
Like letters represent like parts throughout the drawings.
A represents the foot plate preferably of thin stamped metal and B the blade
which may have portions B' removed wherever desired for lightness or to improve
the appearance. The back or heel part of the plate A has a raised edge or foot
support C centrally secured by a fixed stud or equivalent at C' and fastened at each
end to a pin or stud C2 passing through a slot A in the plate with a collar C³ upon
the stud above the plate, while the lower end of each stud is screwed and carries a
nut C on the underside of the plate. The object of this arrangement is to permit
the shape of the plate C which I prefer to make very thin and springy to be varied
so as to fit heels of various sizes, the adjustment being effected by slacking the
nuts C moving the pins C² to the required position and screwing up the nuts. The
plate carries a pair of brackets D which may be rivetted to it the blade fitting
against the side or face of the bracket a pin D' passing through one of a series of
holes B2 in the blade and a cottar E passing through a slot A2 in the plate and
another slot D2 preferably tapered as indicated in Figure 4, in the pin. The pin
may form part of the bracket or may be rivetted or otherwise connected thereto.
The cottar EI prefer to form of steel tempered if required and split at the
end E so that it may always fit against the end of the slot in the pin D' and the
face of the blade while a small projection E2 upon one or both sides of the cottar
prevents the cottar from escaping from the slot A2 in the plate when withdrawn
from the pin as shown in Figure 4 the slot D2 being enlarged in the necessary part
to allow of the projections E2 passing. Another projection E3 at the top of the
cottar prevents the top end from passing entirely through the opening A2 in the
plate.
The strap F is rivetted or otherwise secured to the plate A and carries a hook
or catch G while the end F¹ is perforated with a number of holes any of which may
be fitted upon the hook G as illustrated in Figure 3. The strap H is also connected
with the plate A and carries a buckle rim or yoke H' shown in face view in
Figure 6, through which the portion F¹ of the strap F passes so that the length of
strap can be adjusted to suit the foot to which the skate is applied the hook G being
placed in the proper hole in the strap F' as will be readily understood. Instead
of a separate yoke H' being employed a slit or opening may be provided in the
strap H for the passage of the strap F the strap H being strengthened around the
slit as may be necessary.
As hereinbefore mentioned a pneumatic or other yielding pad or sole may be
mounted on the foot-plate A and in Figures 7 and 8 I have illustrated one form of
such device which I have found to give very satisfactory results and which consists
of a piece I of sheet rubber having a chequered or cellular face on one or both of
its sides, that shown is chequered on one side only. This pad 1 is secured to the
sole plate A by rivets I¹ (or in any other convenient manner) and may extend
throughout the length of A or it may be applied only at the toe or heel or both toe
and heel portions. When the pad I is formed with only one of its faces chequered
it is preferably secured to the foot plate A. with its chequered face downwards as
shown in Figure 7. By the use of this device much of the vibration and shock
which would otherwise be transmitted to the skater when skating over rough ice
will be absorbed by the resilient pad.
When I employ the before mentioned accommodation springs for fitting against
the edges of the boot sole I may either mount said springs on upturned edges or
projections at the sides of the sole plate, A or I may arrange them as shown clearly
in Figure 9 and in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. In this arrangement I rivet or
otherwise secure one end of each spring J to the up-turned end J₁ of a clip J¹ J' or
these clips instead of being formed singly as last described may if desired be formed
each with both its ends turned up and each end provided with a spring J so that one
clip will suffice to grip both edges of the boot sole. Each up-turned end J'inclines
in the vertical and horizontal directions so as to conform with the usual shape of

page_text: the boot sole. As before described one end of each spring is secured to an up-
turned end J¹ its other end lies close against and is free to move independently of
it to allow for the expansion of the boot sole due to dampness and absorption of
shocks. The clip J' J' may be secured to the sole plates A either at the under or
upper side, if the latter then preferably in such manner that its upper surface may
be flush with that of the foot plate A and if in the position shown in dotted lines in
Figures 1 and 2 then with proper provision such as holes for the free adjustment of
the appropriate cottar E.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be
understood that I am aware of the Specification No. 3825 of 1891 which bears the
name of William Phillips Thompson, a communication from myself, Ubel Wierda,
and do not claim anything therein described and claimed, but what I do claim is :-
1. In a skate an adjustable plate edge or heel support such as C substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a skate the combination with the foot plate A of a spring heel support or
edge such as C centrally fixed as at C' and with the ends adjustable substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a skate the combination with a slotted pin such as D' D2 of a spring cottar
such as E adapted to accommodate varying thicknesses of blade substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a skate the combination with a strap H having a buckle rim yoke or
equivalent such as H' of a strap F having a stud or hook such as G and a portion
such as-F passing through the yoke H' and secured to the hook G substantially as
described and illustrated in Figures 3 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination with a skate of an air cushion or equivalent substantially as
and for the purpose described.
6. The combination with a skate of an indiarubber or other soft or resilient plate
pad or equivalent substantially as and for the purpose described.
7. In a skate the combination with the edges or clips of the foot plate of
accommodation springs or equivalent devices substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Dated this 21st day of December 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.