IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES
Year: 1883

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Edward Kenworthy Dutton of John Dalton Street,
Manchester in the County of Lancaster Patent Agent for an Invention
of 'IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES" Communicated to him from abroad by
Julius Sieper of Remscheid-Hasten Rhenish Prussia in the Empire of
Germany, Skate Manufacturer
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Kenworthy Dutton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th January 1883.
EDWARD KENWORTHY DUTTON of John Dalton Street Manchester in the County
of Lancaster, Patent Agent, "IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES (a communication to
me from abroad by Julius Sieper of Remscheid-Hasten, Rhenish Prussia, in the
Empire of Germany, Skate Manufacturer)
"
This Invention has reference to that class of skate which is fastened through the
gripping action of clamps actuated by means of a screw or screws as in certain
well know types.
Hitherto it has been necessary to set the clamps to suit each different size of
foot and it is the principal object of this Invention to dispense with such necessity.
To obtain this result I make the skate runner and the foot plate separate from
each other and connect them by two brackets fixed to the runner and carrying in
the case of the rear bracket a headed stud which slides in a slot in the foot plate.
The forward bracket supports the front end of the foot plate and is connected
therewith by two rivets fixed to the foot plate and sliding in slots formed in the
bracket. A channel is formed across this front bracket in which slide the
prolonged tails of the side clamps. These tails carry two short studs which
project upwards and slide in diagonal slots formed in the foot plate so that when
the foot plate is moved forwards or backwards the side clamps are by virtue of
the slanting slots caused to recede from or advance towards the centre of the skate
and thereby to release or grip the foot. The rear bracket is provided with a screw
in line with the runner which screw engages with the tail of a heel clamp which
slides in a slot in the foot plate. The screw is operated from the outer end and
when the rear clamps have become firmly engaged with the heel, continued
rotation of the screw carries forward the runner and the attached brackets causing
the side clamps to converge and grip the sides of the boot sole-thereby firmly
attaching the skate at one operation and without requiring any preliminary setting
of the parts to suit the size of foot.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Kenworthy Dutton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th July 1883.
"
EDWARD KENWORTHY DUTTON of John Dalton Street, Manchester in the County
of Lancaster, Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES (a communication to
me from abroad by Julius Sieper of Remscheid-Hasten, Rhenish Prussia in the
Empire of Germany, Skate Manufacturer)
This Invention relates to means whereby a skate can be secured to any size of
foot without the usual preliminary setting of the gripping parts and whereby the
heel and sole clamps are both brought into action without the interposition of
auxiliary connecting parts.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I will now
proceed more particularly to describe the same reference being had to the annexed
sheet of drawings whereon a skate constructed in accordance with the invention is
represented full size.
In the said drawings Fig 1 is a side view Fig 2 is a plan and Figs 3 and 4 are
cross sections of the improved skate. The back screw a is fitted to revolve in a
bearing in a bracket 8 which is secured to the skate runner and the said screw is
prevented from moving lengthwise in the bearing by means of two collars. The
inner end of the screw engages with a clamp or dog k which slides in a slot in the
foot plate of the skate. A stud or rivet projects upwards from the bracket 8 and
slides in a slot in the foot plate. The skate runner carries near its forward end a
similar bracket s' which is riveted to a frame g. as shewn more particularly at
Fig 4. The extreme end of the runner supports the forward end of the foot plate
but is not attached thereto so that the runner is free to slide on the foot plate at
the point of contact, the slot permitting the necessary play at the rear end of the
skate. The frame g is connected with the foot plate by three studs m, m³ and m
which are fixed to the foot plate and slide in slots z, z¹ and z² formed in the
frame g. Across the central part of the frame g is formed a recess in which slide
the tails of two side clamps p p¹. These tails carry studs t, t' which slide in
converging slots i, i¹ in the foot plate. In fixing the skate to the boot the screw a
is turned until the heel is tightly clamped between the raised end n and the dog k
when further movement of the latter is prevented and continued rotation of the
screw causes the skate runner to advance carrying with it the frame g and clamps
P, p¹ which by the action of the converging slots i, are drawn inwards 'and
caused to grip the sides of the boot-sole. Removal of the skate is effected by a
reverse movement of the screw a.
Figs 5, 6 and 7 illustrate a modified arrangement of the side clamps 6, 6¹ which
in this case assume the form of levers jointed to the foot-plate at the point o and
working on fulcra t, t. Slots in the arms of the clamps and in the foot plate are
provided to allow for the sliding movement of the runner and to produce the
gripping action of the clamps. It will be observed that in this instance attachment
of the skate to the foot is effected by pulling back the runner instead of by pushing
it forward as in the previous example. An advantage gained by this construction
is that the side clamps have no lengthwise movement with relation to the foot
plate but bind at once upon that part of the boot sole with which they first come
into contact.
Having now described the said invention and particularly ascertained the modes:
of carrying the same into practical effect I would observe in conclusion that without
confining myself to the exact details of construction shown what I claim as novel
and original is
First. In the construction of skates so connecting the runner with the foot-plate

page_text: as that the former shall be capable of longitudinal movement upon the latter and
utilising the said movement to actuate the gripping parts and so to effect the
attachment of the skate without any preliminary setting of the clamps to suit
different sizes of feet, substantially as hereinbefore described and as indicated in
the drawings.
Secondly. The sliding skate runner actuated by the screw a in combination with
the advancing and receding side clamps p, p², carried by the frame g and guided by
the slots i, ¹, substantially as described and illustrated.
And thirdly. The side clamps b, b' hinged to the foot plate substantially as and
for the purpose set forth and indicated with reference to Figs 5 to 7 of attached
drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Edward Kenworthy Dutton have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twentieth day of July in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and-eighty-three
EDWARD K. DUTTON (L.S.)