IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bezer, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
Sealed the 26th May 1876. and dated the 1st April 1876.
the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st April 1876.
HENRY BEZER, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey.
ROLLER SKATES."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
The object of my Invention is to construct roller skates in such manner that they
can be made to describe any desired curves without tilting or rocking the stock or
foot plate.
And my Invention consists in giving the requisite converging movements to the
axles when desired by means of a vertical motion of part of the stock or foot plate,
such motion being produced by pressure of the foot and transmitted to the axles by
suitable mechanism.
The manner in which my Invention may be carried into effect is as follows:-
I divide the stock or foot plate longitudinally into two equal parts. Each of these
parts is connected by links to a longitudinal bean in which vertical pivots of the
axles of the rollers have their bearings. Fixed to the under side of each half of the
foot plate, and at or near the middle thereof, is an inclined plane, and these two
planes bear against the opposite sides of a transverse pin carried by a diagonal tie
rod which connects the front and rear axles together.
The action is as follows:-Supposing it is desired to describe an outer curve, on
the right leg for example, the skater exerts pressure on the outer half of the foot
plate, which therefore becomes depressed vertically without any tilting or inclination;
the inclined plane on the underside of this half is thereby caused to push the trans-
verse pin before described backwards, and this motion is converted by the diagonal
tie rod into a converging motion of the axles. A curve on the inner edge is obtained
in a corresponding manner by pressure on the inner half of the foot plate, the pin
being in this case pushed forwards.
Sometimes I dispense with the tie rod and transverse pin, and I then place inclined
planes near the ends of the halves of the foot plate so as to act directly upon each
lo

page_text: Sometimes also I dispense with the links before described, and fix to each end of
each half of the foot plate a vertical pin which passes through a guide in the longi-
tudinal bean and carries an inclined plane at its lower end to act upon the axle.
In this case a diagonal tie rod to connect the axles will be desirable so that pressure
upon either the fore or back portion of the foot plate may act equally upon both
axles. And in any of the arrangements it will be well to place pads of india-rubber
between the beam and the halves of the foot plate. In order to perinit the vertical
depression of the halves of the foot plate to be conveniently produced by the skater
I make them thicker at or near their outer edge than their inner edge, the surface
being somewhat of a curved form in section.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Bezer in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 30th September
1876.
HENRY BEZER, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER
SKATES."
The object of my Invention is to construct roller skates in such manner that they
can be made to describe any desired curves without tilting or rocking the stock or
foot plate.
And my Invention consists in giving the requisite converging movements to
the axles when desired by means of a vertical motion of part of the stock or foot
plate, such motion being produced by pressure of the foot and transmitted to the
axles by suitable mechanism.
One manner in which my Invention may be carried into effect is represented
in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 being a side elevation, Figure 2 a rear elevation, and Figure 3 a plan of
the under side of one of my improved skates.
I divide the stock or foot plate longitudinally into two equal parts a, a', each of
these parts is connected by links b, b, which are pointed to lugs c, c, to a longitudinal
beam d, in which vertical pivots e, c, of the axles ff, of the rollers g, g, have their
bearings. Fixed to the under side of each half of the foot plate, and at or near the
middle thereof, is an inclined plane h, h, and these two planes bear against the
opposite sides of a transverse pin i carried by a diagonal tie rod k, which connects the
front and rear axles together.
The action is as follows:-Supposing it is desired to describe an outer curve, on the
right leg for example, the skater exerts pressure on the outer half a of the foot plate,
which therefore becomes depressed vertically without any tilting or inclination; the
inclined plane on the under side of this half is thereby caused to push the transverse
pin backwards, and this motion is converted by the diagonal tie rod into a
converging motion of the axles f, f. A curve on the inner edge is obtained in a
corresponding manner by pressure on the inner half a of the foot plate, the pin i
being in this case pushed forwards; is a spring rod or wire connecting the front
and rear axles together for the purpose of keeping the axles parallel to each other
when the foot is raised so that the rollers may be parallel on first touching the
ground.
Sometimes I dispense with the tie rod and transverse pin i, and I then place
the inclined planes near the ends of the halves of the foot plate so as to act directly
upon each axle. This modification is represented in Figures 4, 5, and 6, h, h, being
the inclined planes bearing upon the axles f,f, or upon friction rollers i, i, thereon.
m, m, are hooks forming extensions of the rear inclined planes h, k, to prevent the
foot plate a, a, separating too far from the beam d when the foot is raised.
Sometimes also I dispense with the links b. b, and fix to each end of each half
of the foot plate a vertical pin which passes through a guide in the longitudinal

page_text: beam d, and carries an inclined plane at its lower end to act upon the axle. This
modification is represented in Figures 7, 8, and 9. n, n, are the vertical pins
fixed to each end of each half a, a, of the foot plate, and o, o, are the guides on
the longitudinal beam d, through which the pins n, n, pass. h, h, are the inclined
planes on the ends of the pins m, n, to act upon the axles ff. The pins m, n, are
rounded at the top and bear in recesses in the under side of the foot plate; they
are held by transverse pins p, 1. 9, 9, are springs to keep the parts in or to assist
in returning them to their normal position. Each of these springs, the form of
which is clearly seen in Figure 8, has its ends passed respectively through the two
inclined planes h, h, while an eye in the centre is held by a retaining screw or pin 7,
which enters the end of the beam d.
Figures 10, 11, and 12 represent a modification of the skate last described, in
which the inclines h, h, are in the form of slots cut in extensions of the pins n, n,
and in which the springs for keeping the parts in or for assisting in returning
them to their normal position are in the form of india-rubber pads q, q, which
embrace or partly embrace the axles ff. The extension of the pins n, n, at each
end of the skate are far enough apart to give room for the pads 9, 9, and the
guides o, o, are also enlarged for the same purpose. The pads q, q, are kept in place
by means of screws 8, 8, tightened up against dises t, t, placed behind the pads.
ru, u, are nuts on these screws.
Figure 13 represents several detached views of the pins n, n, with their extensions
and inclined slots, and of the guides o, o.
In order to permit the vertical depression of the halves a, a, of the foot plate in
all of the modifications of my improved skate to be conveniently produced by the
skater I make them thicker near their outer edge than their inner edge, the surface
being of a curved form in section, as clearly indicated by dots in the rear views,
Figures 2, 5, 8, and 11. v, v, are heel pieces.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim -
First. Constructing roller skates with a longitudinally divided foot plate arranged
so that pressure of the foot upon either half thereof produces a vertical movement
of such half, such movement being converted by suitable mechanism into a con-
verging movement of the axles, substantially as herein-before described and repre-
sented in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The several arrangements of mechanism or combinations of parts as
herein before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings for con-
verting the vertical movement of either half of the foot plate into a converging
movement of the axles.
Third. Making the parts of a longitudinally divided foot plate thicker near their
outer than at their inner edge, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Bezer, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirtieth day of September, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six.
HENRY BEZER. (L.S.)