IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEEL OR ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lewis Westlake, of Plymouth, in the County
of Devon, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF WHEEL OR ROLLER SKATES"
Scaled the 21st August 1875, and dated the 9th April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lewis Westlake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tho .
9th April 1875.
I, LEWIS WESTLAKE, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF WHEEL OR ROLLER SKATES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain improvements in the construction
of "wheel" or "roller" skates, and by means of which the wheels or
rollers are rendered capable of being moved laterally, and also in a
vertical direction by the weight of the skater so as to facilitate the
performance of any desired evolutions.
The foot plate or board is formed of metal or any other suitable
material or combination of material, and on the under surface at or

page_text: near the toe and heel thereof are formed or attached fixed bearings for
the reception of the ends of a metallic bar which is placed beneath the
foot plate or board so as to extend longitudinally from one end of the
same to the other, and being free to rotate in the before-mentioned
bearings. At a suitable distance from the respective ends of the longi-
tudinal bar studs are formed thereon or attached at right angles thereto,
for the reception of transverse plates with vertical ends in which are the
requisite bearings for the axles of the wheels or rollers, which aro
arranged in pairs and turned frecly on their respective axlos. Such
transverse plates are provided with circular apertures in the centres
thereof through which the studs are passed, and then secured by means
of nuts or collars placed on the ends of the studs or in any other
suitable manner, so that the transverse plates will work freely on the
studs without becoming detached therefrom. To the centres of the
axles of the respective wheels or rollers are fixed hollow cylindrical
sockets extending horizontally towards the centre of the skate, and in
each of such sockets is placed a pin which may be termed a
66 swivel
pin" provided with an eye or loop at the end thereof which is passed
over a vertical bar, which is placed at a convenient distance from the
wheels and rigidly attached to the foot plate or board. The hollow
cylindrical sockets are capable of rotating freely upon the before-
mentioned horizontal pins which are always held in position by their
connection with the vertical bars.
The action of the before-described arrangements is as follows:-Upon
the skater exerting pressure upon either side of the skate the longi-
tudinal bar is partially rotated in its bearings, and allows the transverse
plates with the wheels or rollers mounted in the bearings attached
thereto to move in directions radial to the centres or studs upon which
the said transverse plates work. The longitudinal bar is prevented from
rotating too freely or to a greater extent than is necessary or desirable
by means of a transverse bar or plate which is attached thereto at a point
nearly equidistant between the two pairs of wheels or rollers. India-
rubber cushions or pads are placed between the respective ends of the
transverse bar or plate, such cushions or pads being necessarily
compressed by the rocking of the transverse bar or plate, and thus
regulating the motion of the longitudinal bar or plate, whilst the radial
action of the wheels or rollers is regulated by the before-mentioned
arrangement by which the axles thereof are connected with the vertical
bars.

page_text: The wheels or rollers may be formed of metal, wood,
material or combination of materials.
or any suitable
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Lewis Westlake in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEWIS
WESTLAKE, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, send groeting.
WHEREAS Пer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by IIcr
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her cign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Lewis Westlake, Her
special licence that I, the said Lewis Westlake, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Lewis Westlake, 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, usc,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
“IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WHEEL OR ROLLER SKATES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, tho said Lewis Westlake,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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 Lewis Westlake, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the annexed Drawings, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :—
My said Invention consists in certain improvements in the con-
struction of "wheel" or roller skates, and by means of which the wheels

page_text: or rollers are rendered capable of being moved laterally and horizontally
by the weight of the skater so as to facilitate the performance of any
desired evolutions.
The foot plate or board is formed of metal or any other suitable
material or combination of materials, and on the under surface at or
near the toe and heel thereof are formed or attached bearings for the
reception of the ends of a metallic bar-which is placed bencatlı the foot
plate or board so as to extend longitudinally from one end of the same
to the other, and being free to 10tate in the before-mentioned bearings
At a suitable distance from the respective ends of the longitudinal bar
studs are formed thereon or attached at right angles thereto for the
reception of transverse plates with vertical ends in which are the
requisite bearings for the axles of the wheels or rollers, which are
arranged in pairs and turn freely on their respective axles. Such
transverse plates are provided with circular apertures in the centres
thereof, through which the studs are passed, and then secured by means
of nuts or collais placed on the ends of the studs or in any other suitable
manner, so that the transveise plates will work freely on the studs
without becoming detached therefrom To the centres of the axles of
the respective wheels or rollers are fixed hollow cylindrical sockets
extending horizontally towards the centre of the skate, and in each of
such sockets is placed a pin which may be termed a swivel pin "
provided with an eye or loop at the end thereof which is passed over a
vertical bar placed at a convenient distance from the wheels, and rigidly
attached to the foot plate or board The hollow cylindrical sockets are
capable of rotating freely upon the before-mentioned horizontal pins
which are always lield in position by their connection with the vertical
bars.
"
The action of the before described arrangements is as follows -Upon
the skater exerting pressure upon either side of the skate the longi-
tudinal bar is partially rotated in its bearings, and allows the transverse
plates with the wheels or rollers mounted in the bearings attached
thereto to move in directions radial to the centres or studs upon which
the said transverse plates work The longitudinal bar is prevented from
rotating too freely or to a greater extent than is necessary or desirable
by means of a transverse bar or plate which is attached thereto at a
point nearly equidistant between the two pairs of wheels or rollers.
India-rubber cushions or pads or metal springs are placed between the

page_text: respective ends of the transverse bar or plate, such cushions or pads
being necessarily compressed by the rotating of the transverse bar or
plate, and thus regulating the motion of the longitudinal bar or plate,
whilst the radial action of the wheels or rollers is regulated by tho
before-mentioned arrangement by which the axles thereof are connected
with the vertical bar.
The wheels or rollers may be formed of metal or of wood with metal
bushings or of any suitable material or combination of materials.
I will now proceed to refer to the annexed Drawings from which the
nature of my said Invention will be more clearly understood.
Figure 1 is a side view of the skate, and Figure 2, a bottom view of
the same, Figure 3 is a front view, and Figure 4, a longitudinal half
section of Figure 1 through the line A, A, in Figure 2.
The same letters and figures of reference indicate similar parts in all
tho several Drawings.
The foot plate or board is shown at A, B, C, the axles of the wheels arc
hown at B Pare the bearings which take the ends of the longitudinal
bar A, and to which bar are fixed the studs or pivots 13
Transverse
plates with vertical ends which may be termed carriages are shown at 6;
W are circular apertures which fit over the studs or pivots, and are kept
in position by screws, as shown in Figure 4. The sockets in which the
swivel pin 5 fits, is shown at 7; 12, is a vertical bar which passes
through the loop at the end of the swivel pin, 3 are transverse plates
between which and the foot plate or board are placed india-rubber
cushions or pads and kept in position by small screws, as shewn in
Figure 1
Figure 7 shews metal bushings for the wheels or rollers; E is a
cylinder flanged at one end and provided with a screw at the other end
to take the nut S
Figure 8 shows the wheels or rollers in section with the bushings in
position.
Figure 5 represents a modification of Figure 1, showing how the two
pairs of wheels or rollers may be worked separately or detached from
each other. The arrangement for cramping the wheels or rollers is the
same as that shewn in Figure 1, the difference being only in the method
of preventing the skate rolling too freely.

page_text: Figure 6 is a section of Figure 5 through the line A, A. A rod or
bar ending at the vertical pin 12 is shewn at A; S is a pin flanged
at one end and with a screw thread at the other, and which passes
through the studs or pivots and through the bearing block. An india-
rubber spring 10 is put on, the nut E is then screwed down. The
flanged end of the pin bearing on the circular aperture W keeps the
whole firmly together.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would observo
in conclusion that what I consider novel and original and therefore claim 1
as constituting the Invention secured to me by the said herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent arc,-
First The employment of horizontal bearings in the construction of
wheel or roller skates, substantially as herein-before set forth.
And, Secondly. The combination and arrangement of parts and 1
mechanism in the construction of roller skates, substantially as and for
the purposes herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lewis Westlake, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
TTITC ITGBT ATZTA