Improvements in Skates.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1890-4ccepted, 17th Jan., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Skates.
We, GEORGE CHARLES BATEMAN, Machinist, CHARLES WILLIAM MCKER,
Telegraphist, and WILLIAM JAMES BUTLER, Merchant, all of Halifax, in the County
of Halifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada, do hereby declare the nature of
our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
5 described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
0
The object of this invention is to provide a skate that can be easily and quickly
adjusted to any ordinary boot, the toe and heel tastenings of which act independently
of each other, and other improvements which will be fully set forth hereafter reference
being made to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved skate.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a top view of the same.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are details of the device for securing the skate at the toe.
Figure 7 is a view of the fastening device for the heel as seen from the underside.
A is the blade of the skate to the front end of which is secured the toe plate B, by
means of two forks bb, formed integrally with the toe plate, preferably stamped out
of sheet metal and bent downward, astride the blade A, and a standard C, the lower
part of which is forked and secured to the blade by a screw e, on the upper part of
this standard and on opposite sides thereof are projecting teeth D, these teeth project
over the toe plate and hold it firmly on the blade, a circular slot d being formed in
the toe plate having a recess on either sile through which the teeth D pass when the
skate is being put together.
EE are the toe clamps the upright portions e of which are serrated in the usual
manner to obtain a grip on the sole of the boot, the horizontal portions are cut away
at F, and a recess G cut out of this reduced portion as shown in Fig. 5, the inner
edges of these recesses are provided with teeth g, the projections fleft on the ends of
the plates serve as a guide in the recessed portion F, of the opposite clamp and also
as stops to prevent the clamps being withdrawn. These clamps are covered by a
cover plate H, the edges of which are turned down and cover the sides of the clamps
forming a slide for the clamps, pins or buttons I project downwards from the
diagonally opposite corners of this cover plate, adapted to pass through and slide in
the slots J, in the toe plate B these slots are ares of a circle of which the screw K is
the centre, cross slots are provided through which the buttons I pass when the skate
is being put together, the screw K passes through the cover plate H, and into the
standard C, acting as a pivot for the plate H.
A stop L passes up through a hole in the toe plate B, and is attached to a spring
thumb plate M, secured to the under side of the toe plate.
It will readily be seen that when the spring stop is depressed the blade
turned to one side, so that the teeth of the standard are disengaged from the teeth of
be
may
the two toe clamps which may then be adjusted to any width required, when the
required width has been attained the blade may be then turned back until the cover
plate passes the spring stop, in which position the teeth of the standard engage the
eeth of the clamps, the spring stop then prevents the blade being turned too far and
he teeth disengaged when securing the skate to the boot, but permits a limited con-
raction of the clamps.
It will thus be seen that the blade of the skate is used as a lever by which the toe
lamps are secured to the boot.
The heel-plate N has two forks n, bent down astride the blade and two serrated
lates O bent upwards to secure the back of the heel of the boot, a slot o is formed in

page_text: the front portion of the heel-plate N, a forked standard P, is secured to the blade A,
by a screw p and riveted and screwed to the plate N, under this plate is a sliding
plate Q, of the heel clamp, the forward end of which is turned up and passes through
the slot o and is furnished with a knife edge r turned rearwardly to engage the beel
of the boot. This clamp plate is provided with two arms R and S, passing one on
each side of the standard P, the arm R is provided with a slots, adapted to slide on a
button T, which holds it in place; the inner edge of this arm is provided with teeth U,
adapted to engage teeth V on a lever W, through which the standard P passes and
acts as a fulcrum thereto, the teeth V extend over only a portion of the end of the
lever W, the other portion w is left without teeth so that when the lever is turned
back the teeth of the sliding plate and of the lever are disengaged and the rack plate
or heel cutter may be adjusted to any desired size, a stop 7 may be attached to the
heel plate over which the lever may be sprung when the lever is turned back, but in
putting on the skate this stop prevents the teeth being disengaged, the lever W is
bent over at the outer extremity forming a hook or catch m. adapted to engage
teeth formed on the edge of the heel plate, this holds the lever firmly when the skate
is on the boot.
In this skate it will be seen that an ordinary sized toe or heel plate can be attache
to a long or short blade, whereas in the skates now in use as the "Acme" only the
same sized plates can be used with the same sized blade.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination of the runner blade, the extensible clamp sustained thereby,
provided with racks and movable hodily on a central vertical axis and the central
operating pinion provided with the opposite delay surfaces.
2. The combination of the runner blade, the toe plate rigidly secured thereto, the
extensible clamp overlying said plate, movable thereon around a vertical axis, and
provided with racks and the central operating pinion provided with opposite delay
surfaces.
3. The combination of the inner blade, the rigid plate provided with curved slots
and recesses communicating with the slots, the extensible clamp, movable on a
central vertical axis the enclosing case provided with the headed pins to enter the
recesses and move in the slots, and suitable mechanism for operating the clamp.
4. The combination of the runner blade the extensible clamp sustained thereby
and movable on a vertical axis, a locking device to prevent the clamp from moving on
its axis, and suitable means for operating the clamp.
5. In a skate the combination of the runner blade, the heel plate fixed thereto
and provided with the vertical flange, the movable flanged plate provided with
the rack and the lever provided with the toothed segment to engage the rack,
whereby the said lever may be moved to disengage the segment from the rack and
admit of the adjustment of the movable plate to heels of different sizes.
6. In a skate the combination of the ranner blade, the fixed slotted heel plate
provided with the vertical flanges, the sliding toothed plate Qprovided with the
vertical flanger, extending through the slot in the heel plate, and the lever provided
with the toothed segment to engage the rack.
7. A skate consisting of a blade, to which is rigidly attached a toe plate, by means
of downturned forks and a standard, a standard having teeth round its upper face
projecting over said toe plate, said teeth being only on the opposite sides, toe
clamps the plates of which have toothed racks on their inner edges, adapted to be
engaged by the teeth of said standard, a cover plate covering racks in the sand
clamps, and having buttons sliding in slots in said toe plate, said cover pivoted to
the said standard, a spring stop to limit the movement of said cover plate and clamps,
a heel plate having forks and a standard to secure it to the blade, stationary
clamps, a sliding clamp or heel cutter having a toothed rack, a lever pivoted to
said standard, having projecting teeth engaging the toothed rack, a stop to limit the

page_text: movement of said lever, a hook and teeth to hold the lever in position, substantially as
shown and described.
8. In a skate the combination with the blade or lever A, toe plate B, the
standard C, having teeth D, on the front and rear sides of the upper surface of the
too clamps E E, having toothed racks g, the cover plate H, stop L, and spring thumb
plate M, substantially as shown and described.
n,
9. In a skate the combination of the blade A, heel plate N, stationary clamps 0,
forks slots 0, standard P, sliding plate Q cutting edge r, arms R and S, slot s,
button T, toothed rack U, lever W, having teeth V, segment w,
stop 1, substantially as shown and described.
Dated 11th November 1890.
catch
m, teeth 9: and
GEO. DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent for Applicants.