IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joshua Rooke, of 90, Leadenhall Street, in the City of
London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
Saaled the 16th June 1976 and dated the 02. Masch ...
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joshua Rooke at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd March 1876.
JOSHUA ROOKE, of 90, Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
My Invention of improvements in roller skates relates to an improved con-
struction of roller skate designed to afford great facilities for turning in small
circles, and to enable the skater to perform evolutions such as can be performed on
ice with ordinary ice skates. I call my improved skate by way of distinction the
"Acme roller skate."
In my improved skate the foot plate is in two independent parts, namely, a
heel plate and a toe plate, and two pairs of wheels are employed; cach pair
mounted on a horizontal axle, one under the heel plate the other under the
toe plate. Each axle is capable of rotation upon or about a vertical axis, which
may be a pivot formed with the axle and fitted into cach end of the trail bar or
connecting piece, which connects the fore and hind axles; this trail bar maintains
the pairs of wheels at their proper distance apart.
The heel and toe plates work on suitable joints, which allow of their oscillating
to either side of the skate according to the movement of the skater's foot; and
underneath each foot plate is fixed a bridle lever, which is connected to a horizontal
lever rigidly connected to the one axle at right angles thereto, and the horizontal
levers of the two axles are connected by a spring. This spring serves to return
the axles to their normal relative positions, namely, parallel to each other, and at
right angles to the longitudinal centre of the skate when the skate is lifted off the
ground.
By the use, as described, of independent heel and toe plates in conjunction with
levers such action can be given by the operation of the skater's foot to each pair
of wheels as will allow a perfect motion to be given to the wheels themselves, that
motion being directly due to the inclination of the heel and front part of tho
skater's foot, thus prejudicial straining of the foot is avoided.
Price (id1

page_text: If a skater wishes to turn in a circle he naturally inclines his body towards the
direction in which he desires to turn, and as the foot plates are secured to the foot
they receive the same amount of inclination which by my Invention will produce
a rotatory movement of the axles in a horizontal planc, the two wheels at the side
towards which the foot has been inclined will approach cach other, and the skate
will thus be caused to run in a curve.
It will be obvious that various arrangements of roller skates may be constructed
to operate upon the principle of my Invention.
"
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joshua Rooke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th September
1870.
JOSHUA ROOKE, of 90, Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
My Invention of improvements in roller skates relates to an improved con-
struction of roller skate designed to afford great facilities for turning in small
circles, and to enable the skater to perform evolutions such as can be performed
on ice with ordinary ice skates. I call my improved skate by way of distinction
the "Acme" roller skate.
My Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, wherein,—
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one of my improved skates.
Fig. 2 is a plan view, also partly in section, with the heel and toe plates
removed, shewing the positions of the parts as they appear when the heel and toc
plates are in their normal positions.
Fig. 3 is a plan view with the heel and toe plates removed, shewing the
positions of the axles and rollers when the heel and toe plates are inclined, as
shewn in Fig. 5.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the rearward end of the skate.
Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the toe plate, shewing it inclined.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the upper part of the skate.
From the Drawings it will be seen that in my improved skate instead of
having a foot plate entirely in one piece two independent parts, namely, a heel
plate and a toe plate bare employed in conjunction with two pairs of wheels
or rollers c, c¹. Each pair of wheels or rollers is mounted on a horizontal axle,
one (d) under the heel plate a, the other (¹) under the toe plate b. Each axle
is capable of rotation upon or about a vertical axis e or e¹, which may be a pivot
formed with the axle and fitted into each end of the trail bar or connecting piece f
which connects the fore and hind axles; this trail bar maintains the pairs of
wheels at their proper distance apart.
The heel and toe plates work on suitable joints at g, g', (seen best in Figs. 1
and 5) which allow of their oscillating to either side of the skate (as shewn in
Fig. 5) according to the movement of the skater's foot; and underneath cach of
the said plates a and b is fixed a bridle lever h or h¹ (Fig. 5), which is connected
to a horizontal lever i or rigidly connected to the one axle at right angles
thereto, and the horizontal levers i and of the two axles are connected by a
spring. This spring however inay in some cases be dispensed with. When used
this spring serves to return the axles to their normal relative positions, namely,
parallel to each other and at right angles to the longitudinal centre of the skate
when the skate is lifted above the ground.
By the use, as described, of independent heel and toe plates in conjunction
with levers such action can be given by the operation of the skater's foot to each
pair of wheels as will allow a perfect motion to be given to the wheels themselves,
that motion being directly due to the inclination of the heel and front part of the
skater's foot, thus prejudicial straining of the foot is avoided.

page_text: If a skater wishes to turn in a circle he naturally inclines his body towards the
direction in which he desires to turn, and as the foot plates are secured to the foot
they receive the same amount of inclination which by my Invention will produce
a rotatory movement of the axles in a horizontal plane, the two wheels at the side
towards which the foot has been inclined will approach each other, and the skate
will thus be caused to run in a curve.
Having described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode of carrying
it into practical effect, I desire to have it understood that I do not claim generally
as of my Invention the causing the axles to converge at one side or other of
a roller skate by the tilting of the plate on which the foot rests; I know that
various arrangements have been designed to operate on this principle; nor do I
intend to claim, per se, either the use of a trail bar or connecting piece, or any of
the mechanical parts of the skate herein-before shewn and described when taken
separately and apart from the combination or application thereof in manner and
for the purposes herein described, and as expressed in the following claiming
clauses; but what I do consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim
as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, is,
The method of operating the axles in a roller skate by means of a heel plate a,
a toc plate b, bridle levers and ¹, and horizontal levers i and i¹, each of the
latter (, ) being rigidly connected to one of the axles at right angles thereto,
as herein-before described.
I also claim the combination of parts constituting the improved roller skate,
constructed, arranged, and operating, as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joshua Rooke, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
JOSHUA ROOKE. (L.S.)