IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th December 1876.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middle-
sex, Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES." A communication from abroad
by Francis Charles Ireland, of the Village of Lachute, in the County of Argenteuil,
and Province of Quebec, Canada.
This Invention, some features of which are only applicable to roller skates, con-
sists mainly in the construction of downwardly projecting stands or pedestals,
secured either to the boot, or to any foot plate attached the foot of the skater in
any suitable manner. Through the lower part of these stands are cut rectangular
slots set obliquely, through which pass the roller axles, which are rectangular in
section and properly secured in place. A spring or springs bearing against each of
the axles keeps them when at rest quite horizontal, and at right angles to the
longitudinal axis of the skate, and this position will be retained so long as the skater
holds himself perfectly upright, but should lie incline either to the right or left, the
axle will move in such a way as to conduct him in that direction, the springs only
interposing a yielding resistance.
The boot plate, especially when formed of metal, may be secured to the boot by
clamps or holdfasts, which grip it, and are tightened up or loosened by means of a
nut operating through screws, a toggle joint or any other usual device, the clamps
which hold the sole and those for the heel being simultaneously acted upon. This
method of fastening is equally applicable to ice and roller skates.
In carrying out this part of the Invention a turn nut is employed, mounted on a
sleeve, in which is cut a two-way thread operating simultaneously two screws con-
nected to toe and heel clamps respectively.
In one form of fastening one of the screws is by means of a pivot pin (passing
up through a slot in the boot plate, and acting as a guide), attached to links,
pivotted to projections from double plates working on the centre pin of the fore
carriage.
The toe clamps which are formed on these double plates are by the turning of
the nut closed on or loosened from the boot through the action of the toggle joint,
and simultaneously with this action the screws attached to a plate on which are
formed the heel clamps bring these in contact with or loosen them from the heel of
the boot.

page_text: According to a modification of the preceding arrangement, in lieu of the double
plates working on the centre pin of the fore carriage, a single plate is used, having
formed in it converging slots in which are inserted the inner turned-up ends of the
clamps which are prevented from moving in the direction of the skate by suitable
projections, but are free to move laterally, and are drawn in or moved out so as to 5
grasp or release the boot by the forward or backward movement of the plate, the
latter being slotted so as not to interfere with the centre pin.
In this Invention the moveable heel clamps are in the rear of the boot heel
and press it against fixed bearings projections secured to the boot plate itself.