IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Clark at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
December 1875.
I, GEORGE CLARK, of No. 10, Craven Buildings, Drury Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference especially to improvements in the
construction of skates on wheels known as roller skates, part of the said
Invention being applicable to ordinary ice skates. The said improve-
ments relate,-
Firstly. To the platform of the skate.
Secondly. To the axles of the wheels or rollers.
Thirdly. To the mode of supporting and balancing the platform.
And, Fourthly. To the mode of lubricating the axles of the skate
rollers. Heretofore the platforms of skates have been made in one piece
Thirdly. To the mode of supporting and balancing the platform.
And, Fourthly. To the mode of lubricating the axles of the skate
rollers. Heretofore the platforms of skates have been made in one piece

page_text: of wood which is the material usually employed, but I propose in some
cases to substitute for wood papier maché or compressed bituminous
compound or cement suitable for the purpose and moulded into the
required form or forms.
According to the first part of my Invention instead of constructing
the platform in one piece, I divide it into two parts at a central
transverse line between the front and the hind wheels or rollers. These
two parts of the platform are securely fastened to each other by means
of springs attached to both of such parts, either at the top or bottom or
both, or at the sides of the platform; these springs are so arranged and
fitted to the platform that they may have and communicate to the
platform a horizontal motion from right to left, or vice versa, or
upwards or downwards, as the motions of the skater may induce
variations of position in one direction or the other. For the con-
struction of these springs india-rubber or other flexible material may
be used, but I prefer two steel springs, one of such springs being
attached by screws or otherwise to the bottom side of one of the said
two parts of the platform, and overlapping and supporting the bottom
of the other part of the said platform, but without being fastened
thereto, the other spring being attached in a similar manner to the top
side of one of the said parts on the opposite side, and overlapping and
resting on the top side of the other of the said parts without being
attached thereto. To keep these springs in their places, and to allow of
a horizontal motion right and left when induced by the motions of the
skater, a pivot is passed through holes immediately above each other
through the middle of the two springs, and through the point of
junction of the front and hind parts of the platform. The said pivot is
maintained in position either by rivetting its two ends over the springs,
or by its having a head at one end and a screw nut at the other. By this
arrangement an up and down and horizontal motion of the front and
hind parts of the platform separately will be obtained from the action of
the springs

page_text: the axles, and of sufficient solidity to afford support to the weight of the
skater without any risk of fracture. On and over the part of the said
plate or piece of metal forming the axletree, between the two wheels is
fitted a spring which may be cither of steel, india-rubber, or other
clastic material; another plate of metal rests on the upper side of such
spring, being connected with the aforesaid axletree by means of a pin
fixed to the upper plate and passing through the centre of the spring;
the said pin being secured at its lower end to the axletree in such
manner as to allow of a vertical motion up and down of the upper plate
and spring, and so that the necessary clasticity of the said spring may
be obtained and regulated.
The third part of the said improvements consists in screwing into the
head of the aforesaid pin, which connects together the upper plate, the
axletree, and the spring between them, a stud which may be about an
inch long, and by preference slightly conical, that is, larger at the top
than the bottom. It has a smooth convex top to serve as a pivot on
which the platform is to be supported and balanced, as herein-after
described, and has a saw nick or other suitable contrivance at its top for
the purpose of screwing it into the head of the aforesaid axletree pin,
as before mentioned. In order to connect the platform of the skate
with the aforesaid conical stud, a metal tube made slightly conical
inside corresponding to the conical form of the aforesaid stud is fitted
into a hole in the platform, and securely fastened to such platform
immediately over the centre of each of the aforesaid axletrees of the
front and hind rollers of the skate, the platform being placed in
position with each of these holes over its respective axletree, the
aforesaid conical stud is dropped into each of the said metal tubes; and
its lower extremity is then screwed into each of the aforesaid heads of
the aforesaid pins. A circular disc of hard metal having a screw round
its circumference, and a concavity on its under side adapted to the
convex head of the aforesaid conical stud is then screwed into a worm
formed inside the upper end of the aforesaid metal tube. The result of
this arrangement is that by keeping the lower part of the aforesaid
metal tube from coming in contact with the plate over the axletrée,. the
platform is suspended on the top of the aforesaid conical plugs, and
the positions of the front and hind rollers of the skate adjust themselves
to any curvilinear motion imparted to the skates.by.the skater. Another

page_text: method of connecting the platform to the axletree consists in attaching
a tube to the said axletree into which tube the spring is dropped, a pin
is then passed through the centre of the spring, a shoulder on the said
pin bearing on the top of the spring. The top of the pin is connected
with the platform of the skate by means of a plate or screw or other
suitable contrivance, its lower extremity passes through the axletree,
and the whole of the parts are held together by means of a nut screwed
on to such lower extremity of the said pin.
The fourth part of the said improvements which relates to the
lubrication of the axles of skate rollers is as follows:-A small vessel to
contain oil or any other lubricating substance is attached to one of the
sides of the axletree herein-before referred to; a hole about half the
diameter of the axles is drilled through the centre of the said axles and
the axletree from end to end, or only through each axle, and for a short
distance into the axletree plate; a hole or holes of similar or less
diameter being made from the bottom of the said lubricating vessel
through the side of the axletree plate to meet the hole or holes aforesaid;
a communication is thereby established between the lubricating vessel
and the first-named hole or holes. To check the too abundant flow of
the lubricating material, a piece of cotton twist similar to a small lamp
wick may be placed in the holes. The lubrication of the outside of the
axles is effected by perforating two or three small radial apertures
through the tubes, which constitute the axles into the holes respectively
containing the cotton twist. The ends of the holes through the axles
are plugged to prevent the escape of the lubricating substance, and
this plug may be the contrivance employed to retain the rollers on the
axles.
The lubricating vessel referred to has an opening at the top, which
may be prolonged in the form of a small tube through the platform of
the skate to its upper side, so as to facilitate the feeding of the aforesaid
vessel, the said opening or its prolongation being, by preference,
provided with a stopper.
All that part of the said Invention which is herein-before described as
the first improvement may be applied to ice skates having under the
platform iron or steel runners. For the purpose of applying the said
first improvement to any such ice skates the metal runner is made in

page_text: two parts, the hinder part being rounded in front so as not to cut the
ice; the platform is also divided in two parts transversely in the same
manner as hercin-before described for roller skates. The springs con-
necting the front and hind parts together may be applied and fixed on
the top and on the sides of the front and hind parts of the platform, in
the manner most suitable to produce the effect of uniting securely the
two parts, and producing the lateral action from right to left and up and
down, as that herein-before described for roller skates.