Road Skate.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 13th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Road Skate.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, (a communication to me from abroad by Edgar Dorr, of
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Inventor,) do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain means whereby a person is enabled to skate
upon ordinary roads, and to cover long distances without experiencing fatigue.
The invention comprises a suitable rubber-tyred wheel of that class used in the
construction of bicycles. This wheel is mounted in suitable bearings in the lower
end of a fork, which is provided with suitable straps, whereby it can be readily
attached to the leg of the skater. At the side of this fork is arranged a foot rest
which is capable of rocking movement.
Suitable levers are connected to this
rocking foot rest, and to a suitable brake which acts upon the wheel when the foot
rest is rocked to one side by the foot of the skater.
Dated this 31st day of July 1890.
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Road Skate.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Edgar Dorr, of Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Inventor,) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:--
This invention has for its object to construct a road-skate whereby the user may
travel along the road on wheels with safety, yet speedily..
In accordance with this invention each skate comprises a wheel mounted on
suitable bearings in a frame, which is designed to be attached to the leg and foot
of the user.
A foot-plate or equivalent is also arranged on the frame, which is
provided with suitable straps or other means by which the device may be secured
to the foot of the wearer. A suitable brake is provided for checking the forward
rotation of the wheel if the user should tip backward or desire to stop suddenly,
thereby preventing the wheel from moving out from beneath him and tending to
throw him on his back. A brake is also provided for preventing the backward
rotation of the wheel, which prevents it from moving out from beneath him, tending
to throw him on his face, such latter form of brake materially assisting him in
climbing hills.
Fig. 1 shows in side elevation a road-skate comprehending my invention;
Fig. 2 a rear side view of the road-skate shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3, an enlarged detail of the brake which prevents backward rotation of the
wheel;
Fig. 4, a top view of the leg-strap, showing its sliding connection with the
frame.
a,
The wheel of any suitable size-say fifteen inches in diameter-may, if desired,
have a rubber tire. This wheel a is arranged in suitable bearings in a yoke b,
which is secured to a vertical rod or bar b', provided at or near its upper end with a
I Daina 017

page_text: strap or other suitable clamp, by which it may be secured to the leg of the user.
This yoke and rod or bar constitute the frame for supporting the operating
parts. A foot-plate e is pivoted at its forward end at c' to a plate 2, having guide-
pins (herein shown as two in number,) which pins pass down through a rocking-
frame d, pivotally arranged on a bracket or arm d'. A spiral spring encircles
each guide-pinc, the lower ends of which springs are attached to or rest upon the
rocking-frame d, and the upper ends of which are attached to the said pins c³.
These guide-pins c³, moving vertically in the rocking-frame against tension of the
springs e, constitute a vertical yielding support for the foot of the user, to take up
the jar caused by travelling over rough roads.
The foot-plate c will be provided with suitable straps or clamps c³, by which it
may be secured to the foot of the user.
A brake is provided for checking forward rotation of the wheel a when tipping
backward or when the operator throws his weight on his heels, this brake being
herein shown as a brake-lever e, pivoted at el to one of the arms of the yoke b, and
having a crank-arm e², which is loosely connected to a rod e³, rigidly attached to
the rocking-frame d. When the weight of the operator is thrown on the heel end.
of the foot-plate c, the latter strikes the rear end of the plate c², or it may be a
projection thereon, and rocks the frame d on its pivot, and by means of the
arme the brake-lever e will engage the wheel a, and thereby check its forward
rotation. A cross-bar f is attached to the rocker-frame d, adjacent to or in close
proximity to the yoke b, at the front side thereof, so as to strike against the said
yoke when tipping forward, such bar thereby serving as a limiting-stop. A brake
is also provided for preventing backward rotation of the wheel a, which consists, as
herein shown, of a disc i, pivoted eccentrically at ito one arm of the yoke b, and
resting by the pressure of the slight spring upon the periphery of the disc i*,
secured to the hub or axle of the wheel, or it may bear directly on said hub or
'axle. It will be seen that when the wheel a is turned backward, in direction of
the arrow, the said friction-disc i will engage and hold the wheel firmly.
22
I do not desire to limit my invention to any particular construction of brakes to
be employed, as many forms are well known.
By means of this device the user can move over a rough road speedily, and
liability of accidents from tipping backward or forward is prevented. The leg-
strap is attached to a square sleeve b, arranged to slide vertically on the bar ¹,
which is shaped to receive said sleeve. This sliding movement is necessary for the
leg-strap, to enable the foot-plate c to be tipped with freedom. The object of
raising the heel, as described, is to raise the body slightly and with it the other
skate, in order to allow it to clear the ground in swinging forward.
I do not desire to limit my invention to the particular arrangement of parts-
viz., to placing the foot plate over or above the wheel. At the rear side of the
frame a mud-guard g is secured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a road-skate, a wheel and its bearing-frame, combined with a rocking and
vertically-movable foot-plate supported on said frame, substantially as described.
2. The wheel and its bearing-frame, combined with a rocking-frame and a pivoted
foot-plate supported by it, substantially as described.
3. In a road-skate, a wheel and its bearing-frame, combined with a rocking-frame,
a vertically-movable plate supported by it, and a pivoted foot-plate, substantially
as described.
4. In a road-skate, a wheel, its bearing-frame, a rocking-frame supporting the
foot of the user, and a brake operated by said frame when tilted in one direction,
substantially as described.
5. In a road-skate, a wheel, its bearing-frame comprising a yoke, and a rod or

page_text: bar to which the yoke is attached, a pivoted foot-plate mounted on said frame, and a
vertically movable leg-strap at the top of said frame by which it may be attached
to the leg of the user, substantially as described.
6. In a road-skate, the wheel, its bearing-frame, a pivoted foot-plate, and
yielding supporting-frame therefor, combined with a vertically-movable leg-strap,
substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of April 1891
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.