IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES APPLICABLE TO ICE SKATES OR ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Carpenter, of 2, Upper Belle Vue Terrace, Town
and County of Southampton, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES
APPLICABLE TO ICE SKATES OR ROLLER SKATES."
Scaled the 16th June 1870, and dated the 28th March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Carpeuter at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th March 1876.
JAMES CARPENTER, of 2, Upper Belle Vue Terrace, Town and County of South-
ampton. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES APPLICABLE TO ICE SKATES OR ROLLER
SKATES."
This Invention of improvements in skates applicable to ice skates or roller skates,
consists in providing the carriage carrying the rollers or the ice bar or runner in
pieces or sections with the means of being canted by side levers, acted upon by the
side action of the ankle or leg for facilitating the turning of the skate upon ice or
rink floors.
I provide the carriage carrying the wheels on a cross axle with a longitudinal
bar, one end of which rests in a mortice or has a ball-and-socket joint, the socket
being fixed to the foot bearing of the skate, the other end of the bar is the portion
acted upon by the levers.
To guide the action of the levers upon the bar I provide a slotted guide fixed to
the foot bearing of the skate, and the bar working in this guide is either tilted by
the lever or driven to the right or left by the action of the levers and locked against
an inclined plate or stop, the object of the inclination being the adjustment of the
lock at any desired point.
The levers have their fulcrum on the foot bearing of the skate, one end acts upon
the bar as described, the other is extended upwards from the foot bearing, and is
the part acted upon by the ankle, foot, or leg, and the inclination given to it by
the skater. As there are two carriages carrying the rollers, one under the ball of
the foot and one at the heel of the skater, the levers are contrived to act upon each
end of the bar under the middle of the foot, and so that by canting the leg to either
side both bars bring the carriages carrying the wheels into the proper position to
run in a circle, or in other words, it is like a carriage with both fore and hind
wheels provided with a locking carriage with the additional means of canting the
axle carrying the wheels. In place of these longitudinal bars I can arrange that
the wheel carriage shall be worked on segments or by a rack and pinion, the levor
action being nearly the same.

page_text: The rollers are formed of one central wheel of wood or metal covered or not on
its periphery with india-rubber; it is fixed to its axle, each end of which is pointed
and runs in centres provided for it attached to the carriage fixed to the longitudinal
bar. On either side of the central wheel is a wooden or other suitable wheel or
wheels loose on the axis of the central wheel and intended to give additional
stability to the skater, and adjusted to come into play on any inclination given to
the vertical line of the central wheel.
For insuring a smooth action to the longitudinal bars I add springs which may
be of metal or india-rubber; so that the bars shall respond to the slightest movement
of the lever. The arm of the lever for the action of the aukle or leg may be
attached in any suitable manner by a strap or otherwise.
To fix the foot to the foot bearer I make a hinged toe piece or cramp and a
heel piece or guard, which may be laced together with the ankle stay or side lever.
Where the ice bar is used, the bar is divided into two or more sections, and the
sections fastened respectively to the fore or back carriage in place of the axles
carrying the rollers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Carpenter in the Great Seal Patent Oflice on the 28th Sep-
tember 1876.
JAMES CARPENTER, of 2, Upper Belle Vuo Terrace, Town and County of South-
ampton. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES APPLICABLE TO ICE SKATES OR ROLLER
SKATES."
This Invention consists in providing the carriage, carrying the rollers or the ice
bar made in pieces or sections with the means of being canted by side levers acted
upon by the side action of the ankle or leg for facilitating the turning of the skate
upon ice or rink floors, and in the details by which such means are carried out.
provide two carriages, carrying the wheels on cross axles with longitudinal
bars, one end of one rests in an eye of the other or forms a ball-and-socket joint,
so that there are two axles one for the toe of the skate, one for the heel, the two
poles or longitudinal bars meeting under the sole of the footboard; to one of the
poles is fitted a lever by the pressure of which the poles are made to diverge from
the mid line of the footboard, and the carriages or axles carrying the rollers gives a
circular or curved path to the skate.
The lever has its fulcrum on the footboard of the skate, the action is given to it
on either side of the footboard by the pressure of the sole of the boot of the skater.
The footboard carries two bosses, one at the heel the other at the toe of the skate,
upon which as it were the foot may rock and thus be enabled to give effect to the
tread of the lever. In one form the lever is carried up above the sole of the foot,
the inclination of the leg or ankle then acting. The skate has therefore fore and
hind wheels provided with a locking carriage.
The action of the lever described may be obtained by racks and pinions, but the
arrangement described and to be described is preferable.
For bringing the poles to their normal position I use one or more india-rubber
rings or bands or metal springs.
In the form to be used for ice the rollers are dispensed with and the ice bar is
formed of a flexible steel ribbon, carrying the ice runners upon it in segments, and
provided at the toe of the skate or the heel with a double bar or parallel bars.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure I is a view of the form of the skate from
above; Figure 2, a view from below; Figure 3, view in elevation, part of axle
frame removed; and Figure 4, end view from the front of the skate.
a is the sole plate of the skate carrying the pins of the carriages b, which are
retained to the sole plate by the plates b1, b², entering a groove in and the lower
flange b', the extension of the flange forms the side plates which retain the ends

page_text: of the steel axlos 63, and upon which the wheels rotate; the axle is retained in
the axle box 65 by the carriage pole or bar d', which enters in a notch cut in the
steel axle, the bar being retained by a nut and screw. The shoe sole of the
skater rests on the bosses b, and on the rocker c; the rocker c is retained to
the sole plate by the plate c³, and the pin c passing through at c', the rocker
oscillating on the pin c²; at c¹ there is a hole for the passage of the bar d', by
which the carriage carrying the wheels is acted upon by the action of the lever c to
give the fore part of the skate a curved direction; the end of the bar d' carries a
loop through which the bar of the hind carriage reciprocates in movement with
the bar, both pairs of wheels thus contributing to give, the circular direction
required in accordence with the action of the lever c to keep the bars in their
normal position; there is an india-rubber ring e looped round two screws in the sole
plate and the end of the lever d, as shown Figures 2 and 3; the heel guard and too
straps are not shown, as they are of the ordinary and common type.
Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 shew a modification of the skate, the axle a is keyed to
the rocker carrying the side levers c; the shaft is keyed to the lever d, in the
lower end of which a mortice or socket receives the ends of the poles d, d', of the
fore and hind carriages, the action of the carriage and poles being the same as
previously described though the details are somewhat modified in the Drawings 5,
6, 7, and 8.
་
Figures 9 and 10 shew the flexible ice bar to be fitted to the skate for ice,
Figure 9 being a view of the bar from the lower surface, and Figure 10 an
elevation, the discs a, b, reprepresenting the same parts as shown in Figure 4, b; a,
or being either the fore or aft part of the skate; the first sections 1 slides in a slot in
the part al, the last section 5 being fixed to the portion of the disc b; a thin ribbon
of steel e passes down the upper portion of the sections as shown in Figure 10, being
retained by the pins d, d; e is a strong helical spring acting by its tension to
keep the segments in a rigid line, the spring being retained by the collar f and
pin g.
In the Drawing the distance between the segments is exaggerated; in practice it
is better to keep them closer together they are preferably made in odd number, and
the centre one is then acted upon by the lever c, as shown in the roller skates.
In one form of skate I use the flexible steel in one continuous piece, and on
either side of the ordinary ice bar of a skate so as to form a skate with 3 bars; to
the two outer and flexible bars I give the direction from the straight line by the
action of the lever c, as previously described, both flexible bars being retained in
tension, as shown in the Figures 9 and 10 by the helical spring.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim as my Invention is,-
First. The skate with the double carriage and poles, the poles being articulated
and united in their action as shown, substantially as described.
Second. The means by which the diverging action from a straight line is given
to the skate by the side lever or foot lever, substantially as shewn and described.
Third. The bosses for the support of the boot or shoe sole of the skater, by which
the foot is enabled to rock and act upon the lever, substantially as described.
Fourth. The flexible ice bar in segments substantially as described.
Fifth. The modification of the flexible ice bar described consisting in two flexible
ice bars, one on either side of a rigid fixed ice bar, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Carpenter, have hereunto set my hand
and scal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
JAMES CARPENTER. (L.S.)