IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES." A communication from abroad by Phillip
Christian Franke, of St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America.
Sealed the 16th August 1878, and dated the 26th June 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th June 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firin of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATES." A com-
munication from abroad by Phillip Christian Franke, of St. Paul, Minnesota, United
States of America.
This Invention relates to that class of skates which are secured to the foot of the
wearer by clamps, and without the use of straps; and consists partly in a rod
actuated by a lever, whereby the toe and heel clamps are both set simultaneously
by one movement of the lever as herein-after described.
The said Invention further consists in the arrangement of the clamps and lever,
whereby the skate may be adapted to fit any sized foot, and in the employment of
a heel stop and brace.
The said Invention further consists in an adjustable ankle and leg clamp, whereby
weak ankles may be strengthened and protected.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the said Invention; Figure 2 is a plan of the same
with the ankle and leg clamps removed.
Figure 3 is a plan of the rear portion of the said skate with the ankle and leg
clamps in position; Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the same with the leg clamp
lowered down near the ankle clamp.
A is the runner; B, the toe plate, and C, the heel plate which may all be made
in the usual manner.

page_text: D is a rod or bar running in a slide a beneath the said toe plate, and extending
backward a short distance beneath the heel plate, as shown; b is a collar
surrounding the bar D near the rear of the toe plate, and provided with a set
screw with its lower end pointed, and adapted to fit into the countersunk inden-
tations d, by which the collar may be securely held at any desired point upon the
bar D.
E is a slotted lever pivotted at e to the left-hand rear corner of the toe plate, the
slot e¹ therein fitting over the set screw c, as shewn.
By these means the slot e' acting upon the collar b serves to slide the bar D back
and forth beneath the toe and heel plates.
These levers
F, F¹, are two levers having clamps g, g, upon their outer ends to clasp the boot
of the wearer, and which passing inward beneath the toe plate over guides h, h',
are pivotted to the end of the rod D, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
F, F, by running through the guides 1, ', are held in one position at the outer
edges of the toe plate.
It will be readily seen that by the movement of the bar D through the action of
the lever E, the clamps g, g', will be drawn inward and thus clasp the toe of the
boot, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2.
The inner ends of the levers F, F, and the forward end of the bar D will be
provided with a number of holes, so that the pin holding them together may be
adjusted to lengthen or shorten the levers for feed of different sizes.
G is a heel clamp which is provided with a collar cucircling the rod D, and
secured thereto by a set screw m, whose point works in countersunk indentations d¹
similar to those for the collar b. By these means the clamp G may be adjusted to
fit heels of various sizes.
His a stationary heel stop consisting of two uprights n, n¹ (having serrations in
their front sides to assist in holding them against the heel), and a connecting bar
P. P', passing forward around the standard A¹ of the runner A (as shewn in Figures
1, 2, and 4), this bar being rivetted at to the heel plate C. By these means
the heel stop is made in one piece with the brace for supporting the said heel
plate.
J is a supporting frame consisting of two standards t¹, t, pivotted to the upper
ends of the stationary heel stop H, and connected by bars t³, th
K, K, are two metal pieces curved to conform to the shape of the heel or ankle,
and pivotted at to, t, to the tops of the standards t', . These pieces form a clamp
K, K', so constructed that the rear ends overlap each other (see Figures 3 and 4),
and are provided with a set screw u which has a rounded head u¹, and is tapped
through the bar K, and passes through a slot in the bar K¹.
By running the screw out or in, the head u may be made to press against the
heel of the wearer (when the heel is pressed against it by the clamp G), and thus
throw the forward points of the clamp inward and press them againt the ankle
with any desired force. By this adjustment the clamp K, K', may be adapted to
any sized heel; 2 is another screw tapped through the lower connecting bar t
to prevent the tipping back ward of the frame H when the clamps G and g, g', are
released.
L is a hoop or band made adjustable by a catch v and holes v' (see Figures 1
and 3), and connected by metallic straps w, wl, to the clamp K, K', as shown, by
bent or looked pins x, x¹, so that it may be readily removed or attached, the
pressure of the clamps upon the ankle keeping it in place when in use. This band
is intended to be used as a leg support, and will be made high enough to encompass
the calf of the leg of the wearer, the Drawing showing part of the straps w, w³,
broken away. By these means I produce a skate that may be adjusted to fit any
sized foot, and be secured thereto by the action of one lever.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The rod actuated by the adjustable slotted lever in combination with

page_text: the adjustable clamping levers and toe plate of a skate, as herein-before
specified.
Second. The rod actuated by the adjustable slotted lever in combination with
the adjustable heel clamp and heel plate, as here'n-before specified.
Third. The stationary combined heel stop and heel plate brace in combination
with the heel plate and standard of the runner, as herein-before described.
Fourth. The adjustable ankle clamp in combination with the stationary heel stop,
as herein-before set forth.
Fifth. The adjustable leg support and metal straps in combination with the
adjustable ankle clamp and supporting frame, as herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
W. KOB. LAKE. (I.S.)