IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Sandell Mappin, of Twickenham, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF ROLLER SKATES."
Sealed the 23rd February 1877, and dated the 24th August 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Sandell Mappin at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, on the 24th August 1876.
WALTER SANDELL MAPPIN, of Twickenham, in the County of Middlesex, Gentle-
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROLLER SKATES"
man.
This Invention relates to improvements upon certain four-wheeled guidable roller
skates having movable or adjustable axles, which were manufactured to order by me
and sold, and publicly used in Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, in or about
the months of February or March, A.D. 1865, and has for its object the cheapening
and simplifying of the construction of such skates, and the improving of the action
of the same.
Before proceeding to describe my present improvements I may observe that I lay
no claim to the use in roller skates of axles that are caused to converge or assume
the positions of radi of a circle by the action of the lateral canting or tilting of
the stock or foot stand, as the said principle was embodied in and applied to the
skates manufactured and sold by me as aforesaid, and has since become well known
to the public.
According to my present Invention I employ two tubular brackets situate respec-
tively at or near the toe and heel of the skate, which brackets project downwards
at any desired angle from the stock or foot stand, and may either be formed in one
piece therewith (as in the case of using metal stocks, for example), or may be made
separately, and be secured to the stock by screws or otherwise, as in the case of
using wooden stocks. In the lower ends of these tubular brackets I form a
chamber or socket for the reception of a ball or a partial sphere, that is to say, a
sphere having a portion of its upper side flattened or channelled. This ball is
dropped into the said chamber or socket, and is then secured therein by bending or
pressing or turning the edges of the socket over the ball. In opposite sides of the
socket I form an opening or oblong slot at any desired angle, in order to admit of
[Price Gd1

page_text: the passage of the axle of the rollers, which axle I drive horizontally through the
centre of the ball or partially flattened sphere
Within the upper hollow part of each of the before-mentioned tubular brackets
I introduce a plunger, the enlarged lower end of which is pressed downwards upon
the flattened portion of the ball by a helical spring, the force of which is regulated
by an adjustable screwed plug, which is screwed into the upper tubular part of the
before-mentioned hollow bracket.
I make the spikes which afford a firm hold to the sole of the boot or shoe
removeable, and I surround each spiko by a metal disc, the whole being provided
with a shank, which is screwed or otherwise secured into the body of the stock, so "
that a damaged spike may be easily replaced, whilst at the same time a simple and
1eady means is afforded for securing the straps to the stock by passing the shanks
through the leather
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Walter Sandell Mappin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th February 1877.
WALTER SANDELL MAPPIN, of Twickenham, in the County of Middlesex, Gentle-
man "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROLLER SKATES'
My said Invention relates to improvements upon certain four-wheeled guidable
roller skates having moveable or adjustable axles, which were manufactured to
order by me and sold, and publicly used in Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
in or about the months of February or March, A.D 1865, and has for its object the
cheapening and simplifying of the construction of such skates, and the improving
of the action of the same.
Before proceeding to describe my present improvements I may observe that I lay
no claim to the use in roller skates of axles that are caused to converge or assume
the positions of radii of a circle by the action of the lateral canting or tilting of
the stock or foot stand, as the said principle was embodied in and applied to the
skates manufactured and sold by me as aforesaid, and has since become well known
to the public.
According to my present Invention I employ two hollow tubular brackets, each
cast complete in one piece with a cup-shaped socket, the said brackets being situate
respectively at or near the toe and heel of the skate, and being made to project
downwards at any desired angle from the under side of the stock or foot stand.
In the case of metal stocks these brackets may be formed in one piece therewith,
but when using wooden stocks I make the brackets separately, and secure them to
the stock by screws or otherwise In the lower end of each of the said tubular
brackets I cast in one piece therewith a complete cup-shaped chamber or socket for
the reception of a metal ball consisting of a partial spheic, that is to say, a sphere
or ball having a portion of its upper side either flattened or channelled
is dropped into the said cup-shaped chamber or socket, and is then retained therein
by bending, pressing, or turning the edges or lips of the said socket over the ball.
In the two opposite sides of the socket I form openings or oblong slots at any
desired angle, but by preference in a line with the centre line of the bracket, when
the latter is placed obliquely to the under surface of the stock, in order to admit of
the passage of the axle of the rollers, which axle I drive horizontally through the
centre of the ball or partially flattened sphere.
Thus ball
Within the upper hollow part of each of the before-mentioned tubular brackets
I introduce a plunger, the enlarged lower end of which is pressed downwards upon
the flattened or channelled portion of the ball by a helical spring, the force of which
is regulated by an adjustable screwed plug screwed into the upper tubular part of
the before-mentioned hollow bracket.
In the case of unctal stocks I make the spikes which serve to afford a firm hold

page_text: to the sole of the boot or shoe removeable, and I surround each spike by a metal
disc forming a bearing surface for the sole of the boot, the whole being provided
on the under side with a shank, which is screwed or otherwise secured into the
body of the metal stock, so that a damaged spike may be easily removed and
replaced, whilst at the same time a simple and ready means is afforded for securing
the straps to the stock by passing the screwed shanks through the leather.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same letters
of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings is a full sized elevation and partial section of my
improved skate as constructed with a wooden stock; Figure 2 is a corresponding
elevation of the toe or front end thereof
Figure 3 is a detached sectional detail of one of the before-mentioned hollow or
tubular brackets; showing the ball or partial sphere in its place in the socket with
the plunger, spring, and regulating screwed plug also in their respective positions;
Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same tubular bracket taken at
right angles to the section in Figure 3, the spring and regulating screwed plug
being omitted.]
Figures 5 and 6 are elevational details of the plunger.
Figures 7 and 8 are sectional details of the ball or partial sphere detached; and
Figures 9 and 10 represent respectively a side elevation and plan of my improved
removeable spike for the metal stocks of skates.
A is the stock of the skate, B, B, are the wheels or rollers loose upon the axles C, C.
To the under side of the stock near the toe and heel ends thereof I secure by screws
or otherwise the two hollow or tubular brackets D, D I prefer that these brackets
shall project obliquely outwards from the bottom of the stock, as shown in Figure 1;
but I do not confine myself to this angle, as the said brackets may if desired be
made to project at right angles from the under surface of the stock. These brackets
have each a cup-shaped socket E cast therein at their lower ends, the form of
such socket when cast being indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 3. The bracket
with its flanges F and socket E 15 cast entire or in one piece of malleable metal in
lieu of, as heretofore, of being divided longitudinally down the centre or made in
separate halves, and having the hemispherical halves of the socket portion screwed
the one into the other, which was a more costly and inconvenient mode of construc-
tion than that which I now adopt Into the open mouth of the cup-shaped socket
I drop the ball or partial sphere G, and in order to retain it therein I subsequently
press or hammer the edges of the cup over the ball, as shown in section in Figures 3
and 4. A slot or oblong opening a, a, is made in each of the two opposite sides of
the socket to afford a passage for the axle C, which is driven through the centre of
the ball G. These slots should be at an angle to the vertical, that is to say, their.
upper ends should incline towards each other, so that when depressed on one side or
the other by the lateral canting of the stock the roller axles shall be caused thereby
to converge towards each other on the depressed side. If the brackets be placed per-
pendicularly or at right angles to the under side of the stock then the slots a, a,
would be disposed at an angle to the centre line of the bracket, but when the
brackets are inclined, as shown, the slots will be parallel to or in the same direction
as the centre line of the bracket, as shown in Figure 1. The upper surface of each
ball is either flattened or is formed with a groove or channel b cut therein parallel
to the axle of the rollers, and on or in this flattened or channelled portion rests
the T head of a plunger H provided with a stem or spindle, which passes up the
centre of the tubular bracket, and is guided by working through a central opening
in a plug c screwed into the upper end of the bracket, and to which access 18
afforded by leaving an opening in the stock, as shown clearly in Figure 1. A
helical spring & surrounds the stem of the plunger, and bears at its lower end upon
the shoulder of the plunger, whilst its upper end bears against the screwed plug c,
so that by screwing up more or less the said plug the pressure of the plunger upon

page_text: the flat or channelled surface of the ball G may be regulated with the greatest
nicety By disposing the controlling slots a in a line with or parallel to the axis
of the plunger, as indicated in my Drawings, in lieu of at an angle thereto, as would
be the case if the brackets were vertically disposed and the slots made at an angle
thereto, I obtain a much easier action of the plunger upon the balls when restoring
the axles to their normal positions e, e, are collars, which are driven on to the
axle, one on each side of the socket, for the purpose of keeping the rollers or
wheels clear of such socket, as will be clearly understood on referring to Figure 2 of
'my Drawings.
My improved spike (Figures 9 and 10) is specially designed with a view to its
being readily removed when damaged and replaced by a new one, at the same time
"affording a convenient mode of securing the leathers or straps to the stock. It
consists of a disc f having a spike in the centre on its upper surface and a central
sciewed shank g and collar or shoulder on its under side, so as to enable it to be
screwed into the stock. When serving to secure the leathers or straps the shank g
is first passed through a hole therem, and then screwed tightly into its place, the
leather working loosely round the collar.
P
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that I do not claim the application and use to and in
roller skates of brackets having sockets made in two halves for the reception of a
ball or sphere, neither do I claim the inclined slots in the said sockets for con-
trolling the relative positions of the axles, as these arrangements were embodied
in and carried out in the guidablo roller skates manufactured by me, and publicly
used, as aforesaid; but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim
as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Lotters Patent
is,―
First. The application and use to and in roller skates of the peculiar construction
of tubular brackets cast in one piece with their complete cup-shaped sockets, the
edges of such sockets being so made as to be bent or pressed inwards, in order to
secure therein a partial sphere through which the axle is introduced, as herein-
before described and illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
Secondly. The combination in a roller skate of the said peculiar tubular brackets
and sockets having each a partial sphere retained in such sockets in the manner set
forth, such partial spheres having a portion of their surfaces flattened or channelled
for the reception of the head of a plunger contained inside each bracket, and
pressed downwards by a spring and regulating scrow plug, the whole being arranged
and caused to operate together in the manner and for the purpose herein-before
described and illustrated by the Drawings annexed
Thirdly. The peculiar removeable spike, as and for the purpose herein-before
described and illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Sandell Mappin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
14, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.
WALTER S. MAPPIN. (L.S.)