Improvements in Skates.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 19th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Skates.
I, JOSEPH MERRILL of Sylvester Street, Sheffield, in the County of York,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the invention communicated to me
from abroad by my correspondent John Forbes, of Halifax, in the Province of
Nova Scotia, Canada, to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to enable the skate to be readily applied to the
foot without previous manipulation of adjusting screws or devices of a like nature,
the application being effected by placing the skate upon the sole of the boot,
closing the sole clamps, then pushing an adjustable heel clamp against the breast
of the boot heel and closing a side lever.
The skate is preferably constructed entirely of steel and is provided with fixed
heel, sole and toe plates.
Under the sole plate are two laterally moving side clamps connected pivotally to
a longitudinal sliding bar, the movement of which expands or contracts the said
clamps. The back end of the bar which is serrated upon its top face, passes under
the heel plate, and rests upon a short longitudinally placed bar also serrated on its
under face, and having a short movement to and fro.
This movement is caused by an eccentric connected with a side lever, and the
object of the movement is to draw back an adjustable claw which loosely embraces
the short bar aforesaid, and also the serrated end of the long sliding bar to which
the sole clamps are secured.
The heel plate is provided with two stationary clamps against which the heel
of the boot is pressed by the adjustable claw when engaged in the serrations of the
two sliding bars, and drawn back by the eccentric lever, which at the same time
gives an extra contracting grip to the sole clamps.
Dated the 12th day of July 1893.
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Skates.
I, JOSEPH MERRILL of Sylvester Street, Sheffield in the County of York,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained.in and by
the following statement:-
This improved skate can be readily secured to the foot with very great facility
and without any previous manipulation of adjusting screws or keys or the like.
The application of this skate is effected by simply placing the skate upon the sole
of the boot closing the sole clamps against the sole, and then with the heel lever
opened wide, pushing the heel clamp against the front of the heel and closing the
lever.
In the annexed sheet of drawings:
Fig. 1, is a side view of a skate, in which the improvements are embodied,
fastened to a boot or shoe.

page_text: Fig. 2, is a plan view of the skate ready for application, the dotted lines showing
a closed adjustment of the sole clamps.
Fig. 3, is an inverted plan of the rear parts of the skate.
The cam slotted lever 1, is shown open in Fig. 2, when it is closed, the skate
being applied to a boot, the heel pinching clamp 2, assumes the position as
shown in Fig. 1, firmly securing the heel to the skate, and the sole clamps 3, 3,
assume a position as shown by the dotted lines Fig. 2, firmly securing the sole of
the skate.
This simultaneous automatic clamping of the sole and heel will be readily
understood from the following description of the various parts of the skate.
4, is the heel plate, having lugs 5, 5, serving as a rear support for a boot heel.
This heel plate 4, is secured to the runner of the skate by means of projections 6, 6,
slit at 7, 7, so as to receive the upper edge of the runner 8. These projections are
formed by bending the heel plate downward.
A screw headed stud 9, is passed through the centre of the heel plate 4, a
separate opening in the cam slotted lever 1, and the slot 10, of the bar 14.
The lower end 11, of the stud 9, is so shaped as to permit of its entering a
corresponding opening in the runner 8, and when so placed it is given a half turn
which rigidly secures the heel plate to the runner. The heel plate and runner thus
connected assist in giving rigidity and firmness to the whole skate.
The projections 6, 6, of the heel plate 4, are slotted at 12, and 13, to permit of
the longitudinal movements of the bars 14, and 15, therein, and serve as a support
for both at 12, and for the bar 14, at 13, the bar 15, being superposed upon the
bar 14, both of which bars are embraced by the heel pinching clamp 2, at any
desired point which is determined by the size of the heel of the boot.
The bar 14, is bent downward as shown in Fig. 1, at 16, which downward
projection slides along the upper edge of the runner when the bar is actuated by
the lever 1, serving to keep the clamp 2, in contact with the bars 14, and 15, and
prevents its slipping off them. The forward half of this bar 14, is serrated
underneath as shown in Fig. 3, but this is not essential to the practical operation
of my skate, as the bar 14, may be made smooth; at 17, is showu the rear
projection of the bar 14, capable of longitudinal movement on the tongue 6,
through the slot 13. This bar 14, is slotted at 10, so that the stud 9, will not
interfere with its longitudinal movement and it is prevented from any lateral
movement by the stud 9, as well as the projections 6, 6, in which it rests.
Fig. 3, at 18, is shown an upwardly projecting pin, rigidly secured to the bar 14,
which engages with the cam slot 19, in the lever 1. The cam slot 19, moves the
pin 18, rearwards as the lever is closed and thereby also moves the bar 14,
rearwardly, which in turn draws back the bar 15, through the medium of the
clamp 2.
In
The upper portion of the clamp 2, is slightly inclined towards the boot heel so as
to give the best clamping properties. It is slotted upon the bars 14, and 15, before
the heel plate 4, is secured to the runner, and has a free longitudinal movement
until it is in contact with the boot heel in one direction, or the projection 16,
of the bar 14, in the other direction. My construction of skate provides for any
size of heel and width of sole without the aid of serrations, pawls, pinching
screws, adjustment holes and pins, or other devices requiring a previous special
setting.
The sole plate 20, is suitably shaped at its ends to admit of being bent
downward to form tongues 21, which are so slit as to receive the upper edge of
the runner.
It is also bent downward near its middle part so as to form a loop 22, which is
slit, and the runner being at this point provided with a pin 23, it is by this means
secured to the runner or detached therefrom, as may be required. This gives a
slight elasticity to the face of the skate.
The forward end of the bar 15, is passed through a slot 24, in the rear tongue 21,
of the sole plate 20, and is capable of longitudinal movement therein; the upper

page_text: surface of this bar at the rear is shown serrated which I prefer, but this is not
essential.
The sole clamps 3, 3, are loosely jointed at their rear ends to lugs 25, 25, of the
bar 15, and are so slotted at 26, 26, as to be capable of inward and outward
movement, being supported by rivets 27, 27, firmly secured to the face of the sole
plate 20.
The cam slotted lever 1, moving on the stud 9, is bent at 28, so as to sit close to
the runner; at the end 29, it is bent to a clasp form and being first slightly raised
is thus locked on to the runner, as shown in Fig. 1.
The action of the parts described when the skate is applied is as follows:-
The boot heel being set as far back as possible in the heel plate 4, and the sole
within the sole clamps 3, 3, the sole clamps are pressed in close to the boot sole,
which action moves rearwardly the bar 15; the heel clamp or clasp 2, is moved up
to and pressed firmly against the front of the boot heel and the lever 1, being open
to its widest extent as shown in Fig. 2, is then closed, the position shown in Fig. 1.
The closing of this lever 1, moves rearwardly the bar 14, which through the
medium of the heel clamp 2, at the same time moves back the bar 15, carrying the
sole clamps 3, 3; the clamp 2, becomes engaged against the boot heel and by this
action will be bent forward and consequently will cramp upon and secure together
the bars 14 and 15.
By being thus cramped it is carried further back against the heel and firmly
holds it, at the same time the sole clamps are clamping the boot sole.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a skate, the combination with a sole 20, and heel plate 4, of a pinching
heel clamp 2, so arranged that a simultaneous clamping of sole 3, and heel clamps 2,
can be obtained by the simple manipulation of the said heel clamp 2, as hereinbefore
described and shown.
2. In a skate, a longitudinal connecting bar 15, for actuating the sole clamps, in
combination with a sliding bar 14, overlapping said bar with a pinching clamp 2,
which is capable of being pinched firmly upon and securing together the said
bars 14 and 15, by any suitable means.
3. In a skate, the combination of a clamp 2, with the sliding bars 14, and 15,
securing at the desired point of adjustment, the relative positions of the said sliding
bars substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In a skate, the combination of a pinching clamp 2, with the sliding bars 14
and 15, for fastening the said sliding bars at the proper point of adjustment and
admitting (capable) of being automatically clamped upon the said bars by the act
of fastening the skate upon the foot, or by special means adapted therefor.
5. In a skate, the cam slotted lever 1, for actuating the sliding bars 14, and 15,
through the medium of the pinching clamp 2, when the said bars are held in
any desired relative position by the said clamp, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated the 12th day of April 1894.
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicant.