IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATE FASTENINGS.
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake
and Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATE FASTENINGS.". A communication from abroad by
Everett Hosmer Barney, of Springfield, Massachusetts, United States of America,
Manufacturer
Sealed the 24th April 1877, and dated the 6th March 1877.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th March 1877.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake and Co., Patent Agents,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SKATE FASTENINGS." A
Southampton Buildings, London.
communication from abroad by Everett Hosmer Barney, of Springfield,
Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufacturer.
The object of my Invention is to secure skates on the boot or shoe with greater
facility than heretofore as herein-after described.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a plan of the under side of the skate showing the arrangement of the
fastenings thereon.
Figure 2 is a plan of the under side of a part of the foot plate showing the bar
clamp and the pivot upon which it swings.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the heel part of the skate; and
Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section through a portion of the foot plate and the
pivot which holds the bar clamp in place and upon which it swings.
A represents the blade of a metallic skate; B, the foot plate, provided on its lower
side with a pivot N having an elongated head; and D is the heel plate beneath
which extends the heel clamp F sliding to and fro between the brackets which
secure the heel plate to the blade; the said clamp terminates at the rear end in
the ordinary flanges which project up. behind the heel plate to grasp the heel of
the boot.
The draw bar H is provided at the forward end with a slot H' to permit that end
of the bar to be placed over the elongated head of the pivot N, and is also provided

page_text: with a hole to receive the stud O made upon the bar clamp E, and the draw bar is
made in two parts connected together at L by a screw thread and nut or by any
other convenient means, and extends back beneath the heel plate through the heel
clamp F with a cam J secured at its rear end.
A bar E provided with projecting flanges at each end which turn upward to grasp
the opposite sides of the sole of the boot swings freely upon the pivot N
attached to the foot plate, and is provided with a slot N', so that when the
bar is placed with the slot extending in the same direction as the elongated
head of the pivot N, the said bar may be placed upon the pivot or removed
therefrom, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. This bar swinging upon the pivot N
I denominate the bar clamp, and it is provided with a stud O which is inserted into
a hole in the forward part of the draw bar H, and when both the bar clamp and the
forward part of the draw bar are in place upon the pivot the latter secures the
former in place, inasmuch as the slot in the bar clamp and the slot in the draw bar
are not in any part of their joint operation brought into the same relative position.
A check nut M may be used upon the screw thread of the draw bar to be turned
up against the nut L when making a permanent adjustment of the skate to the
boot approximately as will be more fully herein-after explained.
The bar clamp E is readily put in place upon the pivot N or removed therefrom
by disconnecting the draw bar at L and turning its forward part into the position
shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. That part of the draw bar may thus be re-
moved, and the bar clamp then being turned into the position shown in dotted
lines in Figure 1, its slot and the elongated head of the pivot N are in the same
relative position, and the clamp may then be removed and be replaced upon its
pivot. When put in place the clamp is turned into the position shown in Figure 2,
and the forward end of the draw bar is placed over the pivot N and stud O, and
when turned into any other position both are held in place upon the pivot.
The operation of this Invention is as follows:-All the parts being in place the
check nut M (if one is used) is turned back upon the draw bar and the latter turned
out of the nut L until the projecting flanges of the heel clamp F are moved sufli-
ciently to the rear to place the heel of the boot in between thein and those on the
front end of the heel plate D, and the bar clamp E is in such position that the sole
of the boot may be placed between the flanges at its ends. The cam J is then used
as a key to turn the draw bar H. into the nut L until the flanges at the ends of the
bar clamp E impinge against the sides or edges of the sole of the hoot, and the
flanges of the heel clamp F are carried forward to force the heel of the boot against
the flanges on the forward part of the heel plate.
When these flanges are all brought up to a bearing against the sole and heel of
the boot the check nut M may be turned forward firmly against the nut I, the
cam J (which when used as a key to turn the draw bar inay be in a horizontal
position as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3) is then brought up to a vertical
position against the rear of the heel of the boot and the skate is by this last move-
ment of the cam made perfectly fast and tight to the boot, both the bar clamp E
and the heel clamp F moving up together by the action of the cam J.
In removing the skate from the boot if the ice and snow should collect around the
fastenings to such an extent as to prevent their working freely the draw bar H may
be turned back a little and the projection P on the draw bar will force back the
heel clamp F from the heel of the boot, although the projection is not essential,
because if the draw bar be so turned back the skate will be easily removed by
shaking it or working it to and fro a little. I use the check nut M not as an
essential feature of this Invention but to facilitate the first approximate and per-
manent adjustment of the skate to the boot; this adjustment is effected by turning
the rear part of the draw bar into the nut at L until the clamp will almost or just
grasp the sole and heel of the boot, and then turning the check nut up firmly
against the nut L and the skate will be secured to the boot fast by moving up the
cam as before described and is removed from the boot by turning it down to a

page_text: horizontal position. After this approximate adjustment is once made the check nut
need not be moved so long as the shate is used with the same boot.
The rear part of the draw bar H in connection with the cam J attached may be
used as a fastening for the heel clamp alone by attaching a threaded nut to the
skate beneath the heel plate, making the draw bar of a proper length to turn into it,
so that by turning the draw bar in or out to approximately adjust the clamps to
the size of the heel; the clamps may be tightened to the heel by raising the cam J
as herein-before described, and by moving the cam down into a horizontal position
the clamps would be released.
It is obvious that the stud O may be formed upon the draw bar H instead of
upon the clamp and the hole made in the latter to receive it; and it is also evident
that the head of the pivot N may be made oval or of any other desirable elongated
form with a corresponding form of the holes in the clamp and draw bar without
departing from the principle of operation.
The two parts of the draw bar H may be secured together so as to be adjustable
one part with the other by ratchet teeth which shall be held in contact by any
suitable means or by any other convenient method as well as by the screw and nut
L as above described.
It will be seen that the draw bar H extends longitudinally along the skate, pass-
ing through the heel clamp and moving freely therein with the cam attached to its
rear end and acting directly against the rear end of said heel clamp to tighten it, the
cam also acting directly upon the draw bar to draw the forward clamp and tighten
that so that both the forward and rear clamps are acted upon at one and the same
time.
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 swinging bar clamp in combination with the pivot and foot plate of a
skate as above described and for the purposes specified.
Second. The combination of the swinging bar clamp, the pivot attached to the
foot plate, and the slotted draw bar whereby the said clamp is secured to and
operated upon the skate, and may be removed therefrom by moving the said draw
bar out of its longitudinal position with the skate as above described.
Third. The combination of the moveable heel clamp, the draw bar, and the cam
attached to the rear end of said draw bar, and arranged to operate against the rear
end of said heel clamp, the latter having a longitudinal motion independently of said
draw bar and cam as above described.
Fourth. A longitudinal draw bar made in two parts and adjustable one part with
the other, the forward part attached to and operating the forward clamp, and tho
rear part passing through the moveable heel clamp and provided with a cam on its
rear end which operates against the rear end of the heel clamp to actuate both the
forward clamp and heel clamp as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.