IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER OR WHEEL SKATES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER SKATES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James William Thomas Cadett, of Southampton
Row, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James William Thomas
Cadett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 20th November 1875.
I, JAMES WILLIAM THOMAS CADETT, of Southampton Row, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER OR WHEEL SKATES, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER
SKATES," to be as follows:
The object of these improvements are to enable the skater to perform
the gyrations and evolutions with ease, comfort, grace, and a great
amount of safety.
The skate is preferably so constructed that the foot or feet may
incline to the right or left, which causes the rollers or wheels to curve
according to which side the foot is inclined.

page_text: In constructing skates according to my Invention each pair of rollers
or wheels is mounted on an axle, the carriage which holds the axle in
each case being so formed as to allow facility of curving and such like.
To the stock of the skate for each pair of wheels is secured a plate of
metal, to which spring or springs are secured, the other end of such
spring or springs being when in position in contact with that part of
the skate to which the axle is fixed. To either end of each plate an arm
proceeds, each of which has an opening at the end thereof to enable a
bolt or spindle to be passed through same and also through the portion
holding the axle, whereby the whole is secured in position.
To regulate the play of the skate screws or bolts are inserted through
the part which holds the axle, and by bearing against one of the arms
fixed to the plate the play of the skate is regulated. Between the stock
and the plates springs may be inserted if desired.
In applying my Invention for purposes of skating on ice, blades or 1
pieces of steel are substituted for the wheels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James William Thomas Cadett in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 20th May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WILLIAM THOMAS CADETT, of Southampton Row, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said James William Thomas
Cadett, Her special licence that 1, the said James William Thomas
Cadett, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said James William Thomas Cadett, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the -Channel'

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER
OR WHEEL SKATES, 'APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER SKATES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James William Thomas Cadett, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
William Thomas Cadett,
Invention, and in what
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James
do hereby declare the nature of my said
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of these improvements is to enable the skater to perform
various gyrations and evolutions with ease, comfort, grace, and a great
amount of safety.
In constructing skates according to my Invention, which is an
improvement upon Plimpton's Patent, each pair of rollers or wheels is
mounted on an axle, the carriage which holds the axle in each case
being so formed as to allow facility of curving and such like. To the
stock of the skate for each pair of wheels is secured a plate of metal to
which a spring or springs is or are secured, the other end of such spring
or springs being, when in position, in contact with that part of the
skate to which the axle is fixed. To either end of each plate an arm
proceeds, each of which has an opening at the end thereof to enable a
bolt or spindle to be passed through same, and also through the portion
holding the axle, whereby the whole is secured in position.
To regulate the play of the skate screws or bolts are inserted through
the part which holds the axle, and by bearing against one of the arms
fixed to the plate the play of the skate is regulated. Between the stock
and the plates springs may be inserted if desired.
In applying my Invention for the purpose of skating on ice blades
or pieces of steel are substituted for the wheels.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and intimated
in general terms in what manner the same is to be performed or carried
out in practice, I now proceed to particularly describe and ascertain in

page_text: Fig. 3, back elevation of mechanism.
Figs. 4 and 5, detail views in elevation (front and side) of carriage
for axle.
Fig. 5, a plan of under part of carriage for axle.
Fig. 6, detail view of part attached to footboard to which arms are
cast.
Fig. 7, side view of one of the springs.
Fig. 8, front view of modified form of spring, showing same as
constructed in one piece.
In the said Figures a is the footboard or stock of the skate; b, plate
of metal attached to the stock by screws; c, carriage which holds the
axle d; f, f, árms which form part of or are secured to the plate b;
g, springs; h, screws or bolts which regulate the play of the skate. The
wheels i of the skate are mounted on axles d, the axles being held by
carriage c. To the said carriage the portions k, k¹, are cast, said portions
k, k, being so formed as to admit of their insertion between the arms
ff, and the portions k, k¹, are secured in position by bolt 1, which
is passed through opening left in arm f, and thence through corre-
sponding openings left in portions k, k³, and through the opening in
the arm f', said bolt being held by split pin 62, or if desired by a
screw nut.
The screws h which regulate the play of the skate are introduced
through the holes h², and bear against the under part of arm f'; but to
regulate the play the screws are placed (as in Fig. 2) so that a space
is left between the screw and the under part of arm ƒ³, said space (for
one or both of the screws) being to admit of curving by action of the
skater, so that by these screws the same may be so placed as to compel
the skater either to go straight, which is done by screwing both the

page_text: screws against the under part of the arm f¹, or compel him to take the
"outside edge," in which case the inside screw is screwed up, the
outside being unscrewed so that a space is left, and if it is required that
he take the "inside edge" the screws are relatively reversed. The
springs 9 are formed of a C shape, as shown, this being a form I have
found most suitable for the purpose of retaining the parts in position
and supporting the skater's ankle without liability of breakage of the
springs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or
carried out in practice, I hereby declare that—
I claim the Invention of "Improvements in Roller or Wheel Skates,
applicable also to other Skates," substantially as same is herein-before
set forth and illustrated by Drawings, and specially-
I claim the method of regulating the play of the skate by arrange-
ments substantially such as those herein-before set forth and described,―
And also I claim the use of springs such as those herein-before
described, it being understood that I do not claim, nor do I limit myself
to the use of, the precise details of mechanical construction shown
and described, except as and for the purposes of my said Invention,
substantially as same is herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James William Thomas Cadett,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six.
JAMES W. T. CADETT. (L.S.)
Witness,
T. MORGAN,
Secretary,
Inventors' Patent Right Association, Lª.,
21, Cockspur Street,
S.W.