A NEW CONSTRUCTION OF SKATES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Johann Peter Becker, junior, of Remscheid (Germany),
for the Invention of "A NEW CONSTRUCTION OF SKATES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Johann Peter Becker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd September 1877.
JOHANN PETER BECKER, junior, of Remscheid (Germany). "A NEW CON-
STRUCTION OF SKATES."
The object of this Invention is to provide a skate, the fastening of which to the
foot may be accomplished easily and effectively without the assistance of the hands,
and I call the said skate a "self-adjuster."
The said Invention is carried into practice by constructing a skate as follows,
that is to say-I use strong and very elastic material, for instance, well tempered
steel, for making a skate sole, having spring power of its own. Below the after
part of this sole I fix fastening mechanism, consisting of a piece of steel being
vertically cut in two halves, and catching around the runner. The lower parts of
these two halves are united by a pin or a rivet of sufficient strength, gliding in an
acute angular slot in the runner.
In the middle part of the sole an elliptic cut is made for an adjusting slide to
glide in. This slide is prolonged above, and ends in a pin with a screw thread,
whilst below, underneath the sole, it is joined hinge-like to what I term a pushing
piece, which latter turns on a rivet in the runner. The heel cramp is fastened by
means of a nut to the adjusting slide, the upper screw part of which passes through
a cut in the former.
The sole cramps lie in a bend in the front part of the sole. They are likewise
united to the slide by means of an adjusting slider, which is preferably made T
shaped. In its broad part this slider has three oval cuts, one on each side and one
in the middle. The two side ones are cut obliquely to the runner, whilst the
middle one runs parallel to the latter. In its prolonged part the slider has a round
hole,

page_text: "
In the middle part of the bend herein-before mentioned, the sole rests upon the
runner by means of a supporter. This supporter is prolonged above, passes with its
middle part through the sole, and ends in an oval head cut out underneath. This
head is of about the size of the oval cut in the middle part of the adjusting slider,
and it stands rectangularly to the runner of the skate. To it the adjusting slider is
fastened in the following manner :-Being brought into a rectangular position to the
runner, the oval middle cut in the broad part of the slider is slipped over the head
of the supporter, and the prolongation of the slider is turned towards the after part
of the skate until it gets parallel to the runner.
The sole cramps are in the bending below the adjusting slider. The cut in them
lies below the respective oblique oval cut. The sole cramps are fastened to the
adjusting slider by a screw by means of a peculiar nut. Below its circular head this
screw is cut flat on two opposite sides.
The after part of the adjusting slider is brought with its round hole over the
screw part of the adjusting slide, and is fastened to the heel cramp by means of
a nut.
If the after part of the elastic or steel sole is pressed down the pushing piece will
push back the adjusting slide and the parts connected by a nut to the screw portion
of this latter, that is to say, the heel cramp and the adjusting slider. By the back-
ward movement of the slider the sole cramps assume an inward motion in conse-
quence of the gliding of the screw threads in the oblique oval cuts.
Before using the skate the skater has to adjust the heel cramp and the sole
cramps with regard to the size of his foot, as is done when using the so-called
Halifax" skate.
When the skate is to be used the skater has simply to put his foot on the sole of
the skate and to press the after spring part down by a pressure of his heel.
Then the cramps will glide backwards, and to the inside, as herein-before described,
and will catch in the heel and the soles of the boot or shoe of the skater.
The cross pin of the fastening mechanism glides down in the acute angular cut
in the runner, and catches if the pressure is sufficiently strong behind the projecting
point of the said cut. Here it is held fast, and by it the entire adjusting mechanism,
so that the skate is effectively fastened to the foot.
When the skate is to be taken off the foot a key is brought into the open horizontal
part of the cut in the runner behind the fastening mechanism, and by it the cross
pin of the latter is pressed forward. As soon as the same is pushed over the pro-
jecting point, the sole, by means of its spring power, springs upward, the adjusting
mechanism is driven asunder, and the foot is freed.
This Invention is intended to be applied to skates of all kinds. When applied
to roller skates those parts only of the runner are used that are necessary for
the fastening of the pushing piece, and for the fastening mechanism to glide and to
catch in.

page_text: ON in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Johann Peter Becker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd March 1878.
by the said Johann Peter Becker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd March 1878.
JOHANN PETER BECKER, junior, of Remscheid (Germany).
STRUCTION OF SKATES."
«<
A NEW CON-
My said Invention relates to the construction of a skate, the fastening of which to
the foot may be easily and effectively accomplished without the assistance of the
hands.
In the accompanying Drawing,-
Figure I. shews a side view of my Invention, and in
Figure II. is a plan or top view of the same.
A is the rail of the skate; B is the sole of the same; m, the adjustable heel
cramp; and n are sole cramps.
Figures III. and IV. are sections on the line y, z.
The remaining Figures are herein-after described:
Below the hind part of the sole, which being made of steel has spring power of
This mechanism consists of a
its own, a fastening mechanism is fixed to the same.
piece of steel C, being vertically cut in two halves, and catching around the rail.
The lower parts of these two halves may be united by a rivet. This pin or rivet
slides in a cut or slot d of the rail, angular to the base of the latter. If there is no
uniting rivet the slot d may be omitted. A sufficiently strong spring 8 is fixed
under the heel of the sole at the side of the piece c, passing with its wing r through
the side of the piece c, the latter serving to steady the spring. This wing works in
another slot u of the rail, and catches behind the nose o projecting in the said slot u.
By these means the sole, whenever pressed down by the foot, is held secured to the
rail.
The section, Figure III., shows the sole free as in Figure 1., while in Figure IV. it
is fastened to the rail.
In the middle part of the sole a slot e is cut, wherein the adjusting slide works.
This slide is prolonged above and ends in the form of a pin with a screw thread.
Under the sole it is attached like a hinge to a pushing piece g. This pushing piece
turns on a rivet in the rail A. The cramp m is fastened by means of a nut to the
slide f, the upper screw part of which passes through a cut x in the former.
The cramps n lie in a bend of the front part of the sole.
united to the slide f by means of the adjusting slider E.
They are likewise
In its broad
cut obliquely
In the prolonged
In the accompanying Drawing the adjusting slider E is T shaped.
front part it shows three slots or cuts, the two side ones of which are
to the rail, whilst the middle one runs parallel to the latter.
hinder part of the slider E there is a round hole.
In the middle of the aforesaid bending the sole rests upon the rail by means of
a supporter h. This supporter is prolonged above, passes with its middle part
This
through the sole B, and ends in an oval head i, cut out underneath the same.
head is of about the size of the oval cut in the middle part of E, and it stands
rectangularly to the rail of the seate. To it the adjusting slider E is fastened in
the following manner-Being brought into a rectangular position to the rail the
oval middle cut in the broad part of the slider E is slipped over the head i of the
supporter h, and then the prolongation of the slider E is turned towards the hind
part of the skate until it gets parallel to the rail.
The cut k
The sole cramps n are in the bend below the adjusting slider E.
in them lies below the respective oblique slots. The sole cramps n are fastened to
the adjusting slider E by a screw 1, Figure V., by means of a peculiar nut p,
Figure VI.
Below its circular head this screw is cut flat on two opposing
idea

page_text: The rear part of the slider E is brought with its round hole over the screw part
of the slide f, and is fastened to the heel cramp m by means of a nut.
If the rear part of the elastic or steel sole B is pressed down the pushing piece g
will push back the adjusting slide f and the parts connected by a nut to the screw
portion of this latter, namely, the heel cramp m and the adjusting slider E. By
the backward movement of the slider E the sole cramps assume an inward motion
in consequence of the moving of the screw heads in the oblique slots.
Before using the skate the skater has to adjust the heel cramp m and the sole
cramps n, with regard to the size of his foot, as if using the so-called "Halifix
skate."
When my skate is to be used the skater has simply to place his foot on the sole
of the skate and to press the hinder spring part down by a pressure of his heel
Then the cramps m and n will move backwards and inwards, as above described,
and will catch into the heel and the soles of the boot or shoe of the skater. The
cross pin of the piece e slides down in the slot d, in the rail, and the wing r of the
springs glides over the nose o of the slot u, and catches, if the pressure is suffi-
ciently strong, behind this projecting nose o of the said slot u. Here it is held fast,
and by it the entire adjusting mechanism is secured. The skate now is effectually
fastened to the foot.
If the skate is to be taken off the foot the wing r of the spring s needs only to be
freed from the catch of the nose o by a slight pressure of the hand against the flat
end of the wing r. As soon as the latter is pushed over the projecting nose o, the
sole, by means of its elasticity, springs upwards, the adjusting mechanism con-
sisting of the slider E and slide f, with the sole cramps n and the heel cramp m, is
driven asunder, and the foot is freed at once.
Figure VII. is a side view of my skate, shewing a slight modification thereof.
Figure VIII. shews a key to be used with the same.
In the form of this Invention, illustrated in these Figures C, is a piece of metal
which is recessed to fit and work over the rail A, and is secured to the rear portion
of the foot plate B, serving to enable the latter to move vertically without any
perceptible lateral motion.
A. rivet c secured to the piece of metal C works in a slot d, cut in the rail A at
an angle to its base, and prolonged from a point o on lines parallel, or nearly parallel
to said base; this construction causes the rivet c to be forced forward as the foot-
plate is depressed, and to be sprung backward after passing the point o, and thus be
held securely in place.
To use this skate the clamps m, n', must first be adjusted to fit the heel and sole
of the boot or shoe in a manner similar to that above described. The boot or shoe
is then placed in position, and pressure being applied to the heel the foot plate is
depressed until the rivet c moving down the slot d has passed the point o, when it
is sprung into the prolongation of said slot d, and is there firmly held. As the foot
plate is thus depressed, the pusher g forces the plates m and E backward, the former
plate causing the clamp m to hold the heel of the boot or shoe between it and the
clamp t, while the latter plate, by means of its oblique slots, causes the plates n and
the clamp n¹ to approach each other and grasp the sole of the boot or shoe, thus
firmly securing the skate to the boot or shoe.
To remove the skate, the end of the key (shown in Figure VIII.) is placed
between the end of the slot d and the metal piece C, and by turning the said key a
projection on it forces rivet c out of the prolongation of the slot d, past the point o,
when the resiliency of the foot plate causes it to rise in the slot a. As the foot plate
rises the pusher g causes the plates m and E to move forward and thus release the
clamps m, n, from pressure upon the heel and sole of the boot or shoe.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. The sole B having spring power of its own to be used for skates of any
kind.

page_text: Third. The adjusting side J.
Fourth. The adjusting slider E.
Fifth. The pushing piece g.
All these parts to be used for skates of any kind, and all substantially as shown
and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Johann Peter Becker, junior, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JOHANN PETER BECKER, JUNIOR. (L.S.)