IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Cattlin, of Westfield Lodge, Brighton, in the County
of Sussex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Cattlin at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st September 1876.
ALFRED CATTLIN, of Westfield Lodge, Brighton, in the County of Sussex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
My Invention relates to the construction of a roller skate in which the rollers
may be turned to run in a curved line by increase of pressure upon the rollers of
one side or other without any rocking of the foot stock or stand.
I propose to construct my improved skate with four rollers, two at the toe and
two at the heel, the axle of each pair of rollers to be carried upon bars passing
diagonally beneath, and parallel to the foot stock, and supported by hangers or
brackets fixed to the under face of the foot stock near each end, the bars passing
through these brackets in holes or slots, in which they may traverse, assisted, if
desired, by friction rollers, and a spiral spring or a spring or springs of india-rubber
or other elastic material, being placed near each end of each draw bar, either between
the axle and the bracket, or outside the brackets. Or in lieu of two diagonal bars
crossing each other, so as to receive or pass through opposite ends of each axle, I
may use a single bar bent so that it will pass from one end of the front axle to the
opposite end of the hind axle, and fix or cast a projection upon each bracket or
hanger to form an additional support for the axle, these supports also carrying
springs to bring the axle back to its position at a right angle to the stock when a
curve or gyration is completed, and the skater desires to run in a straight line.
The carrying bars and the projections may either pass through the axles, or the
axles through the bars and projections, as may be found most desirable, but the bars
and axles will only have a horziontal motion, and the slots in the axles, bars, bracket,
arms, or projections, will not permit any rocking motion of the foot stock, the
turning of the rollers to describe the curve being due entirely to increase of pressure,
brought upon the rollers of one side by the inclination of the body of the skater,
causing the rollers of that side to run more slowly than those of the opposite side,
and the slide or draw bars to move the axles to a diagonal position in relation to

page_text: the foot stock, they being brought back by the above mentioned springs when the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Cattlin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th February
1877.
ALFRED CATTLIN, of Westfield Lodge, Brighton, in the County of Sussex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLER SKATES."
My Invention relates to the construction of a roller skate in which the rollers
may be turned to run in a curved line by increase of pressure upon the rollers of
the one side or the other, without any rocking of the foot stock or stand.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawing represents a roller skate embodying my
improvements, Figure 1 being a side view of same; Figure 2, a front or end view;
Figure 3, an inverted plan, in which the axles and rollers are shown in the position
which they will occupy while travelling in a circular direction, and Figure 4 shows
the various parts of the skate detached.
A indicates the foot stock or stand; B, B, hangers or brackets which may be
screwed, bolted, or otherwise fastened to the foot stock; b, b, slots or openings in
hangers to receive the diagonal slide or draw bars C, C, carrying the axles 'D, D, in
slots c, c; E, E¹, rollers; F, F', springs set in bars C, C; g, g, friction rollers in
slots b, b.
It will be seen that the bars C, C, and axles D, D, can only receive a horizontal
*motion, the slots b, b, and c, c, not permiting any rocking motion of the foot stock
upon the bars or axles, the movement of the axles D, D, into the position shown,
Figure 3, being due entirely to increase of pressure brought upon the rollers E¹ by
the inclination of the body of the skater, causing theso rollers to run more slowly
than those E, and the draw bars C, C, to move in the slots b, b, and carry the axles
D, D, to the diagonal position shown, thereby compressing the springs F¹, F¹, which
bring back the bars and axles to the position shown, Figure 1, directly the pressure
is removed. If the skater brings increased pressure upon the rollers E, E, they
will converge in like manner
I may substitute india-rubber springs in place of the spiral springs shewn on the
Drawing, and may place them outside the hangers B, B, so as to be compressed
between the end of the bars C and the hangers instead of between the axles D and
the hangers, as shown, or in any other suitable part of the draw bars.
In lieu of the bars C, C, crossing each other, as shown, I may use a single bar
bent so that it will pass from the right hand slot 6 of the front axle to the left
hand slot b of the hind axle, or vice versa, and fix or cast a projection upon each
hanger to form an additional support for the axle ; those supports also carrying springs
to bring the axle back to its position at a right angle to the foot stock, when a
curve or gyration is completed, and the skater desires to run in a straight line.
Instead of passing the axles through the bars C, C, in the slots c, c, as shown I
may find it desirable to pass the bars through the axles, but in every case these
bars and axles will have only a horizontal movement in their bearings. This applies
equally to the projections when only a single bent bar is used, as aforesaid.
Having now described, and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is or may be performed, I would have it understood that I
do not limit myself to the use of any number of rollers, of draw bars, or of supports,
or to the use of any particular material in their construction, nor do I propose to
⚫ confine myself to the precise details herein-before described, and shown on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawing, as such may be varied without departure from my
'Invention, and I claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before

page_text: in part recited Letters Patent, the combination, substantially as herein-before
described, and shown on the Drawings, of the bars C, C, with the brackets or
hangers B, B, axles D, D, and springs F, F, so that the axles may be brought to a
diagonal position by the horizontal movement of their carrying bars under increase
of pressure upon the rollers of one side of the skate, as above specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Cattlin, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
מ
ALERT TAT
ALFRED CAT
CATTLIN.
(L.D.)