IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEEL OR ROLLER SKATES
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Cæsar Frederick Franklin
at the Office of the Cominissioners of Patents on the 19th August 1876.
ALEXANDER CESAR FREDERICK FRANKLIN, of Brighton, in the County of
Sussex, Civil and Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WHEEL OR ROLLER
SKATES."
This Invention relates to improvements in wheel or rollers skates, and relates
firstly to the combination of a novel construction of various parts of the skate
with the peculiar wheels or rollers described in the Specification of my former
Letters Patent, bearing date the 18th day of April, A.D. 1876, No. 1622. The said
wheels or rollers consist of an inner and outer portion so constructed and fitted
together with an interposed elastic cushion or ball-and-socket arrangement that the
outer portion or periphery of the wheel can turn or adjust itself upon the inner or
central portion of the same, and independently of its motion.
The object of this part of the said Invention is to permit the clog or stock of the
skate to be rocked or tilted to either side for the purpose of turning the skate in
any direction, while the wheels or rollers remain with their peripheries in contact
with the skating surface, that is to say, the guiding or direction of the skate is
effected by the tilting of the clog or stock independently of the wheels or rollers,
and the working or tilting will so affect the outer portions of the said peculiarly
constructed wheels or rollers that they turn or adjust themselves to any angle
corresponding with the curve or circle to be described; and the guidance or
direction of the skate is effected without the converging of either the wheels or the
axles.
In carrying this part of the said Invention into practise, the clog or sole of the
skate is supported upon small pillars pivoted or jointed to the central portion of
each axle in such a manner as to permit the desired lateral rocking or tilting of the
said clog or stock. To restrain this tilting action within proper limits, I provide
the skate with metal springs, or india-rubber springs, or cushions. To the lower
end of the said pillars and level with the centre of the wheels or rollers, I arrange
in combination with the latter turning bars or arms fixed upon the said pillars.
These bars or arms are of such a length as to project outward beyond the sides of
the wheels, and they occupy a horizontal position so that they move with and in
the same manner and direction as the clog when the same is tilted; or I may use
n
.”.

page_text: tilting bars arranged to slide transversely or across the under side of the stock
upon pins independent of the pillars, and to be moved in either direction by an arm
or lever connected to the stock of the skate. I provide the extremities of each of
these bars or arms with a small friction roller, so arranged that when the clog is
level or in its central position, the said friction roller is in close proximity to the
skate wheel without actually touching the same. When the said stock or clog is
tilted to either side, the said friction rollers are thereby so pressed upon the side of
the respective wheels as to cause the outer portions of the wheels or rollers to
assume such a position as will produce the desired curved or circular movement of
the skate upon the skating surface.
I may provide my improved skate with two, four, or more of the said wheels or
rollers. And instead of constructing the stock or clog of wood or metal, I may
make the the same of gutta percha, paper inaché, or other material capable of being
stamped or moulded into the required form.
I also in combination with the above employ devices which render skates more
convenient and less dangerous to persons using them than other wheel or roller
skates heretofore constructed, that is to say, I provide these skates with a brake
or locking device, whereby the wheels or rollers or one or more of them may be so
controlled that by a simple movement or adjustment of the said device, the said
wheel or wheels are rendered incapable of turning in one direction, but are free to
turn in the other direction. It is not absolutely necessary that the brake should
form a dead lock so long as it has sufficient restraining power to render the motion
in the reverse direction sufficiently difficult.
In ordinary cases I do not consider it necessary that the said brake or locking
device should be capable of adjustment to lock. the wheels in more than ono
direction. I so construct and arrange the said device in combination with the
wheels or rollers of the skate, that the skater can by a slight movement set it
completely out of gear or connection with the said wheels, so that they will turn
freely in both directions. The wheels or rollers at one end of the skate are fixed
upon their axle so as to rotate with the same, the said axle being fitted to turn
freely in bearings connected with the body or stock. On this axle between the
two wheels is formed or fixed a wheel or drum smaller in diameter than the said
wheels; this inner wheel or drum may be formed of wood, metal, or other suitable
material, and may be covered on its periphery with cork or india-rubber. Around
and in combination with this wheel or drum I arrange a band or strap of thin
steel or other suitable material; one end of the said band is pivoted or pin-jointed
to the extremity of a lever or spring bar attached to or connected with the stock or
body of the skate, the other end of the said band or strap is also pivoted or jointed
to the said lever at a short distance from its extremity. The said band being
connected with the lever or spring and surrounding the wheel or drum as above
described when properly set or adjusted, will permit the wheels of the skate to turn
freely in one direction, but not in the other direction. The said brake will be
ordinarily so set that the wheels can move forward only, so that the skater can run
freely in that direction, and can make use of the locking or binding of the wheels
to prevent falling. This Invention will therefore be very advantageous to persons
commencing to skate, and who have not yet acquired perfect control of the skates as
they may use the locking device while learning the exercise, and when they feel
sufficient confidence in themselves to dispense with the support thereby afforded,
can set it to leave the wheels free to turn in both directions as in ordinary wheel
or roller skates.
Instead of having the wheels fixed upon the axle and the brake arranged as above
described, the brake may be applied to one wheel in which case the wheel will be
loose upon its axle.
I prefer that the ineans for adjusting or setting the brake or locking device into
or out of action should be so arranged that the same can be operated by the foot of
the skater. For this purpose I may use a small sliding wedge provided with a
knob or button at the side of the stock, and which when pushed inward will raise

page_text: the aforesaid strap or band, and keep it clear of the periphery of the brake wheel
or drum. Or I may have a small cam arranged to act in like manner upon the
said lever or spring, or a small pin operated by means of a knob or button or other
convenient means for restraining the locking or tightening action of the said lever
or spring, thereby leaving the wheels free to rotate in either direction.
Instead of employing a brake or locking device as above described, I may use a
ratchet wheel and spring, pawl, or other mechanism which will prevent the
rotation of the skate wheels in one direction while permitting them free rotation in
the other direction, and which can be set or adjusted to lock or release the wheels
as desired by the skater.
In combination with the above I sometimes arrange the stock or body of the
skate upon which the foot rests separate from the wheel base, and support it and
connect it with the wheels by a spring somewhat similar in form to a coach spring
to allow of its oscillation to accomodate the skate to the angle at which a person
would lean in turning a curve or corner.
By means of the above described improvements I as nearly as possible accomodate
the motion of the skate to the natural action of a person skating, and I reduce the
possibility of falling to a minimum.