US2424072A

US2424072A - Roller skate

Info

Publication number: US2424072A
Application number: US568627A
Authority: US
Inventors: Samuel M Allred
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-12-18
Filing date: 1944-12-18
Publication date: 1947-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 1964-07-15

Description

5. M. ALLR ED ROLLER SKATE July 15, 1947.

Filed Dec 18, 1944 firromvs X Patented July 15, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROLLER SKATE Samuel M. Allred, Dayton, Ohio Application December 18, 1944, Serial No. 568,627

. 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a roller skate. In some kinds of roller skating, and more particularly in dance skating and figure skating it is desirable that the skates shall have substantial flexibility in action, that is, that the foot plate of the skate shall be tiltable with relation to the roller trucks and that this tilting movement of the foot plate shall move the trucks about vertical axes to steer the skate. It is also desirable that means be provided whereby the degree of flexibility may be varied to conform to the requirements or preferences of different skaters, In some skates heretofore manufactured the foot plate has been tiltable but only to a limitedextent and in the most, if not all, of such skates the tilting of the foot plate subjects the king bolt, or action bolt, to stresses which tend to distort the same. Further, any adjustment of such a skate to change its flexibility causes binding between relatively movable parts thereof.

One object of the invention is to provide a skate having greater flexibility in action than has been attained heretofore.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a skate in which the tilting of the foot plate will not subject the king bolt to objectionable stresses. v I a v A further object of the invention is to provide such a skate which is adjustable to provide any desired flexibility within a wide range, and in which the relatively movable parts will be retained in firm engagement one with the other in all adjusted positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a skate in which such adjustment may be effected without causing binding of the movable parts. a

A further object of the invention is to provide such a skate which is of a strong durable construction capable of withstanding the stresses imposed thereon by a heavy skater and at any angle to which the foot plate may be tilted. v

Other objects of the invention may appear as the skate is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a skate embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of one of the roller trucks and its hanger; and Fig.3 is a transverse section taken on the line '3-3 of Fig. 1.

In these drawings there is shown, for the purpose of illustration, a preferred embodiment of the invention. As there shown the foot support is in the form of a continuous plate 5 which may be secured to the foot of the skater-in the usual or any suitable manner, as by attaching it to the sole and heel of a shoe by screws or the like. Rigidly secured to the foot plate near the respective ends thereof are two brackets, or hangers, 6, which, in the present instance, are identical in form and are secured to the foot plate by rivets I. The inner and adjacent ends of the hangers are rigidly connected one with the other by a longitudinal bar 8 to constitute a rigid main frame extending for substantially the full length of the foot plate and of a width less than the width of the latter. The bar may be connected with the hangers in any suitable manner and in the illustrated form I utilize for this purpose a device having another function which will hereinafter appear. As here shown, each hanger has at its inner end a downwardly extending tubular art, or elongate boss, 9, which is provided with an internal screw thread to receive a screw threaded stud or bolt It which projects some distance belowthe boss 9. The bar 8 has near the respective ends thereof openings H to receive the projecting portions of the studs l0 and is secured thereon and rigidly clamped against the lower ends of the bosses by nuts I2, Each hanger has near its outer end a vertical cavity l3a which, in the present construction, is formed in a short downwardly extending boss or socket member 13 having at its lower end an inwardly extending annular flange or bottom wall M which provides the socket member with an opening I5. The upper surface of the flange, or bottom wall of the cavity, conforms substantially to a section of a sphere and forms a bearing to receive the head of a bolt which extends through the opening 55, for a purpose to be later described. The foot plate is preferably provided with an opening [6 to permit the bolt to be inserted in the socket member after the hanger is attached to the foot plate. A reinforcing rib ll extends between and is formed integral with the boss 9 in the socket member l3.

. The roller trucks which support the respective ends of the foot plate are here shown as identical in construction but in reverse positions. Each truck comprises a frame IS, in the present instance a casting, having a tubular transverse portion 19, in which is mounted an axle 20 on the respective ends of which rollers 2| are rotatably mounted. Extending inwardly from the tubular portion !-9 is an arm .22 which is pivotally connected with the stud l0 and preferably has adjacent its inner end a semi-spherical socket 23 which forms a bearing for a substantially semi-spherical head 24 formed on the lower end of the stud. Extending outwardly from the tubular portion l 9 of the frame is a short and preferably substantially horizontal arm 25 which is provided with a vertical opening 26 arranged close to the tubular portion and provided with an internal screw thread.

A king bolt 21 extends through the opening IS in the socket member IS with its head 28 in the cavity, the head having a substantially spherical lower surface in movable contact with the spherical bearing surface of the socket member. The lower portion of the bolt is screw threaded in the threaded opening 26 in the arm 25 and is locked in adjusted positions therein by a nut 29. Interposed between the arm 25 and the socket member [3 is a yieldable element or cushion 39 which may be of any suitable resilient material, such as relatively stifi but yieldable rubber. Preferably the lower end of the socket member is recessed, as shown at3l, to receive the upper end of the cushion, and a washer 32 is interposed between the cushion and thearm 25.

The cushioning element 30 is maintained under compression and acts on the socket member to normally retain the foot plate in a plane at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of the bolt 2'! and therefore substantially parallel with the axis of the rollers 2|. When the position of the skater is shifted to impose greater weight on one side of the foot plate than on the other side thereof the cushioning element yields and permits the foot plate to tilt about a longitudinal axis extending through the center about which the spherical surface of the bearing in the socket member is described. Thus the foot plate and the hangers move with relation to the bolts 2'! at the, respective ends of the skate Wlthout tilting the bolts or imposing lateral stresses thereon, but the studs in move with the foot plate to inclined positions so that the lower ends thereof move transversely to the foot plate to cause the trucks and the bolts to move about the vertical axes of the bolts. Due to the reversed positions of the trucks they move in opposite directions about their vertical axes and the rollers are so positioned that the skate will turn in the direction of the depressed side of the foot plate. The extent of the tilting movement of the foot plate and the angular displacement of the trucks is limited only by the yieldability of the cushioning element and that yieldability may be varied by changing the normal compression of the cushioning elements. To modify the compression of a cushioning element the clamping nut I2 on the stud IE] is loosened and the stud is screwed into or out of the tubular member to position the spherical head'thereof the desired distance from the hanger. The lock nut 29 on the bolt 21 is loosened and the bolt is rotated to move the arm 25 toward orv from the hanger, the lower end of the bolt being provided with a recess 33 to receive an implement for rotating the same. The studs I and the bolts 2'! being at all times in vertical planes parallel one with the other and the bearings being spherical it will be obvious that the bolts and studs may be adjusted to provide the skate with any desired flexibility in action, within the, range of flexibility of the cushions, and the foot plate may tilt to the extent permitted by the cushioning elements without causing any of the relatively movable parts to bind. The king bolt being rigidly con nected with the truck arm and supported in the hanger for universal pivotal movement and for longitudinal movement, pressure is exerted by 4 the hanger on the cushioning element on all sides of the bolt and the com ression of the cushion by the tilting of the hanger is more nearly uniform than has been attainable before, because the tilting of the hanger provides space on one side of the bolt to receive the cushioning material that is displaced by the pressure of the hanger on the material on the other side of the bolt. Thus the cushion may have a higher normal compression and a greater flexibility than the cushion of an ordinary skate of this type. In case the adjustment is so great as to adversely affect the functioning of the cushioning element a washer or washers may be inserted between the cushioning element and the arm, or removed therefrom, or a cushioning element of different length may be substituted for the original cushioning element.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various-modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a roller skate, a main frame, a foot plate rigid with said main frame, roller supporting truck frames beneath the respective ends of said main frame, each truck frame having a, substantially horizontal outwardly extending arm and an inwardly extending arm having adjacent its inner end a bearing socket, a stud rigid with said main frame, extending downwardly therefrom and having a substantially spherical lower end seated in said socket for universal pivotal movement therein, a substantially vertical elongate member rigidly secured to said outwardly extending arm and extending upwardly therefrom at a point adjacent the inner end thereof, a universal pivotal connection between the upper end of said vertical member and said main frame arranged to permit said main frame to tilt with relation to said vertical member about an axis extending longitudinally of said foot plate and to permit said vertical member to move about a vertical axis with relation to said main frame, and a yieldable element interposed between said outwardly extending arm and said main frame to resist the tilting movement of the latter, said stud and said vertical member being in substantially parallel planes transverse to said main frame and being vertically adjustable respectively with relation to said main frame and said outwardly extending arm to modify the resistance of said yieldable element to the tilting movement of said foot plate.

2. In a roller skate, a foot plate, hangers rigidly secured to said foot plate adjacent the respective ends of the latter, each hanger having adjacent its inner end a part provided with a substantially vertical screw threaded bore, screw threaded studs mounted in the respective bores and each having at its lower end a substantially semi-spherical bearing portion, a, connecting bar having apertured portions arranged about the respective studs, nuts threaded on said studs to clamp said bar against said parts of said hangers, a roller supporting truck frame beneath each hanger having an. inwardly extending arm provided with a bearing socket in which the bearing portion of the adjacent stud is seated, and. also having a relatively short outwardly extending arm provided with a substantially vertical screw threaded opening, [a substantially vertical member having a screw threaded lower portion mounted in said opening, means for so connecting the upper portion of said vertical member with said hanger that it may move about a vertical axis with relation thereto and said hanger may tilt with relation to said vertical member about an axis extending longitudinally of said skate, and yieldable means interposed between said outwardly extending arm and'said hanger to resist the tilting movement of the latter.

3. In a roller skate, a hanger adjacent one end of said skate, a downwardly extending stud rigid with the inner portion of said hanger, a truck frame comprising means for supporting a roller axle, an arm extending inwardly from said axle supporting means and pivotally connected with said stud, and an arm extending outwardly from said axle supporting means, an elongate member rigidly secured to said outwardly extending arm adjacent said axle supporting means and extending upwardly therefrom, means for so connecting the upper end of said elongate member with said hanger that the latter may move lengthwise of said elongate member and may tilt about an axis extending lengthwise of the skate, and that said elongate member may move about its longitudinal axis with relation to the hanger in all positions of the latter with relation thereto, and a yieldable element arranged about said elongate member and confined between said outwardly extending arm and said hanger.

4. In a roller skate, a hanger adjacent one end of said skate having a vertical opening in the outer portion thereof and an upwardly facing substantially semi-spherical bearing surface extending about said opening, a downwardly extending stu'd rigid with the inner portion of said hanger, a truck frame comprising means for supporting a roller axle, an arm extending inwardly from said axle supporting means and pivotally connected with the lower portion of said stud, and an arm extending outwardly from said axle supporting means, an elongate member rigidly secured to said outwardly extending arm adjacent said axle supporting means and extending upwardly therefrom and through said opening in said hanger, said elongate member having at its upper end a head of greater diameter than said opening and provided with a substantially semispherical bearing surface described about a center coincident with the longitudinal axis of said elongate member and engaging said bearing surface on said hanger, and a resilient element extending about said elongate member and confined under pressure between said hanger and said outwardly extending arm.

5. In a roller skate, a hanger adjacent one end of said skate having near its outer end an opening and an upwardly facing substantially semi-spherical bearing surface surrounding said opening, a vertically adjustable stud supported by and extending downwardly from the inner portion of said hanger and having its lower end provided with a bearing surface, means for rigidly securing said stud to said hanger in vertically adjusted positions with relation to the latter, a truck frame comprising means for supporting a roller axle, an arm extending inwardly from said axle supporting means and having adjacent its inner end an upwardly facing bearing surface to engage the bearing surface on said stud, and a relatively short arm extending outwardly from said axle supporting means, an elongate vertical member mounted on said outwardly extending arm for vertical adjustment with relation thereto and extending upwardly through said opening in said hanger, means for rigidly ecuring said vertical member to said arm in adjusted positions in elation to the latter, said vertical member having an enlarged portion above said opening provided with a substantially semi-spherical bearing surface supported on the bearing surface of said hanger, and a yieldable element arranged about said vertical member and confined under pressure between said hanger and said outwardly extending arm.

6. In a roller skate, a hanger adjacent one end of said skate having near its inner end a downwardly extending tubular part provided with an internal screw thread, a substantially vertical stud having an upper screw threaded portion mounted in said tubular part and having a substantially semi-spherical lower end, said hanger having adjacent its outer end a vertical cavity the bottom wall of which is provided with a central opening, the upper surface of said bottom wall conforming substantially to a section of a sphere, a truck frame comprising means for supporting a roller axle, an arm extending inwardly from said axle supporting means and having near its inner end an upwardly facing substantially semi-spherical bearing engaging the lower end of said stud and a relatively short arm extending outwardly from and substantially in the horizontal plane of said axle supporting means and having a screw threaded aperture, a substantially vertical bolt extending through said cavity in said hanger and having a head supported by and in movable contact with said spherical bearing surface of the bottom wall of said cavity, said bolt having its lower portion screw threaded and mounted in the aperture in said outwardly extending arm and held normally against movement therein, and a yieldable element mounted about the intermediate portion of said bolt and confined in compression between said hanger and said outwardly extending arm.

SAMUEL M. ALLRED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 37,305 Plimpton Jan. 6, 1863 189,451 Gibson M Apr. 10, 1877 288,821 Higgins July 10, 1883