US2857008A

US2857008A - Power roller skates

Info

Publication number: US2857008A
Application number: US623932A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pirrello Antonio
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-11-23
Filing date: 1956-11-23
Publication date: 1958-10-21
Anticipated expiration: 1975-10-21

Description

Oct? v A. PIRRELLO 2,857,008

, POWER ROLLER SKATES Filed Nov. 23, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Oct. 21, 1958 Filed Nov. 25, 1956 A; PIRRELLO POWER ROLLER SKATES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. ,4/vrcw/o P/EPEAAO A men/i) POWER ROLLER SKATES Antonio Pirrello, Lincoln Park, Mich. I Application November 23, 1956, Serial No. 623,932

3 Claims. (Cl. 180-1) This invention relates to power roller skates and in particular to improved power roller skate construction and control means therefor.

There have been many prior attempts to apply power to roller skates, however, none has proven entirely satisfactory in that the prior art means for applying and controlling the power to roller skates did not permit the skater to have full control of or properly perform a combined roller skating and power skating function as a relatively unitary coordinated sport without excessively increasing the hazard of falling which is more incidental in power roller skating than in normal roller skating.

Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved power roller skate having its rear wheels powered from a lightweight power pack carried on the back of a skater through a flexible shaft under the control of readily manipulable hand control means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a power roller skate wherein the power is applied to the rear wheels thereof through a simple, inexpensive lightweight combined differential and free wheeling means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a power roller skate and power control means therefor wherein only one of a pair of roller skates need be powered to carry on the sport of power roller skating in a safe and enjoyable manner.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a power roller skate embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the rear wheel power unit embodying the invention for applying power to the rear wheels of a roller skate from a power source remote therefrom.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4 of the ratchet type differential and free wheeling mechanism preferably employed.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the improved means employed for maintaining complete control over the power applied to the power roller skate.

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the control means disclosed in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an elevational view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 with a portion broken away to disclose the switch means preferably employed to ground and shut off the engine.

Fig. 9 is an elevational view of the power roller skate apparatus embodying the invention in use by a roller skater with a power pack incorporating a conventional power source carried on the back of the skater, and with the manual control means of the invention carried in the hand of the skater for instant control of the application power roller skate disclosed 2,857,008 Patented Oct- 21, 1958 of power from the power source to the skate while engaging in the sport of power roller skating.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the invention consists of an improved power skate 10 including a chassis 11 having a fixed front axle 12 onto which a pair of front wheels 13 are preferably ball bearing mounted, and a skate power unit 14 coinprising a pair of rear wheels 15 rotatably mounted on ball bearings 16 carried by a hollow rear fixed axle 17 and driven by a main drive shaft 18, stub shafts 19 and ratchet means 20, the said power unit 14 being driven by a power pack 21 preferably consisting of a conventional lightweight gasoline motor and a conventional clutch means (not shown) worn on the back of the skater 22. Power from the said power pack 21 is applied to the main shaft 18 of the skate power unit 14 through a flexible shaft 23 under control of the skater 22 by a novel combination throttle, clutch control and motor shut-off means incorporated in a single novel hand control unit 24 carried by the skater and connected to the motor and clutch elements of the power pack 21, all as hereinafter more fully described in detail.

The chassis 11 of the power skate 10 includes a sole plate 25 and front and

rear axle brackets

26 and 27. The fixed front axle 12 is secured to the front axle bracket 26 by a horn 28 telescoped into the front of the said front axle bracket 26 and by a stud 29 threaded into the rear thereof. In a similar manner, the skate power unit 14 is secured to the rear axle bracket 27 by means of a horn 30 extending from the housing 140 thereof and telescoped into the rear of the said rear axle bracket 27 and by means of a stud 31 threaded into the front of said rear axle bracket 27. The said horn 30 extends rearwardly from an upper tongue 141 of the housing of the skate power unit 14 while the stud 31 extends through a lower tongue 142 of the said skate power unit housing 140. A strut 32 is preferably disposed between the front and

rear axle brackets

26 and 27 and is held in place by the

studs

29 and 31 respectively.

Cushioning washers

290 and 310 are preferably impaled on the

studs

29 and 31 respectively to absorb some of the wheel shock transmitted to the chassis 11 and the skaters shoe 33 onto which the said chassis 11 is secured by suitable screws 34.

The housing 140 of the skate power unit 14 has a pair of hollow fixed axles 17 fixed thereto extending laterally therefrom onto each of which are rotatably mounted one of the rear skate wheels 15 by means of suitable preferably combined radial and thrust ball bearings 16. The outer races of the said ball bearings 16 are pressed into 'the wheels 15, and the inner races thereof are spaced by a suitable spacer and are fixed onto the fixed axles 17 by means of a nut 35 and lock nut 36 threaded on the outer end of each of the said fixed axles 17. This construction permits the wheels 15 to rotate anti-frictio'nally 0n the hollow fixed axles 17. Each provided with a suitable relatively hard rubber the 150; however, the tire 150 or the entire wheel 15 may be molded or otherwise formed of a suitable sistant material.

A hollow main drive shaft housing is secured by suitable studs 37 to the housing 140 of the said skate power unit and communicates with the gearbox cavity 143 in the said housing 140. The main drive shaft 18 is rotatably mounted in the sai main drive shaft housing flexible shaft coupling 40 is fixed and keyed on the outer end thereof by means of a stud 41 and key 42. A bearing spacer sleeve 43 is disposed along the main drive shaft races of the ball bearings 38 so that the stud 41will hold wheel 15 is preferably non-metallic wear re- 38. A main drive bevel 18 between the inner 3. the main drive shaft 18, the inner races of the bearings 38, the bevel drive gear 39, the sleeve 43 and the flexible shaft coupling 40 axially together as a unitary driving unit. Suitable shoulders 181 are formed in the main drive shaft'housing lfifl andfun'ction to locate the outer races of the ball bearings'38" and the main drive shaft 18' with the bevel drive gear- 39 thereon in their proper longitudinal location in said main drive shaft housing 180.

Each of the hollow rear axles 17 fixed to and extending laterally from the housing 140 of the skate power unit 141s suitably flanged and formed at 176 to accommodate theouterrace of a ball'bearing 44. A. bevel drive pinion 45 having, a hollow shaft 450 is meshed with the main drive bevel gear 39, and the hollow pinion shaft 450 is rotatablysupported on the inner races of the ball bearings 44. With this construction, the pinion shaft 450 is continuously driven by the flexible drive shaft 23 when coupled to the flexible shaft coupling 40 of the main drive shaft 18. The details of the coupling of the flexible drive shaft 23 to the flexible shaft coupling 40 on the end of the main drive shaft 18, being conventional, are not shown.

Each of the stub shafts 19 are rotatably mounted in, a rear axle 17 and have their inner ends extending into and keyed to the hollow shaft 459 of the drive pinion 45 by suitable: keys 46. The outer end of each stub shaft 19 is headed at 190 and is provided with a radially disposed ratchet pawl 47 spring loaded radially outwardly by a suitable compression spring 48. Turnable on the head 190 of the stub shaft 19 is a ratchet wheel 49 secured by suitable studs 490 to the skate wheel 15. The said ratchet wheel 49 has radially inwardly disposed ratchet teeth 50 therein which are engaged by the spring loaded pawl 47 to drive the said rear wheel 15 of the power skatell). A cover plate 51 is secured by the screws 510 over the outer face of the ratchet wheel 49. Thus, the rear wheels 15 of the power skate are driven by the power means in the power pack 21 in the direction indicated by the arrow 1500 through the flexible shaft 23, the main shaft 18, the bevel main gear 39 and bevel drive pinion 45, the hollow pinion shaft 450, the stub shaft 19 and the pawl 47 and ratchet 49. This propels the power skate 10 forward responsive to the hand control unit -24 carried by the skater.

If'the skater is moving faster than the power means propels the power skate 10 through the rear driving wheels thereof, as, for example, when the power is shut off or cut off abruptly, then the said driving wheels 15 ratchet in respect to the stub shafts 19 to provide a.

free wheeling effect. Also, in skating on a curve, a diflerential effect is provided between the two rear driving wheels 15 of thepower skate 10, the driving wheel on the inside of the curve supplying the skating power while the other driving wheel ratchets. The foregoing is extremely important because drag on both driving wheels is eliminated when the power means is throttled down abruptly after skating under power at. a given speed, and also because the differential effect provided permits skating on turns of extremely small radius whereby complete maneuverability of the skater is present at all times whether under normal skating, or power skating. The hand control of the power applied to the power skate provides for instant fluctuation of the power skating function in respect to the normal skating function. By reference to Fig. 9, it will be noted that it is preferable to use only one power skate 10, the other skate 160 being a normal roller skate without power applied thereto.

The power pack 21, not shown in detail because of its being of conventional construction, preferably consists of a lightweight gasoline engine including a fuel tank, an ignition system, a gasoline system, and a clutch having an output shaft connected by suitable coupling means to the flexible drive shaft 23. The throttle of the engine gasoline system is under control of a tensioned throttle 4 control wire 60, the clutch is under control of a tensioned clutch control wire 61, and the ignition system is under shut-off control by grounding it through an ignition grounding wire 62. The tensioned throttle control and

clutch control wires

60 and 61 are telescopingly contained in

individual sheaths

600 and 610 respectively, While the ignition grounding wire is covered with suitable insulation 620.

The flexible drive shaft 23 is disposed in a suitable flexible sheath 230 extending from the power pack 21 to the main drive shaft housing 180 of the power skate 10 where the said flexible drive shaft 23 is suitably coupled with the main drive shaft 18 at the flexible shaft coupling element 40 thereon. The throttle control wire 60, the clutch control wire 61, and the ignition grounding wire 62 are run from the power pack 21 in a flexible sheath 65 to the hand control unit 24.

The said hand control unit 24 consists of a generally tubular plastic body 66 into the rear end of which the

sheaths

600 and 610 respectively of the throttle control and

clutch control wires

60 and 61 together with the grounding wire 62 in its insulation 620 are anchored by a suitable anchor block 67. The throttle wire 60 is wound around and suitably anchored to a sheave 68 frictionally journaled on a stud 69 threaded into one side of the body 66 of the said hand control unit 24. The said sheave 68 is preferably so located as to be readily turned by the skaters right thumb to move the throttle wire 66 whereby to regulate the speed at which the engine in the power pack 21 rotates, and thusly control the rate of speed at which the power roller skate is driven.

A preferably metal clutch control lever 70 is pivoted on a pivot pin 71 disposed through the bifurcated lower front end 660 of the body 66 of the hand control unit 24. The upper forward end of the said clutch control lever 70 is formed at 700 to accept and hold an anchor 72 fixed on the front end of the tensioned clutch control wire 61). The tensioned clutch control wire 60 normally holds the clutch control lever 70 in its off or downward position as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Squeezing the clutch control lever 79 engages the clutch in the power pack 21 and applies power from the engine carried therein through the flexible drive shaft 23 to the skate power unit 14.

A ground switch 75 in the form of a headed metal contact pin is reciprocatingly mounted through one wall of the plastic body 66 of the hand control unit 24 opposite a portion of the metal clutch control lever 70, and the ground switch contact pin 75 is resiliently held out of contact with the clutch control lever 70 by a suitable bifurcated leaf spring 76 to which the grounding wire 62 is connected electrically through an anchor pin 77 which fixes the leaf spring 76 to the plastic body 66 of the said hand control unit 24. By depressing the headed ground switch contact pin 75, the ignition system of the engine in the power pack 21 is grounded through the grounding wire 62 and the clutch control wire 60 which is suitably grounded at the engine. This shuts off the engine in the power pack 21 at the will of the skater.

Although it may be desired for extreme power skating speed to apply power to both skates of a pair of roller skates, with the hereinbefore disclosed improved means for applying power to roller skates combined with the improved complete and facile manual control thereof as above described, it is only necessary to apply power to a single skate to permit a skater aptly and safely carry on the sport of power roller skating.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described in detail, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, ar-

rangement and construction of the several elements of the invention, all without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for powering a roller skate from a source of power carried on the back of the skater, said roller skate consisting of a chassis including a front axle with wheels rotatably mounted thereon and rear power unit including a housing and fixed hollow axles mounted thereon in communication therewith and extending laterally therefrom, power wheels rotatably mounted on said hollow axles, a drive pinion in said housing including a hollow shaft rotatably mounted between said fixed hollow axles in axial alignment therewith, a headed stub shaft rotatably mounted in each hollow axle telescoped into and keyed to said pinion shaft with the head of each stub shaft extending from the hollow axle mounting it, a ratchet wheel fixed to and rotatable with each power wheel, a spring biased pawl in each said stub shaft head engageable with said ratchet wheel to drive each power wheel only in a direction to drive the skate forward responsive to the rotation of said pinion shaft, 9. main drive shaft housing extending from said power unit housing, and a main drive shaft rotatably mounted in said main drive housing including a bevel drive gear thereon extending into said power unit housing and con-, stantly meshed with said drive pinion, and means coupling said source of power to said main drive shaft.

2. Means for powering a roller skate from-a source of power consisting of a gasoline engine having a clutch, throttle and ignition system carried on the back of the skater, said roller skate consisting of a chassis including a front axle with wheels rotatably mounted thereon and rear power unit including a housing and fixed hollow axles mounted thereon in communication therewith and extending laterally therefrom, power wheels rotatably mounted on said hollow axles, a drive pinion in said housing including a hollow shaft rotatably mounted between said fixed hollow axles in axial alignment therewith, a stub shaft rotatably mounted in each hollow axle telescoped into and keyed to said pinion shaft with one end of each stub shaft extending from the hollow axle mounting it, a spring biased pawl and ratchet mechanism connecting each stub shaft end to a power Wheel driving it independently of the other power wheel in a direction to drive the skate forwardly only responsive to the rotation of said pinion shaft, said spring biased pawl being reciprocatingly mounted in the member mounting it, a main drive shaft housing extending from said power unit housing and a main drive shaft rotatably mounted in said main drive housing including a bevel drive gear thereon extending into said power unit housing and constantly meshed with said drive pinion, and means coupling said source of power to said main drive shaft.

3. Means for powering a roller skate as claimed in claim 2 including hand control means carried by the skater connected to said source of power, said hand control means consisting of a throttle control, clutch control and ignition control means for regulating the application of power from said source of power to said main drive shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,012,847 Hatfield et al Dec. 26, 1911 1,348,568 Kemble Aug. 3, 1920 2,284,344 Russell May 26, 1942, 2,625,229 Van Voorhees Jan. 13, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 835,558 Germany Apr. 3, 1952 513,031 Great Britain Dec. 1, 1937 246,383 Italy Mar. 29, 1926