US31797A

US31797A - Improvement in skates

Info

Publication number: US31797A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1861-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 1878-03-26

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. J. GIBSON, OF VOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SKATES.

Spe'cication. forming part of Letters Patent No. 31,797, dated March 26, 1861.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, A. J. GIBSON, of lVorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Skates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full', clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the improved skate, representing the back part of the same in two positions. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both iigures.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A A represent, respectively, the joint and rear parts of the skate-iron, which are made as wide as may be desired and as thick" as skate-irons usually are. The curve of these irons when put together may also be made as fancy may dictate. There may be a groove made in the bottom of these irons, extending from front to rear thereof. This skate-iron may therefore be made in every respect, excepting the joint to be hereinafter explained, like common skate-irons. These irons A A are put together by a rule-joint B, with a strong riveted pin ce passing transversely through the center of the joint. The joint is made by forming circular enlargements on the meeting ends of the irons, which are each half as thick as the main portions of the irons. These circular portions are lapped together with the pin a, which allows them to move freely. The projecting portions of this rulejoint are on the upper edge of the skate-iron, leavin g the lower edge continuous from front to rear.

C O represent a divided footestand, which is secured to the front and back portions A Al of the skate-iron by studs or standards b b b bif or in any other suitable manner. This divided foot-stand represented in the drawings is made of wood and shaped to suit the fancy. The two portions O O do not meet, but have a space over the joint'B sufiicient to allow a free movement of this joint. Instead of having an elevated foot-stand,the irons A A may be made wider and the divided stock secured immediately to the irons, or instead of the wooden stock or theA divided stock a thin steel plate may be employed, which will yield and accommodate itself to the motions of the foot, or two sti metal plates maybe substituted for the wooden pieces C C. The joint in the irons may be made directly under the ball of the foot or at any other desired point between the heel and toe.

I do not claim, broadly, the dividing of the skate-runner into two parts, for I am aware thatthis is shown in Letters Patent No. 28,984,

bility of the hinge movement; but when the runners are so made that they will separate when the joint is moved, as in the patent recited, the back end of the front skatewill cut into the ice and impede the user and cause liability to fall upon the ice. this is because in the act of bending the foot the rear skate-iron withdraws its support from the frontiron, and the heel thereof, being thus left unsupported, drops into the ice; but in my improvement the two skate-irons support each other, no matter what their relative angle may happen to be in respect to each other.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent as an improved article of manufacture- A skate that has its runner jointed in the peculiar manner herein shown and described and otherwise made as set forth.

A. J. GIBSON.

Witnesses:

APPLEToN D ADMUN, J. W. BALDWIN, G. F. ,PENNIMAN The reason ofA