US3355185A

US3355185A - Ball skate device

Info

Publication number: US3355185A
Application number: US501790A
Authority: US
Inventors: George D Carter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-10-22
Filing date: 1965-10-22
Publication date: 1967-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1984-11-28

Description

Nov. 28, 1967 (5. m. CAFETER BALL SKATE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 22, 1965 INVENTOR CEO/1 615 D. C/7/P7ZR ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1967 G. D. CARTER 3,355,185

BALL SKATE DEVICE Filed Oct. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR GEO/P6750. KAWTH? ATTORNEY United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A skating device with spherical rolling members. Circular rolling members are provided adjacent said spherical members to provide lateral support upon inclination of the skating device around the spherical rolling members.

The advantages of using a spherical member for the rolling surface of a skate, as opposed to the conventional cylindrical rolling member, lies in the approximation of the sensation when using a spherical member to that experienced while ice skating. This is so because, with spherical ball rollers, the foot may easily be inclined at an angle other than perpendicular to the ground, as in the case with ice skates and which is not possible with conventional roller skates with cylindrical rolling surfaces. Such inclination of the foot and skate is of particular importance and assistance in negotiating turns, which can be most easily and fluidly accomplished if the foot and skate are inclined inwardly to resist the outward thrust of centrifugal force. This factor of relative freedom of lateral tilting motion, in addition to the generally smoother skating sensation that is provided by the spherical surface, favors the use of the ball, or sphere, in preference to the cylinder. Nonetheless, practically all skates use the cylindrical type surface. One reason for this is that the skate with the spherical rolling surface presents considerable difliculty during the learning or training period. 'Until a certain degree of experience has been reached, the users ankle, as with ice skates, tends to collapse and this discourages the use of the sphere.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved skating device employing spherical type rolling surfaces.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a ball skate construction that will reduce training time.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a ball skate construction that will provide rolling support upon inclination of the skate to the ground.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a ski employing spherical type rolling surfaces.

The manner in which these objects are achieved will be readily apparent from the embodiments illustrated in the figures hereof and hereinafter described.

FIGURE 1 is a view, in perspective and looking upwardly, of one embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view, in perspective looking downwardly and partly in section, of another embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken through section A-A of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the spherical rolling surface of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the skate body 1 includes forward section 13 and rear section 15 in a form of telescopic relationship to each other, which are held in position by bolt 29 and wing nut 31, the bolt 29 extending through a hole in forward section 13 and a slot in rear section 15. Toe fasteners 5 pass through slots on either side of forward section 13, the inner tab portions of the fasteners threadedly attached to bolt 9, which is rotated by means of knob 7 so as to lengthen or shorten the distance between the outer, upwardly extending portions of the fasteners. The toe fasteners are used to grip the shoe of the user as it is supported on the top surface of the skate body 1. Front strap 17 clips onto slots on the side portions of forward section 13 directly behind the toe fasteners 5 and fastened over the forward section of the users shoe. Rear strap 19 is, similarly, attached to heel guard 23 and is fastened over the users instep.

The ball assembly 3 is best shown in FIG. 4. Ball 21 has Teflon insert 27 which rides around axle 11. Axle 11 is supported by downwardly extending, lateral flanges of front section 13 and is maintained in position by spring clip 25 that passes through a hole in one end of the axle 11.

The ball assembly 3 is constructed so as to have a central spherical member 21 with two disc-like rims 35 on opposite sides thereof, the diameter of rims 35 being smaller than the diameter of the spherical portion 21. Training wheels 29, preferably of rubber or some suitably elastic material, are inserted between and around the rims 35 and spherical portion 21 and are assembled in position by snapping over the rim 35.

With this construction, the training wheels 29 may be employed until such time as the skater develops sufiicient experience and confidence. It will be appreciated that the training wheel, containing some degree of elasticity or compressibility, will yield as the skate is inclined, thus providing freedom of inclination while at the same time providing support and reassurance to the skater.

Training wheels 29 can be easily removed by disassembling clip 25 and pin 11 and snapping the wheels outwardly over the rims 35. The skate may then be used with principal reliance by the skater on the ability he has developed over the period during which he has used the training wheels. However, even after the novice has acquired a measure of experience and has removed the training wheels 29, he may require some stabilizing assistance, and this is provided by the rims 35 which permit more inclination of the skate than the training wheels 29, but which still offer support upon extreme inclinations of the skate. With continuing usage, the rim diameter will decrease and, as the skater presumably will improve his skating ability, the decrease in diameter of the rims will conform to the users increased skating proficiency.

Of course training wheels 29, as illustrated, need not be employed and lateral rolling support supplementing and assisting the ball skate can be provided with a single stabilizing member acting as the training wheel and the nm.

A series of holes 55 are provided in the forward section 13 to permit variable positioning of the forwardly located ball assembly 3 with relation to forward section 13 and to the users foot. Whereas the telescopic relationship of front and

rear sections

13 and 15 permits adjustment to fit the size of the users foot, varying of the location of the forward ball assembly 3 with respect to the forward section 13 provides a means of modifying the skate as appropriate to the users skill. The most forward location of ball assembly 3 is more stable longitudinally than the other locations, the skating being increasingly difiicult as the ball assembly 3 is moved rearwardly.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the ball assembly 3 is illustrated applied to a ski runner 43, the ski then being operable on surfaces other than snow, as on sidewalks, driveways, etc. Runner 43 is similar to a standard snow ski runner but, in this case, supports axle 11 around which ball assembly 3 rotates. The ball assembly extends beneath and above the runner 43, the upper portion being covered by shield 45 which is attached to the top of the runner.

Heel guard 49, strap 51 and toe plate 47 serve to keep the users foot in position and secured to the runner 43. Poles 53, similar to the poles used in snow skiing, are employed to propel and direct the skier.

It will be apparent that many embodiments of the ball assembly 3 of the present invention can be arranged as, for example, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5. Therein, bearings 41 are employed, the inner race of the bearing extending around the axle 11 (not shown). Outer race 39 includes an outer flange comprising the rim while the ball is essentially the single central spherical member 57, which is supported on the outer race 39 of the bearing 41. Training wheels 33 are, as in the embodiment of FIG. 4, interposed around and between central spherical member 57 and rim 39.

Thus, it is to be understood that changes and modifications to the embodiments as illustrated and described may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a skate having rolling means comprising a ball shaped member rotatably mounted on an axle that is supported by the skate body, the improvement comprising,

(a) first wheel means adjacent said ball shaped member and rotatably mounted on said axle,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,253,012 8/1941 Benner et al. 2 8011.l 2,260,027 10/1941 Hotson 28011.1 2,403,885 7/ 1946 Thompson 280-713 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,049,182 8/1953 Great Britain. 622 Great Britain. of 1876 LEO FRIAGLIA, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A SKATE HAVING ROLLING MEANS COMPRISING A BALL SHAPED MEMBER ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON AN AXLE THAT IS SUPPORTED BY THE SKATE BODY, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, (A) FIRST WHEEL MEANS ADJACENT SAID BALL SHAPED MEMBER AND ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID AXLE, (B) SECOND WHEEL MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID AXLE AND ABUTTING SAID BALL SHAPED MEMBER AND SAID FIRST WHEEL MEANS, (C) SAID FIRST WHEEL MEANS HAVING A RADIUS LESSER THAN THE RADIUS OF SAID BALL SHAPED MEMBER, AND (D) SAID SECOND WHEEL MEANS HAVING A RADIUS GREATER THAN THE RADIUS OF SAID FIRST WHEEL MEANS.