US37447A - Improvement in skates - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN IRVING, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SKATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,447, dated January 20, 1863.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that l, BENJAMIN IRvINe, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Skates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in providing the skate with clamps and levers in such manner that it is capable of being clamped to the boot of the skater by the movement of one lever, and in also making the clamps adjustablein relation to each other, so as to be fitted to boots o't' different dimensions.

The same letters of reference upon the different figures in the drawings indicate the same parts.

Figure l is an elevation showing the levers loosened so as to discngage the clamps; Fig. 2, an elevation showing the levers tightened to engage the clamps; Fig. 3, a plan 5 Fig. 4, an end view of the forward clamps and their plate; Fig. 5, a plan of the forward clamp plate, and Fig. 6 views of the latch for holding the levers in place.

Upon the forward part of the skate-body a is fitted the clamp-plate G, which is secured by two screws tapped into the body and passing through the slots f f, thus allowing adjustment for length at pleasure. Upon the clamp-plate C are secured by the screws shown, passing through the slots g g, two side clamps, d el, in such manner that they may be adjusted for width at pleasure. The forward clamps, e e, are hooked inward to em brace the edges of the boot-sole at the corners of the toe, and the side clamps, d d, are in like manner formed to embrace the edges of the boot-sole at the sides by the act of placing the boot upon the skate and thrusting it forward.

The back part of the body, at h, is made lower than the fore part, and slotted to receive the sliding heel piece or clamp, h with its clamp r, to embrace the back part of the boot-heel.

The heel-piece slides freely back and forth upon the body, and is composed of two pieces, kand t', which are secured together by the screw j in such manner that the part k may be especially adjusted at a greater or lessdistance from the spur Q, the part t remaining in the same place, thus rendering it easy to adjust the heel-clamp so that boot-heels of different dimensions may be inserted, and the special adjustment easily made for many sizes by loosening the screw j and shifting ithe two parts k and fin relation to eachother, and again tightening the screw j. Upon the sliding heel-piece, at l, is pinned the toggle-levers m m, which are pinned at s to another togglelever, n, which is in turn secured to the skate-body at w in such manner that when the levers m and n are moved by the handle tfrom the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 2,the heel-clamp will be moved bodily forward in relation to the body ay and the spur q, so that ifa boot to which the clamps have been previously adjusted be placed upon the skate, and the levers moved as described, the boot will be forced bodily forward by the clamp 7c and thespur Qbe inserted into the material of the forward part of the boot-heel, while the clamps e e and d d will be closely engaged with the sole at the toe and sides, the skate being thus rmly se-` cured to the boot. The spring-latch o holds the toggle-levers m and n in position until it is desired to remove the skate, when it is pressed forward with the linger, at which time the levers m and n may be thrown down and the boot released from the clamps and spurs.

I do not limit myself to the precise arrangement of levers and clamps herein described, as it is obvious that many variations may be made without discarding the essence of the invention.

I am aware that holding-clamps for skates have before been used, and I do not claim them as my invention 5 but What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Actuating the clamps ki by means of the system of levers m n, thereby engaging it and the adjustable clamp cl e to the boot or shoe, when the whole are combined, arranged, and operated substantially as described.

2. The combination of the especially adjustable heel-clamp 7st with the toggle-levers, when arranged and operating substantially as described.

3. The combination of the toe, side, and heel clamps when adjustable severally and in relation to each other substantially as described.

Wtnesses: BENJAMIN IRVING.

E. S. WHEELER, N. W. WHEELER.

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