US40807A - Smprovement in skates - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES Aralar trios.

WILLIAM BAILEY, OF U'IICA, NEW YORK.

lM PROVElVI ENT IN SKATES.

Specilica-tion forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,807, dated December 8, 1863.

specification, in which- Figure 4 is a perspective representation of the finished skate as improved by me. Fig. 2 is the same with the reverse sid'e turned upward. Fig. 3is asection of the skate on ascale of full size with the covering-plate, Fig. 6, left on", disclosing the chamberPsunk in the skatestock and the included agencies by which the ,clasps hereinafter described are operated.

Fig. 4 shows this interior arrangement separate from the skate and including the clasps a b. Fig. 5 shows these adjustable clasps separately, disclosing more clearly their connection and relative position. Fig. 6 is the cover to be screwed down over this internal arrangement; and Fig. 7 is the key by which the adjustable clasps are operated.

These adjustable clasps are designed to embrace the sole of the boot on eachs ide of the foot, and to fasten the skate to the boot in aid of the usual strap to be buckled across the foot, and to relieve the latter from being necessarily drawn so tight as to be painful. The clasps hold the skate securely, and although the ordinary strap is used in addition, itA is not buckled so tight as to be inconvenient. These clasps, when the skate is on, lie directly under the ball of the foot, covered by the plate, Fig. 6, on which the sole of the boot rests, the clasp ends projecting, as shown at a b, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows the connection of the two clasps. They meet by a sort of loose joint. The pendent lips c d pass each other, the single lip of the clasp a passing between the two lips on the clasp b, so that when these pendent lips on the respective clasps are pressed apart the clasphooks a b are drawn nearer together and clasp the sole of the boot. (See a b, Fig. 1.)

When they are pressed apart, the clasps are loosened from the boot. To accomplish this operation when the skate is on the foot, the wedges e f, Fig. 3, are placed within the chamber P, and the cone g, on a screw-stem, h, is

placed between them, this screw-stem working in ascrew-tap in the xed nut t, The clasps, Fig. 5,are then laid on7 so that the pendent lips c and d pass each other, as described, and settle into the chamber outside of the wedges, as shown in Fig. 4. This can be done only after the cone g is withdrawn to the position shown inFig. 4. N ow, it is evident that when the cone gis forced in between the wedges e f the latter will be pressed apart and carry with them the pendent lips of the clasps, and that this brings the clasp-hooksaand b, Figs. 1 and 5, nearer together, causing them to grip the sole of the boot, as described. This is performed when the skate is on the foot with the utmost ease by the use of the key, Fig. 7, applied to the screw stem h, Fig. 3, outside. When the cone g is withdrawn by the use of the key, as described, the clasps being at liberty are easily disengaged from the boot-sole by the hand, and are in likeinanner opened for the reception of the foot in putting on the skate, and when properly adjusted the key is used to tighten their hold upon the boot. This mode of fastening to the boot-soleis not necessarily limited to the skate of the iiat runner, as here described, but may be applied to skates of other forms of the runner or skate-iron.

For the purpose o f increasing the breadth of base on which the weight of the body rests in skating, and at the same time avoiding too great weight of metal in the runner, the latter is flattened, the width thereof being greater than the depth, as seen in Fig. 2, the two raised edges of the runner being about half an inch apart, making a firmer and surer base to stand upon, and much easier and safer for beginners, young persons, and others, and for a suitable elevation of the foot; and to facilitate the use of bracing-sheaves at the sides, as hereinafter described, the said flattened runner is tted to a deep wooden stock,-K, Figs. 1 and 2, upon which the runner is laid, as seen in Fig. 2. It is fastened at both the toe and the heel by a peculiar device. At the toe the runner curves up in front and terminates in a dovetailed form, which is let into the wooden stock, as seen at Z, which, when fastened at the heel, as described, holds it securely. This mode of fastening the runner at the toe by dovetailing into the stock is applicable to all ordinary forms of skates. At the heel I am enabled,by

the greater Width of the runner, to insert the heel-pin directly through the runner and settle a square head into a countersunk recess between the raised edges of the runner, as seen at m, Fig. 2, which, being dressed off, is even with the surface of the runner and quite out of the wayin the use of the skates. rIhis avoids the necessity of brackets at the sides or end, through which to fasten the runner to the stock. The heelpin passes through the stock and projects on the opposite side, where it is drawn up by ascrew-nut, as shown at n, Fig. l.

The bracing-sheaves r r r r, Fig. 2, are set in the Wooden stock, as here shown, retreating a little from the plane of the ruimer to strike the ice and sustain and relieve thc ankle when the foot happens to turn to either side. They are simple metal rollers turning easily on their arbors of Wire. They brace the l'ootand greatly increase the safetyand ease of the skater, and are especially useful to the beginner. They are applicable only to the form of skate here described,where the wooden stock or its equivalent to sustain them comes down near to the bearing-surface of the ruimer.

Having thus described my invention, I do not claim, generally, theuse of clamps for fastening the skate to the boot-sole, as clamps in other forms and by other modes of operation have heretofore been used; but

I claim- 1. .'Ihe construction of the clamps with the pendent lips connected and arranged as I have described, and the mode of operating them which I hay a described.

2. 'lhe construction and use of the skaterunner of the flattened form,with the elevated edges spread apart for greater base and for other purposes, as described, in combination With the deep Wooden stock with bearing sheaves, as described, and for the purposes described.

3. The mode of fastening the runner to the Wooden stock by means of the dovetail device fat the toe, as described, and the heel-pinpass ing directly through the runner at the heel, with head countersunlc in the manner described, and for the purposes described, the Whole being constructed, combined, and arranged substantially in the manner herein set forth.

WILLIAM BAILEY.

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