US2033334A - Safety roller skate - Google Patents

Description

March 10, 1936. F. H. GOOSMANN SAFETY ROLLER SKATE Filed April 13, 1935 2.Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS. I

March 10, 1936. F. H. GO'OSMANN SAFETY ROLLER SKATE Filed April is, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VENTOR.

ATT RNEYS Patented Mar. 10, 1936 SAFETY ROLLER, SKATE Fred H. GoosmanmCincinnati, Ohio Application April 13, 1935, Serial No. 16,223

13 Claims.

This invention relates to roller skates, more particularly to improved low hung, long wheelbase, self-steering, safety roller skates-which require but little skill for their use andenjoyment, and which are suited for outdoor, rink or theatrical skating.

The recent revival of roller skating as a sport for children and adults has been hampered in its growth of popularity by reason of the inadequacy of the skates heretofore available for safe use by inexperienced skaters. These old type skates can be used only by adept roller skaters, whose skill has been acquired by long practice. The design of these skates is such that the wheels thereof are placed close to or nearly directly under the load center on the skate frame, which design presumably has been intended to facilitate easy direction control. This construction provides poor load distribution with respect to the stability and balance of the skater upon the skate unless the proper feel is previously acquired by the skater. The culmination of the design tendency in respect to" this type of skate is exhibited by the devices used by theatrical skating performers, wherein the wheel base of the skate is shortened as much as possible to providea very short steering radius.

These special theatrical skates obviously represent the antithesis of a safety skate suitable for use by one who is not thoroughly familiar and competent at the art of skating.

This invention is based on the perception that the high hung roller skates heretofore known are not adapted to be used by inexperienced persons because of their inherent instability when in use.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved low hung or underslung roller skate axles being mounted for yielding movement incompound directions, to permit controlled steering of the skate by the foot of the skater tiltring incident to curve executions.

Another object of this invention is to pro-- vide a low hung roller skate having a long wheel-base in which the users weight is loaded on the skate frame over an appreciable area longitudinally intermediate of the wheels, the

length of the loading area being appreciably lessthan the length of the wheel-base.

It is another object of my invention to pro--;

vide a long wheel base roller skate of'stabilized rideability whereon one is able to positively and.

directly control ones direction of movement even in intricate figure skating by rocking of ones foot or feet.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved axle mounting permitting.

, yielding orfiexible movement in compound directions, in which the sensitivity of steering for the purpose of illustration.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a. transverse sectional View taken on the line 4% of Figure 1, showingthenesting of the frame channels.

Figure'5 is acrosssectional view through the steering yoke taken on line 5--5 of Figure 1.

FigureG is a cross sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 1, showing the construction of the-toe clamps with respect to the frameand sole plate.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the underside of the skate, showing the wheels in steering position for a right hand turn.

' Figure 8 is a front elevation, the front wheels. being shown in right-hand turning position.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, showing a modification of the axle pivot journal.

Briefly, the skate of this invention comprises a longitudinal frame, preferably of channel iron construction having sides formed to present a streamline appearance, yokes or axle mountings disposed at the front and rear extremities of saidframe to project therefrom and carry said frame in low hung or underslung .relation with the upper face of the frame relatively close to the skating surface for stability, axles carried by said axle mounting housings in yieldable pivoted engagement therewith for compound movement complementary and proportional to the tilting of the frame to one side or to the otherduring the execution of curves, and wheels rotatively carried by said axles externally of the frame.

Referring to the drawings which disclose one .7 skate of a pair, a longitudinal frame, extensible as to length to accommodate Varying foot sizes, is generally-indicated at IU. prises a front frame portion H in the form of This frame coma channel having dependingiformed sides I2; I2,

the top of which is curved upwardly toward the front extremity thereof, and a rear frame portion I3 of similar channel form having downwardly depending sides It, i9, of suitable width for telescopic adjustment within the front frame channel II. The rear frame portion I3 is substantially straight in longitudinal cross section, and the forward extremity thereof lies in nested telescopic engagement with the rearward portion of the front frame channel I I, the sides I i, I4, lying within and adjacent the sides I2, I2, respectively.

Medially of the length of the front channel, outwardly projecting sole plate supports I5, I5, are provided, one for each side. These projections are preferably made by partially blanking the same, except at the upward edge, from the side channels I2, I2, respectively, and subsequently upwardly bending the same whereby,

the projections are caused to lie in the general curvilinear plane of the upper web of the front channel II. This construction affords a toe clamp mechanism aperture through the channel sides I2-, I2, and furthermore provides a rigidified sole plate mounting.

A sole plate I9 generally configurated in the form of a shoe sole and shaped to conform generally to the upward longitudinal curve of the front channel II, is rigidly symmetrically mounted, preferably by spot welding or the like, to the upper web of the front channel I i and to the support projections I5, IS.

The rear frame channel I3 is longitudinally slotted medially of its length as at IT, and is annexed to the front channel I I by round headed carriage bolts I8, I83, having square shanks which pass through the sole plate I6 and ride in the said slot I! so as to remain non-rotative as the nuts of the bolts lying within the channel are tightened.

A front wheel journal yoke or housing I9, preferably convergingly U-shaped in cross section is mounted in inverted and canted position to the front extremity of the front channel II and has flanges or sides 29, 29, recessed for wheel axle passage, and also has an inner limb 2| longer than the outer limb. The sides I2, I2, of the channel II are preferably bevelled to slope upwardly in forward direction and are flared to receive the yoke which is annexed thereto by welding or the like with the longitudinal axis of the yoke slanting upwardly and forwardly to form an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the skate.

The yoke I9 is disposed to extend beyond the frame I9, and thereby permit the same to be low hung with the general outline of the depending sides I2, I2, of the front channel II formed to accentuate streamline appearance.

The inner transverse limb 2i of the U-shaped housing I9 is longitudinally slotted to adjustably carry a square shanked bolt 23 for mounting an angle type journal plate 24 thereto with the forward or exposed face of the bracket lying in a plane at an acute angle with the surface on which the wheels of the skate are to ride. This journal plate portion of the angle bracket 23 projects downwardly forwardly to the approximate level of the lower extremity of the front frame sides I2, I2.

An axle 25 counterturned at its extremities to rotatively carry ball bearing wheels 26, 26, one for each side, and having a shoulder 21 of enlarged diameter equal in length to the width of the plate 24, fiatted as at 29, with substantially flat upwardly converging sides adjacent thereto, is centrally disposed on the journal plate of the angle bracket 24 for pivoted rotation thereon with the flat 28 cooperating with the forward face of the journal plate to constitute a pivoting journal.

The axle 25 is pivotally annexed to the journal plate 24 and thus to the skate frame II], by a pivot pin 29, which pin is rigidly mounted to the plate 24 in symmetrical and squared relation. The pin 29 passes through a central bore in the shoulder 21 of the axle 25 to carry an abutment element 39 in contact with the shoulder 21 opposite the flat 28, and likewise passes through the yoke or housing I9 and: is threaded to carry a nut 3| in engagement with a boss 32 cf the yoke. It is preferred that the pin 29 is disposed to extend forwardly and upwardly at an angle approximating 45 with respect to the plane of the skating surface.

The axle-journal plate construction described essentially constitutes a low hung fifth wheel disposed in angular relation for yielding axle movement compound in relation to tilting of the frame.

The recessing of the sides 20, 29, or the flanging of the yoke I9 symmetrically about the axle 25 affords an abutment means for positively limiting the axle 26 from assuming too great a steering angle or becoming dangerously canted during skating.

An elastic bushing or cushion 33, of rubber or the like, is disposed within the housing I9 between the sides Ztl, 20, and the converging front and rear limbs to firmly but tensively embrace the axle 25 and rest against the face of the journal plate angle bracket 24.

As the sole plate I6 is tilted, as in Figure 7, the bush 33 is squeezed against the inward face of the housing on one side and the outward face of the housing on the other side of the central shoulder of the axle. The flexing of the bush impedes steering action and tends to return the axle to its normal squared position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the skate.

As previously noted, the outer limb of the yoke or housing I9 and the inner limb 2I thereof are convergingly disposed in relation to one another With the bush or thrust cushion 33 in compressioned engagement with the said sides and with the relatively flat side surfaces of the shoulder 21. The degree of compression thereof within the housing I9 and against the faces of the shoulder 2! determines the degree of sensitivity of the steering movement of the axle as the sole:

plate is tilted or rocked to either side.

Therefore, to provide adjustability of the compressive force acting upon the bushing and thereby provide adjustment of sensitivity of steering action, the angle bracket 24 is longitudinally adjustably. mounted to the inner face 2! of the housing I9 through the bolt 24 residing in a suitable slot. By reason of the wedging action of the cushion 33 within the converging limbs of the housing I9 against the relatively fiat sides of the hub 27, tightening of the nut 3I causes appreciable increase of the compressive force on the cushion acting on the sides of the hub, thereby tending to minimize the movement of the hub with respect to tilting forces acting on the sole plate. Thus if the skates are to be used by a person of heavy weight the bolt 23 is unloosened and the nut Si is screwed down to draw the pressure plate 24 against the bushing 33 and to increase the compression upon the same to thev .'.;1desired textent, .after which the bolt 23. :securing ..?-the pressure plate to-thexinnenface 21' of: the

.iforxuse. .-;usedv by a person of light weight, the pressure housing I9 is tightenedand the. skate is ready Contrariwise, if the skates are to..be

. .acting on the rubber through @thesoleplate is correspondingly lessened to increasegsensitivity 3.101. the steering mechanism.

.xFigure .9 discloses a modification of theaxle by light weight persons.

, project rearwardly from the skate frame. Since the rear frame channel is substantially straight To multiply the steering effect obtained by the --construotion hereinbefore described, the rear .wheel mounting comprises a -mechanism similar in construction and numeraled similarly to the front wheel mounting but oppositely'disposed to in longitudinal cross section, the-yoke IQ for the rear wheel mounting is annexed directly to flared sides [4, IA, of the rear channel IS, without the use of the filler plate 22 indicated at the front extremity of the skate.

l. By reason of opposite disposition of the rear .wheel mounting with respect to the front wheel mounting, tilting of the skate sole plate to one side or the other causes the front and rear wheels to assume complementary angular steering positions with-the result that the steering radius is doubly shortened, thus making the skate suitable to use for fancy skating wherein its characteristics and controllability are appreciably greater carried bysaid ,axlea than the ordinary roller skate heretofore used.

The rear wheel 19 is mounted preferably with the upper extremity thereof in the same plane or abovethe plane of the top Web of the rear channel l3 to afford a low hung mounting of the skate frame on the wheel axles. Thus both the front and rear wheel axles support the frame I0 intermediate thereof with the skate adapted to support ones foot close to the ground'to provide high stability whether the user is moving or standing still.

To secure the skate to the shoe of the users foot, a heel housing bracket comprising a curved, guard 34 and a heel plate 35 is slotted to carry an instep strap 35 appreciably inwardly from the rear wheels 2'! and rigidly mounted to the rear channel portion I3 of the frame l0. ..plate 34 is corrugated to include arecessed portion 37 wherein the bolts 18, I8, can pass when the skate is in the extremely shortened position and is stiffened by the indentations 38.

Disposed Within the apertures in thesides frame, front and rear axle sustaining yokes car- I2, of the front channel portion, which apertures were made in the forming of the sole plate pro-v jections I5, H), are mounted adjustable cooperating toe clamps 39, 39. These toe clamps comprise opposed L-shaped brackets having downwardly depending projections at their opposed inner portions and have, at their outward extremities, inwardly facing hook-like clamp projections which extend upwardly above the sole plate l5 for grasping engagement with the sole of the shoe of the skate user.

The downwardly depending opposed faces of the clamps 38, 38, are bored and threaded toreceive oppositely threaded portions of aright and left-hand threaded clamp screw 40 having squared heads at its outer extremities and hav- The heel ment thereof.

ingf an. .undercut separating the oppositely threaded portions medial of its length for resting engagement with a .slot of a downwardly. de-

.pendlng ,clip 4} mounted to the underside of'the ,frontiframe. channel H, whereby the screw is held against lateral displacement during the rotation thereof for clamping. The clamps 3'8, 38,

are preferably slotted as at 42, to receive attachment rivets A2,. 42, one for each clamp-,passing therethrough and-sustaining the clampwassembly toithezisolee 1.5- in-slidablewengagement.with:1the

underside face of the sole plate projections l5,

.The relative disposition of the heel housing and toe clamp upon the skate frame assists in the accomplishment of stability of the skate. I The heel plate is located appreciably forward of the rear Wheel mounting; likewise the toe-clamp is :mounted appreciably rearward" of "the front wheel: mounting. The area between the toe and than the wheel base of the skate, whereby stability is afforded inhibitory of the skate tending to roll from under the user, as is frequently the case with old type skates.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A roller skate, comprising, front and rear wheel bearing axle mounting yokes, elastic liningsrespectively-forthe axle mounting yokes, a

foot bearing frame low-hung therebetween with said front and rear yokes extending endwise from said frame, an axle carried by each=yoke recessed in said elastic lining, and'rolle-r wheels 2. A roller skate, comprising, front and rear wheel bearing axle mounting yokes, an extensible frame of cooperating channel irons in nested telescopic relation low-hung between said yokes .with the yokes extending endwise from said frame, and an axle for each yoke having Wheels rotatively journalled at the outer extremities thereof, said axles being pivotally engaged with said yoke for angular steering movement compound with respect to tilting of the skate frame.

3. A roller skate, comprising, front and rear U-shaped wheel bearing axle mounting yokes, a footsustaining frame low-hung therebetween, an axlerfor eachyoke pivotally annexed thereto for angular movement compound with respect to tilting of the skate frame, wheels rotatively car- 'ried externally of said'frame, and means carried bysaidyokes'for impeding compound movement of said axles, comprising elastic bushes to carry said axles in socketed relation in said yokes.

4. A roller skate, comprising, a foot-bearing ried by said frame for a low-hung suspension of .the frame, said yokes comprising fifth wheel 5. A roller skate, comprising, a rigidified foot sustaining frame, carrying means for fastening the same to a shoe intermediate the frame extremities, pivotsendwisely extending angularly upwardly from the forward and rearward extremities of said frame, centrally diametrically bored axles sustained onsaid forward and rear ward pivots for steering movement compound in relation to tilting of the skate frame, and roller wheels rotatively carried at the outer extremities of said axles.

6. A roller skate, comprising, a foot bearing frame carrying means for fastening the same to a shoe intermediate the frame extremities, pivots endwisely extending angularly upwardly from the forward and rearward extremities of said frame, centrally diametrically bored axles sustained on said forward and rearward pivots for steering movement in compound direction when the skate frame is tilted, roller wheels rotatively carried at the outer extremities of said axles, yoke housings enclosing said pivots and axle portions adjacent thereto, elastic bushes interposed within said housing in compressioned embracement against said axles for impeding pivotal movement of said axles, and means for moving said housings toward and from said axle to vary the compressive force of said interposed elastic bushes against said axles.

'7. A roller skate, comprising, forwardly and rearwardly facing journal plates each respectively disposed with the upper surfaces thereof angularly facing outwardly upwardly, a foo-t bearing frame carrying means for fastening the same to the sole of a shoe intermediate the frame low-hung between said journal plates, with said journal plates extending endwiseliy from the extremities of said frame, pivot pins centrally disposed to extend upwardly from said faces of said journal plates with the longitudinal axes thereof lying at an acute angle of approximately 45 with respect to the longitudinal axis of the skate frame, centrally diametrically bored axles rotatively carrying wheels at the outer extremities thereof disposed on said pivot pins, and flexible means embracing said axles at the areas thereof adjacent said pivot pins for impeding pivotal rotation of said axles.

8. A roller skate including a foot bearing frame and wheel bearing axle mounting yokes at the forward and rearward extremities thereof, one of said yokes comprising a cup-shaped housing disposed on said frame in angularly inwardly inverted position, a pivot pin movably depending centrally within said housing, a journal plate rigidly secured to said pivot pin to provide a fifth wheel for said axle, a centrally diametrically bored axle rotatively carrying roller wheels at the outer extremities thereof journaled with its bore embracing said pivot pin, a yielding bush interposed within said housing and against said journal plate to embrace the axle, and means for increasing and decreasing compression of said yielding means against said axle to impede pivotal movement thereof.

9. In a roller skate, a wheel assembly mounting therefor, comprising, a yoke having converging limbs and flanged sides to constitute a cupped housing, a journal plate across the open face thereof, an axle in pivotal engagement with the inner face of said journal plate, said axle extending beyond said flanges of said yoke in sidewise direction with the flanges limiting the extent of axle movement, an elastic bush interposed between said axle and said cupshaped housing, and means for moving the journal plate carrying the axle toward and from the bush, whereby the compression of the bush against the axle can be varied.

10. In a roller skate including a foot bearing frame, an axle and roller wheels journaled at the outer extremities thereof and an axle mounting yoke for permitting yielding steering movement of said axle compound in direction with respect to tilting of said skate frame, said axle mounting yoke comprising a U-shaped housing having converging limbs, a journal plate attached to one of said limbs to extend across the open extremity of said U-shaped housing, an axle having a central flattened shoulder, said axle being pivoted with the flattened shoulder thereof in engagement with the inner face of said journal plate, said axle also having substantially flattened sides adjacent said flattened surface, an elastic bush disposed within said housing to embrace said flattened sides of said axle, and means for wedging said elastic bush convergingly toward the limbs of said housing to provide means for increasing the compression of said bush against the sides of said axle.

11. In a roller skate, an extensible foot bearing frame including a sole plate and toe clamping means, said frame carrying axle bearing wheel mounting yokes at the forward and rearward extremities thereof in low-hung relation, said frame comprising channel irons in nested, telescopic relation, one of said irons, constituting the front portionof said frame having depending sides partially blanked inwardly from the forward extremity of said skate to provide a toe clamp aperture with the partial blank thereof bent upwardly to lie in the plane of the web of the channel and project outwardly therefrom to provide sole plate support means.

12. A roller skate including a foot bearingframe and a wheel bearing axle mounting fifth wheel yoke extending endwisely therefrom, said yoke comprising a U-shaped housing having converging limbs and flanged sides, a journal plate movably attached to one of said limbs for movement toward and from said U-shaped housing and extending across the open extremity thereof, a pivot pin mounted on said journal plate to extend therefrom to and through the closed extremity of said housing to carry an adjusting nut therebeyond, a centrally diametrically bored axle rotatably carrying wheels at its outer extremities, disposed on said pivot pin for fifth wheel engagement with said journal plate, a shoulder on said pivot pin for sustaining the position of said axle thereon against said journal plate, and an elastic bush interposed within said housing to embrace said axle, tending to compressingly urge said axle tonormally squared position in relation to said skate frame, said journal plate adjustment means being provided to wedge said elastic bush toward and from said converging limbs to increase and decrease flexibility of said bush.

13. A roller skate, comprising front and rear U-shaped Wheel bearing axle mounting yokes, a foot sustaining frame low-hung therebetween, an axle for each yoke pivotally annexed thereto for angular movement compound with respect to tilting of the skate frame, wheels rotatively carried externally of said frame, means carried by said yokes for impeding compound movement of said axles comprising elastic bushes to carry said axles in socketed relation in said yokes, and means for varying the flexibility of said elastic bushes.

FRED H. GOOSMANN.

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