Land vehicles – Skates – Wheeled skate
Patent
1982-12-13
1985-04-23
Bertsch, Richard A.
Land vehicles
Skates
Wheeled skate
A63C 1706
Patent
active
045125902
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a roller skate which comprises a front and a rear wheel which are mounted on a footplate and preferably having a convex curved running surface, where at least one wheel is steerable.
BACKGROUND
Conventional roller skates are as is known provided with double wheels both at the front and back and can be guided to a certain extent by imposing an oblique loading on the footplate which is rotable around an axis which in relation to the wheel axes extends at right angles and in the lengthwise direction of the roller skate. So as to obtain a better simulation of ice skating, attempts have been made to employ roller skates of the single-wheel type, i.e. roller skates with only one front and one rear wheel.
TECHNICAL PROBLEM
However none of these types of roller skates has provided satisfactory guidance possibilities. With the single wheel type of roller skate the wheels must be inclined or sloped in relation to the vertical plane if turning is to be at all possible, but such inclination of the skate does not however provide adequate steerability.
THE SOLUTION
With roller skates in accordance with the invention at least one of the wheels is pivotable relative to the footplate around an axis which is at right angles to the plane of the footplate and the wheel is under the influence of a steering member which twists it in either direction around the axis dependent on the inclination of the roller skate.
ADVANTAGES
The invention provides a roller skate of the single-wheel type which has considerably improved steerability as compared with known roller skates.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
In the following the invention will be described in greater detail by reference to the attached drawing in which FIG. 1 illustrates the side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention and FIG. 2 illustrates a section essentially along the line II--II in FIG. 1.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The roller skate in accordance with this invention is of the single-wheel type and comprises a footplate 1 and one front and one rear wheel, 2 and 3 respectively. The footplate has a top surface which is to support the foot and a lower face which during use is directed towards the skating surface. The wheels 2, 3 can be of metal or hard plastic and have a convex curved running surface 4 so that the contact surface between the wheel and the subsurface, or ground, is essentially point-like, regardless of the way in which the roller skate is inclined to one or other direction in relation to the subsurface.
The rear wheel 3 is mounted on a shaft 5 which is supported by legs 6 which extend from the underside of the footplate and which are fixed to the footplate 1 or made in one piece with it. The front wheel 2 is mounted on a shaft 7 which is supported by legs 8 on a U-shaped yoke 9 which furthermore has a cross-piece 13 which extends between the legs. This yoke 9 is however rotably mounted on the underside of the footplate 1 so that the wheel can perform a pivoting movement around an axis 10 which extends at right angles in relation to the plane of the footplate. More particularly, the yoke 9 is rotably connected with the footplate 1 by means of a pin 11 or the like with heads 12 which rest against the top face of the footplate and against the underside of the yoke, which heads thus hold the footplate 1 and the yoke 9 together. A bearing 14, e.g. a roller bearing for facilitating the rotary movement of the wheel relative to the footplate is provided between the footplate 1 and the cross-piece 13 of the yoke.
In accordance with the present invention a steering mechanism 15 which can pivot the wheel and which is effective on the wheel 2 is provided for turning the wheel 2 for steering the roller skate in a rolling direction which is to be determined by the angle of inclination of the roller skate against the subsurface. The steering mechanism 15 comprises a steering arm 16 located on one side of the skate and a connecting link 17 between the steering arm and the yoke 9 of
REFERENCES:
patent: 918575 (1909-04-01), Mees
patent: 2529314 (1950-11-01), Schmid
patent: 2552987 (1951-05-01), Loertz, Jr.
patent: 4132425 (1979-01-01), Lehner et al.
patent: 4392659 (1983-07-01), Yoshimoto
Bertsch Richard A.
NPI New Products Investment AB
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