US2560017A - Roller skate - Google Patents

Description

W. WARE ROLLER SKATE July 10, 1951 Filed May 22, 1947 INVENTOR. MQYZW /Q 746 7%@ MMM Patented July 10, 195

ROLLER SKATE Walter Ware, Chicago,. Ill., assignor to Chicago Roller Skate Company, Chicago, lill., a corpora.-

tion of Arizona Application May-22, 1947., Serial No. 749,664

4 Claims. (Cl. ZBO-11.728)

l This invention relates to roller skates of the type wherein yieldable or cushioning supports are provided for the wheels, and it has particular reference to the joints or connections between relatively movable membersof such supports.

An object of the present invention is to effect improvements in roller skates of the aforesaid including the skate body', wheel trucks and the screws holding the trucks to the body, and the relative wear sustained by the parts is determined by their relative expendability.

A further object is to provide novel ball-andsocket joints between the trucks and the sole plate brackets, such joints including inexpensive inserts of hard sheet metal which are secured in position by a simple forming process.

A still further object is to provide the trucks with novel inserts of hard sheet metal to form bearing surfaces for the heads of the screws that are passed through the trucks.

Various other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following specication when taken in connection In the drawing, wherein like reference numerals referto like parts throughout:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a roller skate of the type. in which my invention is adapted to be utilized;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through a portion of the skate structure illustrating certain improvements embodyingA the principles of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a sole plate bracket;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a wheel truck adapted to cooperate with said bracket; and

Figs. 5 and 5 are perspective views of inserts constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention and respectively adapted to be mounted on the bracket and truck illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the body of the roller skate comprises a sole plate Ill, to the underside of which are permanently secured brackets I2 of identical construction (see Fig. 3) near the front and rear ends, respectively, of the plate I8. Trucks I4, Fig. 4, are mounted on the axles I6 of the wheels or rollers I8. Stems of the trucks I 4 extend diagonally upward from the axles I6 and terminate in rounded ends or balls 22 that are received in sockets formed in bosses 24 on` the brackets I2. A flange or platform 26 on each truck I4 extendslaterally from the axle I6 and is formed to receive the lower end of a cushion 28 of rubber or other resilient material. The upper end-of the cushion 28 is received by a cup 38. A screw 32l is passed upwardly through the platform 26, cushion 28 and cup 38 and extends into a tapped opening inaboss 34 on the bracket I2. Y

The skate is providedwith a truss construction consisting of a straight bar 36 andv a brace 38. The bar 36 extends between and is secured atV its ends to the brackets I2. The brace 38 is-secured at its ends to the bosses 34 on the brackets I2 by the screws 32 and jam nuts 4t threaded on the screws 32. A shoulder rivet 42 interconnectslthe sole plate IG, bar 3E and brace 38 at their respective midportions.

It is customary to provide a ball-andhsocket joint between the truck stem as 2E! and the: boss as 24 of each bracketIZ. A suitable bearing is aiforded by making one of the contacting members of hardened steel and the other member of softer metal suc-h as a malleable casting. In the present instance, the truck I4 is made of relatively soft metal while a hardened steel insert or bushing 44, Fig. 5, is mounted in a socket afforded by an opening 45 extending through the boss 24 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to cooperate with the ball end 22 of the stem 28.

The insert 44 is of novel design having. a anged portion 43 and a collar portion 48. The hole. 45 in the boss 24 isslightly tapered or flared so that the collar 48 maybe spread or formed over at its upper end to retain the insert 44 securely in position as shown. The rounded tongue or ball 22 pivots within the collar 48. A shoulder 5U on the stem 23 having a rounded periphery seats against the flange 48 of the insert 44 and permits a certain amount of rocking motion of the stem 20 while limiting the extent to which the portion 22 enters the socket.

When the skate is being used, the trucks 20 will rock back and forth on the axles I3 in accordance with the foot movements of the user, such motion being permitted by the above described ball-and-socket joints and cushions 28. Hence, there is relative movement between the platforms 26 and the heads of the screws 32. In order to reduce wearing of the platforms 26 I have provided each platform with a hardened steel insert or bushing 52, Fig. 6, which lines the opening in the platform 26. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, each insert 52 has a flange 54 and a collar portion56 having an oval opening therein to match the oval opening in the platform 26. The collar 56 is formed to provide lips adapted to be bent outwardly against the wall of a tapered opening 58 in the platform 26.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided an improved skate construction which fulfills the above stated objects of the invention. The inserts 44 and 46 are cheap to manufacture and are dependable in service. Each of these inserts serves to conne the bulk of the wear at the respective joint or connection to the more expendable member. Thus, the inserts 44 protect the bosses 24 from wear, while the inserts 52 protect the platforms 26 of the trucks I4, which are less expendable than the screws 32.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the specific embodiment set forth for purposes of illustration without departing from the spirit of the invention. The invention is accordingly not to be limited to the specic embodiment shown and described, but only as indicated in the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a roller skate wherein the skate body is connected to the wheel trucks by joints permitting limited relative movement of the body and trucks, each of said joints including a first member having a tapered opening and a second member received in said opening, inserts of hard sheet metal for said joints, each of said inserts having a flange portion adapted to seat on said rst member, and a collar portion adapted to be seated in said opening and spread outwardly at its free end to hold the insert in place. 2. In a roller skate, a skate body including a socket portion, a wheel truck having a stern with a portion received in said socket portion, cushioning means between said skate body and a portion of said wheel truck, the walls of said socket portion being tapered and converging toward said stem, and a bushing of hard sheet metal positioning in said socket portion for contact with said stem, `said bushing having a collar portion shaped complementary with the walls of said socket portion whereby to hold said socket portion and bushing securely together, said bushing having a flange portion forming a bearing piece between said socket portion and said stem.

3. In a roller skate, a skate body, a wheel truck pivoted on said body, cushioning means between said skate body and a portion of said wheel truck, said truck having an aperture in the portion thereof which receives said cushion- .4 ing means, a screw passed through said aperture and said cushioning means and threaded in said skate body, said screw having a head to limit pivotal movement in said truck, said aperture having tapered walls converging toward said screw head, and a bushing of hard sheet metal having a collar portion and a flange portion, said collar portion having walls shaped comple-i mentary to the tapered walls of said aperture whereby to rigidly interconnect said bushing and said truck, said flange portion forming a bearing piece between said screw head and Said truck.

4. In a roller skate, a skate body including a socket portion, a wheel truck including a stem having an end portion received in said socket portion, the walls of said socket portion being tapered and converging toward said stem, a bushing of hard sheet metal including a flange and a collar portion interposed between said stem and said socket portion, said collar portion being shaped to conform to the shape of the walls of said socket portion whereby to rigidly interconnect said bushing and said socket portion, said collar portion forming a bearing piece between said socket portion and said stem, cushioning means between said skate body Vand a portion of said wheel truck, said truck having an aperture in the portion thereof which receives said cushioning means, a screw passed through said aperture and said cushioning means and threaded in said skate body, Said screw having a head to limit pivotal movement of said truck, the walls of said last mentioned aperture kbeing tapered and converging toward said screw head, and a second bushing of hard sheet metal having a ange and a collar portion, said second collar portion being shaped to conform to the shape of the walls of said second aperture whereby to rigidly interconnect said second bushing and said truck, said second collar portion forming a bearing piece between said truck and said screw head.

WALTER WARE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,297,142 Gibbons Mar. 11, 1919 1,718,610 Strama June 25, 1939 2,233,355 Ware Feb. 25, 1941 2,300,477 Whitcomb, Jr. et al. Nov. 3, 1942

Images