Individual foot-skates for transportation, exercise, and sport

Abstract

A small skate device is described which in the user is supported and transported by two of such skates, one under each foot. Each skate has three or four wheels, one or two per axle of each device. Each wheel is mounted on the axles with at least one bearing. The two axles of the skates are supported on angled pivots so as to cause the skate to turn when the upper surface is angled with respect. to the ground. The upper surface, or deck, has either frictional material applied to the top face, small spring release bindings, or straps to hold the user's foot in place.

1 . A small skate comprising: 
 four wheels, with two of each attached to the two axles of the skate;    a flat or slightly concave surface for resting the user's foot upon, or ‘deck’;    a set of angled pivots for supporting the axles and allowing them to rotate both with respect to the deck and with respect to the direction of motion for the purpose of steering;    a means of optionally damping rotation about these axle-pivots, and optionally providing elastomeric, spring, or cam-based return-to-center torque;    a means of optionally adjusting the angle of these pivots to change the turning characteristics of the devices;    finally, a frame which is fixed with respect to the deck for supporting these pivots.    
   
   
       2 . A small skate as in  claim 1  where frictional tape, as used in skateboards, or any other frictional treatment is applied to the top surface of the deck of the device. The friction between this and the user's normal shoe allows the foot to remain fixed to the skate while maneuvering. In this embodiment it is necessary to include vertical rails on either side of the shoe to prevent the shoe from hitting the wheels on the front and back of the skate.  
   
   
       3 . A small skate as in  claim 1  where the user's foot is secured to the deck with one or more straps placed over the top and/or back and/or front of the users shoe to limit movement of the skate during maneuvers, and to permit jumping with the skates.  
   
   
       4 . A small skate as in  claim 1  where the user's foot is secured to the skate with one or more spring-loaded bindings, for example those presently employed in bicycles or snowboards.  
   
   
       5 . A small skate, similar to  claim 1 , but having three wheels, where the back wheel is allowed to rotate on an axle fixed with respect to the frame of the skate, this axle being approximately parallel to deck and parallel to the user's foot. The front two wheels, in turn, are mounted on an axle, as in  claim 1 , that is free to turn about an angled pivot. The pivot may be spring-loaded and dampened as in claim one. In effect, this is similar to the embodiment of  claim 1  with the rear axle and associated two wheels replaced by a single wheel affixed to the frame.  
   
   
       6 . A small skate, similar to  claim 1 , but having three wheels. Two of the wheels are mounted with ball bearings on an axle, and this axle is mounted on a free, spring-loaded, or dampened pivot as in  claim 1 . However, the axle here is not angled, so that rotation of the deck surface with respect to the ground does not effect a rotation of the axles with respect to the direction of motion. The third wheel freely turns on an axle which is in turn mounted on an approximately vertical pivot to allow the wheel to turn with respect to the direction of motion. The rotation of the rear axle about the horizontal pivot is translated to rotation of the front wheel about the vertical pivot through a belt running around pulleys on each pivot and at least two auxiliary pulleys.