Popular science monthly . e. Scores of different kinds of roller-skates have been in\ented. All the in-ventors appear to be striving toward anunattainable ideal, and each approachesthe problem from a different ordinary four-wheeled skate suchas children use is too tame for mostinventors. The>- would make the vehicle self-propeling, appareniU- believing thattherein lies the secret of the ultimateroller-skate. The easiest way to make a skatepropel itself is to put something on itto do the propcling. In some forms thedri\iiig agency is a small gasoline engine;mounted at the rear. (Fi
Popular science monthly . e. Scores of different kinds of roller-skates have been in\ented. All the in-ventors appear to be striving toward anunattainable ideal, and each approachesthe problem from a different ordinary four-wheeled skate suchas children use is too tame for mostinventors. The>- would make the vehicle self-propeling, appareniU- believing thattherein lies the secret of the ultimateroller-skate. The easiest way to make a skatepropel itself is to put something on itto do the propcling. In some forms thedri\iiig agency is a small gasoline engine;mounted at the rear. (Figs, i and 7.)The machines have shaft or chain-driveand are complete as to detail, some ofthem resembling miniature Ford auto-mol)iles. They even have a gasolinetank under the instep and heel-part ofthe skate, the heel-brace being shapedsomewhat like a miniature automobile-seat. The great difficulty with thegasoline engines which must be employedis that the cylinders are so small. It ishard to get an explosive mixture into. Fig. 2. A sort of pantograph-motion causesthe rear wheel of this skate to revolve them and to discharge the burnt the engines are inoperativethree-fourths of the time. Other self-[iropeled skates have been made alongsimilar lines, but driven by an electricmotor. These have, on the whole, beenmore successful. The second general t>pe is also self-propeling, but utilizes the weight of therider in some way to supply the drixingagency. The methods of doing this arelegion. Most of them depend on thefact that a man raises his foot in takinga step forward. In swinging his weightonto this foot he exerts downward pres-sure on his heel. The skate shown in 569 570 Popular Science Muiitlili/
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectscience, bookyear1872
