In-line roller skate with ball rollers

An in-line roller skate comprising:

• a frame having a top, an open bottom and a pair of parallel, spaced side rails extending forward and rearwardly between opposed front and rear ends;
• means for attaching the frame to a boot;
• an axle mounted in and extending between the side rails and substantially centrally between the opposed front and rear ends of the side rails;
• a wheel rotatably mounted on the axle for rotation about the axis of the axle;
• a plurality of longitudinally spaced front ball rollers disposed forwardly of the wheel and mounted in the frame for unidirectional movement;
• a plurality of longitudinally spaced rear ball rollers disposed rearwardly of the wheel and mounted in the frame for unidirectional movement;
• the plurality of front ball rollers, the plurality of rear ball rollers, and the wheel being mounted in the frame such that a surface contacting portion of each is co-planarly arranged along the frame;
• ball mounting means, mounted in the frame, for rotatably mounting each ball roller of the plurality of front ball rollers and the plurality of rear ball rollers to the frame, the ball mounting means including:
• a base mounted to the frame and having a concave bed formed therein;
• a plurality of bearings rotatably disposed on the bed and covering substantially the entire surface of the bed;
• and
• a cap removably mountable over the base, the cap having an aperture formed in an end wall;
• each of the plurality of front and rear ball rollers rotatably engaging the bearings in the bed and having a portion thereof extending outward through the aperture in the cap;
• a bearing retainer mounted between the base and the cap for retaining the bearings in the bed when the ball and cap are mounted on the base;
• and
• the frame, the plurality of front and rear ball rollers, the wheel and the ball mounting means being formed of plastic.

An in-line roller skate comprising:

• an elongated, generally planar sole member;
• a frame having a top, an open bottom and a pair of parallel, spaced side rails extending forward and rearwardly between opposed front and rear ends;
• means for attaching the frame to the sole member;
• an axle mounted in and extending between the side rails and between the opposed front and rear ends of the side rails;
• a wheel rotatably mounted to the axle for rotation about the axis of the axle;
• a pair of longitudinally spaced front mounted ball rollers disposed forwardly of the wheel and mounted in the frame for unidirectional movement;
• a pair of longitudinally spaced rear mounted ball rollers disposed rearwardly of the wheel and mounted in the frame for unidirectional movement;
• the pair of front mounted ball rollers, the pair of rear mounted ball rollers, and the wheel being mounted in the front such that a surface contacting portion of each is co-planarly arranged along the frame;
• and
• ball mounting means, mounted in the frame, for rotatably mounting each ball roller of the pair of front mounted ball rollers and the pair of rear mounted ball rollers to the frame, the ball mounting means including:
• a base attached to the frame and having a concave bed formed therein;
• a plurality of bearings rotatably disposed on the bed and covering substantially the entire surface of the bed;
• a cap removably mountable over the base, the cap having an aperture formed in an end wall;
• and
• each ball roller of the pair of front and rear mounted ball rollers rotatably engaging the bearings in the bed and having a portion thereof extending outward through the aperture in the cap.