Brake system for roller skates

An apparatus comprising:

• a roller skate including a frame;
• a hub supported on said roller skate frame, said hub including a perimeter surface defining an axis of rotation, said axis extending transversely to a longitudinal direction of travel of said roller skate, said hub being multi-piece and including at least first and second members having abutting planar surfaces that extend transversely to said longitudinal direction of travel, said second member being fixed to said frame and said first member being movable relative to said frame;
• a braking wheel rotatably supported on said perimeter surface of said hub for rotation about said axis;
• and
• braking means on said hub including said first member for creating controlled amounts of friction between said hub and said braking wheel to resist rotation of said braking wheel on said hub so that, when said roller skate is pivoted to engage said braking wheel with a skate-supporting surface, said braking wheel rollingly engages the skate-supporting surface and said braking means simultaneously applies a controlled braking force to said braking wheel.

A method of braking a roller skate on a skate-supporting surface comprising:

• providing a roller skate having in-line wheels;
• providing a braking mechanism operably attached to said roller skate, said braking mechanism including a frame, a hub supported on said frame, and a braking wheel rotatably supported on a perimeter surface of said hub for rotation about an axis defined by said hub, said axis extending transversely to a longitudinal direction of travel of said roller skate, said hub including at least a first member fixed to said frame and a second member movable relative to said first member and separated therefrom by a plane that extends transversely to said longitudinal direction of travel;
• and
• braking the roller skate by generating friction between said hub and said braking wheel by biasing the second member away from said first member in a direction perpendicular to the axis when said roller skate is pivoted and said braking wheel rollingly engages the skate-supporting surface.