# US 5,707,068 A · In-line skateboard

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- Number: US 5,707,068 A
- Document ID: US5707068A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/561,336
- Filed: 1995-11-21
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1995-11-21
- Inventors: Athol George Bradfield
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5707068A

## CPC

- A63C 17/012: {with a truck, i.e. with steering mechanism comprising an inclined geometrical axis to convert lateral tilting of the board in steering of the wheel axis}
- A63C 17/01: Skateboards (A63C17/02 - A63C17/28 take precedence)
- A63C 17/014: {Wheel arrangements}
- A63C 17/04: with wheels arranged otherwise than in two pairs {(for skateboards A63C17/014)}
- A63C 17/22: Wheels for roller skates
- A63C 2203/40: Runner or deck of boards articulated between both feet
- A63C: SKATES; SKIS; ROLLER SKATES; DESIGN OR LAYOUT OF COURTS, RINKS OR THE LIKE (water skis B63B32/00, B63B34/00)

## Abstract

A skateboard has a plurality of in-line wheels rotatably mounted on the front end of the board and rear wheels disposed on either side of the rear end of the board. The board may have a resiliently flexible portion between the in-line and rear wheels. The in-line wheels may be supported between a pair of parallel lateral flanges or they may be supported on a single flange that splits each in-line wheel. The rear wheels may be mounted on a coil and leaf spring suspension, on a transverse shaft or in housings at the rear end of the board. The rear wheels may be tapered.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A skateboard for traversing a riding surface and adapted to support both feet of a user comprising:
a board having a front end, a rear end, a top side, a bottom side, a left side, a right side a front portion, a rear portion, and a median longitudinal axis running from the front end to the rear end dividing the left and right sides, the front and rear portions of the board being substantially planar members which are pivotal relative to each other about an intermediate transverse portion;
a plurality of in-line wheels rotatably mounted on the bottom side of the board, along the front portion of the board, the in-line wheels being longitudinally disposed along the median longitudinal axis of the board;
a pair of rear wheels rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation positioned below the bottom side of the rear portion of the board, behind the in-line wheels, the rear wheels being disposed below the left and right sides of the board, the rear wheels each having an inner end positioned closer to the median longitudinal axis of the board than an outer end of the wheel, the circumference of the inner and outer ends being different;
a rear wheel assembly steerably mounting the pair of rear wheels to the rear portion of the board, the rear wheel assembly comprising a pivoting member swivelably coupled to the board behind the axis of rotation of the rear wheels and a supporting member pivotally coupled to the board in front of the axis of rotation of the rear wheels, the pivoting member and the supporting member cooperating operatively to pivot the axis of rotation of the rear wheels in the plane of the riding surface when the board is tilted, so that when the board is moving along the riding surface, tilting the left side of the board downwards causes the rear wheels to steer the board to turn to the left, and tilting the right side of the board downwards causes the rear wheels to steer the board to turn to the right.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The skateboard of claim 1 wherein the intermediate transverse portion that is disposed longitudinally between the front and rear portions of the board is made of resiliently flexible material for permitting pivotal movement between the front and rear portions of the board.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The skateboard of claim 2 wherein the rear wheels are tapered so that the circumference of the outer end is smaller than the circumference of the inner end.