James "Father of traditional roller skates" Plimpton

James Plimpton

James Leonard Plimpton

Born: 14-Apr-1828

Birthplace: Medfield, MA

Died: 1911

Cause of death: unspecified

Gender: Male

Race or Ethnicity: White

Sexual orientation: Straight

Occupation: Inventor, Business

Nationality: United States

Father: Leonard Plimpton (b. 8-Aug-1792, 26-Jan-1873)

Mother: Sarah Turner Lane Plimpton (b. 2-Feb-1797, m. 27-Nov-1819, d. 30-Mar-1879)

Brother: Henry Richardson Plimpton (school teacher, b. 8-Oct-1820, d. 24-Aug-1891)

Sister: Joanna Lane Plimpton Clark (b. 7-Sep-1822)

Wife: Harriet Amelia Adams (m. 6-Dec-1852)

Son: Henry Plimpton (Source)

Without any doubt, James Leonard Plimpton is the "quad-inventor" with the biggest success. He brought lots of innovations and helped roller skating a lot to grow worldwide.

James Leonard Plimpton was born in 1828 in Medfield (Massachusetts, USA). His first 16 years he lived on a farm where he discovered his talent as mechanic. He invested his savings in tools, drawing styles and books about mechanic. He built up an atelier in the farm of his father. When he was 16 years old, he left the farm for one year to learn in trade. He left it for a better offer in a bigger establishment in New-Hampshire.

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Before turning 18 he already became factory manager. During this time, he continued his studies and collected experiences as mechanism.

In the age of 21, he funded a firm with his brother in Westfield, Massachusetts in which they built machines.

Plimpton moved to New-York to get in charge of his store.

Plimpton's first steps on the quad roller skates came when his doctor recommended him to practise sport, in fact he recommended him to start ice skating to stay in shape. Plimpton was convinced that roller skating would have the same effect on his body as ice skating. That's why he began to improve the usual quad- system to skate better in the corners. His weak ankles caused that he only was able to skate under good conditions and this led to the start of the invention.

Plimpton's initial idea was to have a better side-stability on ice skates when he  met the outstanding ice skater M. Cook on the sea in the Central Park, New York (USA). This encounter lead Plimpton to the idea to invent an ice skate with better grip because he reached a high age without ever having tied ice skating. This weird skate is having four blades, two in front and two in the back "a small sled". The blades stay flat. Due to an mounted feather the skater was able to bend to the sides easily. If you look close to this invention, you can see the modern quad. When the ice began to melt, Plimpton's dream grew to keep on skating also in summer. That's how he invented the quad."

Even if his ice skate wasn't successful, his quad got very popular.

In 1908 Plimpton moved from ice to quad and his first quads were made of the same system as the ice skates. Just the wheels were made out of boxwood were fixed with a plastic piece and a feather on two axels.

In 1863 he built his first quad "Wipp-Skates". The first prototypes came out in 1860. Plimpton got the idea to separate the wheels like in train waggons.

The brilliant idea of Plimpton doesn't lie only on his innovative ideas. He was building several skating rinks so more people would skate under good conditions.

In 1863, he founded a skating organisation in New York. Also next to his business he built a skating rink. It costed him more then 100.000$! It got named Plimpton Building. In 1866 the organisation rented the Atlantic house in Newport (Rhode Island). Plimpton transformed the big dining room in a skating Rink.

He promoted the idea in the upper-class society. His focus laid on the rich people. He tried to motivate the intellectual and affluent for the skating scene and invited lots of organisations of the entire country to his events. Lots of spectators were amazed by the spectacles. In 1856 a third rink got built in London with the Crystal Palace, followed by Cincinnati (1867), Louisville (1869)...

He influenced roller skating prevalence worldwide. His invention provoked an infatuation which prevalent in the 1870'in the USA and then also in Europe. Afterwards also in Australia. The first trend for skating was set!

The skating rinks got coated with wooden planks to insure the best surface for skating.

After the civil war in the USA, a wish for revival was born in the society. Plimpton's innovations were very welcome. The professor of history Harvey Green in the university of Rochester and vice president of the Strong museum, said that this was mainly popular with women.

In 1869 Jos. W. Wayne invested in this business and animated more investors to do the same. It was the right decision. Selling the quads with 4$ each (from 25 pairs), Jos. W. was able to take profits fast. He convinced building company.

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1863 marked the start of the fight for the patents. He obtained several patents in the course of his life. He got his first two the 6th of January 1863 and the 26 of June 1866. His quads were so outstanding that other producers wanted to imitate them. Morris Traub estimated Plimpton at 60 patents in Great-Britain and four or five worldwide. Plimpton informed the vanishes against the patents strictly. He forced his concurrence to negotiate with him. The law said that quads needed to buy through Plimpton's company and must be used in one of his rinks.

He defended his patents during his entire life. His last trial took part three years before his death in 1908.

Since 1884 he got a concurrent with Richardson.

Plimpton's successful innovations were

The wear of the axle caused a problem. Plimpton perfectioned the system by adding a bronze-ring in the inner hole of the axle. He invented a trick to slow down the wear and tear of the wheels.

In 1867 the quads got introduced and imported in France. Plimpton earned 20 million Francs between 1863 and 1876 (in 1991 it corresponded to ½ milliard Francs)! The following period became the most important one in history of skating. (Source)

Summary

Roller skating dates back to 17th century Holland and 18th century Belgium, but skating was only for daredevils until an American, James Plimpton, invented the four-wheel, tilt steering roller skate in 1858. Plimpton's two innovations were placing the wheels on two axles instead of in-line, and his "rocker skate" mechanism, wherein the wooden wheels were not attached directly to the base of the skate, but instead attached to rubber-cushioned mobile axle, which was attached to the base. The effect was that users could steer the skate while rolling by simply tilting their bodies. Plimpton, who owned a furniture store, soon pushed the couches and cabinets aside and rented skates in his New York shop. He offered training classes and medals for the best skaters, popularized the new sport of "roller polo", and opened America's first skating rink in Newport, Rhode Island. (Summary Source)

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