Brake assembly for skateboard

Claim 1

A skateboard assembly having a combination tether and hand brake comrpising: (a) a deck portion having a cleared upper surface to provide a platform for the unfettered feet of the user, said deck portion also having an undercarriage sturcture; (b) a plurality of truck means and support wheels journalled on said truck means in said undercarriage structure beneath said deck permitting steering said skateboard assembly completely by the use of the feet; (c) a frictional member and means mounting same on said skateboard assembly beneath said deck and being movable such that said frictional member can move from a first position clear of said wheels to a second position frictionally engaging at least one of said wheels to brake same; (d) a flexible Bowden wire cable having an outer sheath and an inner core, and doubling as a brake line and a tether, one end of said cable being mounted to said skateboard assembly such that said sheath is substantially immobile relative thereto and said core is connected to said frictional member such that axial motion of said core moves said frictional member between said first and second positions; (e) a hand grip means mounted on the other end of said cable, said hand grip means being operable to displace said core axially relative to said sheath when said hand grip means is squeezed to brake said skateboard assembly, said cable representing the only connection between the rider and said skateboard save standing contact on said platform, whereby the operator of said skateboard may ride same with his feet and body completely unhindered, and upon engaging said hand grip in the hand have said skateboard assembly securely retained on the end of said cable and prevented from escaping and have complete braking control over said skateboard assembly as well.