Roller skate with pivoting brake

Claim 1

A roller skate and brake usable by a skater for skating on a road surface, comprising: a roller skate boot; a roller skate frame carried by said boot, said frame having front and rear ends and including a brake pad housing at one end of said frame; a plurality of wheels including a rear wheel, each said wheel rotatably mounted to said frame for rotation about an axis, with all said axes being parallel and at least two of said wheels being coasting wheels positioned to contact the road surface during coasting on the skate, said axes of said coasting wheels defining a first plane; a brake pad comprising a body of material having a high coefficient of friction and said body carried by said brake housing, extending downwardly therefrom and including a base confronting the road surface for selective frictional engagement with the road surface; said base having a substantially flat surfaced face adapted for full facial engagement with the road surface; said skate frame being pivotable about said rear wheel axis between a first position, wherein said coasting wheels contact the road surface, and a second position, wherein said face of said base of said brake pad is in full facial engagement with the riding surface; said housing further including a socket, said socket having first and second lateral side walls with each said side wall having an aperture, and the said apertures being substantially coaxial, with their common axis being substantially parallel to said wheel axes; said brake pad being mateably mounted within said socket; said brake pad body including a rigid metal plate within said pad, said plate being closely surrounded by said material and oriented substantially perpendicular to said wheel axes when said pad is mateably received in said socket, said body and plate having a hollow bore substantially coaxial with said apertures of said frame to define a continuous passage through said pad body, plate and side walls; said brake further including fastening means passing through said continuous passage to securely retain said brake pad within said socket; and said rigid plate inhibiting wear on said pad which might otherwise result from rubbing of said body against said fastening means and in addition further defining a brake pad wear indicator to audibly and visibly indicate need for pad replacement when said material of said body wears away to expose said plate to direct frictional contact with the road surface.