Skateboard

Claim 1

A skateboard comprising: a longitudinally extending platform having a front end, a rear end, and a central portion intermediate said ends, said platform providing a surface upon which a rider may stand; a steerable front axle assembly mounted on said front end of said platform and including a pair of laterally spaced front wheels rotatably mounted on a front axle; a steerable rear axle assembly mounted on said rear end of said platform and including a pair of laterally spaced rear wheels rotatably mounted on a rear axle; a single central wheel rotatably mounted on a substantially fixed center axle secured to said central portion of said platform, said center wheel having a substantially larger diameter than said front and rear wheels, the placement and diameter of said center wheel being such that it is possible to ride solely on said center wheel, with said front and rear pairs of wheels out of contact with the skatboard-supporting ground surface on which said center wheel is rolling; the ground-contacting portions of said pair of front wheels and said center wheel defining a first platform-supporting plane upon which the platform can roll when the center of gravity of a rider is positioned generally forwardly of said center axle, in which condition said pair of rear wheels is spaced above said first support plane and out of contact with the ground; the ground-contacting portions of said pair of rear wheels and said center wheel defining a second platform-supporting plane upon which the platform can roll when the center of gravity of a rider is positioned generally rearwardly of said center axle, in which condition said pair of front wheels is spaced above said second support plane and out of contact with the ground; the platform being steerable by the conventional steering method of lateral shifting of the weight of the rider while the skateboard is rolling forwardly or rearwardly and on either the first or second plane.