Abstract: Roller skates (10) having an improved appearance and function as walking shoes by providing at least one skate wheel (210) that can be pivoted by at least 60 degrees up inside the sole (100) of the skate to facilitate walking, and/or providing a skate with user replaceable, friction operated side brakes (410). Preferred skates have multiple such pivoting wheels coupled by a common, pivoting support arm (230), and provide a mechanism that positions the wheels substantially coplanar with the sole of the skate while in the walking position, and substantially perpendicular to the sole of the skate while in the skating position. It is also preferred that the skate wheels pivot about an axis passing through a portion of the wheels.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a bubble cap including: a riser having a lower end located within and extending through an aperture in the plate of the distribution apparatus and a top end to define a passageway between the ends; a cap located over the top end of the riser, the cap having a top portion and a downwardly extending skirt portion; at least one spacer located between the riser and the cap to maintain a gap between the top end of the riser and the cap; and a plurality of riser vanes located between the top end of the riser and the top portion of the cap. An annulus (“bubble cap annulus”) is created between the riser and the cap. The riser vanes are preferably flush against the underside of the bubble cap top wall. The riser vanes are spaced from each other to form vane passageways. Preferably, the vane passageways are the only (or sole) means of fluid communication between the bubble cap annulus and the riser passageway.