US1232688A - Socket structure for casters. - Google Patents

Description

J. A. JOHNSON.

SOCKET STRUCTURE FOB CASTERS.v

'APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27.*1916. T.Qso Mmm July 10, 19W.

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JOHN ADOLPH JOHNSON, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO M. '.B. SCHENCK COMPANY, 0F MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

SOCKET STRUCTURE FOR CASTERS. f

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

' Application filed November 27, 1916. Serial No. 133.669.

To aZZ whom t may concern:

, Be it known that I, JOHN ADOLPH JormsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Meriden, county -of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements 1n Socket Structures for Casters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to furniture casters, but more particularly has reference to the socket structure which is secured to a piece of furniture preparatory to receiving the pintle of the caster.

In socket casters it is desirable that the pintle shall rotate but without producing any disagreeable noise, that the end and lateral thrusts of the pintle shall be noiseles's and accompanied by a minimum Wear, and that there shall be'no loosening of parts due to constant use of the caster.

The first two of these ends aimed at have been heretofore accomplished in a great measure by providing anti-friction blocks at the top of the socket to withstand the end thrust of the pintle, and also b providing anti-friction rings around the ase of the piii'tle to take the lateral thrust of the pintle.

But unless the parts are assembled and so united in one rigid structure as to successfully reinforce the resistance of the thrusts and strains of the pintle, the caster p as a whole becomes in a short time shaky and wabbly with a decidedl tendency to produce disagreeable noises as the furniture is shifted or moved about.

It is the especial object of the present invention to so assemble and rigidly unite together the several elements ofthe socket structure that the above noted disadvan# tages cannot be present, thus not only contributing to the efficiency but to the durableness of the caster.

Referringto the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improvement, as a whole, applied to a piece of furniture, and

Fig. 2 a series of elevations, partly in section, showing the separate parts, which,

in assembled condition, constitute my improved socket structure.

Similar numerals of reference denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

Inthe first place, it is considered of the greatest importance that the usual trackplate and cup member should be primarily rigidly united together and that said plate should inclose the cup and parts contained therein, so as to exclude all dust and foreign matter. Therefore, the bottom or floonl of the track-plate 2 has a central openlng 3 that is bounded by a` Wall 4, so as to provide a hollow inwardly extending open hub 5. A cup member 6 with its bottom or floor level and having a central opening 7 of such size as to snugly embrace the hub 5 is then placed within the part 2 and the upper edge of said hub is forced outwardly and downwardly firmly against the bottom of this member 6, after the manner of eyelet setting.

This gives, in effect, two concentric and spaced apart cups that are substantially integral, so that each will contribute to the resisting of any strains that might be brought to bear by virtue of a caster pintle extending therethrough.

8 is a ring of any suitable anti-friction material, such as vulcanized fiber, which is fitted snugly within the i member (i, and whose inner circumference extends slightly into the passageway for the pintle, this ring being seatediirmly against the bottomof closed in at the top as shown at 10 to afford Ia shoulder to retain one or more disks 11 of anti-friction material that are inserted at the bottom of the socket and pushed upward to the top thereof.

At the bottom of the socket is an outwardly extending flange 12, and within the socket is housed a tubular tapered spring 13 which has a flange 14 at its bottom that underlies the flange 12. The object of the flange 14 is merely to keep the spring in po-l sition, but since this is a very' immaterial part of the structure and one which may be omitted or modified in various ways, T

plate 2, member 6, ring 8, and socket 9, are

not only all rigidly secured together as an unitary structure, but that the 1nter1or of the member 6 and socket 9 are dust proof.

is the caster pintle having a lower enlargement 16 as a journal to contact the ring 8, and an upper enlargement 17 to contact the anti-friction element 11, and 18 is a circumferential shoulder intermediate the ends for engagement with the tubular spring 13 when the pintle is inserted in the socket.

The load -is carried by the top of the pintle which bears against the material 11, while the lateral strains are exerted against the ring 8.

It will therefore be clear that these lati i eral strains will be resisted both by the track-plate and by the member 6 and that no strain whatever is placed upon the main body portion of the track-plate. Moreover, whatever strain is placed upon the trackplate is directed to a part of the latter which is reinforced by the clamping of the walls of the hub 5 against the ioor of the member 6.

The construction thus aforded is capable of withstanding thel roughest usage, and cannot be disrupted or loosened, so far as its practical integrality is concerned, by vertical or lateral strains.

The pintle is secured to the usual horn 19 within which the roller 20 is journaled in the usual manner.

What is claimed is:-

1. A furniture caster socket, comprising a track Vplate and a ycup shaped member primarily rigidly secured together, an antifriction ring snugly fitting within said member, and a pintle socket having a bottom flange supported within said member upon said ring and secured by bending and clamping the edge Aof said Amember against said flange.

2. A furniture caster socket, comprising ment contained within said socket, a track plate having a centrally disposed and inwardly projecting open hub, a cup shaped 4 member seated on sa1d plate and having an openlng which snugly surrounds said hub the end of which latter is bent and clamped against the ioor of said member, and an anti-friction ring seated within said member, said socket flange seated on said ring and the upper edge of said member bent and firmly clamped against said flange, whereby al1 the aforesaid parts will form a unitary structure. 4. In a furniture caster socket, a track plate having projecting upwardly therefrom and centrally located an'open hub, and a cup shaped member perforated to snugly embrace said hub and resting upon the Hoor of said plate and secured thereto by forcing the upper edge of. said hub outwardly and downwardly against-the Hoor of said member.

5. A furniture caster socket, comprising a track plate and cup memberprimarily rigidly secured together and 'having coinciding central openings for the caster pintle, an anti-friction ring' snugly seated tin said member and adapted to afford -a bearing for W. .-A. SGHENCK, p H.- WAGEMAN.

pintle, said

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