US1542231A

US1542231A - Combined corner shield and caster

Info

Publication number: US1542231A
Application number: US678526A
Authority: US
Inventors: Garfield Walter Sumner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1923-12-04
Filing date: 1923-12-04
Publication date: 1925-06-16
Anticipated expiration: 1942-06-16

Description

June 16, m25. i 1,542,231

M W. S. GARFIELD COMBINED CORNER SHIELD AND CASTER Filed Dec. 4, 1923 IN VEN TOR l145 j, zlfz'eld BY f;

A TTORNE YS Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT loEEicE.

COMBINED CORNER SHIELD AND` CASTER.

. Application lled December 4, 1923. Serial No. 678,526.

To all whom #may concern:

Be it known that I, VALTER SUMNER Gare l"riiiLn, a citizen ofthe United States` and a las"v resident of Dothan, in the eountyof .Houston and State of Alabama, have invented' certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Corner vShields and Casters, of

whichthe following is a specification. This invention relates to an improvement in combined corner shields and casters especially designed for use on trunks or other baggage. i ,l

- The object of the invention `is to provide a device of this character which protects and reinforces the corncisot the trunk and which also mounts thetru-nk in such manner that it may be smoothly and easily moved across the floor.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having the foregoing enumerated advantages and capacities and which is also practically indestructible though of compact and simpleconstru'ction and ornamental appearance.

Other objects and advantages ofthe iiivention reside in certain novel features of the construction, coiiibinationpnd arrange-v ments of parts which will be hereinafterV more fully described and particularlypointed` out in the appended claims, reterenee'being had to the accompanying drawings forming part oit this specification, and in which Figure 1v is a fragmentary perspective view, showing the invention applied to a wardrobe trur'ilt; v l i Y 4 Figure 2 is a fragmentary View in vertical section through a lower corner ot the trunk and the combined corner shield' and easter applied to said corner;

Figure 3 is a group view in perspective, showing the ball carrier, spring and abutment plate prior to assembly; and

Figure 4 is a perspectiveview of a com loined corner shield and easterdetached and with the parts shown in Figure 3 removed therefrom.

Referring'to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a wardrobe trunk tol which` for the sake of illustration, the present invention is shown applied. It is to be understood however that the invention is equally Well adapted for use on other types of. trunks and other forms ofbaggage.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, each lower corner of the trunk has a combined corner shield and caster designated l'housing 16. chined or otherwise formed in the body por- ,tion 12 around the inner end of the'guide `vropening 17.

generally at 11 applied thereto. "These conibined corner shields and' casters are all of identical construction so that acommon description will serve for all.

Each corner shield comprises a body portion 12 having attaching

wings

13, 14 and 15 integral therewith, the attaching wings being apertured in order that screws or other suitable fastenin means may be conveniently employed tor firmly securing the corner shield in position. It is to be understood that when applied to the Vtrunk the y inner face `of the body portion 12 and the inner surfaces of the ,wings 13, 1i and 15 all fit flush up against the'contiguous portion of the trunk, these parts being shaped and formed to this end. i j

A caster housing or casing 16 is integrally formed with the body portion 12 of the shield and projects outwardly therefrom. .i cylindrical guide opening 1T is lorined in the housing 16. Around the outer end ot this opening` 17 an inwardly directed annu lar flange 18 is integrally formed with the An annular recess 19 is ma- {Ahall carrier, designated genera/Hy at 2l), 'is provided and is formed with a socket 21 I 1n which'a oall 22is rotatably mounted and retained.r lFor the sake of illustration the socket 2l is shown as being formed ot' a singie pieceot1 metal, the marginal portion of the metal being rolled, spun or swaged ins;

wardly toprevent accidental displacement of the ball.- Of course it is to be understood that in lieu of this expedient a retaining cap may be rovided and mayhave screw thread ed connection with the body portion of the ball carrier. Inwardly beyond the socket 21 the ball carrier issomewhat reduced/ as at 23, and on this reduced portion a collar 21 is fitted and fixed. The collar 2l iiiay be shrunk on the reduced portion 23 ot' the ball carrier or it may be screw threaded or otherwise suitably connected thereto. One end ot' the collar abuts the shoulder 25 formed around the inner end of the reduced portion 23 of the ball carrier. The opposite end oi' the collar 24;. is torinedfwith a marginal fiaiige 26 which enlarges the peripheral area of the collar and which provides a seat 27 for a purpose which will presently appear. A compression coil spring 28is provided andone end of the spring 28 is received in iury the, seat 27. The opposite end of the spring is received in a seat-29 provided therefor in a plate 30.

In assembling the parts the ball carrier 2O with the ball 22 therein and the collar 24 fixed thereto is inserted through the inner end of .the guide opening 17 of the shield before the shield is applied to the trunk. In the assembly, the peripheral surface of the collar 24 and its flange 2G has a sliding fit in the guidel opening 17 and the large bearing ara provided by the flange 26 insures proper sliding movement of, the ball carrier and prevents jamming. After the ball carrier has been assembled as de# scribed, the spring 28 is inserted into the guide openings 175 through the inner open end thereof and the loiver end of the spring is engaged with the seat27. Theplate 30 is then placedron the top of the spring 28 above, the-recess' 19 and when the shieldis applied and secured to the trunk the plate 30 is forced into the recess 19 and compressesthe eoilspri'ng Q8. by virtue of its engagement with the adj aeent portion of the trunk.

The coil spring 28 being thus t-ensioned projects the ball carrier and the ball beyond -the caster housing, as shown to advantage in Figure ,2. The outward movement of the ball carrier and the vball is limitedb the engagement ofthe collar Qwith the ange 1S. [The inward movementof the ball carrierA and ball is resiliently resisted by the spring 28.

yIn use,1the balls 22 enable the trunk to be easily moved" and when used on'a Wardrobe' trunk greatly facilitates the opening and closing of the trunk. The casters also serve to aid the shield in protecting the corners of the trunk for should the trunk be roughly handled and a easter forcibly strike a rigid'object, the shock of such impact will be largely absorbed by the caster which will move inwardly against the Vtension of the spring28 and thus cushion if not absorb the shock and prevent fracture of the shield and possible damage to the corner of the trunk. The same action of course prevents ,the ball and ball carrier from being broken or damaged. In this manner the reinforcing and'pi'otective action of the corner' shield and the advantages of a smooth and easy `running easter are had and tllre combined device is rendered practically indestructible or unbreakable.

` `I claim:

1. A, combined corner shield and caster for use on trunks, said .shield .comprising jecting the ball from the housing and for-` resiliently inward y movement thereof.

2.. A combined corner shield and caster' resisting wings, the body portion and the attaching wings being'adapted to be secured Hush up against the trunk, a caster housing integral with said body portion, said casterhousing having a guide opening therein and having an inwardly vdirected marginal fiange around the outer end of said opening and a recess around the inner end of said guide opening, a ball carrier arranged in said housing and having a socket therein, a ball rotatably mounted in Said socket, a collar fixed to the carrier and having a flange enlarging the peripheral yarea of the collar and providing a spring seat, the periphery of theA collar being slidably engaged4 With 'i the Wall'of the guide opening, a compression'coil spring having one end engaged vball from the housing and for resiliently resisting inward movement thereof. 4. In a device of the character described, a caster housing having guide openings provided With an inwardly directed marginal flange around its outer end, a ball carrier arranged in the housing `and having a socket, a ball rotatably fitted in the socket, a collar fixed to the carrier and having a fiange enlarging the peripheral area of the collar and also providing a spring seat, the periphery of the collar being slidably engaged with the Wall-of the guide opening, a compression coil spring having one end engaged with the spring seat of said collar, and means providing an abutment for the other end of said coilspring.

5. In a device of the character described, a caster housing having a guide opening, a ball carrier mounted in the housing and having asocket, a ball rotatably fitted in'- tlie socketa collar fixed to tliecar'rier and having its periphery slidably engaged with the guide opening,` and spring means co-operable With the collar for projecting the ball carrier and the ball from the housing.

WALTER SUMNER GARFIELD.