US1855844A

US1855844A - Sliding caster

Info

Publication number: US1855844A
Application number: US536026A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clifford A Schacht
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-05-08
Filing date: 1931-05-08
Publication date: 1932-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 1949-04-26

Description

April 26, 1932. c. A. scHAcHT 1,855,844

SLIDING CASTER Filed May 8J 1931 Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITE STATES PATENT QFFICE SLIDING- CASTER Application led May 8, 1931. Serial No. 536,026'.

This invention is a novel improvement in sliding casters for use on beds, chairs and other articles of furniture; and the principal obj ect of the invention is to provide a resilient 5 sliding caster which will be economical to manufacture, having a cushion body of resil- Y ient rubber, with a caster pintle mounted therein having a universal rocking movement with respect to the caster body, whereby when 10 the caster is applied to a chair leg or the like,

the chair can be tilted but the universal movement of the pintle will allow the base of the body to remain flat on the surface of the floor at all angles, thereby preventing' sharp corners or edges of the chair or other furniture legs from digging in, and from making ugly scars and spots on the floor; hence my novel casters will give longer life to floors and floor coverings. My sliding casters may be applied to the. furniture by merely removing fio Y universal rocking movement permitted the the ordinary caster and replacing same with my caster in the same socket.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying dra-wing which illusi tra-tes several practical embodiments thereof to enable others to adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the claims the novel features ofconstruction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is depintle. l

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section thro-ugh a modified form of caster.

Fig.. 5cis an enlarged vertical section `through a further modified form of caster.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are views showing the casters applied by riveting` or bolting to conventional legs of metallic furniture.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 my novel sliding caster preferably consists ofl a substantially conical or semi-colical body 1 of soft resilient rubber or other yieldable material, having anv axially disp-os-ed recess la in its upper end of greater diameter than the pintle 2, said recess la extending downwardly about half of theheight of the body l.

Below the recess la is a reduced cylindrical and axially disposed bore lb adapted to snugly receive the lower end of the pintle 2 adjacent its ball head 2a in order to maintain the pintle 2 normally in vertical position while yieldably permitting universal rocking movement thereof, as inl-Fig. 3; said portion 1b also maintaining the pintle 2 properly centered in the resilient body l with its head 2a in the seat 3a, hereinafter described.

Below theV reduced bore 1b is a recess 10 adapted to snugly receive the head 2a of pintle 2, the material of therubber body below the recess lc being cut away as at 1d to expose the head 2a when positioned in the recess 1c, whereby the head 2a of the pintle may engage the raised socket portion 3a of the metallic cup-like shell 3 which embraces the lower portion of the rubber body l as shown in Fig. 2. The. recesses or bores la, 1b, lc and 1d are all preferably preformed by molding in the rubber body and the pintle 2 is inserted therein from the underside through recess lcl by forcing the pintle therethrough until the head 2a seats in its recess lo. Preferably a shoulder le is also molded in the body separating the bore 1b and recess lo, said shoulder being adapted to engage the flattened upper end 2b of head 2a of the pintle in order to prevent the head 2a from being pulled upwardly out of recess 1c and hence entirely through the body 1.

Around Vthe lower portion of the rubber body l'is a metallic cup-shaped shell 3 adapted to fit tightly around the lower end o f the body, the shellbeing provided at its center with a raised socket seat 3a extending upwardly into the recess ld, so that when the pintle 2' is forced into position in the body as shown in Fig. 2 the head 2a will rest in the metallic socket 3a, whereby the pintle i may have a universal rocking movement with respect to the body l, as shown in Fig; 3.

' The rubber body l is preferably larger than the inside of the sliding metallic shell 3. While there are a number of ways of inserting the rubber in the shell, I preferably insert the rubber in the partially formed shell 3 and then by means of a press contract the upper end of the shell around the body to lock the rubber securely therein.

The caster pintle is preferably made with an offset collar or shoulder 2c disposed within the recess portion la of the rubber body 1, said collar or shoulder limiting the downward movement of the plug or plate P mounted on the pintle which carries the furniture leg L, said downward movement under Weight of the furniture compressing the flexible upper rim of the rubber body 1 to form a yieldable cushion. The collar or shoulder 20 however on the pintle may be omitted if desired. Any type of plate or plug may be used in connection with the pintle.

By the above construction the pintle 2 is permitted a universal rocking motion with r-espect to the body 1 and shell 3, whereby when the chair or other article of furniture is tilted the sliding caster will remain seated squarely on the surface of the floor while the pintle 2 may readily assume the angularity of the furniture leg, thereby preventing injury to the floor.

The caster shown in Fig. 4 is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 2, except that the rubber body 11 is of somewhat less height; also the recess 11a in the upper end of the body 11 is also of less depth. The pintle 12 is somewhat modified, same being provided with the collar 120 upon which is seated a perforated plate Q, adapted to be screwed against the lower end of the furniture leg L; and the shank of pintle 12 is loosely riveted as at 12e over the upper face of plate Q.

In Fig. 5 a slightly different modification is illustrated, in which the ball head 22a of the pintle is entirely embedded in the rubber body 21 and does not extend downwardly to engage a seat (such as 3a in Fig. 2) in the metallic shell 23. In this modification the spherical recess 212C' for the ball head would be formed by molding in the rubber body so that the pintle head 22a'could be forcibly inserted therein from the upper end of the body. The metallic shell 23 has no offset seat., such as 3a; and the rubber body 21 has no recess corresponding with 1d in Fig. 2 for exposing the head 22a through the lower end of the body 21. The shank 22 is provided with the collar 220, but no flattened surface on the head 22a (such as 2b in Fig. 2) is provided for in this modification. Such flattened surface would interfere with the ready removal of the pintle from the recess 217. Shank 22 may be provided with any type of plate or plug, but as shown, the plug P1 is of the expansible type, same being' formed of a strip of metal bent into substantially rectangular form and perforated at its top and bottom for the passage of the pintle 22. A washer P2 is inserted between the plug P1 and collar 220, and under weight of the furniture the washer may be depressed suliiciently to seat upon the collar, the soft upper end of the body 21 forming a resilient cushion for the weight of the furniture.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the pintles are shown connected with conventional metallic furniture legs P3, the upper end of the pintle 32 being riveted as at 32]c in Fig. 6 to the furniture leg; and pintle 42 is, bolted to the leg P3 as at 42g in Fig. 7. In Fig. 8 the upper end of the pintle 52 is bolted as at 52h to a cap P* which is secured to the lower end of the metallic leg P5 of the furniture. lVashers P2 are inserted between the legs P3 and cap P4 and the body 1 of the casters. The method of attaching the pintle to the leg may be varied as desired.

I do not limit my invention to the exact forms shown in the drawing, for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A sliding caster, comprising a resilient body having a bore therein wider at its top than at its lower end; a pintle having a head at its lower end centered in the bore and adapted to pivot universally of the body; and a shell mounted on the body.

2. ln a sliding caster as set forth in claim 1; said pintle having a collar thereon disposed within the enlarged upper end of the bore for limiting the compression of the body due to weight supported by the caster.

3. A sliding caster, comprising a resilient body having a bore therein wider at its top than at its lower end; a pintle having a ball head on its lower end centered in the bore, and adapted to pivot universally of the body; and a shell mounted on the body having a raised socket portion opposite the lower end of the bore forming a seat for the ball head.

4. In a sliding caster as set forth in claim 3; said pintle having a collar thereon dispos-ed within the inlarged upper end of the bore for limiting the compression of the body due to weight supported by the caster.

5. A sliding caster, comprising a resilient body wider at its base than at its top and having an axial bore therein wider at its top than at its lower end; a pintle having a ball head centered in the lower end of the bore and adapted for universal rocking motion with respect to the body; and a shell on the body having an axially disposed raised socket portion opposite the lower end of the bore forming a seat for the lower end of the pintle.

6. In a sliding caster as set forth in claim 5; said Vpintle having a shoulder thereon disposed within the enlarged upper end of the bore for limiting the compression of the body due to weight supported by the caster.

7. A sliding caster, comprising a substantially conical resilient body wider at its base than at its top and having an axial bore molded wider at its top than at its bottom; a pintle. having an enlarged ball head centered adjacent the lower end ot the bore and adapted for universal roc-king motion with respect to the body; and a metallic shell embracing the lower portion of the body and having an axially disposed raised socket portion entering the lower end of the bore and forming a seat for the lower end of the pintle.

8. In a sliding caster as set forth in claim 7; said pintle having a collar thereon disposed within the enlarged upperend of the bore :tor limiting the compression of the body due to weight supported by the caster.

9. A sliding caster, comprising a resilient bo-dy wider at its base than at its top; and having an axial bore molded Wider at its top than at its bottom; a pintle having an enlarged ball head centered in the lower end of the bore, and adapted for universal rocking motion with respect to the body; and a metallic shell embracing the lower portion of the body.

10. In a sliding caster as set forth in claim 9; said pintle having a collar thereon disposed within the enlarged upper end of the bore for limiting the compression of the body due to weight supported by the caster.

11. A sliding caster comprising a substantially semiglobnlar resilientbody wider at its base than at its top and having a molded axial bore wider at its top than at its bottom; a pintle having an enlarged globular lower end centered in the lower end of the bore, and adapted for universal rocking motion with respect to the body; said pintle having a collar thereon disposed within the enlarged upper end of the bore; and a metallic shell on the base of the body having an axially disposed raised socket portion entering the lower end of the bore and forming a seat for the lower end of the pintle.

12. A sliding caster comprising a body having a bore7 with an enlarged recess at its lower end; a pintle in said bore having an enlarged head disposed Within said recess, and a shell mounted around the body having a seat for the pintle entering the lower end of the recess.

13. A sliding caster comprising a body of non-resilient material having a bore with an enlarged recess at its lower end and an enlarged recess at its upper end; a pintle in said bore having an enlarged head disposed within said lower recess and adapted for universal rocking movement with respect to the body; and a shell of slidablle material mounted around the body having a seat for the pintle entering the lower end of the lower recess.

14. A sliding caster comprising a resilient body 0f substantial thickness having a bore extending therethrough with enlarged recesses at its top and bottom; a pintle in said bore adapted to pivot universally of the body having an enlarged head disposed in the bottom recess; and a slidable shell for the body having a raised seat entering the bottom re cess for the pintle head.

15. A sliding caster comprising a resilient body of substantial thickness having rounded edges and having a bore extending therethrough with enlarged Vrecesses at its top and bottom; a pintle in said bore adapted to pivot universally of the body having an enlarged head disposed in the bottom recess; and a cup-shaped shell having its edges rolled around the body, said shell having a raised seat entering the bottom recess for the pintle head.

CLIFFORD A. SCHACHT.