US1952602A

US1952602A - Furniture leg shoe

Info

Publication number: US1952602A
Application number: US519422A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert E Miller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-03-02
Filing date: 1931-03-02
Publication date: 1934-03-27
Anticipated expiration: 1951-03-27

Description

March 27, 1934. R. E. MILLER FURNITURE LEG SHOE Filed March 1931 Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFECE 6 Claims.

My present invention relates generally to a sliding shoe for furniture legs.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision and arrangement of shoe elements whereby they can be readily assembled with and disassembled from each other and with the leg of a chair.

' Another object of my invention is the provision of an arrangement whereby the weight of the piece of furniture will keep the assembled shoe elements in proper relationship to each other and the assembly in proper relationship to the furniture leg.

Another object of my invention is the pro vision of an arrangement whereby in a simple, inexpensive and eflicient manner, a free swiveling arrangement is provided for, between the shoe and the furniture leg.

It is a general object of my invention to provide an inexpensive and easily assembled furniture leg shoe.

- For the attainment of these objects and of such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention in the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the parts of the shoe;

Figure 2 is a perspective thereof;

- Figure 3 is 'a top plan view of a shoe element;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section through the shoe; and V Figure 5 is a horizontal cross section taken on line 55 of Figure 4.

Upon viewing Figure 1 of the drawing, it will be observed that my shoe comprises three members, namely the yieldable member 10, a'relatively rigid member 11, and a member 12 that serves to secure the assembly of the two to a furniture leg. i I

The member 10 is preferably in a form of a block or disc of resilient or yieldable material such as rubber. It is generally cylindrical in shape, and in .the embodiment illustrated, is defined by the cylindrical side wall 15, the upper wall 16, and a bottom wall. The upper wall is shown as substantially flat. The bottom wall is downwardy bulged as shown at 18, so as to provide the fiat annular surface 19 encompassing the dome shaped surface 18.

The disc 10 has radial grooves 20 formed therein, three such grooves being shown in the drawing. These grooves are shown as equidistantly spaced about the disc and opening assembled view outwardly through the side wall 15 and through the annular section 19 of the bottom Wall.

The disc 10 may be formed by a casting or molding operation with the grooves 20 cast or molded therein, and in this operation I find it advisable to so dimension the circuiar dome shaped section 18 with. reference to the radial depth of the grooves 20 as to provide each groove with the overhanging lip 22 as shown clearly in Figure 4.

The member 11 is a relatively rigid dome or cup shaped member shown in the drawing as made of metal as by a stamping operation. The member is provided on the outer up-turned peripheral edge thereof with the fingers or prongs 25. The diameter of the dome shaped member at its mouth is illustrated in the drawing as such that the perimeter 25 defining the mouth of this member 11 will, when the member 11 is assembled with the member 10, seat itself on the annular fiat section 19 of the wall 17, although it will be understood that the purposes of my invention will be served generally, if an abutting relation is established in a manner other than as here described. An air space is formed between the member 11 and dome-shaped surface 18, above the annular surface 19, and this will add to the cushioning effect as it per-- mits lateral expansion of 18. g

The upper edge 25 or" the mouth of this member 11 has extended therefrom, the prongs or fingers 26, which in the illustrated embodiment are shown as provided with free ends which gradually taper from a relatively Wide base, and preferably terminate in an end which may be more or less pointed for reasons that will shortly be understood.

The prongs or fingers 26, are first bent upwardly as shown in Figures 1 and 4, and .the

free ends 27 then bent inwardly toward the center of the cup, the extreme ends also receiving a slightly reverse or downward inclination for reasons that will also be understood shortly.

In assembling the

elements

10 and 11, the prongs 26 are purposely so positioned and spaced as to be capable of being brought into registration with the slots or grooves 20. When such registration is attained, it will be found that the ends 27 of the prongs 26 are more or less in superposed relation to the projections 22 already referred to and when pressure is applied between the

members

11 and 10, the bent ends 27 of the prongs 26 will force their way over and past the overhanging lips 22 which can be readily accomplished because of the resiliency of the material of which the member 10 is made. This operation is facilitated by the reverse curvature of the ends 27, above referred to. The free ends 27 of the prongs 26 define a circle which is of smaller diameter than that defined by the inner walls of the grooves 20, and as a result, when the assembly is completed, it will be found that the free ends 27 of the prongs 26, which as has already been stated, are rigid, will be forced into the aforementioned inner walls of the grooves and will assume the positions which it has been attempted to show in Figure 4 of the drawing. This biting-in assures a firm hold of the prongs, and movement of the cap in a downward position is strongly resisted by the downwardly directed end portions 2'7 of fingers 26.

The rubber block 10 is shown as provided with the central opening 30 passing therethrough, and which is widened at its inner or dome shaped end as shown at 31 to receive the head or abutment 32 of the securing member 12, the shank 33 of which is passed through the opening 30.

The shoe parts may be assembled with each other and with a furniture leg as follows: the securing member 12 is passed through the opening 30 of the rubber block 10 so as to seat the headed abutment end 32 in the enlarged portion 31 of the opening through the block. The member 11 is then positioned so as to bring the prongs 26 into registration with the slots 2G, and is then forced upon the block 10 so as to bring the parts to the position of Figure 4. The pointed end of the nail 12 is then secured to a furniture leg as by hitting the cap member 11 opposite the head 32 of the nail with a hammer so that the pressure is applied through the cap directly to the head of the nail. Or the assembled nail 12, and the block 10 can first be secured to the table leg by driving directly upon the head of the nail, and then the cap 11 can be associated with the rubber block in the manner already set forth.

It will be observed that while the nail may, when the assembly carries the weight of the chair, abut against the rigid cap member 11, the nail 12 is carried entirely by the rubber disc and can assume various angular positions with reference thereto due to the resiliency of the rubber disc and the compressibility of its various parts so that in a very simple manner I obtain a free swiveling action between the shoe and the chair leg. Furthermore the weight of the chair in compressing the rubber disc will serve to more securely bind together the metal cap 11 and this rubber disc.

Having thus described my invention and illus trated its use, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. As a new article of manufacture, a substantially cylindrical disc of resilient, deformable material adapted to form part of a sliding shoe for furniture, said disc having a longitudinal bore to accommodate means for securing the disc to a furniture leg, and provided with a series of longitudinal grooves in the peripheral surface thereof adapted to engage portions of a cap for protecting the disc, to prevent relative rotation thereof.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a substantially cylindrical disc of resilient, deformable material adapted to form part of a sliding shoe for furniture, said disc having a longitudinal bore to accommodate means for securing the disc to a furniture leg, and provided with a series of longitudinal grooves in the peripheral surface thereof adapted to engage portions of a cap for protecting the disc to prevent relative rotation thereof, each groove extending into the disc in a radial direction and having one end open at one end of said disc, and yieldable, overhanging lips at said open ends.

3. A sliding shoe for furniture, comprising a substantially cylindrical disc of relatively soft, resilient material and provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves in the peripheral surface thereof, said grooves being partly open at one end, a partial closure being effected by yieldable lips protruding from the main body of the disc, a floor-engaging cap on one end of said disc and having a peripheral contour adapted to form a smooth continuation of the peripheral surface of said disc, and gently curved, integral fingers formed on the free edge of said cap and extending into said grooves, respectively, to prevent relative rotation of said cap, the tips of said fingers being in pinching engagement with the floors of said grooves, respectively, and having their ends reversely curved to prevent ready withdrawal of the cap and on attempted withdrawal engaging said lips, which thereby provide a further resistance to withdrawal.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a floor engaging cap of relatively unyielding, hard material adapted to form part of a sliding shoe for furniture, said cap being shallowly cup-shaped and provided at its free edge with a series of integral fingers gently curving upwardly and inwardly and at their extreme ends being curved slightly downwardly in a reverse direction.

5. A sliding shoe for furniture, comprising a substantially cylindrical disc of relatively soft, resilient material and provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves formed in the peripheral surface thereof, a floor-engaging cap seated on one end of said disc within the confines thereof and having a peripheral contour adapted to form a smooth continuation of the peripheral surface of said disc, and means on said cap and extending into said grooves and engaging the sides thereof, said means comprising portions adapted for engagement with the sides of said grooves and passing into said grooves without deforming any material and adapted to prevent relative rotation of said cap and said disc, and said means, also comprising other portions adapted to deform said material when the cap is inserted in place and adapted to prevent relative rotation of said cap and said disc and to prevent ready withdrawal of said cap from said disc.

6. In an article of the character described, a cushion disc having a central aperture and peripheral longitudinal grooves, and a protecting cap for the lower portion of the disc having means for engaging the grooves to prevent relative rotation and ready withdrawal of the cap, whereby the cushion disc may first be fastened in place by means passing through the central aperture, and the protecting cap may then be applied.

ROBERT E. MILLER.