US2358007A - Roller - Google Patents

Description

? l, 1944. l E AHENLEY 2,358,007

ROLLER i Filed Jan. 18, v1944 I' .1. I 1.7 y l?? ,5k

J5 y wml INVENTOR.

ATTRN EY- Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES; yPATENT OFFICE l' K 22,358,007 I y'ROLLER Y Emmett A. Henley. Bakersfield, Calif;

Application 'January 1s, 1944, serial No. 518,729

' 7 claims. (01.16499) y This invention relates to ya caster type rollerl construction that may be utilized to movably support articles of furniture or other heavy articles.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a disappearing roller which, when the article of dicated atIll and the side body parts indicated at II and I2.A These body parts may be secured" v together such as by bolts, rivets, or the equiva-v lentindicatedat I3. On the underside of the furniture on which the device is mounted, is stationarily positioned disappears Within the body of the construction allowing the article to rest solidly on the floor or other supporting surface, but which when the article is moved becomes eiec' tive to elevate the article from the supporting surface and rollably support .the same to facili,

tate its movement from one location to another.-

More specifically an object of the construction is to provide a caster type roller consisting of a roller having trunnions with inclined surfaces engageable with the periphery of the roller to facilitate elevation of the article of furniture, andI which has rail portions adjacent the lower ends of the inclined surfaces adapted to supportingly engage the ,trunnions whereby the weight of the article is transferred from the periphery of the' central body part IU there are formed two downwardly inclined surfaces indicated at I4 and I5,

these being oppositely inclined from adjacent the centerof the body part and extending downwardly toward its ends. the diameter of which is approximately equal Vto the distance between the apex I1 and the bot- A roller I6 is `provided,

tom surfaces I8 at the ends of the side body parts Y II and I2 so that' this roller may occupy a position wholly within the body as illustrated in L dotted lines on Fig. 2. Preferably the roller carries a thin 'rubber tire I9 although, if desired, the

body of the roller may be completely formed ofl 23. These inclined surfaces are substantially parallel tothe inclined surfaces I4 and I5.` However, adjacent their ends/they lmeet or merge with rail portions 24 which may Ibe either horiwhich will be made manifest 'in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the a'c-Y companying drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional View of the device em bodying the present invention illustrating the article of furniturey on ,which the device maybe mounted with the article of furniture in its stationary position wherein it is resting solidly, on

the floor or other supporting surface;

Fig; 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating the parts in that position wherein `the ar'- ticle of furniture has been elevatedand is in a position to be rolled; I e

Fig. 3 is avertical section taken substantially upon the line 3--3 upon Fig. 2, in the direction indicated; and

Fig. 4 is a partial View similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a slightly modified form of construction.

'Ihe caster or roller construction embodying' the present invention is preferably formed of 55 three body parts, the center bodyv part being inzontal or substantially so. If they are given a trunnions 20 preferably equipped with bushings slight inclination as shown on Fig. 2, they are y but slightly inclined inwardly toward the apexv 23. The ends of the inclined surfaces I4 and I5' meet or merge with horizontal surfaces 25 at .the ends of the central body part I0.

Theconstruction is such that the vertical dis tance between surfaces I4 and I5 and their parr allel surfaces 22 isV slightly less than the verti-" cal distance between .surfaces 25 and the rail'` struction above described are as follows: In the;

position shown in Fig. 1, theroller has-completely disappeared within the body so that the articler These side plates'` A may rest solidly on the floor or other sllpporting surface.

and the inclined surface I5.

If the body is moved from right toY left the roller tends t'o wedge between the oor The weight of the'v article A is thus transmitted from thecentral' body part I0 directlyto the periphery of the l" clined surface I and the floor rather than mere- Vposition shown therein.

ly have the roller skid or slide across the floor when pushed by the inclined surface I5. During the time that thev inclined surface I5 is rolling up the roller the bushings onV the trunnions do not engage the surfaces 22 so that there is no Weight carried by thetrunnionsduring this period of op- Y j eration. When the inclined surface I5 has completely rolled up the roller the trunnions carry be'a wide variety of installations of the'- structure' embodying the invention. In some installa- 1 struction of the article is such as; to .effectively conceal the roller construction it is not'. necessary that it be recessed in the framework of the furniture.

their bushings beneath the rail portions 24* on the side body members Il and I2, thus effecting a transfer of 'the weight of article Afrom the pe-Y riphery of the.roller to the trunnions'through Y the medium of the rails 24. In this position the articleA may be pushed across the floor quite readily with the trunnions on the roller merely i rotating or turning in vtheir respective bushings. When'the "article has reached the desired location it may be pushed slightly from left to right n causing therbushi'ngs to rotate withtheir trunf nions and thus roll off of the rails 24 and the roller Vreturns to itsl fully concealed position wherein the article is again resting solidlyl on the oor as shown in Fig. 1. Obviously, if the article is'thereafter pushed from left to right inclined surface Ill-will roll up on the roller'in `a reverse directiony and at the lower end of the inclined surface I4 there will be a transfer of weight from the periphery ofthe roller to the trunnions.

roller is at al1 times concealed when the Varticle A is in-a. stationary position., When itis desired to` move the article thisV can be easily accomplished by merely pushing on the article and this By means ,ofil this construction the caster ory results in elevating the article the required distance :with great mechanical advantage. When the article is fully elevated and is supported by Vthe trunnions it will be noted that the continued rotation of the roller occasioned Vby the continued movement of the article does not wear a notch orA recess in the under surface of the rail portions 24. Such a notch or recess if worn wouldzhinder return of the roller from the full line position shown in Fig. 2, to the dotted line When it is desired to cause the roller to return from the full line position shown in Fig. 2, to the dotted line position shown therein, reverse rotation of the roller occasioned by reversely moving the article only a short distance will cause the bushings to rotate friotionally with the trunnions off of the rail [portions 24 so as to enable the inclined surface I4Y or I5, as the case may be, to roll down the v periphery of the roller;

Vtal as shown in Fig. 2, providing, the necessary clearance between .the ends of the body section I0 andthe periphery of the roller when the weight of the article is supported by the trunnions engaging the rail portions 24a.

Fromthe above-described construction it will be appreciatedthat the improved roller or caster is a very simple and durable design, that its parts can be economically manufactured, and when ,article transferred thereto. Y

VVarious changes maybe made in the details. of construction without departing from the spirit Y and scope ofthe invention asv defined by the roller engageable with the periphery of the roller whereby, on moving the article relatively to the supporting surface, said inclined surface Vwill `roll upwardly on the roller toV elevate. the article, trunnions on the roller, and means on the article adapted to be supportingly engaged by the trunnions when said inclined surface has rolled upv weight of the wardly on the roller to` have the 2. A device of the class described comprisinga roller adapted to roll on a supporting surface,A

means providinga downwardly inclined surface on an article adapted to be supported by the roller engageable with the periphery of the roller whereby, on moving the article relatively to the supporting surface, said inclined surface will roll upwardly on the roller to elevate `the article,trun nions on the roller, and means on, the article` adapted to be supportingly engaged by the trunnions when said inclined surface has rolled up'- wardly on the roller to have the weight of the article transferred thereto, said trunnions having bushings thereon. Y

3. A device of the class described comprising' a roller having trunnions, means: providing oppositely extending inclined surfaces engageable with the periphery of the roller, and means for'effecting-atransfer of the weight of the article supported by the roller to the trunnions at the ends-` of the downwardly inclined surfaces. v

4. A device of the class described comprising a rollerr having trunnions,y means providing oppositely extending inclined surfaces engageable with the periphery of theroller,` and means for effecting a transfer of Athe weight of the article supported by the roller to thetrunnions at the ends of the downwardly inclined surfaces, nions having bushings thereon.

5. A 'device of the class described comprising said truna roller having trunnions equipped with bushings,

means providing an inclined surface adapted to supportingly'engage vthe periphery ofi the roller, and Ymeans adapted to supportingly engage the bushings on the .trunnions at the lower end of the inclined surface so as to effect aV transfer'of used, it will serve to eiliciently lift and transport an'article on which it maybe mounted.

weight from the periphery of the-roller to the trunnions. Y

6. A device of the class described comprising a roller having trunnions equipped with bushings, means providing opposed downwardly and out; wardly inclined surfaces eitherof which is adapted to supportingly engage the periphery of the roller, and means providing rail portions adapted.

It will of course be appreciated that ,there may to supportingly engage the bushings on the trunnions at the lower ends of either of the inclined surfaces so as to effect a transfer of Weight from the periphery of the roller to the trunnions.

7. A device of the class described comprisingk a body presenting adjacent its center oppositely extending downwardly inclined surfaces, a roller adapted to have its periphery supportingly engage either of said inclined surfaces, said roller having trunnions equipped with bushings, said body presenting railportions .at the sides of said f

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