US2877489A

US2877489A - Rollers for hollow legged furniture

Info

Publication number: US2877489A
Application number: US600630A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank P Lackinger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-07-27
Filing date: 1956-07-27
Publication date: 1959-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 1976-03-17

Description

March 17, 1959 RF. LACKINGER ROLLERS FOR HOLLOW LEGGED FURNITURE Filed July 27, 1956 .e R m W 6 a M w 2 2 5 M. M N 3 \M UJ 4 T J a M u I 3 m /r:!\ 6 7 m =1 1 at: rm

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nited This invention relates and more specifically to ture.

One object of this invention is to provide a roller for hollow legged furniture such as the tubular leg of a dinette chair. This roller permits the chair to be moved across the floor or under the table with very little effort. type which is widely used at the present tlme, 1s constructed of steel tubing of approximately inch and one half in diameter, the exis chrome plated to enhance its appeargenerally to rollers for furniture rollers for hollow legged furniterior of which ance.

Various types of caps have been used on the bottoms of tubular chair legs, none of which are very satisfactory. Some caps are made of metal so that the chair may be more easily moved, others are made of hard plastic or rubber so that the chair legs will not mar the finished surface of the floor. Neither of these caps allow the chair to be moved along the surface of the floor without being dragged or lifted.

The roller comprising this invention is of monounit construction and is completely enclosed within the tubular leg of the chair tion of roller protruding. This invention may be applied to any type of hollow legged chair of either wood or metal construction.

Another object of this invention is the provision of rollers for furniture legs which need no special adapters on the ends of the legs to enclose the rollers. Special adapters have been designed to fit over the ends of chair legs to house the rollers and their retracting mechanism. This invention precludes the use of any type of adapter on the end of a furniture leg thus eliminating the unsightly oversized and heavy feet.

A further object of this invention is that the rollers comprising this invention may be adapted to any type of wooden or tubular legged furniture without changing the length or the size of the legs as would be necessary with the adapter type of retractable roller.

Other objects and advantages appear in the following description and claim.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of exemplification but without limiting the invention or claims thereto, certain practical embodiments of the invention wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section of the structure comprising this invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical to that shown in Fig. 1.

section taken at right angles Patent Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal section through the roller shaft.

Fig. 4 is a prospective exploded view of the parts making up this invention.

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical section showing the roller cap mounted within a wooden furniture leg.

Referring to Fig. 1 through 4 the furniture roller consists of an annular cap 1 with a bottom 2 and a slot 3 in the center thereof. Upstanding Walls 4 surround the perimeter of the bottom 2 of the cap. Fastened on either side of the slot 3 are the outwardly extending feet 5 of the U-shaped member 6 of channel cross-section. One side of the U-shaped member 6 has a shaft mounting hole 7. A U-shaped slide member 8 slidably fits between the inturned flanges of the U-shaped member 6 and is guided thereby. The slide member 8 has aligned holes 9 in its legs 10 for receiving the shaft 11 which is assembled through the shaft mounting hole 7. A roller 12 is journaled on the shaft 11 in the slide 8 and protrudes through the slot 3 of the cap 1. The slide 8 is limited in its travel by the engagment of the legs 10 with the bottom 2 of the cap as shown at 13. A spring 14 is partially compressed between the top 15 of the U-shaped channel member 6 and the top 16 of the slide member 8. The inturned flanges of the top 15 hold the spring member 14 in place. The slide 8 is biased by the spring 14 to engage the legs 10 with the bottom 2 of the cap as shown at 13 and thus the roller 12 is extended through the slot 3. The pressure of the spring 14 is selected to permit the roller 12 to remain extended when no pressure is applied to the furniture leg except the weight of the furniture itself.

When the furniture is occupied and additional pres sure is applied to the legs thereof, the roller 12 and the slide member 8 are forced back into the U-shaped member 6 with the shaft 11 at a point below the mounting hole 7. Thus further retraction of the roller 12 is necessary to mount or remove the shaft 11 from the roller 12 and the slide member 8.

Referring to Fig. 5 which discloses the same structure as Fig. 2 except that the cap 1 is press fitted into the hole 19 of the hollow wooden furniture leg 20.

I claim:

A roller for furniture having a U-shaped frame closed at one end and secured to a cap with a spring and a slide mounted therein and carrying a shaft on which a roller is mounted to extend through an opening in the cap to engage the floor, characterized by means defining a shaft mounting hole in one side of said U-shaped frame to insert said shaft into said slide and through said roller when said spring is compressed by movement of the roller inwardly of said cap, said U-shaped frame has opposed inturned flanges to form a channel that retains and guides said slide and spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 498,413 Tobey May 30, 1893 726,447 McDonnell Apr. 28, 1903 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,403 Great Britain Aug. 11, 1903