US314951A

US314951A - Caster

Info

Publication number: US314951A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1885-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 1902-03-31

Description

s. 0. MENDENHALL.

(Np ModeL) (EASTER.

No. 314,951. Patented Mar. 31, 1885.

n W awr 1 Kb ,mmw V MH M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN O. MENDENHALL, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,951, dated March 31, 1885.

Appliealion filed August 30, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN O. MENDEN- HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of \Vayne and State of Indiana, (present business address, Cincinnati, Ohio,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FurnitureOasters, of which the following is a specification.

Stem-casters as heretofore formed, with solid tops or shells,have had the anti-friction-rollersupporting disk fixed to the caster-saddle, as described by me in a copending application, or else screwed onto the top. The first plan, although useful in non-separating casters, is not applicable to separating-casters in which loose anti-friction rollers are employed, by reason of the liability of. the rollers to loss. The second plan is somewhat objectionable by reason of its expense and the additional size of chamber necessary. To avoid these difficulties I form the socket for anti-friction casters in the following manner: I cast the top piece with a bottom flange having a circular downwardly-projecting rim of somewhat larger diameter than is necessary to provide bearing for the anti-friction rollers. The cap-plate is then stamped out with a rim barely more than equal in diameter to the inside diameter of the top ring. \Vhen the rollers are assembled within these parts, and the parts themselves forcibly pressed together, a closed chamber is formed which is destroyed with great difficulty. The rim upon the cap-plate is further advantageous as providing a smooth surface on which the antifriction rollers may bear, the rough-cast face of the top rim unfitting it somewhat for this purpose, while its very asperities materially aid in retaining the cap in place when pressed In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a perspective view of a separa ble anti-friction caster embodying my inven tion and having a long socket. Fig. II is a vertical section of the same. ,ig. III is an under side view of the top with the cap removed, and with the loose anti-friction rollers in position. Fig. IV is a plan view of the cap removed from the top. Fig. V is a perspective view of a non-separating short-socket caster embodying my improvement. Fig. VI is a View of the same caster in vertical section.

The top or socket 1 is cast with longitudinal ribs 2 and with a flange, 3, at bottom, having at its outer edge downwardly-projecting rim 4. The spindle 5, whose fork 6 incloses the floor-wheel 7, receives all vertical strain upon its conical top 8, upon which rests the top of socket 1. The spindle is kept from contact with the sides of the. socket, and all its horizontal strain is taken up byloose antifriction rollers 9, which are supported on the annular cap 10. The cap 10 is made of wrought metal, and its outer edge stamped up in the form of a rim, 11, of just suflicient diameter to bear fixedly against the inner wall of rim 4 when the two are forcibly pressed together. The rim 11 is here shown of greater thickness than will be generally employed in practice. Its thickness will be just sufficient to give it the requisite rigidity to enable it to retain its hold on the roughcast surface of rim 4, while not sufficient to interfere with the pressure of the parts together by the application of slight force.

It will be seen that the outer bearingof the rollers 9 is against the smooth stamped surface of the rim 11, and any trouble arising from an imperfect surface on the cast rim 4 is avoided.

\Vhen intended for separating casters, the

socket 1 is usually made long, as shown in Figs. I and II, and the spindle is adapted to fall out whenever the leg of the furniture to which the caster is applied is raised.

For chairs, &c., however, where a nonseparating caster is to be employed, a groove, 12, is formed in the spindle, and is occupied by a pin or projection, 13, on the'socket 1. WVith this form of caster I prefer, also, to employ a floor wheel or roller of hard wood, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with a caster-top having bottom flange with downwardly -projecting rim, loose rollers assembled within the said rim, and a cap-plate or disk having upwardlyprojecting rim adapted to closely fit the said. top rim, and thus form a closed chamber for retaining said rollers, as set. forth.

STEPHEN G. MENDENH ALL.

Vitnesses:

HARRY E. KNIGHT, EDWARD STEER.