US720790A - Caster. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTBD PEB. 17, 1903.

A.B.D1ss. l

GASTER.

PPLIGATION :FILED Dna. 9, 1901.

I0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT B. DISS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,790, dated February 17, 1903.

Application filed December 9. 1901. Serial No. 85,119. (No model.)

To nf/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. DISS, a citiren of the United States, residing at the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Casters, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to an improvement upon the device shown and described in Letters Patent granted to me July 3l, 1900, No. e-,956. In the device of the said patent a guide-plate surrounding the pintle was employed above the disk upon which the tubular leg rested. This guide-plate was received within the tubular leg. Where in the seam of the tubular leg or in cutting on? the end of the same one or more burs were formed, the edges of this guide-plate were liable to engage the said bur and often make it very dimcult to remove the caster from the tubular leg, the said guide plate passing within the boundaries of-the said .bur and the said bur acting to hold the same quite rmly in place and prevent its withdrawal.

The object of the present invention is to overcome this objection, to lessen the number of parts, and reduce the cost of making the casting.

In carrying out my invention I employ a part which performs the double function of supporting the tubular leg and at the same time centering the tubular leg with reference to the pintle and other parts of the casting. This part is in theform of a disk provided with an annular rib or raised portion and which at the central portion rests upon the collar of the pintle, the weight being carried by this disk and collar and transferred therefrom onto thepintle, jaws, and caster-wheel. The rib of the disk occupies a higher plane than the surface of the disk at the periphery, and the rib also occupies a slightly-higher plane than the central portion, which rests upon the collar. Consequently the form of the disk possesses great strength and rigidity for the twofold function that the same performs. This disk is provided in the annular rib portion with openings at diametrically 0pposi te points to receive tangs at the free ends of the spring-frame that spans the pintle and which fits within the tubular leg and acts outwardly against the surface of the tubular leg lo frictionally hold the caster in place and prevent the same accidentally dropping out.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section illustrating my invent-ion. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the caster connected to the tubular legiof a bedstead or other article of furniture. Fig. 3 is-a cross-section at o: of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the spring-frame as laid out fiat.

The caster-wheel o., the jaws h therefor, and the pintle c are of usual or well-known construction, and consequently do not require further description.

e represents the spring-frame spanning the pintle and fitting within the tubular leg g and acting outwardly against the inner surface of the tubular leg to maintain the caster frictionally in placejand to prevent the same accidentally falling out vwhen the article of furniture is elevated or being transported. At the central portion of this springframe c I provide an opening of approximately the diameter of the pintle c, and this spring-frame is bent so as to provide a central bridge portion e and free end portions that are approximately alike and of the same dimensions. The free ends 2 of this springframe are advantageously curved, so that the edges are farther away from the pintle than the central portion, and these free ends are made with central tangs 3. The springframe in connecting the paris is passed over the' pintle, and projections 5 are stamped up in the ends of the pintle to hold the springframe in place and prevent the same becoming separated from the pintle.

' The disk d is preferably of circular outline and approximately agrees in diameter with the diameter of the tubular furniture-leg. This disk is provided with a central opening, through which passes the pintle c, and the disk at .this portion rests upon the collar c' of the pintle. Figs. l and 2 show the' disk in cross-section, the same being formed with a raised or overcurved annular rib d', the upper edge of the rib being in a higher plane than the surface of the disk adjacent to the periphery and the diameter ot' said rib beingsuch that the sameV passes within the tubular leg. The central portion of the disk surrounding the pintle is advantageously in a plane substantially midway between the IOO upper edge of the rib and the outer surface of the disk, the arched form thus imparted to the disk providing great strength and rigidity in this part, which performs the double function of centeringr the tubular leg as the same surrounds the rib d and supporting the tubular leg as the same rests upon the outer surface of the disk adjacent to the periphery. Openings 4 are made in the rib of this disk at diametrically opposite points to receive the tangs 3 of the spring-frame e. These openings provide a limit of distention and compression for the said spring-frame e.

When the caster is not in position in the tubular leg, the distention of the parts of the spring e brings the tangs against the disk d at the outer wall of the openings 4, so as to limit the outward movement of the parts of the spring-frame, and when the caster is in position the parts of the spring-frame are pressed, preferably, toward each other under tension, so as to hold the caster frictionally in place in the tubular leg. In this position the tangs are free in the openings 4. Vhen the caster is not in position in the tubular leg, these tangs 3 and the openings 4 not only prevent the parts of the spring-frame spreading too far, but also limit the movement of the parts under pressure when moved toward one another, thus preventing too great a movement, which would be likely to injure the spring qualities of the frame. Careless handling and testing of the spring-frame by hand and pressing the parts with force toward one another would be liable to injure the spring-frame were it not for the tangs and openings limiting this movement.V These tangs are advantageously cut from the parts of the spring-frame, are therefore integral therewith, and are of sufficient strength to withstand any ordinary hand-pressure tending to bring the parts of the frame close together.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with the caster-wheel, jaws and pintle, of a spring-frame spanning the pintle, fitting within the tubular leg and acting frictionally against the inner surface of the tubular leg to hold the caster in place and prevent the same accidentally dropping out, a device surrounding the pintle and performing the twofold function of centering the tubular leg and supporting the same, and means associated with said device for limiting the compressive movement of the free portions of said frame, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the caster-wheel, jaws and pintle, of a spring-frame spanning the pintle, fitting within the tubular leg and acting frictionally against the inner surface thereof to hold the caster-wheel in place and prevent the same accidentally dropping out, a device surrounding the pintle and performing the twofold function of centering the tubular leg withreference to the pintle and supporting the same and also acting as a stop to out, and a disk surrounding the pintle and j bearing thereon and comprising an upwardlyarched portion or annular rib passing into the tubular leg and centering the same, and a surface surrounding the said rib and adjacent to the periphery of the disk and upon which the tubular leg rests and is supported, there being in the annular rib of said`disk openings at diametrically opposite points and tangs on the free ends of said spring-frame passing into said openings for limiting the movement of said spring-frame in opposite directions, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination withl the caster-wheel, jaws and pintle, and a collar portion to the pintle, of a disk having a central opening for the pintle and surrounding portion resting upon the collar of the pintle, said disk having an arched-over portion or annular rib with the surface above the plane of the central portion and also above the plane of the outer surface adjacent to the periphery, the said rib being adapted to pass into the tubulr leg and center the same and the surrounding portion to receive and support the tubular leg, a spring-frame spanning the pintle, fitting within the tubular leg and acting outwardly against the inner surface thereof to frictionally hold the caster in place and prevent the same accidentally dropping out, said springframe having a central bridge portion with an opening for the pintle and free end portions that are curved in cross-section so that the respective edges come in contact with the inner surface of the tubular leg, and means connected respectively with the said springframe and the said disk and coacting to limit the movement of the spring-frame both outwardly and compressively, substantially as set forth.

5. rfhe combination with the caster-wheel, jaws and pintle and a collar portion to the pintle, of a disk having a central opening for the pintle and surrounding portion resting upon the collar of the pintle, said disk having an arched-over portion or annular rib with the surface above-the plane of the central portion and also above the plane of the outer surface adjacent to the periphery, the said rib being adapted to pass into the tubular leg and center the same, and the surrounding portion to receive and support the tubular leg, a spring-frame spanning the pintle, fitting within the tubular leg and acting outwardly against the inner surface thereof to frictionally hold the caster in place and prevent the same accidentally dropping out, said spring-frame having a central bridge portion with an opening for the pintle and free IOO IIO

end portions that are curved in orossseoton so that the respective edges come in Contact with theinner surface of the tubular leg, and integral downwardly-extending tnngs at the free ends of the said spring-frame, there being openings in the annular rib of the disk at diametrically opposite points receiving said tangs and in which openings the tangs are free to move to a limited extent to control the movement of the spring-frame in both direo- 1o tions, substantially as set forth.

ySigned by me this 5th day of'Deoember, 1901.

ALBERT B. DISS.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINGKNEY, S. T. HAVILAND.

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