US742770A - Means for securing casters to furniture. - Google Patents

Description

PATENT-ED oUT. 27; 1903.

0. F. WHEELER. MEANS FOR SECURING 'oAsTERs 1T0 FURNITURE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1903.

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- support illustrated in 2 UNITED STATES Patented October 2'7, 1903.

PATENT FFIcE.

MEANS FOR SECURING CASTERS TO FURNl TURE.

SPECIFIC ATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,770, dated October 27, 1903.

I Application filed February 27,1903. Serial No. 145,370. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. WHEELER, of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Securing Casters to Furniture, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to caster supports or fasteners; and the object of the invention is to provide improved means for securing a caster to articles of furniture, such as dressers, commodes, desks, and the like.

A further object is to provide a combined caster-support and brace for the corner of the dresser or other article.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification; Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved caster-support before the same is folded to fit the corner of the dresser or other article. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device when folded or bent ready to be placed upon the article of furniture. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the support. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a modified construction. Fig. 5 is a section showing the support illustrated in Fig. 2 applied to the corner of a piece of furniture and supporting the caster. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the caster-support shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the support shown in Fig. 2 applied to the corner of a piece of furniture. Fig. 9 is a section on the line y y of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a plan-view showing the form of Fig. 2 with a modified means for securing the caster therein. Fig. 11 is a section on the line a z of Fig. 10.

It has been customary heretofore to secure casters in the corners of dressers, cominodes, and like articles by means of wooden blocks that are secured by the corner and have sockets to receive the shank of the caster. These blocks frequently become loosened and detached from the corner, resulting in the loss of the caster and glue or other means to considerable annoyance and labor when it is desired to move the piece of furniture around the room. To obviate all this trouble and annoyance and to provide a substantial support for the castor and one that will also strengthen and brace the corner of the article of furniture, I provide a support consisting, preferably, of a single piece of sheet metal having a base or horizontal flange 2, provided with holes 3 to receive screws or nails that secure the same to the lower edge of the dresser or other article, and a vertical flange 4, having ends 5, that are bent to fit against the walls of the corner and be screwed thereto through the perforations corresponding to those provided in the flange 2. I have shown in the drawings the support screwed to the walls of a corner 5, which may represent the bottom of a dresser or any other article having a ninety-degree corner. A second horizon'tal flange 6 is provided on the flange 4,

in the plane of the ends 5 and have perforations, through which they are screwed to the walls of the dresser or other article. The plate when bent to fit the corner will be substantially as shown in Fig. 2, forming a metallic box or casing fitting any ninetydegree corner, and the flange 4, extending across from one wall to the other, will serve as a brace to strengthen the corner. The base-flange 2 and the upper horizontal flange 6 are provided with holes 8, that are adapted to receive the shank 9 of a caster 10. The flanges in which these holes are provided are, as shown in Fig. 5, at the opposite end of the shank and form a double bearing therefor and prevent any twisting or lateral movement of the caster when the article of furniture is moved over the floor. In other words, instead of the strain being sustained at one point only on the shank it will be distributed at each end thereof and any tendency of the caster to work loose in its hearings will be prevented.

To prevent the caster from dropping out of the box when the piece of furniture is raised, I prefer to provide a spring-clip 11, which I have shown cut off the edge of one'of the ears bent to overhang the base-flange and having upwardly-turned ears 7, that are' 7, though it may be independent thereof, if

preferred, and arranged to bear on the upper end of the shank, as shown in Fig. 5, the friction between the spring-clip and shankv being sufficient to hold the caster in place.

- In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown the form of support illustrated in Fig. 4 applied toa ninety-degree corner. This support is substantially the same as the one described except that the fiange6and the ears7are omitted, the shank 12 of the caster being shorter and headed above the Washer 13 after being inserted through the hole in the horizontal flange. In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown the form of support illustrated in Fig. 2; but instead of providing the spring device for engaging the shank of the caster I provide apin let, adapted to slip through a hole 15 in the shank near its'upper end and lock it and the caster in place in the box. In Figs. 10 and 11 I have shown a spring device similar to the one illustrated in Fig. 5, and I have provided the upper end of the caster-shank with a shoulder 16, that is engaged by the spring-clip.

Ihave shown the box or caster-support made of sheet metal of suitable Weight; but at least one form may be made of casting, if preferred. The device is applicable to any piece of furniture having a corner wherein casters are secured in the usual way and not only will form a secure support for the caster, but will brace and strengthen the corner.

, I claim as my invention- 1. A caster-support, comprising a baseplate adapted to be secured to the corner of a dresser or like article at the bottom, and

having a hole to receive a caster-shank, a vertical bracing-flange on said plate on the inner side of saidhole and arranged to extend diagonally across the corner from wall to wall and to be secured thereto.

2. A sheet -metal caster-support, comprising a fiat base-plate adapted to be secured to the corner of a dresser or like article at the bottom, and having a hole to receive a caster-shank, a vertical bracing-flange on the inner edge of said plate arranged to extend across the corner of the dresser from wall to wall and to be secured thereto, an outwardlyturned horizontal flange provided at the top of said vertical flange and overhanging said base-plate and adapted to be secured to said Walls and provided with a caster-shank hole in line with the hole in said plate, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of February, 1903.

CHARLES F. WHEELER.

In presence of RICHARD PAUL, O. G. HANSON.

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