US831494A

US831494A - Caster.

Info

Publication number: US831494A
Application number: US27951605A
Authority: US
Inventors: Tony Alexander
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1905-09-21
Filing date: 1905-09-21
Publication date: 1906-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 1923-09-18

Description

No. 331,494. Y'PATE'NTE'D SEPT. 18, 1906. T. ALEXANDER.

GAsTER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.21.1905.

TONY ALEXANDER, OF BROOKHAVEN, MISSISSIPPI.

CASTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Application filed September 21,1905- Serial. No. 279,516.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ToNY ALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookhaven, in the county of Lincoln and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casters, of which the following is a specification.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a caster embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

This invention comprises an improved caster for furniture and includes details of construction the advantages of which will appear fully as the description proceeds and the construction which willbe finally claimed.

The caster constructed in accordance with this invention is of a type commonly called ball-casters, and specifically describing the same the numeral 1 designates the body of the caster, which body is formed at its upper end with the tubular or hollow head 2, the lower end of the body being provided with a flaring enlargement 3, having a ball-socket 4 therein. The ball-socket 4 is adapted to receive the ball 5, which forms a roller-bearing at the lower end of the caster, and said ball is retained in the socket 4 by small lips or lugs 6, projecting downwardly from the enlargement 3 and adapted to be bent so as to engage the lower portion of the ball, holding the same from displacement from the socket 4 when the caster is raised from the floor. The socket 4 is provided interiorly thereof with a plurality of bearing-lugs 7, and these are preferably five in number, four of the lugs 7 being arranged at the sides of the socket 4 near the lower edge of the enlargement 3, the other lug being located at the uppermost end of the socket and having a bearing against the top of the ball in a manner which will be readily noted. The lugs 7 have their bearing-faces concaved, so as to conform somewhat with the contour of the ball 5, this affording advantageous results for obvious reasons. The tubular or hollow head 2 of the caster virtuallyforms the shank thereof and is adapted to receive the leg or other part of the furniture to which the caster may be attached. The

leg of the furniture is indicated at 8 and is adapted to fit snugly in the head 2. The upper end of the head 2 is formed with a bead 9, and this bead is provided with an annular roove on its inner side, as shown at 10.

eated in the groove 10 of the bead 9 is a resilient washer 11, preferably of rubber or similar material, and the resiliency of this washer when compressed, when the lower end of the leg is forced into the head 2, is such that the friction grip secured will effectively prevent likelihood of the caster falling off of the leg when the same is raised from the floor or other support therefor.

The construction of the caster is such that it may be very cheaply manufactured, and the simplicity thereof is advantageous in admitting of quick attachment and detachment of the article from the part to which it may be applied. The leg 8 may ofcourse be a solid wooden leg, or it maybe the tubular metallic le of metal beds or the like.

It will of course be understood that though there are five of the bearings 7 only three of these hearings are in contact with the ball 5 when the caster is being moved in any direction. This is admitted of because of the space in which the ball 5 is arranged and is absolutely necessary for proper operation of the device, for the reason that if all five of the bearings 7 were in contact with the ball the latter would bind and would not roll at all.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is In combination with the leg of a piece of furniture, a caster therefor comprising a hollow or tubular body receiving the lower end of the leg aforesaid in the hollow portion thereof, an antifriction-bearing for the caster, the hollow or tubular portion of the caster bein formed near its upper end and Within said hodlow portion with an annular groove, and an elastic washer seated in the groove aforesaid and having the furniture-leg passing therethrough so as to compress the same to maintain a constant frictional contact therewith and obviate likelihood of displacement of the caster from the furniture part.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

TONY ALEXANDER. Witnesses:

S. S. PRENTIss, Jos. T. MEADE.