Patent ID: 9649881
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: B60B

Claim:
1. A caster wheel comprising: a wheel mount having a wheel rotatably mounted to an axle secured to the wheel mount, an upper mount member having a wing extending laterally from each of opposite sides of the wheel mount, and a pivot pin extending normal to the axle through the upper mount member; a bearing plate adapted to affix to an article, wherein the pivot pin is rotatably mounted to the bearing plate; at least two wheel mount magnets mounted in the upper mount member, with one wheel mount magnet in each wing; and at least two bearing plate magnets mounted in the bearing plate, wherein each bearing plate magnet is positioned to be in registry with a wheel mount magnet when the wheel mount is pivoted relative to the bearing plate with the wheel pointed in a first direction; wherein the poles of the wheel mount magnets are opposite from the poles of the bearing plate magnets with which they are in registry so that the wheel mount will tend to pivot relative to the bearing plate to maintain the wheel pointed in the first direction.