Abstract:
A one-piece caster and leveler assembly to aid in the transportation and installation of equipment that combines a leveler with a rotable foot and a wheel chassis. During movement of the equipment, the leveler may be placed in a retracted position where the rotable foot contacts and pitches away from the wheels, and rotates as the direction of movement changes, providing improved clearance, load capacity and tolerance for striking obstacles.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a CONTINUATION-IN-PART of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/570,820, filed May 15, 2000 (which is incorporated by reference herein), which is a CONTINUATION-IN-PART of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/454,499, filed Dec. 6, 1999 (now abandoned). 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates generally to devices and methods for aiding the moving and installation of equipment. Specifically, the present invention is related to a caster with an integral leveling component. 
     BACKGROUND—DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
     Equipment, particularly heavy equipment, is often supplied with two mechanical components that aid in moving and installation. These are casters and levelers, respectively. A caster generally comprises a wheel mounted on a chassis capable of swiveling 360 degrees. Levelers generally comprise a threaded stud and a foot that are connected by means of a ball-socket joint. They serve to establish a level, final height of a unit and secure it with respect to the ground. Installing these components may be complicated, especially when the equipment is vulnerable to tipping during movement. 
     Placement of levelers and casters is governed by three competing constraints: stability, adjustability, and clearance. Stability refers to the overall equipment stability: that is, ensuring that the equipment does not tip over easily. To achieve maximum equipment stability, the devices that support the equipment should be positioned as far as possible from the equipment&#39;s center of gravity. Adjustability refers to the ability to access the leveler for adjustment once the unit is put into place. For instance, if the unit is intended to mate to another unit or occupy space against a wall, a leveler may become inaccessible if it is positioned in a corner. Clearance refers to the placement of the casters and levelers relative to each other. In particular, it is essential that the casters do not interfere with the levelers as the casters swivel about 360 degrees during movement of the equipment. 
     These constraints can create a real problem for a designer or engineer when both casters and levelers are desirable in the application. For example, to achieve maximize equipment stability when the levelers are used, the levelers should ideally be positioned in the corners of the equipment. However, to minimize the chance of the equipment tipping during movement of the equipment, the casters should also occupy the corner positions. Obviously, with standard casters and levelers, it is not possible to have both the casters and the levelers in the same corner position. To compound the problem of achieving stability, reducing unit footprint is often of competitive advantage and of critical marketing importance in many applications. A good example can be found in the semiconductor industry. Here, the size of processing equipment is scrutinized because it will likely occupy clean-room space that costs a premium per unit area. Semiconductor equipment must also comply with rigorous safety specifications such as SEMI, which mandates stability at a 10 degree tilt angle. However, if the unit&#39;s footprint is reduced there may be little room for both casters and levelers to be placed in a stable configuration. As a result, expensive solutions, such as retractable booms and counterweights, are often employed that far exceed the cost of the casters and levelers themselves. 
     Traditional, separate casters and levelers suffer from additional technical and cost disadvantages. In order for the leveler stud to be well-supported when the weight of the equipment rests on the levelers, it is typical to incorporate a machined support that extends below the base of the frame. The drawback of this design is that the leveler cannot be retracted very far off the ground. Thus, when the unit is moved, not only does the leveler cause the unit to have poor ramp clearance, the leveler is unprotected and vulnerable to damage by striking obstacles. To mitigate this problem, designers often will choose more expensive leveling components with larger stud diameters and far greater load capacities than are necessary to support the unit. 
     Another potential problem with separate casters and levelers is the inability to adjust the leveler from the top. The ability to adjust a leveler from the top is especially desirable in high technology applications. However, in many current designs that use traditional, separate casters and levelers, the levelers cannot be adjusted from the top because in order to achieve overall unit stability the design requires that the leveler be placed interior to a vertical frame member of the supported unit. 
     Finally, it is expensive to properly install traditional, separate casters and levelers. In a typical high quality installation, several custom machined parts must be made to provide proper support. In addition to the cylindrical support for the leveler, a plug is often machined to incorporate this support into the base of the vertical tube member and a gusset that straddles the two corner members of the frame base is often required to support the caster. All these parts must be jigged and welded in place on a custom basis. If these parts can be eliminated the cost savings can be substantial. 
     Combination casters and levelers do exist. Some of these devices place a leveler between separated wheels to allow for retraction of the leveler. However, the separation of wheels results in a loss of load capacity and usually requires the use of a non-standard leveler with a smaller floor contact area than is provided by a standard leveler. Other combined caster and leveler devices achieve leveler clearance by incorporating a large wheel offset, using very small wheels, using a non-standard leveling component, placing the leveler offset from the swivel axis of the caster, or using a combination of the foregoing. These designs often have significant disadvantages that may outweigh the benefits of the combination, including decreased load capacity, poor handling, large size, awkward appearance, increased potential for floor damage, impractical leveler adjustment, high cost and unpredictable leveler location. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention integrates a caster and a leveler that are very similar in design to standard casters and levelers. The combination offers moving and support capability in a one-piece assembly no larger than an ordinary caster. The integrated device is simple in design and has widespread application wherever a design requires both casters and levelers. 
     This integrated caster and leveler assembly generally comprises a wheel chassis, a thrust bearing assembly, and a leveling sub-assembly disposed within an internally threaded and proximally located tubular member, such as a kingpin rivet. The integrated caster and leveler assembly may combine these and other elements to reliably aid in the transport and installation of various types of equipment. If a kingpin rivet is used, a base plate may be included to facilitate attachment to the supported equipment. The base may be a rectangular plate and may have mounting holes for screws and the like that attach to a frame member of the unit. The base may also be a corner bracket to take full advantage of caster and leveler integration and allow maximum stability and leveler adjustability. Alternatively, the outer surface of the tubular member may be threaded to allow the device to be mounted to the equipment. 
     The thrust bearing assembly generally comprises an upper and lower raceway supporting an upper and lower set of ball bearings, a shim for proper bearing spacing, and an o-ring seal that protects it from environmental contamination. 
     The integrated device includes elements similar to high quality dual bearing casters; however, the integrated device includes the internally threaded tubular member, and has a wheel chassis with a slightly larger offset (the distance from the swivel axis to the wheel axis) than is found in most standard casters. These features allow the leveling sub-assembly to thread through the tubular member. The leveling sub-assembly is similar to a standard leveler and comprises a stud, a foot, and a locknut. However, the foot attaches to the stud by a ball-socket joint, which rotates with three rotational degrees of freedom, or is otherwise attached to achieve at least two rotational degrees of freedom, and ideally pivots very smoothly, even at a high pitch angle. As the leveler is retracted, a portion of the foot will contact the circumference of the wheel and pivot so that the opposite edge of the foot pitches upward, away from the wheels. Significantly, this allows the leveler to be aligned with the swivel axis while maintaining close proximity to the caster wheels. Additionally, these features allow the wheels of the caster to be placed close together without placing the leveler at a substantial offset from the swivel axis, thus improving load capacity over combined caster and leveler devices that place the leveler between separated wheels. They also allow the distance between the leveler and casters to be reduced while maintaining approximately standard-sized wheels and leveler footpads. 
     In use, when retracted, the leveler foot responds dynamically to changes in the direction of motion of the unit such that the leading edge of the foot is always higher than the trailing edge. This offers two technical advantages compared to standard casters and levelers that substantially reduce the risk of damage to the equipment and to the leveler. First, ramp clearance is greatly improved due to the pitched foot and its proximity to the caster wheels. Second, the leveler is effectively braced against the wheel or wheels insulating the stud from damage and providing better distribution of impact loads. 
     The device may be designed so that in the fully retracted position, the leveler foot is pitched upwards to a selected nominal pitch angle that is less than a selected maximum pitch angle. This maximum pitch angle should be selected to be at or less than the angle at which the foot may bind, swivel may be impeded and/or the foot may eject from the ball end of the stud. For a given wheel size, the dimensions of the stud may be selected so that the pitch angle of the foot rests at this nominal pitch angle and never exceeds the maximum pitch angle in the fully-retracted position. This ensures smooth, non-binding interaction between the wheels and leveler foot as the wheel swivels and the foot pivots about the longitudinal axis of the leveler stud. Furthermore, small mechanical features that differentiate the leveler from a standard leveler may be included in the design. These features include a small shoulder between the hex portion and the ball-end of the stud and a curved rim on top of a tongue that circumscribes the socket of the foot. 
     For overhead adjustability, the upper end of the stud may include an appropriately sized hex socket, much like a set screw. The stud can also have a hex portion that permits bottom adjustment with a wrench. The locknut may be a standard nut and serves to secure the leveler once installation is complete it should be noted that while most applications of the claimed device would be in industry to move and support heavy manufacturing equipment, “equipment” as used herein includes any object that needs to be moved and/or supported, in any environment. For example, and without limitation, this device could be used on beds and other furniture, vending machines, home appliances and pianos. In summary, this invention comprises a leveling assembly combined with a caster to create a one-piece assembly with the characteristics of both. The design has a number of advantages including, but not limited to, a single purchased part, improved stability, better leveler adjustability, a compact assembly, leveler protection, and a lower cost of installation. The nature of the present invention will be more readily understood after consideration of the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment that follow. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the integrated caster and leveler according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the first embodiment looking down at the top and side of the integrated caster and leveler, with the kingpin rivet shown prior to swaging process. 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the first embodiment looking up at the bottom and side of the integrated caster and leveler, with the kingpin rivet shown prior to swaging process. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the integrated caster and leveler taken through section  4 — 4  as indicated in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the leveler sub-assembly. 
     FIG. 6 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the leveler sub-assembly with the foot pitched upwards to the maximum pitch angle. 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of the integrated caster and leveler with the leveler in the retracted position where the foot is pitched upwards to the nominal pitch angle. The phantom outline of the foot at the maximum pitch angle is also shown. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the integrated caster and leveler which has a base plate designed for corner mounting. 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention which has a threaded stem for installation on equipment. 
     FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the second embodiment of the device. 
     FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the second embodiment taken through section  11 — 11  as indicated in FIG.  9 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The integrated caster and leveler assembly generally comprises a leveling sub-assembly disposed within an internally threaded and proximally located kingpin rivet fastening permanently a base plate, a wheel chassis, and a thrust bearing assembly. The integrated caster and leveler assembly may combine these and other elements to reliably aid in the transport and installation of various kinds of equipment. 
     FIGS. 1-3 show a first embodiment of the integrated caster and leveler assembly in accordance with the present invention. The construction of the integrated caster and leveler consists of several formed sheet-metal parts sandwiched together by a tubular member in the form of a kingpin rivet  60 . The material of these sheet metal parts may be case hardened and plated carbon steel or alternatively, an appropriate grade of stainless steel. However, although sheet metal has many advantages, other materials may be used to construct all or parts of the device. 
     The kingpin rivet  60  may be machined or otherwise fabricated with a head portion  61 , a sleeve  63 , a seat  62  between the head and the sleeve, and a cylindrical passage with an internally cut thread  64 . It should be noted that although in the embodiment shown the tubular member is a kingpin rivet that includes a cylindrical passage, one of the major functions of the tubular member is to hold the stud in selected positions. Thus, it is possible for the tubular member to have an alternatively shaped passage such as a “D” shape, a half-circle or square, or to have openings or slots or similar variations without changing this or other functions. 
     The sleeve  63  is dimensioned to have a clearance fit with the central apertures  24 ,  32 ,  71 ,  73 ,  56 ,  75  in the baseplate  20 , the upper raceway  30 , the shim  70 , the upper spacer  72 , the lower raceway  50 , and the lower spacer  74 , respectively. Circumscribing the end of this sleeve  63  may be a triangular lip  66  that is swaged distally outwards to permanently retain the baseplate and the thrust bearing assembly. 
     The baseplate  20  is generally designed to mate with and affix to the underside of a frame member (not shown). Accordingly, although the baseplate could be any one of a variety of shapes, generally the baseplate is rectangular or square with a flat mating surface  21  and four mounting holes  22 , or alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, the baseplate  820  with mounting holes  822  may be substantially triangular or trapezoidal, or otherwise configured for optimal placement on the corner of a unit. It will be appreciated that other means of mounting the baseplate to equipment could be used, including welding. In both embodiments, to accommodate the kingpin rivet, the baseplate has a central aperture  24  and a recessed surface  23  that sits slightly below the end  65  of the sleeve. Swaging of the triangular lip  66  forces the metal outwards and slightly downwards, as seen in FIG. 4, mounting the kingpin rivet  60  to the baseplate  20  and holding the baseplate  20 , upper raceway  30 , shim  70 , upper spacer  72 , lower raceway  50 , and lower spacer  74 , in place. Alternatively, the kingpin rivet  60  may mounted to the baseplate by welding the kingpin rivet  60  to a recessed surface  23  in the baseplate  20 . 
     The wheel chassis  40 , best seen in FIGS. 2-3, may have a drawn cylindrical portion  41  with a rounded surface  42  that smoothly transitions into a flat upper surface  43 . An arctuate lip  45  that extends downwards and inwards circumscribes the inside edge of this flat surface  43 . The upper bearings  78  interface with a shallow groove  44  in the flat upper surface  43  while the lower bearings  72  occupy the interior  48  of the cylindrical portion  41  and interface with the lower surface  49  of the arctuate lip  45 . The arctuate lip  45  is dimensioned to provide clearance between the swiveling wheel chassis  40  and the stationary parts of the thrust bearing assembly including the upper  30  and lower  50  raceways. Integrally extending from the cylindrical portion  41  may be a bifurcated fork protrusion  46  extending angularly downward and spaced peripherally outward from the kingpin rivet  60 . Dual wheels  80  may fit between the fork protrusion  46  and may be rotably mounted to the chassis by means of a nut  82  and bolt  81  through a hole  47  to rotate about an axis of rotation A- 2 . The wheels are positioned such that this wheel axis of rotation A- 2  (through the center of bolt  81 ) is offset from center of the wheel chassis swivel rotation about longitudinal axis A- 1 . Although the wheels shown are standard cylindrical wheels, it may be possible in certain applications to use spherical or other types of wheels. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the thrust bearing assembly circumscribes the kingpin rivet  60  and provides swiveling means for the wheel chassis  40 . The thrust bearing assembly generally comprises an upper and lower raceway  30 ,  50  supporting an upper and lower set of ball bearings  78 ,  79 , a shim  70  for proper bearing spacing, an upper and lower spacer  72 ,  74 , and an upper and lower o-ring  76 ,  77  that protects it from environmental contamination. The upper set of ball bearings  78  bear the greatest thrust loads and are captured by a groove  33  in the upper raceway  30  and the shallow groove  44  in the wheel chassis. The outer edge  31  of the upper raceway  30  extends straight downwards for snug nesting of the upper o-ring  76  between this edge and the rounded surface  42  of the wheel chassis. In addition to providing a seal against environmental contamination, the upper and lower o-rings  76 ,  77  enhance the aesthetics of the overall assembly and provides a degree of swivel resistance. Some swivel resistance is desirable for smoother operation and to prevent undesirable, vibration induced swiveling of the caster when the load is transferred to the leveler. 
     The upper and lower spacers  72 ,  74  may be identical parts that serve to reduce the draw depth of the lower race for greater strength and to control the distance from the lower surface  67  of the kingpin rivet to the plane of the floor. This distance governs the amount of leveler retraction. 
     FIGS. 2-3 are exploded views that show the kingpin rivet prior to the swaging process. When the kingpin rivet is swaged, the shim  70  and the upper spacer  72  are captured between the lower surface  34  of the upper raceway and a flat upper surface  53  of the lower raceway. The thickness of the shim  70  is controlled to provide proper spacing for the bearings. The lower raceway  50  has a drawn cylindrical portion  51  circumscribed by an arctuate lip  52  which extends upwards and supports the lower bearings. The lip  52  enhances structural rigidity, permits the absorption of lateral loads, and allows the lower o-ring seal  77  to nest between it and the interior  48  of the wheel chassis, which is shown in FIG. 4. A cavity  54  internal to the cylindrical portion accommodates the lower spacer  74  and the head  61  of the kingpin rivet  60 . The lower spacer rests between a flat inner surface  55  and the seat  62  of the kingpin rivet. 
     As shown in FIGS. 5-6, the leveling sub-assembly  100  is similar to a standard leveler and comprises a stud  120 , a foot  130 , and a locknut  110 . The stud  120  is a machined part with a threaded portion  121  at one end  128 , a “stop” which may be a hex-nut portion  124 , and a ball end  127 . The ball may be either integral to the stud as shown or separately attached. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the end of the stud  128  opposite the ball end  127  may have a hex-socket  129 , or an equivalent adjustment structure such as an external hex-cut, at the end to provide a means for overhead adjustment. The stud may also have a relief  122  at the base such that the locknut can bottom out against the top  123  of the stop or hex portion  124 . The leveling sub-assembly  100  may also be adjusted from the bottom by using a wrench to engage the hex-nut portion  124 . The leveling sub-assembly may be adjusted upwards to a retracted position when the unit to which the device is attached is to be moved. As shown in FIG. 7, as the leveling sub-assembly moves upwards, the foot  130  contacts the circumference of the wheels  80  and pitches about a transverse axis A- 4  through the center of the stud ball end  127 . When the unit is to be stationary, the leveling sub-assembly is adjusted downward to an extended position wherein the unit is supported on the foot  130 . Although the embodiment shown uses a screw-type adjustment, that cooperates with a threaded, circular passage in the kingpin rivet, if the passage in the tubular member is of an alternative shape, it will be understood that the portion of the stud that cooperates with the passage will be of an appropriate shape and an alternative means would be used to hold the leveling sub-assembly in the retracted or extended positions and/or to move between these positions. 
     It will be understood that a unit would normally have four or more devices attached on the frame or otherwise under the unit, preferably at locations that maximize the stability of the unit. 
     Referring to FIGS. 5-7, the end  127  of the stud forms, or has a ball attached to form, a ball-socket joint with a substantially centered socket  131  in the foot  130 . As an alternative, a combined foot and ball-socket joint may be attached to a nut, which can then be attached to the end of the stud by means of threads. A tongue  133  that circumscribes the socket may have its top end roll-swaged inwards by a controlled process to securely retain the foot. Once the assembly of the foot is completed, the foot has three rotational degrees of freedom, although the device could function with two rotational degrees of freedom. At rest, in the retracted position, the foot will contact the circumference of the wheel and be forced to assume a nominal pitch angle  138 . When the equipment is moved the foot may be forced to a pitch closer to the vertical. Thus, as the caster moves and swivels, the circumference of the wheels have roughly point-wise contact with a perimeter  135  on the outer periphery of the face  134  of the foot. Consequently, the foot dynamically rotates at a pitch angle that varies between a nominal and a greater, maximum pitch angle without any marring of the foot face  134  from the rotating caster wheel. In this manner, the foot constantly responds to changes in the direction of motion such that the leading edge of the foot—which, with a circular foot as shown, would be the point on the foot perimeter  137  that is most distant from the wheels—is disposed higher than the trailing edge. Although the foot would preferably form a substantially circular perimeter to contact with the wheels for easiest pivoting when the stud is in the retracted position, it is possible that other shapes could be used that would allow the characteristic pitch to be maintained while the foot pivots, or even that the portion of the foot that contacts the floor defines a differently shaped perimeter than the perimeter that contacts the wheels. 
     The pitch of the foot about a transverse axis A- 4  through the center of the stud ball-end  127  and the center of the foot  130  must be constrained so as not to exceed a maximum pitch angle  139  which is at or less than the angle at which the foot may bind, severe swivel impedance occurs, and/or the foot ejects from the ball-end of the stud. At this maximum pitch angle, a rim  132 , preferably rounded, on the tongue contacts a small shoulder  126  extending longitudinally downwards from the hex-nut portion of the stud. The length of the shoulder  126  is such that at the maximum pitch angle  150 , the tongue never touches the base  125  of the stop, as shown hex nut portion,  124 . The interaction of the rounded rim on the shoulder facilitates smooth, non-binding rotation of the foot about the longitudinal axis A- 3  of the stud even at the maximum pitch angle  139 . A standard leveler lacks these features and is typically assembled by crimping the metal foot onto the stud which irregularly distorts the tongue. 
     Note that while the embodiment shown used a metal foot, it is also possible to use plastic or similar materials for the foot. 
     Controlling the amount of leveler retraction is necessary to ensure that the pitch angle of the foot never exceeds the maximum pitch angle  139 . It will be understood that different wheel sizes will be appropriate for different applications of the device. It is also desirable for manufacturing purposes to have as many identical components as possible used for a broad size range of devices. To satisfy the criteria relating to controlling the pitch angle and to accommodate multiple wheel sizes without making any changes to the kingpin and upper bearing assembly, a particular leveling stud may correspond to each wheel size. The length of the stop or hex-nut portion  124  can be varied for each wheel size such that in the up-most or maximum retracted position, the pitch angle of the foot always reaches a nominal angle  138  that is slightly less than the maximum pitch angle  139 . Generally, allowing for about 2½ degrees between the nominal angle and the maximum angle is sufficient to prevent the foot from exceeding the maximum angle; however, more or fewer degrees may be appropriate depending on the expected application, with the usual range between about 1 to 5 degrees. 
     Although a design that includes a tubular member, such as a king pin rivet or the like, to connect the chassis and the leveler has a number of advantages, it is also possible to construct a device without a tubular member as shown, which has a retractable leveler with a foot that, in the retracted position, moves between a nominal angle and a maximum angle and that responds dynamically to changes in the direction of motion of the wheel as described above. For example, the device could include an externally threaded stud mounted on a plate-like member that also rotably supports a wheel chassis. The leveler could include an internally threaded hex nut for attachment to the stud. 
     A preferred method for adjusting the leveler is from the top using a hex key wrench (not shown). Once the equipment is moved into place, the user can insert the tip of the wrench into the hex socket  129  at one end of the stud. Although the stud will be secured by the locknut  110  bearing against the lower surface  67  of the kingpin rivet, sufficient mechanical advantage can be generated to overcome the binding lock provided by the locknut  110 . The stud can then be turned until the base  136  of the leveler foot  130  contacts the floor. Over the next rotation of the stud, the load will be transferred from the caster to the leveler and the wheels  80  will be suspended between the base  136  of the leveler foot  130  and the end of the stud  128  opposite the ball end  127 . The length of the threaded portion  121  of the stud is controlled such that the equipment will be raised to a maximum predetermined height when the end of the stud is even with the mating surface of the baseplate. Once the equipment is at the desired height, the wheel chassis may rotate subject to the swivel resistance of the upper and lower o-rings  76 ,  77 . It may be positioned for convenient bottom access to the locknut and subsequently tucked away beneath the equipment. 
     As seen in FIGS. 9-11 an alternative embodiment of the invention incorporates a stem  150  that permits attachment of the device through threaded and unthreaded holes on equipment. The stem is a tubular member with a large diameter external thread  153  at the top end  151 , a smaller diameter external thread  156  at the bottom end  157 , and an internal thread  158  also at the bottom end. The stem eliminates the need for the baseplate  20  and replaces the kingpin rivet  60 . It holds the assembly together between a seat  154  and a nut  160  that engages the external thread  156 . The width of the nut  160  may be made equivalent to the width of the head  61  of the kingpin rivet so that both serve the same function in controlling the amount of leveler retraction. A sleeve  155  is dimensioned to have a clearance fit with central apertures  32 ,  71 ,  73 ,  56 ,  75  in the upper raceway  30 , the shim  70 , the upper spacer  72 , the lower raceway  50 , and the lower spacer  74 , respectively. The stem may also be open on both ends and have a hex  152  or other opening, formed by broaching or other method, at the top end which allows access to the hex socket  129  or other adjustment mechanism on the stud  120 . Having the opening in the form of a hex may aid in installation of the device, as the stem may then be screwed onto the equipment using a hex wrench. In this embodiment, the stud  120  of the leveling sub-assembly engages the internal thread of the stem and may still be adjustable from overhead. 
     Thus, it is evident that a leveling sub-assembly can be combined with a caster to create a one-piece assembly with the characteristics of both. Accordingly, while the present invention has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiment, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other changes in form, connection, and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims: