IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNITURE CASTERS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British and
Foreign Patent Offices, 18, Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris,
France, and 6, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNITURE CASTERS."
-A communication from Henri Rousseau, residing at Roubaix,
France, Merchant.
Sealed the 7th April 1876, and dated the 11th October 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henri Adrien Bonne-
ville at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 11th October 1875.
I, HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent
Offices, 18, Ruc de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, and 6, Picca-
dilly, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FURNITURE CASTERS,"
communicated to me by Henri Rousseau, a person resident at
Roubaix, France, Merchant, to be as follows:-—
The Invention relates to applying to the lower end of the feet of
tables, beds, arm chairs, and all kinds of furniture in general a row of

page_text: clasps resting on an independent spherical ball which rolls on itself as
soon as any cause whatever makes the piece of furniture move from its
place.
The Invention consists in perfecting the mechanical working already
performed by the well known cylindrical caster, and allows the easy.
removal in every sense of all kinds of furniture without fear of altering
by the rolling the supporting surface of the object to be moved.
The Invention consists of a ring to be fitted to the feet of the piece of
furniture, and of three or more crooked clasps in the shape of a goose's
foot fastened to the said ring, and forming a light spring, each provided
with a boss intended for the sole support, and at the same time the pivot
of the rotatory motion performed by the spherical ball, which is thus
lodged between the said clasps. This ball must be as perfectly polished
as possible, and can be made of metal, ivory, agate, glass, marble, or
other suitable hardened material; it is lodged between the clasps by
forcing apart the latter, which then close on the ball, and the weight
of the piece of furniture makes the said ball rest against the bosses.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRI
ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 18,
Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, France, and 6, Piccadilly, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, Her
special license that I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henri Adrien
Bonneville, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully

page_text: Fig. 2 is a view of the ring and the crooked clasps separate.
And Fig. 3 is a view of the caster or ball placed in its lodging place.
In these Figures the same letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts.
A is the ring which is fitted to the foot of the furniture; B, the
clasps, between which is placed the ball C; D, the bosses or spurs
serving as supporting point to the ball; and E, the point or lower end
of the clasps.
As may be seen in referring to these Drawings the ball C by reason
of the shape of the crooked clasps B has no point of contact with the
foot of the furniture other than that determined by the bosses D. There
is an open empty space all round the ball, even at the lower part E of
the clasps, in consequence of the carefully studied position of the bosses
D. The round ball is then entirely independent.
It follows from the preceding arrangement, and especially from this
particular of the bosses being as far as possible tangents of the surface
of the ball, that the following advantages ensue :-
1st. The slightest moving of the piece of furniture is answered by an
immediate modification of the points of contact, which allows of making
the movement in such or such a direction altogether indifferent.
2nd. There is no fear of any dust or dirt getting in, and
to the rolling is with difficulty produced.
any hindrance
3rd. The points of contact admitting of variation every moment the
wear and tear of the pieces is uniformly distributed on the extremities
of the bosses, and consequently the different parts remain in the same
wearing condition.
4th. The surfaces on which the piece of furniture rolls, such as carpets
or boards, only coming in contact with a spherical surface of large
proportions cannot be spoilt or worn out in any unusual way; even

page_text: while in disuse the wear produced by a caster on a carpet is nothing to
be afraid of.
5th. The shape of the article, which admits of modification as far as
details are considered, is wonderfully adaptable to all caprices of taste
or fashion. A thousand different shapes of it can be adopted appro-
priate to ornamental furniture, roller skates, or articles of simple
necessity.
6th. From the facility of their application to the feet of pianos, to
pier tables, or the feet of instruments used in the study of physics, these
clasps may be used as non-conductors either for sound or for electricity,
for it is sufficient for this purpose to fit on under the bosses a ball of
wax, glass, or crystal.
Having thus described the Invention, and the manner of carrying it
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that, confining myself specially
to the principle which characterises it much more than to the details of
construction, I hereby claim and desire to secure by the said Royal
Letters Patent, a furniture or other caster consisting of a spherical ball
lodged and turning on bosses, whatever may be in other respects the
number, shape, or dimensions of the different pieces indicated by the
letters of reference, and whatever may be also the nature of the elementary
materials employed in their construction.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the year