IMPROVEMENTS IN "CASTERS FOR FURNITURE, TRUNKS AND THE LIKE
Year: 1885

page_text: CONLELLE DELICATION,
We SIGISMUND MORTON MICHELSEN Manufacturer, and GEORGE SYLVESTER
gentleman residing at 116 Seventeenth Street and 102 Eighth Street respectively
in the City of Milwaukee, County of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, in
the United States of America do hereby declare the nature of the invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN "CASTERS FOR FURNITURE, TRUNKS AND THE LIKE" and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The device is adapted for use with a variety of articles which require either
frequent or occasional shifting of position and possesses several marked advantages
over the ordinary trunk and furniture casters, in common use chief among which
are the ease with which an article fitted with my caster may be moved in any
direction without requiring that the article itself shall be turned around first
"
or pointed" in the direction in which it is to be moved, and further the fact
that the devices are fitted or provided with bottom covering plates, through which
a part only of the roller projects whereby dirt pebbles or other foreign bodies or
substances is excluded from about the axle of the roller thereby ensuring its free
action at all times.
af
In the accompanying drawings
Figs 1 to 8 show the invention applied to a caster designed for use in connection
with trunks army chests boxes, packing cases, and other large articles which have
a substantially flat bottom and are usually without legs while Figs 9 and 10 show
the said device applied to articles of furniture having legs such as tables chairs
wash-stands etc.
A represents the shell or "well" of the device and in the form of device
applicable to trunks etc (Figs 1 to 8) there are preferably two arms or lugs A' to
assist in attaching the device to such flat bottomed articles but where the device is
to be attached to furniture legs instead of said lugs, the shell A is preferably cast
with an upward extending cup or receptacle A¹ as in Figs. 9 and 10. The top.
plate of the shell A is marked a and from its centre there projects downward
a vertically perforated axle a¹. In the furniture-leg caster this plate may be
further perforated with two or more holes to receive the screws B B. by means of
which the said plate is fastened to the furniture leg C as hereinafter described.
D is the revolving protecting plate of the device and has a central perforation & to
receive the end of the bolt, or pivot E. after the same has passed through the vertical
perforation in the axle a', and is cut-away at one-side as at d³ and on either side of
this cut-away portion are depending lugs or bearings D¹ D' hollowed out on their
upper surfaces as at d', d', to receive the journal f of the roller F.
G is a sleeve or hub which encircles the axle a¹ of the shell A and which is
formed with a bifurcated extension the arms g g of which straddle the roller F. and
which arms have downward extending projections g¹ g¹ at or near their ends, which

page_text: fit into the depressions d¹ d¹ in the bearings D¹ D¹, and which are centrally notched
as at gå g so as to rest on the ends of the roller journal when the parts have all
been put together as best shown in Figs 6 and 9 and after this is done the projecting
end of the bolt or pivot E is upset in any suitable manner thereby securing the
parts A D F and G all firmly together.
In the form shown in Figs 9 and 10 it is necessary to provide the protecting
plate D. with still another hole d³ in order to admit the screws B B by which the
caster is to be secured to the furniture-leg after the plate D has been secured to the
shell A by the upsetting of the bolt E and when we wish to give an extra finished
appearance to the furniture leg and conceal the caster and its shell, we slip over the
said shell A and its cup A¹ before we insert the furniture leg C into the latter, the
ornamental cover H which may be composed of thin metal cast or stamped into
the form desired and plates, japanned, burnished enameled or otherwise ornamented,
or which may be made of glass, porcelain, wood papier-mache, or any other material
desired. The exterior of this covering H may be of any configuration or orna-
mentation preferred while its interior should conform to the general exterior shape
of the shell A cup A¹ and leg C sufficiently to fit closely thereon at several points
above and below so as to exclude dust, and prevent the rattling of the parts. If we
do not use this extra cover H of course we may ornament the exterior of the
parts A and A' in any manner desired. If desired the shell A together with its
upper plate a may be made much thicker than represented in the drawings and
thus serve as a revolving bumper or buffer, when applied to the corners of trunks,
and packing-cases, by being allowed to project somewhat beyond the said corners,
which may if desired be further beveled or cut away so that the said shell will come
in contact first with any opposing substance and save the trunk or other article
from injury. Although we have shown the form illustrated in Figs 9 and 10
provided with screw holes and screws for attachment to the legs of furniture it is
obvious that instead thereof, the cup A¹ may have interior screw-threads and be
thereby screwed to place on corresponding screw-threads formed on the bottom of
the furniture leg, or on a ferrule secured thereto, and further, if desired in the form
shown in Figs 1 to 8, the bifurcated extensions gg of the hub G may be flat on
their lower surfaces in which event, small lugs should be formed (on each side of
said extensions of the hub) on the upper surface of the plate D as shown at d* dª
in Fig 11 in order to hold the said bifurcated extensions firmly in place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. In a revolving caster for trunks chairs and other articles of furniture the
combination of the shell A having plate a with vertically depending and centrally
perforated axle a¹ hub G revolving on said axle and provided with bifurcated
extension g. g protecting plate D cut-away at d², and having downward projecting
and hollowed out bearing lugs D¹ D' roller F with journal f and bolt or pivot E
whereby these parts are all secured together in operative position.
2. In a revolving caster, the combination of a depending shell having a cup
projecting in the opposite direction and integral therewith a roller secured to
a central projection on said shell and an outside protective and ornamental
covering.