IMPROVEMENTS IN ANTI-FRICTION ROLLER SUPPORTS FOR FURNITURE AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1885

page_text: We THOMAS ROBBINS of N° 36 Cannon Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer, and EDWIN FRENCH of N° 249 St. Vincent Street
Ladywood in the County of Warwick Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ANTI-FRICTION ROLLER SUPPORTS
FOR FURNITURE AND OTHER PURPOSES" and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement as follows, that is to say :-
Our Invention has for its object improvements in anti-friction roller supports for
furniture and other purposes by which the weight of the article to be supported is
brought directly over the roller in such a manner that great ease of action is
obtained without great complication or liability of the various parts becomming
derranged. The appearance of these supports is most pleasing to the eye and upon
such positions as the legs of chairs the effect is most marked as compared with the
castors now in use.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practice we have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings showing our
invention as applied to a support suitable for such articles as tables, chairs, or
bedsteads but it will be easily understood that the same principle is almost equally
applicable to other purposes such for instance as skates.
Figure 3. is an illustration of a socket support suitable for the leg of a table
bedstead, or chair, or other similar article.
Figure 2. is a sectional elevation of a shoulder or plate support suitable for
screwing against any flat surface such as under drawers, or boxes.
Figure 1. is a sectional elevation of the casting or casing which constitutes the
body part of Figure 2.
Figure 4. is a plan on line A, B. showing the anti-friction carriage C.
Figure 5. is an inverted plan with the roller ball removed showing the internal
anti-friction carriage D.
The outside casing of a support is shown by Figure 1. in section and it will be
seen that the shape is such that it can be easily manufactured in one casting or
piece.

page_text: The screw hole e having been tapped the anti-friction wheel carriage D as shown
in plan at Figure 5 may be placed in position as shown by Figure 2 in cross section
and secured by the screw e¹. It will be noticed that this carriage D is fitted with
five sinal wheels f which are hung upon the round rod g or on other suitable
pivot or pivots. I do not confine myself to five wheels as more or less may be used
but I have found five to work well in a roller the size of that shown on the
drawing. The roller ball K is then placed in its position and the edge m of the
casing Figure 1. is then spun or otherwise worked or bent inwards sufficiently to
secure the ball well in position but leaving sufficient space for the ball to turn
freely in all directions. I also fit in the recess N of the casing a small anti-friction
carriage C which carries three wheels c1, c2, c3 upon which the under side of the
plate P or socket R works.
Now referring to Figure 3. it will be seen that the bottom edge m of the casing
is sufficiently high to allow the ball or roller K to project sufficiently to act freely
upon the thick carpet. It will also be seen that all the weight is transmitted to
the anti-friction carriage D and thence to the upper carriage C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
The "improvements in the anti-friction roller supports for furniture and other
purposes of the ball K held by an outer casing below its centre and supported upon
anti-friction carriages D and C substantially as herein set forth.
GEORGE BARKER,
Agent for the Applicants,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.