IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNITURE CASTORS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Parry, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF FURNITURE CASTORS."
Sealed the 27th April 1875, and dated the 12th November 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Parry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th November 1874.
I, JOHN PARRY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN!.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF FURNITURE CASTORS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to castors, such as are employed for chairs,
tables, bedsteads, and other articles of furniture, and is designed for the
purpose of lessening the effects of concussion and preventing the liability
of such castors to become broken, either by a sudden shock or by too
heavy a weight being placed on them.
The Invention consists principally in placing a thick annular cushion.
shhon sound the "new" of the castor between the top of the
.

page_text: "horn" and the bottom of the screw plate or socket by the which the
castor is attached to the leg of the article of furniture, a thin metal
washer being inserted between the "horn" and the cushion. The use of
this india-rubber cushion will be found to impart an amount of clas-
ticity to the castor which will not only make its movement much
smoother, but it will also deaden the shock of any sudden concussion or
the effect of too heavy a weight, and prevent the breakage of either the
." peg or the "horn," to which castors of ordinary construction have
""
been hitherto so liable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Parry in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, Ï, JOHN
PARRY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eight year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Parry, Her special
license that I, the said John Parry, my executors, administrators, and
assigns; or such others as I, the said John Parry; my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereâfter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF FURNITURE CASTORS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Parry, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and

page_text: cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
…..NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Parry, do hereby declare the
nature of the said. Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawing (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to castors, such as are employed for chairs,
tables, bedsteads; and other articles of furniture, and is designed for the
purpose of lessening the effects of concussion and preventing the liability
of such castors to become broken, either by a sudden shock or by too
heavy a weight being placed on them.
The Invention consists principally in placing a thick annular cushion
of india-rubber round the "peg" of the castor between the top of the
"horn" and the bottom of the screw plate or socket by which the castor
is attached to the leg of the article of furniture, a thin metal washer
being inserted between the "horn" and the cushion. The use of the
india-rubber cushion will be found to impart an amount of elasticity to
the castor which will not only make its movement much smoother, but
it will also deaden the shock of any sudden concussion or the effect of
too heavy a weight and prevent the breakage of either the "peg" or-
"horn," to which castors of the ordinary construction have been hitherto
so liable, and at the same time will assist in giving an equal bearing on
all the castors when the floor is uneven.
I may here remark that a similar effect can be produced in a modified
degree by the use of a coiled spring or other suitable material in place of
the india-rubber cushion, but for many reasons I prefer the latter.
In the 'annexed Drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a socket castor
with my Invention shown as applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is a similar view
of a plate, peg, or screw castor.
a, a, is the bowl or roller; b, b, the horn; c, c, the socket, peg, or pin;
and d, d, the india-rubber cushion.
Having now described the nature and object of my said improvement,
I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention the novel
employment and use of an india-rubber cushion or other suitable elastic

page_text: material round the peg of the castor, as herein-before described and
represented on the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Parry, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.