IMPROVE- MENTS IN BALL CASTORS
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOSEPH WILKINSON of Stanhope Street, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BALL CASTORS " to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to what are commonly known as Ball Castors for
furniture, and other articles which are required to be moved or transported from
place to place, by a rolling action; and my said invention consists essentially of
a ball or sphere made of iron or of any suitable material enclosed within a case or
cover extending below its centre or diameter.
The said case is supported by three or other suitable number of small hard
balls or spheres placed within the crown, or within the top of the inside of the said
case which rests upon and takes the bearing of the large sphere, which rolls and
transports the object to which the castor is applied.
By the above arrangement the friction of the moving parts is reduced to a
minimum with a certainty of the cast or ball revolving.
The castor ball consists of a large sphere preferably composed of cast iron truly
turned and polished, so as to be capable of revolving when applied as hereinafter
described.
The case consists of a cast or sheet metal shell produced in any desirable way
and having a globular form and of larger interior diameter than the ball that is
intended to revolve therein and situated within the inside of the case and on a line
with the centre of rotation with the ball, steel pegs or studs with rounded ends
are situated at equidistant points which keep the revolving castor ball from coming
into intimate contact with the inside of the said case-Or instead of the studs or steel
ring may be placed inside the case with like effect, and situated at the crown, or at
the top of the inside of the case, three or four more recesses are formed at suitable
distances apart, and into these recesses small hard balls or spheres are placed, and
which rotate therein-The bottoms of the said balls project or slightly protrude
from the surface of the case and placed with these recesses are steel or other bard.
metal discs with fork-like arms at right angles to the base-These are placed in
the recesses to reduce the friction and wear of the small rolling spheres.
The case which partially envelopes the castor ball is slit or divided around from
the terminal edges of the case, the mouth of the case is of smaller diameter than

page_text: the cast ball, and is sprung within the said case by pressure-Or the said castor
ball may be retained in its case by gathering or closing in the divided metal edges.
Ball castors constructed according to my invention move with great freedom
and ease, and are not liable to get out of order, in consequence of the fewness of
parts and the manner in which the said parts are arranged.
The ball or sphere of the castor hereinbefore described is supported by rolling
surfaces, which are arranged preferably in the form of a circle, and take their
bearing around the top of the large ball so that the weight of the article supported
by the castor is distributed equally between the bearing surfaces of the small
anti-friction spheres or rollers enclosed within the recess in the crown of the case.
The above arrangements described can be applied equally to both socket and
plate castors.
I JOSEPH WILKINSON of Stanhope Street Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BALL CASTORS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
.
My invention has reference to what are commonly known as ball castors for
furniture and other articles which are required to be moved or transported from.
place to place, by a rolling action; and my said invention consists essentially of a
ball or sphere made of iron or of any suitable material enclosed within a case or
cover extending below its centre or diameter. The said case is supported by three
or other suitable number of small hard balls or spheres placed. within the crown,
or within the top of the inside of the said case, which rests upon and takes the
bearing of the large sphere, which rolls and transports the object to which the
castor is applied.
By the above arrangement, the friction of the moving parts is reduced to a
minimum, with a certainty of the castor ball revolving.
The castor ball consists of a large sphere preferably composed of cast iron truly
turned and polished, so as to be capable of revolving when applied as herein-after
described. The case consists of a cast or sheet metal shell produced in any
desirable way and having a globular form and of larger interior diameter than the
ball that is intended to revolve therein; and situated within the inside of the case,

page_text: Or
and on a line with the centre of rotation with the ball, steel pegs or studs with
rounded ends are situated, at equi-distant points which keep the revolving castor
ball from coming into intimate contact with the inside of the said case.
instead of the studs a steel ring may be placed inside the case with like effect.
And situated at the crown, or at the top of the inside of the case, an annular recess
is formed, and into this recess a ball holder or confiner made from sheet steel is
placed. This holder has standing out forked like arms at right angles to the base
in which the anti-friction balls are confined and rotate. The bottoms of the said
balls project, or slightly protrude through holes made in the crown of the case.
This holder is placed in the position described, for the purpose of confining and
reducing the friction and wear of the anti-friction balls as described.
The case which partially envelopes the castor ball is slit or divided around from
the terminal edges of the case; the mouth of the case is of smaller diameter than
the castor ball, and is sprung within the said case by pressure. Or the said castor
ball may be retained in its case by gathering or closing in, the divided metal edges.
Ball castors constructed according to my invention move with great freedom and
ease, and are not liable to get out of order, in consequence, of the fewness of parts
and the manner in which the said parts are arranged.
The ball or sphere of the castor herein before described is supported by rolling
surfaces, which are arranged preferably in the form of a circle, and take their
bearing around the top of the large ball, so that the weight of the article supported
by the castor is distributed equally between the bearing surfaces of the small
anti-friction spheres or rollers enclosed within the recess in the crown of the case.
The above arrangements described can be applied equally to both socket and
plate castors.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing; the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation a ball castor constructed according to my
invention. Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, taken through
the dotted lines A. B. Figure 3 is also a transverse vertical section on a larger
scale, of a portion of the ball castor figure 2, the section being taken a little
removed from that of said figure 2, so as to better exhibit the anti-friction balls,
and the means whereby they are enclosed within the underside of the socket of
the castor. Figure 4 is a plan of the inside of the casing, showing the positions of
the anti-friction balls with regard to the crown of the inside of the case.
The way
in which the balls are arranged allows the large sphere which works within the
case to move with great freedom and ease. Figure 5 is the socket detached from
the case, which socket is drawn and raised from sheet metal, so also is figure 6
which represents the case in section. Figure 7 represents the underside of the
holder and a portion of the castor, the balls being shown embraced between the
forked like standing out prongs, for confining the said balls. Figure 8 is an
underside view of the ball carrier separately, and figure 9 is a plan of the top side.
Figure 10 is a transverse section of the said carrier upon a larger scale, to better
exhibit the plane and forked enclosures wherein the balls rotate and are contined.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
Drawing.
a is the primary castor ball or sphere truly turned and polished, so as to be
capable of rolling with the least possible resistance. b is a sheet metal case or
shell produced by combined raising and drawing processes, and 62 is the socket of
the castor connected to the case b by a screw 63; the said case b is globular in form
and of larger interior diameter than the ball which is intended to revolve therein,
the open mouth of the casing extending a little below the middle of the said ball
to prevent it from falling out; and situated within an annular recess b on the
underside of the socket 62, is a plate or disc d, of hardened sheet steel, (pierced at
its middle) upon which the small balls c take their bearing. The said plate or
disc is provided with forked like arms d³, arranged in threes or any other suitable
number, so as to enclose a space; and within this space, enclosed by the said

page_text: forked arms the balls c are confined and rotate therein; and over the centre of each
of the small balls angular piercings are cut from the summit or base of the plate or
disc d. These openings are marked 3 and are for the purpose of reducing the
friction at the points of contact, and also they form means whereby the balls are
constantly kept clean or free from dirt accumulations, which so greatly impare
the rolling properties of the supporting balls. The case b has upon its crown or
inside part, openings or piercings 6 through which the balls c protrude, the
protruding parts resting upon the surface of the primary rolling ball or sphere a.
bare bosses or pegs situated at equi-distant points, which keep the ball from
coming in direct contact with the inside of the case.
Ball castors herein before described, are simple in their construction, efficient in
their action, and are not liable to get out of order or deteriorate in their rolling
properties.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
innvetion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. The improvements in ball castors in which the small supporting anti
friction balls or spheres are arranged to any suitable number around the centre of
primary ball or castor, the small balls being confined and rotating within spaces
enclosed by forked like arms raised from the metal of a steel plate or disc which
seats itself within an annular space on the underside of the socket or plate of the
castor, also the piercings in the said plate marked d³ and the piercings 65 in the
case b, the parts being arranged and working substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The hardened steel plate or disc marked d and its angular sides,
piercings and other parts for supporting and confining the small anti-friction balls
as described and illustrated.
Thirdly Constructing the combined case and socket of ball castors by raising
and drawing them from sheet metal and afterwards connecting them together by
a screw or rivet c³ as and for the purpose as described and illustrated.
JOSEPH
WILKINSON.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham,
Agent to the Applicant.
Dated this first day of May 1885.
JOSEPH WILKINSON.
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham,
Agent to the Applicant.