An Improved Caster.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1899-Accepted, 24th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Caster.
I, THOMAS BYERS, of Violet Street, Essendon, in the Colony of Victoria,
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention is devised to obviate certain objections common to casters at
present in use i.e. the scraping or moving sideways of the wheels along the floor
or ground owing to such wheels not moving freely into line with the direction of
pull or push of the object supported by them, or in casters where a single ball
is used, such ball grips the cup in which it is held and if greasy such grease spoils
the carpet or floor on which it works.
My invention consists of a caster which is constructed in two main parts
namely a socket piece and a wheel supporting frame, the socket piece is set upon
ball bearings formed on the wheel frame and is connected with the frame by a
This construction will
pin which passes through and is held in a slot in same.
allow the wheels to immediately turn into the proper position, when a body
provided with the casters is pushed or pulled along the ground, so as to run
freely and allow the object to be easily moved from place to place.
In order to make the invention clear I will now refer to the accompanying
sheet of drawings in which-
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the caster.
Figure 2 a side view of same.
Figure 3 a vertical section.
Figure 4 a plan looking on to the top of the wheel frame.
a
"A" represents a socket piece which is arranged to receive the end of a table
leg or other body. This socket piece has its base "B" extended outwardly in
form of a flange with the edges of same "C" turned downwardly. A pin. "D"
is secured to the bottom of the said socket piece about its centre. E" represents
the wheel which is supported in a frame. This frame consists of a circular top
plate "G" with two depending arms "H" the wheel being supported by
spindle "F" passing through the arms in the ordinary manner. The top of the
frame has an annular cup or ball race "J" formed in it and which is arranged to
receive a number of balls "K" upon which the socket piece aforesaid will have
its bearings. The top plate of this frame has a slot "L" formed in it this slot
is of a length equal to three diameters of the pin "D" and is rounded at its
ends and narrows towards the centre, the distance between the central points "P"
of the sides being slightly greater than the diameter of pin see Figure 4.
The socket piece is connected with the wheel frame by the pin "D" which
passes through the slot and is held in position by a washer "M" and a split key
pin "N" which passes through a hole in the pin "D." The base of the socket
piece is made of greater diameter than the top of the wheel frame so that as
the wheel frame moves (by reason of the slot and pin) into a position eccentric
to the socket base centre, said base will at all times cover the top of frame and
rest upon the balls.

page_text: Owing to the peculiar shape of the slot "L" and the setting of the pin "D"
within it the wheels "E" will, on a pull or push being given to the object which
the casters support, immediately move into a line in the direction of such pull or
push, the action being assisted by the ball bearings construction. In the use of
my caster it will be found that there is no dead position where the wheel will
move or slide sideways over the ground but my construction will as aforesaid
immediately cause the wheels to turn into such position that the body supported
by them can be easily "wheeled" over the surface.
:
44
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. In combination a socket piece with pin, a wheel supporting frame having
at its top an annular cup with balls and a slot to receive pin of socket piece, and
means for holding said pin in slot substantially as set forth.
2. In combination a wheel supporting frame having a slotted opening of the
form shewn in Figure 4, to receive a pin and a socket piece having a pin passing
through and free to move in said slot substantially as set forth.
3. The combination and arrangement of the whole of the parts substantially as
herein described and as illustrated on the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of May 1899.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London, For the Applicant.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London, For the Applicant.