IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTORS FOR CHAIRS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Fry, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings
and State of New York, in the United States of America, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTORS FOR CHAIRS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Sealed the 3rd July 1860, and dated the 13th April 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Fry at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th April
1860.
1, THOMAS FRY, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings and State of New
York, in the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTORS FOR CHAIRS AND OTHER LIKE
ARTICLES OF FURNITURE," to be as follows:-
The object of my said Invention is to give relief to the roller and to the arm
by which it is connected to the stock or centre pin when heavily pressed upon
without interfering with the easy movement of the castor when the article to
which it is applied is not so heavily loaded as to cause such amount of
pressure.
For this purpose the stock or centre pin is extended downwards through
the arm of the castor nearly to the floor, and the roller arm is connected to it
or to the foot or leg of the article of furniture by means of a spring in such a
manner that when a heavy load is placed thereon the said stock or centre pin
will be caused to descend through the arm and rest upon the floor or carpet,

page_text: thereby supporting the heavier portion of the load, and thus relieving the
roller arm to that extent from the strain which would otherwise be thrown
upon it. On the removal or diminution of the said pressure the reaction of
the spring will again raise the stock or centre pin through the arm and leave
the castor free to act as usual.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Fry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th October 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
FRY, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings and State of New York, in the
United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Fry, Her special license that I, the said Thomas Fry,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Fry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENT IN
CASTORS FOR CHAIRS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES OF FURNITURE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Fry, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and 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 Thomas Fry, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of Improvement in Castors for Chairs and other like Articles
of Furniture," is intended to give relief to the roller and the arm by which

page_text: it is connected to the stock or centre pin when heavily pressed upon without
interfering with the easy movement of the castor when the article to which
it is applied is not so heavily loaded as to cause such amount of pressure.
For this purpose the stock or centre pin is extended downwards through the
arm of the castor nearly to the floor, and the roller arm is connected to it or to
the foot or leg of the article of furniture by means of a spring in such a manner
that when a heavy load is placed thereon the said stock or centre pin will be
caused to descend through the arm and rest upon the floor or carpet, thereby
supporting the heavier portion of the load, and thus relieving the roller arm to
that extent from the strain which would otherwise be thrown upon it. On the
removal or diminution of the said pressure the reaction of the spring will
again raise the stock or centre pin through the arm and leave the castor free
to act as usual.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention, I will describe more
particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by reference to
the accompanying Drawing, representing my improved castor in section.
A is the leg of the chair or other article of furniture to which the castor
may be applied; B is the stock or centre piece to which the arm C or carrier
for the roller D is suspended. This stock or centre piece B may be made to
enter the leg of a chair or other piece of furniture or be otherwise applied
thereto; E is an india-rubber spring which I prefer to be of vulcanized india-
rubber inserted above the arm C, which, when forcibly pressed, will yield so
far as to allow the stock B to descend through the arm C, and rest upon the
floor or carpet in order to support the heavy portion of the weight and thus
relieve the roller arm C.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I do hereby declare that what I claim as
of my Invention is the mode described of giving relief to the roller of the
castor and its arm or carrier by means of a spring combined with the stock or
centre pin formed in the manner described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Fry, have hereunto set my
band and seal, the Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
THOMAS FRY. (L.S.)