IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTORS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTORS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME."-A
communication from abroad by Madame Ursule Antoinette Chapelon
Burdet, of Rue Richepanse, and Auguste Pinaire, of Rue de la Perle,.
both in Paris in the Empire of France.
وح
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTORS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME."-A
communication from abroad by Madame Ursule Antoinette Chapelon
Burdet, of Rue Richepanse, and Auguste Pinaire, of Rue de la Perle,.
both in Paris in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 28th April 1863, and dated the 3rd November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
November 1862.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTORS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME," to be as
follows:-
I make the socket which is fitted on the leg or other part supporting the
furniture with a bottom or disc disposed about or below the middle of its
depth, and from the centre of such disc I raise a socket tube, which receives a
pin or axis fixed to the plate carrying the arms in which the.roller or wheel of
the castor is fitted, or a fixed pin may be used instead of the socket tube, and
the castor plate fitted to rotate upon it. This plate fits in the bottom of the
leg socket so as to turn freely therein; between this bottom plate and the
false bottom or disc of the leg socket before-mentioned I dispose a series of

page_text: friction rollers, which transmit the weight of the furniture to the plate and
arms carrying the wheel. These friction rollers are mounted on a sort of star-
piece or series of radial arms fitted on the centre pin of the castor, each arm
forming an axis for one of the friction rollers. The leg socket is fixed in the
ordinary manner, while the tube or socket receiving the centre pin passes to a
greater or less length up the centre of the leg, and may or may not be used
for fixing the castor on the leg or furniture. By thus fitting the parts of the
castor it will move round easily, although under great pressure, and it adapts
itself readily to the direction in which. it is required to. travel. The castor
wheel may also be disposed more immediately underneath the table leg or
other point of support.
According to these improvements, in the manufacture I form the leg socket
of a piece of tube, which I stamp in suitable dies so as to give it the necessary
taper and to throw up a bead at the upper edge; I also insert the disc or
false bottom in the socket, and fix it. therein. by compression. of the socket and
disc in dies or stampers. The. disc. is a blank punched out, of a. plate ;. it has
the small tube socket fixed. in it, as also. a hole in the centre.to receive the
axis in which the castor turns. The friction rollers (I use.five.). I; punch from
a like blank, and so dispose the several punchings and cuttings. that the star-
piece may be punched or cut out of the same. blank. The star-piece or radial
arms after being punched and cut out of the blank are further formed and
adapted for the friction roller axes by stamping. The arms carrying the
castor wheel or roller and lower plate of the castor I also punch and cut out
in one piece from a sheet of metal in a suitable form, so that it may be after-
wards bent and otherwise formed by stamping in suitable dies, and so produce
the lower circular horizontal plate before-mentioned with the arms which
carry the wheel projecting downwards, and in a suitable direction there-
from.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30
2nd May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County, of Middlesex, Engineer, and,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS, Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 35
Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto nie, the
said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Clark, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN CASTORS,
AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME," a communication to me from abroad
by Madame Ursule Antoinette Chapelon Burdet, of Rue Richepanse, and
Auguste Pinaire, of Rue de la Perle, both in Paris, in the Empire of France,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clark, 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 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 William Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
I make the socket which is fitted on the leg or other part supporting the
furniture with a bottom or disc disposed about or below the middle of its.
depth, and from the centre of such disc I raise a socket tube, which receives a
pin or axis fixed in the plate, having the arms in which the roller or wheel of
the castor is fitted. This plate fits in the bottom of the leg socket so as to
turn freely therein; between this bottom plate and the false bottom or disc of
the leg socket before-mentioned I disposé a series of friction rollers, which
transmit the weight of the furniture to the plate and arms carrying the wheel;
these friction rollers are mounted on a sort of star-piece or series of radial
arms fitted on the centre pin of the castor, each arm forming an axis for one
of the friction rollers. The leg socket is fixed in the ordinary manner, while
the tube or socket receiving the centre pin passes to a greater or less length
up the centre of the leg, and may or may not be used for further fixing the
castor on the leg or furniture. By thus fitting the parts of the castor it will
move round easily, although, under great pressure, and adapts itself readily to

page_text: the direction it is desired to travel. The castor wheel may also be disposed
more immediately underneath the table leg or other point of support.
According to these improvements in the manufacture I form the leg socket
of a piece of tube, which I stamp in suitable dies, so as to give it the necessary
taper, and to throw up a bead at the upper edge. I also insert the disc or
false bottom in the socket, and fix it therein by compression in dies or
stampers. The disc being a blank punched out of a plate it has the small
tube socket fixed in it, as also a hole in the centre to receive the axis on
which the castor turns. The friction rollers (I use five) I punch from a like
blank, and so dispose the several punchings or cuttings that the star piece
may be punched or cut out of the same blank. The star piece or radial arms
after being punched and cut out of the blank are further formed and adapted
for the friction roller axes by stamping. The arms carrying the castor wheels
or roller and lower plate I also punch and cut out from a sheet of metal in a
suitable form, so that it may be afterwards bent and otherwise formed by
stamping in suitable dies to produce the lower circular horizontal plate before-
mentioned with the arms which carry the wheel projecting downwards, and in
suitable direction therefrom.
The principal advantages in adapting truckles or castors to furniture is to
render their removal easy, whatever may be the size or weight; it is neces-
sary for that purpose to dispose the castor so that it may be moved or turned
in every direction desired by the slightest force applied to the piece of
furniture. Of all the systems imagined to this time not one of them answers
completely to this condition. Indeed some of them, such as the spherical
roller system, can scarcely be used for anything else but for chairs, arm chairs,
and a few other light things of the same kind; others with a single spindle
cannot be employed with pieces of furniture of a certain size or weight, such
as beds, pianos, &c. with any or but little beneficial effect, and will also mark
the floor and tear the carpets.
It was on account of these inconveniences, and in order to avoid them that
I have adapted to the common castor, known from time immemorial, a
mechanism similar to those adopted on railroad turning plates, the description
of which will be found herein-after with reference to the Drawings, in Sheet 1,
which show exactly the dispositions I have adopted, and which characterises
this part of the Invention.
An important question arises with the great advantages presented by the
application of this mechanism; it is that of an addition in the cost; I have
therefore found other means of manufacture, serving not only to lessen this
increase of price, but also to produce a reduction in the whole cost of manu-

page_text: facture. To effect this I have substituted for casting of the several parts, such
as rings, axles or bearers, the plan of cutting out and stamping them. The second
Sheet and its description gives a correct idea of the mechanical means I adopt
for that purpose, and which will permit of my arriving at the double result.
DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW SYSTEM OF CASTOR (SHEET 1.)
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a truckle or castor for a piece of furniture with
round feet, such as chairs, arm chairs, sofas, tables, &c.; Fig. 2, underneath
view of same, showing the roller placed in its axle bearer; Fig. 3, front view
of Fig. 1, with section of the ring, in order to show the inside; Fig. 4, section
taken from Fig. 1, on line A, B, showing the disposal of a cross bar with six
arms and as many small rotating friction rollers; Fig. 5, side view in elevation
of a square plate, truckle, or castor for furniture, the feet of which are of a
plane surface, such as beds, pianos, &c.; Fig. 6, underneath view of Fig. 5,
showing the roller or wheel on its axle bearer; Fig. 7, vertical section of
Fig. 5 through the box, in order to show the disposition of the parts in the
interior; Fig. 8, horizontal section of Fig. 5 on line C, D, showing the
disposal of a cross bar with five arms or radii, and as many rotating rollers;
Fig. 9, side view in elevation of a truckle or castor with square ring for pieces
of furniture, the feet of which have this form; Fig. 10, underneath view of
Fig. 9, showing the roller placed in the axle bearers; Fig. 11, front view of
Fig. 9, supposing a part of the ring removed in order to show the interior
arrangements; Fig. 12, section of Fig. 9 on line E, F, showing the arrange-
ment of a cross bar with four arms. The same letters represent the same
parts in all the Figures.
a, ring or box divided in two parts by a plate or partition, the first being
designed to receive the feet of the piece of furniture, and the other to receive
the mechanism of rotation; b, circular plate, carrying the axle bearers of the
roller, set on an axle or pivot, round which it can easily turn; c, iron cross
bars, with four, five, six, or more arms, with as many small rollers, which are
also of iron, and all of them are rendered free on their axle; d, rollers or
wheels, which may be made of any solid substance, such as wood, metal, horn,
leather, gutta percha, hardened caoutchouc, &c.
METHOD OF MANUFACTURE (SHEET 2).
Fig. 1, piece of tube in metal, long enough to obtain by stamping an
enlargement or bead at the upper part of the castor ring; Fig. 2, longitudinal
section of embossing tools, called matrices or moulds, showing a ring after the
first stamping operation that it has to undergo; Fig. 3, plate or disc, disposed

page_text: to be encased in the ring, Fig. 1, when it has received its desired shape;
Fig. 4, section similar to the preceding, representing a ring finished, and in
which a plate has been introduced, showing also the matrices for placing and
securing the same; Fig. 5, first preparation or blank of the axle bearer,
stamped or cut from a sheet of brass or other metal; Fig. 6, longitudinal
section of the stamping tools, indicating the first operation that the axle bearer
has to undergo after being cut out; Fig. 7, section of stamping tools for
finishing, showing also an axle bearer completely finished; Fig. 8, blank or
disc cut out of a sheet of iron plate; Fig. 9, cross bar and rollers as cut out
of said disc, Fig. 8; Fig. 10, cross bar, cut out and separated from the other
parts of the sheet of metal; Fig. 11, cross bar stamped and ready for use.
In finishing this description, which will be sufficient to explain and render
clear the economy of their mode of manufacture, I beg to observe that the
tools, of which I represent a few specimens, may be adapted indiscriminately
to most of the cutting, stamping, or embossing machines operating either
by pressure or acting by percussion.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the arrangement and disposition of parts constituting castors, as
and for the purposes herein-before described and represented in the Drawings
annexed..
Secondly, I claim the mode of manufacturing the aforesaid castors, as
herein-before described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)