Improvements in Castors for Furniture.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 1st Dec., 1893-Accepted, 6th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Castors for Furniture.
I, THOMAS REID, of Victoria Street, Radcliffe, in the County of Lancaster,
Drysalter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention is designed to provide a castor for the legs of tables chairs and
other articles which will be free from the ordinary pins and loose washers by
which they are usually secured to the furniture and which will give an efficient
support to the furniture without liability to break off or wear loose.
It consists essentially in constructing the castor with a cap or inner shell or
socket to embrace the end of the leg and an outer cup, socket or shell into which
the inner one fits and is free to rotate, a small runner being provided at the top
edge to bear against the side of the inner cup or shell to reduce friction and a
pin or its equivalent or a ring or washer to connect the two parts together.
In carrying out the invention I construct a cup or socket of hard yellow or other
metal into which the end of the leg is fitted the same acting as a ferrule to strengthen
the leg. I also construct a second cup or socket similar to the first into which
the first socket fits loosely and in which it is free to rotate. The second socket
at its lower end carries the cranked or other forks to which the bowl or runner
which bears upon the ground is pivoted, and at its upper edge is fitted with one or
more bowls or runners with vertical pins which bear against the upper edge of
the inner socket. The bowl or bowls are placed on the same side of the socket
as the runner which bears upon the ground to sustain the lateral pressure and
prevent friction.
The bottom of the inner socket is preferably convex to reduce the bearing
surface between the two the convex surface may be on the outer socket or both
surfaces that come together may be convex.
The two parts are connected together by a pin or bolt passing through a hole in
the bottom or passing through or into a groove in the side or by a ring fastening
over a flange at the top or other equivalent device.
The bowl or runner which bears upon the ground may be of any ordinary
material of which these runners are usually made or if desired may be covered
with rubber.
The inner shell is attached to the leg by screws pins or the like.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Castors for Furniture.
I, THOMAS KEID, of Victoria Street, Radcliffe, in the County of Lancaster,
Drysalter, 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 designed to provide a castor for the legs of tables chairs and
other articles which will be free from the ordinary pins and loose washers by which
they are usually secured to the furniture and which will give an efficient support to
the furniture without liability to break off or wear loose.

page_text: It consists essentially in constructing the castor with an inner cup socket or shell
to embrace the end of the leg and an outer cup socket or shell into which the
inner one fits and is free to rotate, ball bearings or a small runner being provided
at the top edge to bear against the side of the inner cup or shell to reduce friction
and a pin or its equivalent or a ring or washer to connect the two parts
together.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1. front elevation.
Fig. 2. sectional elevation.
Fig. 3. sectional elevation of modified form.
Fig. 4. sectional elevation of another modification.
Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 each show sectional elevations of different modifications of
the invention.
In carrying out the invention I construct the castor with two cups or sockets A
and B of hard yellow or other metal the cup or socket A. fitting into the cup or
socket B sufficiently loosely to freely rotate the socket B at the same time
providing a broad or wide supporting and bearing surface for the socket A as it
rotates.
The inner socket A receives the end of the leg of furniture which is fitted tightly
therein and at the same time acts as a ferrule to strengthen the leg. The outer
socket B serves as a support for the inner cup or socket A. and provides a broad
bearing surface therefor."
The outer socket B at its lower end carries the cranked or other forks C to
which the bowl or runner D which bears upon the ground is pivoted and the two
sockets are connected together by a pin or rivet a passed through the bottom of
both or by a pin in the side of one passed into a groove in the other or by other
suitable means which will not retard the free movement of the two sockets.
The bottom of the inner socket may be made convex or the sockets may be
fitted with balls or runners to reduce the bearing surface and the friction between
them.
In Figs. 1 and 2 the castor is shown with the inner socket A fitted upon two sets
of balls E and F the set of balls E placed in the bottom of the socket B to bear
the weight thrown upon the castor and the set of balls F placed upon a flange or
shoulder to bear the lateral pressure and reduce the friction on the sides of the
sockets.
Fig. 3 shows a castor constructed very similarly to that shown in Fig. 1 the
inner socket A being provided with a top flange a¹ by which to attach it to a flat
surface.
In Fig. 4 the castor is shown with a bowl or runner F" mounted on a vertical
pin to bear against the upper edge of the inner socket. The bowl F" is placed
on the same side of the socket as the runner D which bears upon the ground to
sustain the lateral pressure and prevent friction. The bottom of the inner socket
is convex to reduce the bearing surface between the two or the convex surface may
be on the outer socket or both surfaces that come together may be convex.
In Fig. 5 the castor is constructed without any ball or roller bearings the inner
socket A provided with a convex under surface resting upon the bottom surface of
the outer socket B and the two sockets are connected together by the pins b which
pass through the outer socket into the groove b¹ in the inner socket.
In Fig. 6 the castor is shown constructed with inverted sockets A' B' acting in
precisely the manner hereinbefore described. An additional cup G is provided to
receive the leg of the furniture, or a flange to screw to a flat surface may be
provided. The top of the inner socket is convex and the two sockets are connected
together by the pins b fitting into grooves b¹.
In Fig. 7 the castor is shown constructed with inverted sockets A' B' and
provided with balls E¹ between the tops of the two sockets to bear the weight and
reduce the friction.

page_text: In Fig. 8 the castor is constructed with the two sockets A¹ and B¹ the balls F¹
being placed on a flange near the bottom to bear both the vertical and lateral
pressure.
The bowl or runner D which bears upon the ground may be of any ordinary
material of which these runners are usually made or if desired may be covered with
rubber.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
.1. A castor for furniture constructed with two sockets one placed inside the other
to provide a wide bearing surface one attached to the furniture and the other
carrying the runner which rests upon the ground the two being connected together
by pins rivets or bolts substantially as described.
2. A castor for furniture constructed with an inner socket in combination with an
outer socket connected together with or without ball or roller bearings substantially
as described and shown with reference to either of the Figs. 1 to 8 of the annexed
drawings.
Dated this 20th Jew of Nowamber 1802
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.